Celestine Chronicles Series by Cebelius

Not all heroes go to heaven. Terrence Mack was born poor, grew up tough, and died hard. Waking up in a sea cave with nothing but the clothes on his back and a new bullet scar was enough to convince him that wherever his death had brought him, it wasn't paradise. His new world quickly proves to be a place of danger, magic, monsters, and - for Terry at least - women. Known on Celestine as a template, Terry's genes are key to the survival of the eldritch races... moreNot all heroes go to heaven. Terrence Mack was born poor, grew up tough, and died hard. Waking up in a sea cave with nothing but the clothes on his back and a new bullet scar was enough to convince him that wherever his death had brought him, it wasn't paradise. His new world quickly proves to be a place of danger, magic, monsters, and - for Terry at least - women. Known on Celestine as a template, Terry's genes are key to the survival of the eldritch races. But the fiercely competitive eldritch don't typically leave their lovers alive long, and aren't accustomed to taking 'no' for an answer. The average life expectancy of a template on Celestine? Three days. A city boy with no survival skills to speak of, Terry sets out in a desperate bid to gather allies. With the help of a lonely dryad, a mixed-up minotress, and a misguided party of dungeon delvers, he must be brave, cunning, and good with the ladies to have any hope of living through the month. All the while an ancient evil bent on the destruction of Celestine exists in the north, and templates are the key to its southern expansion ... Warning: This book does not pan to waving curtains and fade to black. Those uninterested or under the age of eighteen are strongly warned of explicit content. less

How much blood is one man worth? Terrence Mack has succeeded in keeping his freedom, but at what cost? The Vicereine of Florence is dead. The city she ruled has fallen to chaos, under assault by both Twilight Zone agents and a seemingly unstoppable dragon determined to claim the template's power for herself. In shouldering responsibility for the crisis, Terry has taken it upon himself to break the siege or die trying... moreHow much blood is one man worth? Terrence Mack has succeeded in keeping his freedom, but at what cost? The Vicereine of Florence is dead. The city she ruled has fallen to chaos, under assault by both Twilight Zone agents and a seemingly unstoppable dragon determined to claim the template's power for herself. In shouldering responsibility for the crisis, Terry has taken it upon himself to break the siege or die trying. With the help of his friends and the women he loves he may just have what it takes to hold the darkness — and the obsessed — at bay. Yet the power of a template is poorly understood and for some, it comes at a terrible price. As Terry forges ahead, dire consequences force him to question the value of one man's life, weighed against the havoc wrought for his sake. Moving from one costly battle to the next, he is left struggling not just to save the lives of the innocent, but his own immortal soul. Warning: This book does not pan to waving curtains and fade to black. Those uninterested or under the age of eighteen are strongly warned of explicit content. less

A man is only as good as his word ... Celestine is a vast world, filled with mysteries and peopled by creatures most men consider nothing but flights of fancy. Terrence Mack knows better. Free of Florence at last, he wants nothing more than to make good on a promise. Yuri Kolenko journeyed across the world on a quest to be made chieftain and end the abuses of an evil shaman. Terry has sworn to see it done... moreA man is only as good as his word ... Celestine is a vast world, filled with mysteries and peopled by creatures most men consider nothing but flights of fancy. Terrence Mack knows better. Free of Florence at last, he wants nothing more than to make good on a promise. Yuri Kolenko journeyed across the world on a quest to be made chieftain and end the abuses of an evil shaman. Terry has sworn to see it done. Yet pursued by furies, a dragon, even the Dust Lord himself, the template and his companions are compelled to challenge the Sphinx and enter the Labyrinth. There they must make their way to the center, challenge an ancient, fallen hero, and bargain with a woman twice-scorned, called with good reason the Power of the Lost ... Warning: This book does not pan to waving curtains and fade to black. Those uninterested or under the age of eighteen are strongly warned of explicit content. less

It is the mettle to proceed that matters ... The Labyrinth behind him, Terry and company arrive on the Eastern Steppes in the midst of a carnival, and a fateful decision puts him under a dire curse. Stripped of his bond powers and exiled to the dreamlike Wildervast, he must find and free the ultimate witch, then kill an invincible man... moreIt is the mettle to proceed that matters ... The Labyrinth behind him, Terry and company arrive on the Eastern Steppes in the midst of a carnival, and a fateful decision puts him under a dire curse. Stripped of his bond powers and exiled to the dreamlike Wildervast, he must find and free the ultimate witch, then kill an invincible man. Meanwhile, those left behind must face the machinations of the tauren herd leaders, whose law allows them to take a template for common use, and the remnants of Theseus' bonds in search of revenge. Beyond all, there remain the inscrutable machinations of Vlad the Dreamer, and the immortal might of the Twilight Zone's gorgon, Stheno. Warning: This book does not pan to waving curtains and fade to black. Those uninterested or under the age of eighteen are strongly warned of explicit content. TITLE has been changed, not the content. This is still book 4 of the Celestine Chronicles. less

NEVER split the party ... Tyrfing is both the key to success in Terry Mack's quest to destroy the Dust Lord, and a death sentence for any template foolish enough to go after the cursed blade. With Baba Yaga prophesying doom should he pursue the weapon himself, Terry is compelled by his lovers and companions to allow Yuri to retrieve the sword instead while he moves to secure the tiger kin and bring them home... moreNEVER split the party ... Tyrfing is both the key to success in Terry Mack's quest to destroy the Dust Lord, and a death sentence for any template foolish enough to go after the cursed blade. With Baba Yaga prophesying doom should he pursue the weapon himself, Terry is compelled by his lovers and companions to allow Yuri to retrieve the sword instead while he moves to secure the tiger kin and bring them home. Yet Terry arrives to find every male of the tribe missing, captured by a monster with strange, hypnotic powers. Faced with an antagonist who can vanish without trace at will, Terry struggles to find some way to force a confrontation before the people he was charged to keep safe are lost forever. Meanwhile Yuri finds that the area around Svartheim has been devastated, its people slaughtered, and the one clue he has to their disappearance is an ominous note naming the dungeon as both the source of the destruction, and the birthplace of a warlord known as Halfrekkr ... Warning: This book does not pan to waving curtains and fade to black. Those uninterested or under the age of eighteen are strongly warned of explicit content. less

"We are all monsters here ..." Celestine is a land of beauty and horror where the heroic souls of men are tempted to fall from heights mere mortals were never meant to attain.Terrence Mack has managed to survive in this brutal world, gathering bonds of great power and ability, passing trials and tribulations that would crush lesser men. Yet his own unwillingness to let others share his burdens may be his undoing, and his greatest challenges are yet to come... more"We are all monsters here ..." Celestine is a land of beauty and horror where the heroic souls of men are tempted to fall from heights mere mortals were never meant to attain.Terrence Mack has managed to survive in this brutal world, gathering bonds of great power and ability, passing trials and tribulations that would crush lesser men. Yet his own unwillingness to let others share his burdens may be his undoing, and his greatest challenges are yet to come.To even reach his destiny, Terry must once again cross the Wildervast, a dream world where desires rule fate. He must survive the machinations of the Mother of Monsters, satisfy the Mistress of Weavers, and come face to face with a man who surpasses him in every way.His enemy has lived for thousands of years, risen to virtual godhood whilst bent on destroying the world. Terry promised to end that threat, yet the sacrifices he's made have left him vulnerable and the greatest threat to his ultimate success may lie not within the Dust Lord ... but himself. Warning: This book does not pan to waving curtains and fade to black. Those uninterested or under the age of eighteen are strongly warned of explicit content. less