Author Mark E. Scott, widely recognized for the emotional depth and observational clarity of his “Day in the Life” series, is preparing to release his next major work, “King of Peru,” arriving from Speaking Volumes in November 2025. Ahead of publication, Scott is inviting a small circle of early readers to experience the novel in advance, offering them the opportunity to share a blurb or review that may appear on the book’s cover or interior pages.
“King of Peru” marks a bold tonal shift for Scott, blending dark humor with an unflinching examination of friendship, faith, and mental illness. Set primarily on a college campus in Ohio, the novel follows Matthew Matt Obrodnick, a former Marine attempting to rebuild his life as a student after military service. Struggling to adjust to civilian life, Matt relies heavily on the stabilizing presence of his roommate, Thomas Jefferson, a steady, chain-smoking counterbalance to Matt’s growing internal chaos.
That balance begins to unravel when Matt starts hearing a voice that does not belong to him. The voice claims to be Lope de Aguirre, the infamous sixteenth-century Spanish conquistador whose obsession with power and immortality led to his violent downfall. As the voice grows louder and more persuasive, Matt is pulled into a psychological spiral marked by paranoia, delusion, and increasingly dangerous impulses.
While Matt fights a battle inside his own mind, Thomas searches for meaning elsewhere. He turns toward faith and pins his hope on the return of his estranged sister Renee, whose reappearance introduces both comfort and tension into the household. When Renee and Matt form an unexpected connection, the fragile dynamic between the roommates begins to fracture, forcing each character to confront what they believe, what they fear, and who they trust.
Through its intertwining narratives, King of Peru explores the concept of loyalty to unseen forces, whether those forces manifest as mental illness, historical obsession, or religious devotion. Scott uses the surreal intrusion of a long-dead conquistador to ground a deeply human story about identity, belonging, and the desperate need to be heard.
With its mix of psychological intensity and dark wit, “King of Peru” positions itself as one of Scott’s most ambitious works to date. Early readers interested in previewing the book and potentially contributing a review or blurb can request an advance PDF, offering a first look at a novel that challenges the boundaries between history, belief, and the mind itself.