Koen available for pre-order!

Koen: Quills from the Raven’s Nest is now available for pre-order and will be released on September 22, 2024! The story is a prequel to the Absolution of the Morning Star series and explains the mysterious disappearance of Erikson Gray’s father just before Erikson was born. Although I’ve only written half of the Absolution of the Morning Star series (it will be six books), Koen’s story begged to be told, and I had no choice but to submit and depart from writing Destiny of the Daystar. Although Koen is a stand-alone novel that can be read before, during, or after the main series, much information in Koen is integral to the characters in the Absolution of the Morning Star and will elucidate much. It is also essential to what will happen in the final three books of the main series.

It’s been a long road for Koen. I began writing on January 25, 2023, and finished the first draft on August 21, 2023- just about a year ago now. I completed my first round of editing on November 11, 2023, but I then embarked on a significant rewrite after some feedback, which finished on February 10, 2024. From then until now, I’ve been trying to get Koen traditionally published. I talk more about that journey in my last post. I also completed another book, The Novice of Thanatos, that also takes place in Lucardia but is in a separate series (currently in the throes of editing).

Sitting on a book for a year was tough, especially one I am so enthusiastic about, but it had time to stew. I’m happy to report it stood the test of that time, and I’m even more thrilled to share it with you now. I’ve included the blurb below. If you’ve enjoyed the Absolution of the Morning Star series, Koen will not disappoint. If you have yet to embark on the journey, let Koen introduce you to the dark and gritty world of Lucardia.

Cheers!

If you had to choose between love and the survival of your nation, what would you sacrifice?

Prince Koen the Gray, second-born of Emperor Vesper the Uniter, is desperately trying to secure Lucardia’s future. Tasked with cementing a fragile truce with the Northlands’ Circle of Eight, he must produce an heir with his Northling bride, Rachel of Thorne. But Koen is forced into a dangerous quest for a miracle when the Circle sabotages this peace by ensnaring him in love with a bride who cannot conceive.

Enticed by whispers that the Nyth Cigran—a secretive coven of witches rumored to wield forbidden powers of the flesh—may still live, Koen ventures into the treacherous Wastelands, far from the safety of Blackdown Castle. There, he meets Erikini, an orphan girl who can hear the dead. Together, they discover that the witches’ aid comes at a steep price, subjecting Koen to grueling trials that push him to his limits.

As Koen confronts the harsh realities of sacrifice and the painful truth that some must suffer for others to prosper, his journey evolves into a relentless battle for his soul—where compromise is impossible. His decisions will determine not only his destiny but also the future of the realm he is sworn to protect. In the end, he must face the ultimate question: how much is he willing to sacrifice for a son and heir?