Kat Hankinson

Forge of Angels, Book One: To Slay Ourobouros Story Statement In a world ruled by Dagons — descendants of a fallen angel who control humankind with Shadow Magic and a vast theocracy — gifted translator Leah Duvall learns that her Dagon “fathers” killed her mother in order to control her. She joins a rebel group to help them unlock the ancient power that can destroy the Dagons. But the knowledge she finds reveals a terrifying secret about her own origins. With the power awakening in her, can she avenge her mother and free humankind, or will her very existence empower the Dagons to enslaved humanity forever? Antagonist Renault Atreus is a centuries-old “superior” being called a Dagon: a descendant of a fallen angel who once ruled the earth as a God King. Born in the 17th century, he has seen religious wars tear Europe apart. He has seen the fall of the aristocracies, and the rise of democracy — as well as its descent into nationalism and fascism. He has seen his fellow Dagons create a new world order only to fight more wars against resistant nations — and each other. His solution: to resurrect the Dagons’ ancient ancestor: an all-powerful living god who will bring about unity and peace. Title To Slay Ourobouros Comparables. A story of lost memory and powerful self-discovery like Captain Marvel, in a world comparable to Sarah J. Maas’ Crescent City. Conflict When she learns that her Dagon masters killer her mother in order to raise and train her for their own purposes, Leah Duvall joins the rebel Dagons to decipher the inscriptions on a mysterious artifact, unlocking an ancient power that will destroy the Dagons. But her benefactor, the rebel Dagon Atreus, plans to use these secrets to resurrect a tyrannical God King: an immortal being that will enslave humanity and make life on earth a living Hell. Core Wound The Dagons who raised her lied to her about her past, telling her her mother abandoned her for a suicide mission, but Leah learns this is a lie: the Dagons themselves killed her in order to raise her themselves, so they could use her gift for their own purposes. Now she wants revenge. Betrayed by the Dagons — her “fathers,” superior men descended from an angel who have ruled the world for a over century — gifted translator Leah Duvall joins a group of rebels and exiles in order to unlock an ancient power that will destroy the Dagons. But the power changes her. Can she destroy the Dagons, or is she doomed to become one of them, trapped in their dark realm as they enslave all of humanity? Secondary conflict Leah’s relationship with Atreus, in which she begins to trust him as a mentor, fuels her internal conflict when she realizes he is using her power to resurrect a God King. Leah’s relationship with Jake tests — and boosts— her faith in the ability of people to fight the dark influence taking over the world. Setting The story unfolds at a research institute in Anatolia, in the shadow of the volcanic Mount Ararat, and the ruins of ancient cities. We will also see the splendor of those cities and lands as they once were when legendary figures lived, loved, and battled. The story begins in New York City, which has been transformed by the Dagons. Surrounding what was once Central Park is a vast citadel, a Vatican-like complex called the Patropolis, where the Dagons live — and where those with traces of Dagon DNA are privileged to dwell. Outside the Patropolis ordinary people live in the ruins of what was once a great city… now a network of improvised dwellings and secret mazes and underground canals where the Resistance operates.