
Welcome to Lucardia
Enter Lucardia, a land of spiritual unrest and political fracture, where power hides in the cracks of lost histories—and the choices that matter are rarely clean.
The World
Vesper Zulikaarme, the great Uniter, has squeezed a realm of twelve kingdoms into a single empire—but it holds like loose-packed sand, not clay. His grip weakens with age, and Lucardia is ruled now as much by the memories of the dead as by the decrees of the living.
The Caspian faith commands the present, but it is a recent ascendant—built atop older, unsettled ground. Beneath its doctrine, deeper forces stir: forgotten magics, half-remembered gods, and spirits that refuse the Threshold’s call. The priests whisper promises of salvation, even as the Red Cloth zealots demand change.
The Guild of White clings to faded glories. The Order of Thanatos marches the endless dead toward silence. And everywhere, the past watches.
Why Lucardia?
Because Lucardia offers no simple heroes—only survivors, zealots, traitors, and the broken. This is no world of prophecy fulfilled, but of crooked patterns in a worn and tangled rug. Magic exists, but it is buried beneath centuries of silence. Truth is layered in ash. Nothing is as it seems, for powers, both new and old, scheme.
Every tale unearths something darker—and asks what a few are willing to do to endure. In their survival, stories are born.
Dare to enter Lucardia. But know this: it does not care for your comfort.
The books
(in relative chronological order, both written and planned)
Supplementary material:
Lucardian Timeline
Character Glossary
Lucardian Maps
Suggested reading order:
The Absolution of the Morning Star (AMS) series is the main storyline, beginning with Dawn of the Lightbearer. It follows the story of Erikson Gray. Ideally, this is the best place to start.
Jezelle: Thief of Forks is an immediate prequel to Dawn of the Lightbearer and is an origin story of Jezelle, a viewpoint character in the main series. Starting here is fine, too.
Koen: Quills of the Raven’s Nest, and the yet-to-be-completed, Sylvanus: Swords and Sons, are prequels to AMS and tell the tale of Erikson Gray’s father, Koen the Gray. Koen was written to be read before or after the main series, but it hits harder after knowing some of Erikson’s tale.
The Order of Thanatos series, starting with the Novice of Thanatos, is a standalone series that will eventually tie into the AMS series (at the end of Destiny of the Daystar, book 4 in AMS). It follows Mishal of Gaven Hill as he progresses from a novice to a monk, and finally, to a confessor in the Order of Thanatos. This can be read alone.
The Consort and the Spire series, starting with Duke Rhime of the Spire, takes place hundreds of years before any of the books above. It tells the tale of Rhime of the Spire, the second uniter of Lucardia, through the eyes of his wife, Evaline. It gives some history of the Battenborne family and sets the stage for the rise of the Zuilkaarme family, both of which will play integral roles in the AMS series. This can also be read alone.
The Creeping Cankers
In my world of Lucardia, not every horror announces itself with claws, teeth, or a sword drawn in the dark. Some horrors arrive slowly. They creep beneath the skin. They fester. They deform. They turn a human face into something others cannot bear to look upon. They take years to kill, and before death comes,…
The Ruins Beneath Belief
Governments, whether modern-day or fantastical, are all very good at pretending the past is dead. They build roads over old paths. They raise new temples on the bones of older shrines. They rename holy days, outlaw certain prayers, scrape symbols from door lintels, and teach children that whatever came before was foolishness at best and…
Sylvanus it is!
After much deliberation, I decided to proceed with Sylvanus: Sword and Sons. In the last week or so, I’ve written ~9,000 words, which is such a relief after a dry spell that caused me concern. I thank you all for your kind words, support, and input after the post before last. It helped greatly, not…
A visitor at Oakenyard
It took some time to get to this, but below is the fifth in my series of reports to Emperor Vesper Zuilkaarme on the strange happenings that occurred throughout Lucardia around the time of Prince Koen the Gray’s disappearance. You can read more about that disappearance here. To His Radiance, Emperor Vesper, Uniter of the…
Quick update and a piece of gold
I know, I was doing really well with posting on time twice a week, and I’m slacking. This is late, but it still counts, as it was posted on Wednesday. Unfortunately, it is budget time in higher education, and the situation is especially grim this year. Thus, my time is being consumed by work, and…
Searching for need
I constantly struggle between being a writer and a bookseller. Really, I just want to write, but why write if no one reads it? So, one necessitates the other. I’m a decent writer. I can at least give myself that credit. It is hard-earned after struggling with self-doubt for years. But I’m not such a…
Preview of The Monk of Thanatos
Well, I’m still sick and trying to catch up on my real job, so I will need to be lazy once again. I should have some time on Friday to write about my trip, but for today, it is another sample. Seeing that I am working on two books at once, I thought I should…
Preview of Sylvanus
I just got back from a two-week vacation to celebrate my 20th wedding anniversary. I will share more about that trip and how it helped recharge my writing batteries soon. It was a great trip with many adventures, but I am sick as a dog and jet-lagged right now, so I am being a little…
Bombardment of Restol
Below is the fourth in a series of reports to Emperor Vesper Zuilkaarme on the strange happenings that occurred throughout Lucardia around the time of Prince Koen the Gray’s disappearance. You can read more about that disappearance here. To His Imperial Majesty, Lord of Lucardia, Keeper of the Twelve Thrones, and Steward of the Sword…
The mystery of Dagon Light
Below is the third in a series of reports to Emperor Vesper Zuilkaarme on the strange happenings that occurred throughout Lucardia around the time of Prince Koen the Gray’s disappearance. You can read more about that disappearance here. To His Most Illustrious Emperor, I place before you an accounting of Dagon Light and the late…
The Phantom and the Citadel
Below is the second in a series of reports to Emperor Vesper Zuilkaarme on the strange happenings that occurred throughout Lucardia around the time of Prince Koen the Gray’s disappearance. You can read more about that disappearance here. This is an account from Grand Master Terrick of the Knights of Norn. To His Most Illustrious…
The mysterious disappearance of Sir Lodin
Below is the first in a series of reports to Emperor Vesper Zuilkaarme on strange happenings throughout Lucardia around the time of the disappearance of his son, Prince Koen the Gray. You can read more about that disappearance here. I hope you enjoy them! To His Most Illustrious Emperor, I place before you an accounting…
Salt and Lucardia’s magic system
Salt in Lucardia is never merely a seasoning. Across worlds—ours and theirs—it has always been a thing of reverence. Empires rose and fell upon the salt trade; soldiers were once paid in it, their salary stems from sal, the Latin word for salt. It purified wounds, sealed oaths, and guarded the living from what lingered…
Koen: Quills from the Raven’s Nest is here!
