"Shadow of Ashes: An Escape to Freedom"
In the city of Novica, Nicholas's life begins to change when he turns thirteen, as he faces an intolerant society that does not accept his differences. Events escalate after his schoolmates discover that he uses makeup, which exposes him to brutal bullying, violence, and exclusion. The circle narrows further when he becomes involved in family disputes, and is trapped in the middle of internal and external conflicts, including a devastating war that rages in his city. Between the fires of war and the cruelty of society, Nicholas finds himself stuck in a spiral of pain, fear, and having to pretend to be someone he is not. But the ashes left behind by the devastation of war become a symbol of justice, as he finds in the burning of his old school the beginning of moral liberation. Nicholas decides to spend his life pretending, hiding his pain and dreams under a mask of coldness, intending to one day escape to the “Continent of Freedom,” where he can be himself without fear or shame. The novel combines pain and hope, and reveals the struggle of the soul in the face of harsh societies that do not have mercy on those who are different, in an exciting manner that puts the reader in front of the mirror of humanity with all its contradictions.
