Judas

In the opulent, decaying empire of Venagrad - a world of carnival masks, alchemical technology, and perpetual political theater - everyone wears a false face. The most dangerous thing you can do is be seen for who you really are.

THE LONG SELECTION is a dark fantasy political thriller trilogy following three players in a conspiracy that reaches from the gutters of Carnevale's canal districts to the throne of the Argent Empire itself.

JUDAS - the Duke's son. A brilliant, ruthless political operative tasked by Emperor Leventhal Le Taliesin to transform a weak, well-meaning noble into the next Crown Prince. He has run a hundred schemes. He has never questioned who benefits. He is about to start.

SINA - the bounty hunter. A veteran of The Chain, the empire's lawless nomadic underworld, who has sworn off men, sworn off sentiment, and taken a contract to keep Judas alive - for reasons she isn't allowed to disclose. She is also something else. Something she cannot tell him.

LEVENTHAL - the Emperor. The architect of everything. The man who has kept his empire stable for decades through absolute control, careful cruelty, and one buried secret: the murder of his own son.

As Judas and Sina are drawn deeper into the investigation of Prince Daelen Le Taliesin's death five years prior, the lies that hold the empire together begin to fracture - and the truth, when it surfaces, will cost everyone something they cannot afford to lose.

Political intrigue. Found family. A slow-burn relationship built on professional trust and deliberate betrayal. A villain who believes he is right. An empire on the edge of collapse.

In an empire of masks, the most dangerous thing is to be seen.