"Ashes of the Mind" is the second book in the Lotus and Hourglass series, blending elements of psychological thriller, supernatural mystery, and dark fantasy. Half a year after the events of "Cosplay Kills", the story follows Alice, a young woman grappling with a fractured psyche, as she navigates a world where time, fate, and identity intertwine in unsettling ways.
Alice's life is marked by trauma, including the death of her parents in a car accident, which left her with deep emotional scars. She struggles with dissociative identity disorder, manifesting as a split between her "real" self and her darker alter ego, Black Alice. Black Alice is impulsive, reckless, and often takes control of Alice's body, leading to dangerous and self-destructive behavior. The two personas are in constant conflict, with Black Alice seeking dominance and Alice fighting to regain control of her life.
Alice's journey is intertwined with the lives of those around her, including her friends, bandmates, and a mysterious figure known as Shinigami, a supernatural entity tied to her fate. The narrative delves into themes of guilt, redemption, and the search for identity, as Alice navigates her relationships, her career as a performer, and...
Unlike others, Alice's soul is not represented by a clock, only shifting sands that turn black, symbolizing her unique and unpredictable fate.
If you haven't had enough of Alice's escapades and are curious about what happened next with Hinata, Matt, Ronda and the rest of the group of girls who were followed in the novel "Cosplay Kills", it's time to pick up the second installment of the "Lotus and Hourglass" series. Mysterious murders also occur in this story, and Alice, who is now the focus of the novel, begins to fear her role in the crimes committed... Throughout the entire work, the fickle Shinigami continues to weave his web, although even he can be surprised.
