Publisher's Synopsis
Book 1: Beast-Born
In the first thrilling installment of the The Hollow Crown series, Beast-Born, we are introduced to Mateo, a young man born into slavery under the tyrannical rule of the Minotaur Kingdom. But Mateo is no ordinary slave-he is the son of Queen Arfina and the rebel hero Arthur with unimaginable potential. From the moment he takes his first breath, Mateo's destiny is sealed, marked by a divine scar branded into his skin by his mother to protect him from a cruel fate.
As Mateo grows, he is forced to fight in brutal gladiatorial arenas, where his body and spirit are constantly tested. Struggling to suppress the godly powers within him, he becomes a weapon of both destruction and survival. However, Mateo's latent abilities are awakened in a fiery explosion of black flames and shadow manipulation. It's the beginning of a new path-a path that will take him from a broken slave to the leader of a rebellion that will challenge the entire Minotaur Kingdom.
In the wake of his awakening, Mateo aided by Scarred Legion, a group of enslaved rebels who, like him, are branded with the scar of defiance. Together, they rise up against their oppressors, and as the war intensifies, Mateo becomes a symbol of hope, strength, and sacrifice. But as his powers grow, so does the cost of wielding them. With every victory, Mateo's humanity slips further away, and the power that makes him a leader may also be his undoing.
Beast-Born is a story of revolution, magic, and the heavy price of freedom. With powerful battles, complex characters, and deep emotional stakes, this book will grip you from the first page and pull you into a world where the cost of standing against tyranny may be the loss of everything you hold dear. As Mateo struggles with the duality of his existence, must confront his own inner darkness, making impossible choices that will define his future and the fate of Chromaterra.
In Beast-Born, magic is both a weapon and a curse, and the journey to freedom is fraught with danger, deception, and impossible decisions. Will Mateo rise as a savior, or will his transformation into something darker be the end of the world he's fighting for? Dive into this gripping tale of power, rebellion, and self-discovery, and discover what it truly means to be Beast-Born.
