After the chillingly elegant intrigue of the IBA 2026 Award-Winning Finalist Dark Masquerade drew a growing readership into its shadowed world, including many readers discovering gothic and supernatural fiction for the first time, R. Slater returns with the next instalment.
London, 1891. The mask begins to crack.
Malevolence, long veiled, stirs beneath its exquisite façade as the hidden world beneath London's surface begins to rise.
Within the Order of the Steel Rose, the six new members must learn to stand together. Each is stalked by their own secrets while they begin their hunt for the Dark Master. But in a world of shadows and deception, one question remains: Who is hunting whom?
Supernatural forces twist their path, leading to a devastating confrontation in the shadows of the East End - one for which none of them are truly prepared.
And behind it all, something older and far more dangerous moves unseen, shaping events towards an end none of them can yet imagine.
Who will triumph? Who will survive to face What lies in the Darkness? Find out in the chilling second part of the Order of the Steel Rose series.
PRAISE FOR R. SLATER
'I don't read a great deal, but this Gothic horror novel completely pulled me in. Even as someone who doesn't usually gravitate toward the genre, I found myself eager to keep turning the pages. Proof that a well-told Gothic story can captivate even those who don't consider themselves regular readers.' C Fredericks
'Once again, R. Slater weaves an enthralling tale in Fractured Veil, featuring the six rookie members of the Order of the Steel Rose. Slater drew me into the cast's troubled worlds with deliberate narration that gives room for reflection, tension, and the characters' day-to-day activities. This allowed me to understand the cast's personal struggles and relationships. Here, each character seems to be dealing with or hiding something, and the story's mystery deepens as more details about their pasts are revealed and new characters are introduced. I could feel the romantic tension between Axel and Jane and between Emma and Percy, as well as the suspicious attitude among the six members toward one another. I could also feel their confusion and terror about their responsibilities, powers, and nemesis. Slater maintains the story's signature dark, 1890s English setting. As both members of the Order and those serving the dark force scheme against each other, one thing is clear: secrets and distrust abound on each side. I highly recommend reading the previous installment in the series to fully enjoy this read.' Keith Mbuya, Readers' Favorite 5-star review
'Slater draws you in with intrigue of what takes place in the dark of merry old London town, and then in that dark, brings you to the skin-crawling horrors his mind has devised. A great beginning to many more treats he has in store for us.' Kane Stewart, First Nations Poet
'A very chilling, character-driven descent into an authentic, yet eerie depiction of 1890s London. The story builds a tense, slow-burning sense of horror that rewards paying close attention to detail. Dry wit and bursts of action sharpen the dread, with characters that are as layered and compelling as the supernatural world they face. ' Rebecca V