The great city of Qemassen is at a crossroads. A powerful empire from beyond the ocean threatens to reignite a centuries-old feud. A slave rebellion brews in the tangled labyrinth of tunnels beneath the city streets. And Crown Prince Ashtaroth, the city's supposed saviour, is considered unfit to rule even by those closest to him.
When the high priest burns one of the royal children alive as a desperate offering to the city's absentee gods, it destroys the fragile peace within Qemassen's scheming first family. Seeking revenge for the death of her child, Ashtaroth's mother calls on a powerful demon named Lilit.
But Lilit cannot be trusted. Her cruel machinations pit brother against sister and father against daughter, laying waste to Ashtaroth's family. Then Lilit approaches Ashtaroth with a demonic pact of his own-one that could save his people and his home. But between war from without and a revolution erupting within, even a demon may not be enough to keep Qemassen standing.
Set in a secondary world based on the conflict between Ancient Carthage and Rome, The Wings of Ashtaroth is a sprawling, multi-POV epic fantasy, full of queerness, political intrigue, and demons.
Content warnings included in the back of the book and on the author's website: stevewestenraDOTcom
