Snakes of the City of Roses

Amal is a witch who, despite her young age, has become the viceroy of the City of Roses. The powerful warrior has her own personal squad of sorcerers. Rumors of her cruel nature have spread far beyond the lands she rules. But Amal's power is powerless against the darkness lurking in the alleys. An unknown killer is murdering young girls, leaving behind only desiccated bodies, and their purpose is unknown even to the inhabitants of the Unclean Forest. One day, a defector named Amir appears at the city walls, seeking refuge at the viceroy's court from the Navirs, the emperor's special troops. Perhaps this man is somehow connected to the horrors unfolding in Varossa. But who is he, a victim or a cruel murderer? Shadows gather, and one thing is clear: there is a force over which nothing has power… A unique fantasy imbued with the magic of fire and shadows, Old Slavic mythology, and Turkic folklore — a debut by Yulia Arver, yet another talented Russian writer of the Freedom imprint! The action of the novel takes place in a unique authorial world inspired by the aesthetics of the Russian Empire of the conditional 18th-19th centuries, the Caucasus, and the Crimean Khanate. The Beloyarsk Empire consists of 25 provinces and occupies the entire continent. We are presented with the province of Naram and its remote city of Varossa, which the locals call the City of Roses. Amal is a powerful and unyielding witch. She has her own land and a personal squad of the strongest magicians. The girl is feared throughout the empire — rumors of her colossal fire power and the atrocities from the Naram mountains have reached the capital. But the witch's heart is broken: an unloved daughter who has endured persecution, suffering, and violence. Young girls are being murdered in the city, and the viceroy must take revenge on the killer. But what if this is tied to a magic of unseen power? And who hides behind the defector's identity? The novel is an epic, unparalleled magical act! Themes of Slavic culture and Turkic mythology intertwine; the world is grand and vast. Incredible battle scenes with the viceroy and the defector against unclean forces, political intrigues, and conflicted feelings of love