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The Midwife's Pyre, the Dragon's Tears: A Witch's Rebirth

  • Writer: Michaela Riley
    Michaela Riley
  • May 12, 2025
  • 2 min read


1590, Copenhagen: When a midwife is burned at the stake for witchcraft, her executioners discover too late that death is not the end, but the beginning of a terrifying rebirth. 

The biting Danish wind whipped Anna's hair around her face, mirroring the frenzy of the crowd baying for her blood. Accused of witchcraft, a midwife facing the pyre, she clutched at the knowledge that flickered within her – this wasn't an end, but a beginning. They called it a curse, this untamed magic that bloomed within her. But as the flames licked at her feet, Anna embraced it. She knew her fiery death wasn't a surrender, but a key. A key to a power they couldn't control, to a life far beyond their reach.


At the edge of the town, shrouded in shadow, stood Murdach. An immortal warrior, a shapeshifting dragon – a being of immense power, yet utterly helpless. Tears stung his eyes, a testament to the countless lives they'd shared, severed too soon by the relentless hand of fate. He knew he couldn't intervene. This brutal spectacle, this agonizing farewell, was her destiny. It was etched in the stars, whispered on the wind – a necessary sacrifice for the dawn to come. He loved her through the ages, and he would find her again. He had to.

The flames consumed her, a roaring inferno against the twilight sky. But as her body turned to ash, a new spark ignited.


She will awaken in the Labyrinth of Shadows: The Witch's Rebirth.

In the quaint town of Septimania, nestled within the heart of the mysterious Labyrinth of Shadows, a babe cries. A new life, untainted by the memories of her past, yet carrying the echo of ancient power within her very being. This is Anna, reborn. Now called Merona, hailed as a Gift from the Gods!


The prophecy of her rebirth has been passed down through generations, a whispered secret kept alive by those who understand the delicate balance between light and darkness. It speaks of a witch of unparalleled strength, destined to rise from the ashes of persecution and wield a magic that could reshape the very fabric of reality.


Septimania, a town steeped in ancient lore and shrouded in perpetual twilight, is the perfect crucible for her power to re-emerge. Here, amongst the labyrinthine streets and whispering shadows, she will begin again. She will learn to harness the dormant magic that courses through her veins, unaware of the battles fought and sacrifices made to bring her back.

The road ahead will be fraught with peril. Ancient enemies, lurking in the shadows, will seek to extinguish her flame before it can truly ignite. But she is not alone. Murdach, bound by a love that transcends lifetimes, stands vigilant, ready to guide her, protect her, and help her fulfill the destiny that awaits.


The Witch's Rebirth has begun. Septimania holds its breath, waiting for the dawn of a new era, an era where magic reclaims its place in the world, and the power of the witch rises once more from the ashes of the past. The Labyrinth of Shadows awaits, ready to unveil its secrets and forge the legend of Merona, the witch reborn.


Get it on Amazon today at https://a.co/d/6nWZOqL.

Critics' Requiem

Echoe's Never Die

The Editor's Shadow

What if the worst thing you ever read about yourself was true—and the whole world believed it?

Arthur Penwright’s debut novel was supposed to make him a star. Instead, he becomes the target of an online mob, as anonymous critics tear his life apart with words sharper than any knife. In this gripping psychological thriller about writers and critics, Arthur’s quest for vindication spirals into obsession, revenge, and murder as he hunts down those who ruined him.

Set in the ruthless world of publishing and social media, Critics’ Requiem is a dark and twisty suspense novel about the power of words, the danger of cancel culture, and the line between justice and madness. Fans of literary thrillers, meta-fiction, and books like The Silent Patient or Gone Girl will devour this page-turner where every review can be deadly.

Perfect for readers searching for:
literary thriller series, psychological suspense, books about writers and critics, novels about online bullying, dark fiction about internet mobs, fiction about toxic online culture, book reviewer murder mystery, psychological revenge stories, books for writers and book lovers

The story isn’t over. The legend of Arthur Penwright returns with a vengeance.

Across Europe, literary critics are turning up dead—each murder foretold by a chilling manuscript leak, each scene echoing the crimes of the infamous Penwright case.

 

Detective Elias Mercer is called out of retirement, Maia Walsh is drawn back into a web of obsession and betrayal, and Arthur finds passion and peril with the mysterious Sabine Leclerc.

Echoes Never Die is a dark literary thriller about love, betrayal, and digital justice. As new killings sweep Paris, Prague, and beyond, the line between victim and villain blurs. Who controls the narrative when legends refuse to die?

Perfect for fans of:
psychological thrillers, global suspense series, dark academia, novels about betrayal and obsession, European thrillers, books about viral crime, books with strong female leads, books about digital scandals, trending booktok thrillers

Every ending is a new beginning. The final story is being written.

A new apprentice steps from the shadows, orchestrating copycat killings and leaking chapters that shake the literary world. As the body count climbs across Lisbon, New York, and beyond, Arthur, Sabine, Maia, and Mercer are forced into a final, deadly showdown.

 

In this international murder mystery, old legends and new obsessions collide.

The Editor’s Shadow is a gripping psychological suspense novel about redemption, legacy, and the mythic power of narrative. Perfect for readers who crave dark fiction, meta-narrative thrillers, and stories where every secret can kill.

For readers who love:
copycat killer thrillers, psychological suspense series, novels about redemption and justice, gripping suspense novels, international murder mysteries, books about myth and legacy, fiction about narrative power, trending thrillers for adults

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