Read Your Writes Book Reviews: SHADOWSLAYERS by Colin Sephton ~ Guest Post & Giveaway

Shadowslayers (The Chronicles of the Charon, #2)
by: Colin Sephton
Series: The Chronicles of the Charon
Genre: Steampunk Adventure Mystery/Fantasy
Release Date: September 2, 2025
Publisher: Cinnabar Moth Publishing

When doppelgangers start appearing in Oxford, Union Jack agents Ignatius and Indigo find themselves on another cosmic quest, one they didn’t set out to investigate.

Drawn into the search for the elusive and dangerous Book of Shadows, they find themselves traveling across the cosmos once again, racing against other versions of themselves, and visiting the Oracle to be given prophecies of terrible destruction that will engulf the cosmos in darkness. Only these two heroes—or their doubles—can open the book, which would lead to dreadful consequences for themselves, the world and the whole of creation.

The agents must outwit their own mirror souls and invade the impregnable Administorium, which holds the answers they need but also fearsome enemies of both the Union Jacks and the entire cosmos. In this quest, Ignatius and Indigo must protect not only England and the Empire, but the world and the cosmos.

The two main protagonists are Ignatius and Indigo. They are both secret agents for the Union Jacks. A secret organisation, invisible and omnipresent, without beginning or end; with no recognised recorded history. They are individuals of Engineering Science, technological masters without borders. Their story is long and complex, and entwined with the established history. The secret Brotherhood that preceded them trace their origins to Brutus of Troy, who landed on the shores of Britain after the Battle of Troy.

Ignatius is a seeker of hidden truths and sacred knowledge with a rational mind. He represents empirical investigation, logic, science, and engineering, he unwittingly crosses thresholds into metaphysical realms. He is drawn to ancient texts, cosmology, and quantum mysteries, and balances science with mysticism. He is always skeptical yet open-minded.

Indigo is deeply intuitive, spiritually aware, and a carrier of esoteric wisdom. She represents the Divine Feminine in equilibrium with Ignatius’ Divine Masculine. She is a warrior-mystic, skilled with weapons and ancient knowledge. She is intellect meets instinct. She is intuitive and likes to get the job done.

I can see different characteristics of myself in both these characters. But if I had to choose, I would say Indigo is my favourite. Firstly, I just love the unusual name, Indigo Gemstone. It’s a name I had kicking around in my head for years before I started writing, and I would say that Shadowslayers is really her story.

The scene became liquid, and blackness enveloped all, circling everything in the room, like an archaic ghostly phantom made of deadly vapours, before giving way to the slightest of dim light in which Indigo could see the ancient crepuscular shadow deepen and fully form into the upper body of the Queen of Shadows. She had concealed herself and had escaped the destruction earlier and was now a phantom bent on revenge. Her beautiful face appeared before Ignatius and she kissed him, her blue lips locking on to his as she pulled him closer, her slender arm locked around his neck. He had no escape. She looked directly at Indigo and sneered. The queen knew this would hurt Indigo the most.

As the queen kissed Ignatius again, then withdrew her face, Indigo could see she was sucking the lifeforce from his rigid lifeless body, revealing her black fangs as she pulled back, black tendrils draped between them like foul saliva.

The queen was now fully formed, her naked body displayed, her legs wrapped around Ignatius like a succubus in the night. Black tattoos covered her body, and as she moved, so did the tattoos. They writhed and changed shape, sliding over her skin, caressing her, absorbing energy from her.

Indigo knew it was only a matter of time before Ignatius would be an empty husk, a living zombie.

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The Chronicles of the Charon Series:

Timeslayers (Book 1)

Shadowslayers (Book 2)

Soulslayers (Book 3) releases November 4, 2025

Colin was born in Coventry and worked in the automotive industry for over twenty years before becoming an Engineering teacher. Obtaining his first library card at the age of thirteen, he became an avid reader of Fantasy and the mysteries of the Universe. He has an inbuilt curiosity for lost knowledge and ancient texts that may help to unlock the secrets of consciousness and the universe. Living in Oxford for many years, he has now moved back to his home county of Warwickshire where he enjoys creating and working with his wife on their garden in which he writes and entertains their two grandsons. He has always been an artist and writer and is inspired by the worlds created by Robert E Howard and Michael Moorcock, with the artwork of Frank Frazetta.

Places to find Colin Sephton:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Amazon Author Page

You can follow the Shadowslayers Book Tour here.