The Deadly Mark
In 1821, several forces come together to unite a fractured, war-torn kingdom. Kathleen being the centre of the conflict and the heiress to the throne is propelled into a terrifying world of power and responsibility by a king as harsh as the land he was born to rule.
Threatened by the desires of dangerous men who see her as only a pawn in their games of power, Kathleen is trapped by the hands of a cruel prince, who has proven he will stop at nothing to have his way. And if he can’t have her, no one will.
Sweeping from household to household, a secret of death and murder cause each life to hang in balance in a war of kill or be killed. Tragedy and betrayal, vengeance and forgiveness, disgrace and terror, and the fate of the Kingdom rely on the secret of the deadly mark.
The Deadly Mark is a passionate exploration of power and intrigue. Using evocative imagery and absorbing language, the book takes you on a journey that leaves your imagination hinging on the edge.
Captivating from the first page. A wild ride through a corrupt 19th Century bureaucracy, complete with a suicidal princess, homicidal suitors, and a champion worth dying for.
A fast-paced tale of courtly intrigue, dastardly deeds, a loyal guardsman, and his quest to save a tormented princess from her own self-destructive nature. The Deadly Mark is an entertaining offering from promising new author Katherine Nader.
David Alexander, CEO of Quantum Run
Tania L. Ramos, author of Be Still
Michelle Proulx, author of Imminent Danger
REVIEWS & EXTRAS
The Deadly Mark has been reviewed by Clarion, BlueInk, and Kirkus, and is currently in the hands of the Vieira Meredith Film Productions to be considered for film. Their input is available on this page along with the Book Trailer. Look forward to it!
Book Trailer 1
Book Trailer 2
"In Nader’s debut, a young princess has given up on life, but life hasn’t given up on her—at least, not yet. At a young age, Kathleen lost her mother to suicide over a secret concerning the validity of her family’s royal bloodline. Since then, Kathleen has lived a solitary life. Her father, a power-hungry, paranoid king unable to understand what is best for his daughter, arranges to marry her off to Ithaniel, the Prince of Scotland—a man Kathleen has always loathed and feared. The king sends Kathleen away to spend time with her future husband and later finds her barely alive after being raped and tortured by the psychotic prince. After Kathleen’s rescue, she’s deeply damaged by the traumatic experience; she tries desperately to hide her cuts and bruises. The worst cut is in the center of her forehead, where Ithaniel tried to murder her with a dagger—her “deadly mark.” She learns that she’s been promised to another suitor, Prince Charles, to appease her father, but she refuses to attend a ball to celebrate her arrival home. When a guard, Eden, protects her from another violent assault, it leads to war between the kingdoms—and a complicated love story."
“With closed eyes (Kathleen) tried to speak. "Eden..."
Her voice was hoarse, and deep with pain. Eden couldn't bear it. He bent his head closer to hers to hear her clearly.
"I hate you.”
Anyone acquainted with historical romance will know from that brief excerpt that by story's end these two will have gone from sworn enemies to declaring their love. The Deadly Mark plays with that assumption, though, and has some surprises in store. When the story begins, Kathleen has been sworn to Prince Charles by her father, King Rene IV, to ensure a smooth transition of power. She's the heiress to the throne, but Charles is violent and unstable. When Eden is appointed her bodyguard, he ends up first protecting Kathleen from Charles, then from her own self-destructive impulses.
Author Katherine Nader makes the fight scenes crackle with energy and never loses track of who's connected to which fist. She also finds some tender passages in the chaos. When things get rough, Kathleen's cousin Olivia strokes her hair, “--a habit Olivia had developed for when she didn't know what to say.” This is sweet and telling as to their relationship.
Princess Kathleen has a destiny to fulfill. As heiress to the throne, she must marry well and prepare to rule her kingdom. Her reluctance to embrace neither an arranged marriage nor the kingdom sets her at odds with the power-hungry men around her in The Deadly Mark.
Set in 1821, The Deadly Mark has an interesting premise complete with well-kept secrets, political machinations, a damsel in distress, and a man willing to risk his life to keep her safe. Princess Kathleen becomes a pawn in a struggle for power, and even her father, King Rene IV, is more concerned with maintaining political control than with his daughter’s well-being. As Kathleen’s life is endangered by the actions of others, as well as her own increasingly self-destructive behavior, the king assigns a guardsman named Eden to protect her, not realizing that Eden’s allegiance to Kathleen will soon supersede his allegiance to his king.
Katherine Nader sets the beginning of her tale during a most desperate moment for Kathleen. Kept prisoner by a mysterious man, her life is clearly in grave and immediate danger, and the tense opening scene will draw readers into the story and also inspire empathy for the heroine.
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