Keeper of Light and Dust
a Novel
by
Natasha Mostert
A highly original
supernatural thriller blending magic,
science, martial arts, and the greatest
desire of all: to live forever
Mia Lockheart has a secret. Her mother
was a Keeper, as was her
grandmother-women who were warriors,
healers, and protectors. As Mia
practices her craft among the boxers and
martial artists of South London, and
begins a romance with her childhood
friend, the fighter Nick Duffy, she has
no idea that a man who calls himself
"Dragonfly" is watching from the
shadows.
Adrian Ashton is a brilliant scientist,
an expert in the breaking field of
biophoton emissions from cells within
the human body. He is also a skilled
martial artist-and a modern-day vampire.
With the aid of the enigmatic Book of
Life and Death, written in the
thirteenth century by the legendary
Chinese physician Zhang Sanfeng, he
preys on other martial artists and
drains them of their chi-the vital
energy that flows through the body.
Mia finds herself drawn to his dark
genius, but when he targets Nick as his
next victim, she is forced to choose
between the two men. It becomes a fight
to the death in which love is both the
greatest weakness and the biggest prize.
Reviews:
Mostert (Season of the Witch)
cleverly melds mystery with the
supernatural in this Zen-tinged
thriller. Mia Lockhart Cortez, a South
London tattooist and martial artist,
employs her mystical gifts to watch over
modern-day warriors-kickboxers-in her
secret role as a "Keeper." Mia is
particularly concerned to protect her
boyfriend, Nick Duffy, who's preparing
for a big fight. During an out-of-body
excursion ("stepping out"), Mia has a
violent, erotically charged encounter
with Adrian "Ash" Ashton, an "impossibly
good-looking" vampiric thief, who drains
chi, a person's life force, instead of
blood from his victims. Nick feels
threatened by Mia's attraction to the
seductive Ash, who may have drawn on the
power of The Book of Light and Dust,
"a mixture of personal philosophy, diary
entries and science," to murder several
U.K. kickboxers. Some Net-related
touches, including Ash using text
messaging to taunt Mia, add to the
intrigue. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a
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rights reserved.
“Brilliantly
compelling and original. I read this
book in one sitting.”
– Robert Twigger, winner of the Somerset
Maugham Award (Angry White Pajamas)
“Eyes Wide Shut” meets film-noir murder
mystery…Love!” – Marie Claire
“A taut, sexy thriller.” –
Entertainment Weekly
“Seductive.” – Harper’s Bazaar
“Mind-bending.” – Charlotte Observer
“A brain-squeezing thriller…an
intellectual puzzler.” – Kirkus
(starred review)
“Fraught with eroticism…Fans of Anne
Rice and Joyce Carol Oates should
appreciate Mostert’s take on mysticism.”
– Booklist
About the Author
Natasha Mostert
writes psychological, idea-driven
thrillers with themes rooted in
mysticism and the paranormal. Her
interest in the supernatural started in
early childhood while growing up in
South Africa. Natasha's nanny, a Zulu
woman, introduced her to the world of
the isangoma
(witch
doctors). Years later, the concepts
of witchcraft and alchemy would surface
in her acclaimed novel, Season of the
Witch. Educated in South Africa and
at Columbia University, Natasha holds
graduate degrees in lexicography and
applied linguistics and a Bachelors
degree in modern languages. Her
political opinion pieces have appeared
in The New York Times and The
Times of London, among
others. An avid kick boxer, Natasha’s
interest in martial arts lies at the
heart of her new novel. A portion of the
proceeds from the sale of
Keeper of Light and Dust will
go toward funding the Cooperation For
Peace and Unity’s “CPAU Fighting for
Peace.” “Fighting for Peace” is an
initiative aimed at promoting the rights
of Afghan women through boxing to help
them feel empowered and confident in a
country where they have been oppressed
for decades. Visit Natasha’s website:
www.natashamostert.com to learn more
about her involvement in this program.
The author lives in London with her
husband.
Visit Natasha's Website
