When Aaron Dalton is orphaned, the passing of his wealthy parents makes him the heir to their considerable estate. But there are those who plan to wrest it away from him. To do so, his supposed guardians dispatch him to the furthest orphanage they could find, namely a monastery in Tibet. Yet while they scheme to take what is rightfully his, in the distant east, he learns secret arts and is exposed to mysterious sciences that give him incredible abilities. In Asya Shmaryan's novel, readers will see Aaron make his return, and his enemies witness the coming of the "Sky Lord."
Despite his troubled youth, and his supposed guardians' conspiracy to carve up his family's wealth and estate for their ends, Aaron begins a new life in the Tibetan monastery, which officially does not exist and specializes in dealing with neurotic children. He is instructed in the ways of the monks, trained to be a teacher of Buddhism, yet something else is occurring in the monastery. Aside from the religious order's temples, it also contains experimental facilities where a combination of occult knowledge, fighting disciplines, spiritual ceremonies, and strange science are used to transform the pupils into unnatural miracle workers. Even the true monks have waned, and much of the practitioners are cynical sorts simply seeking power for its own sake, taking over the monastery and hypnotizing the students to keep them in their sway.
For twelve years, Aaron studied the ways of the monks and endured their conditioning along with many other pupils. He has even forgotten his original name after being bestowed a Chinese moniker. In time he is finally deemed worthy of being subjected to a radical procedure designed to recreate ancient monks' fabled ability to levitate. Shortly afterward, through a chance encounter, Aaron is reminded of his past and realizes the horror of his situation. In desperation, he makes his escape, using his newfound powers to take flight and leave the monastery together with Yuan Lu, a fellow pupil he befriended.
Yet escape is just the beginning, for as the sightings of the mysterious flying man wind up in the local and international media, causing a frenzy, the twisted monks plan the measures they will take to deal with their wayward pupil. Aaron must contend with their retribution. And he must return home to reclaim his birthright from the corporate vultures who have carved it to pieces. Worse yet, taking care of Aaron is not even the primary concern of the monks, for their true plan is in mass-producing superhuman subjects, creating a truly formidable force.
Full of adventure, mysticism, and excitement, Shmaryan's "Sky Lord" promises to excite readers and keep them on the edge of their seats.
About the Author
Asya Shmaryan hailed from Ukraine and migrated to Australia after the Chernobyl disaster as a refugee. She pursued her passion for writing later and has written in English and Russian. She also translates books. She has written and published 14 books including 5 novels and a play. She has served as an interpreter at the Sydney Olympic and Paralympic games, submitted scripts for film festivals, and was awarded at the Monaco International Film Festival in 2009.
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