Names/Forms: Each character has multiple names (Stealth/Niko.Riddler/Tempus… Datan/Osprey … Roxanne/Cybele and these folk assume various forms (they use illusions to become imposters, they shape shift into animals.). 
Style: Expect intricate sentences with a panoply of vocabulary (and even parenthetical asides). Mature Scenes: Adult-appropriate sexual scenes are abundant, though not gratuitous (they reflect the milieu informed by history). An informative Wikipedia posting on the Sacred Band of Stepsons explains more. This mashup of fantasy/history yields a rich world for the characters to navigate. 
The immortal characters and magic are presumably fiction. heck, even the gods and spiritual concepts are informed from ancient beliefs (i.e. Whether it's Niko's attraction to young women (which creeped me out despite being common in many cultures long ago and even today), the intimate pairing of elite warriors (~the Sacred Band of Thebes), or the landscape of Nisibis and Mygdonia (those were real territories).
History-Informed Magic & Culture: Foremost, Beyond Sanctuary blends fantasy with historical elements so seamlessly, that history-deficient-folk like myself cannot easily differentiate pure-fiction from history-informed fantasy. This is ostensibly the best starting point to delve into the Tempus & Niko series (see the reading list below). Ī Mature Read: Having not read the Thieve's World Series from which this novel evolved, I entered this with a blank slate. These are deeply motivated characters who parley directly with gods as contemporary immortals. Tempus begins living a curse in which those who love him get hurt, and Niko recovers from losing his sacred partner (only to have his mind vied for by a god and sorceress). Tempus and Niko: The book follows many characters, but focuses on Tempus and Niko the story arc leans toward Niko's plight, though Tempus is ever present. Expect fantastic magic, doses of horror, stealth military sorties, and mature themes. This represents the book very well it promises to drag you into epic, divine combat rooted in history. The Cover: This Author's Cut version features Peter Paul Rubens' 1618 painting "The Death of Decius Mus in Battle"(translated title) this extends Perseid Press' cover art approach. Read this and you'll be transported into the Baroque masterpiece cover, joining the battlefield alongside gods and champions: Life to you, Reader, and everlasting glory! Morris' Beyond Sanctuary is a splendid mashup of Dark Fantasy and ancient grandeur. Note: This January I interviewed Janet Morris on the Topic of "Art & Beauty in Fantasy Fiction." Click here for that!
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