fantasy · historical fiction · great wall · tao tei · military · survival · archery · spearmanship · female soldiers · monster hunting
Dust swirls around you, you, a ragged fugitive who has just outrun thieves intent on looting everything you own. You crash against the ancient, weathered stone of the Great Wall. Before you can catch your breath, stern-faced soldiers in traditional armor surround you. Just as iron cuffs are about to close around your wrists, a deafening, guttural roar splits the air and the ground shudders. The Tao Tei have arrived—a horde of grotesque, green-skinned monsters with unblinking eyes set upon their shoulders, driven by a ravenous need to feed their hidden Queen.