At last, Koen: Quills from the Raven’s Nest takes flight today, unfurling its dark wings and carrying readers into a tale of fate, defiance, and the shadows that bind us. This release marks not only the beginning of Koen’s struggle against the unseen hands of destiny, but also the opening of the Raven’s Nest itself—an…
Koen’s release is amost here!
This is my last post before Koen: Quills from the Raven’s Nest releases on October 1. It’s hard to describe what this moment feels like, standing on this edge. Terror, exhilaration, sadness, joy, relief—it’s all there, tangled together. Will this book succeed or fail? I have a lot riding on it. It’s my first traditionally…
Koen and the Circle of Eight
The impetus for the journey in Koen: Quills from the Raven’s Nest is that the prince must cement peace between his father, the emperor, and the Circle of Eight of the Northlands. But who are these warlords, and why didn’t the emperor simply impose his will as he did across all of Lucardia? In the…
Interview with Grendel Press!
Every story begins with a spark. For me, it was a forgotten name in a 13th-century chronicle—Lucardis—an obscure figure accused of heresy and erased from history. That mystery became the seed for Lucardia, the dark, myth-steeped world at the heart of my writing. Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Grendel Press to…
October 1 approaches: a three year journey
October 1 is coming, and with it the release of Koen: Quills from the Raven’s Nest. I’ve been sitting with this story for almost three years now, and to finally be able to share it feels surreal. It isn’t “just another book” for me—it’s a piece of my life, a rollercoaster, a soul that’s been…
Koen arises!
The journey began on January 27, 2023. As I worked through the first three books of the Absolution of the Morning Star (AMS) series, I felt compelled to explore the three-year disappearance of Prince Koen the Gray, the father of Erikson Gray, the protagonist of the AMS series. I finished the first draft on August…
Playing with Schrödinger’s cat
There’s a strange pattern in my life: whenever I say something with absolute confidence, I end up being wrong. Not just once or twice — consistently enough that my wife has noticed too. It’s become a running joke between us. I’ll declare something as fact, and the universe seems to grin and say, Oh, really?…
Sylvanus makes his entrance
The in-laws are back safe in China, and the house feels quiet again as my wife and I adjust to their absence. They didn’t stay quite as long as last year, but two and a half months is still a long time to share a life so closely. Saying goodbye is always bittersweet. On the…
Duke Rhime’s 10 Laws for Holding Power
The Westerly Kingdom of Lucardia is fractured — a realm of loyalists, opportunists, and a tyrant king. Rhime Battenborne doesn’t wish to conquer the realm with fire and blood alone. He will do it by obeying laws inscribed into his very being. Here are ten quiet, brutal truths that define how Duke Rhime rules Eldenspire…
The Silken Cord: Lysena’s Oath to the Spire
I felt I should give the opening chapter of Duke Rhime of the Spire some extra context and lore, in case you are interested. In the depths of the winter of 674 CLE, when the snows came early and the passes closed before the last herds were brought down from the high country, the banners…
Writing Evaline
Duke Rhime of the Spire is struggling, and I’m not entirely sure why. None of my books explode off the shelves. I’ve always been more of a drip, trickle, stream kind of author — the kind who builds slowly, book by book, with readers who find me in the quiet corners. But this one doesn’t…
Duke Rhime of the Spire is here!
Today, Duke Rhime of the Spire is officially out in the world. I didn’t plan to write this novel. It wasn’t on my release calendar or part of some long-term roadmap. It began as a creative impulse—one that hit me hard during the holiday break when snow covered the ground, coffee flowed endlessly, and I…
The History of the Spire, Part VI
Welcome back to the final part of my six-part series detailing the history of Eldenspire and the family that called it home, the Battenbornes. Duke Rhime of the Spire is available for pre-order now and releases July 29th! Here is what we learned from Part V. Varion the Cunning (650–670). Duke Varion of Eldenspire ruled…
The History of the Spire, Part V
Welcome back to the six-part series detailing the history of Eldenspire and the family that called it home, the Battenbornes. Duke Rhime of the Spire is available for pre-order now and releases July 29th! Here is what we learned from Part IV: Sereth the Warborn and the Fire Beneath (580–650). In 632, Sereth Battenborne reawakened…
The History of the Spire, Part IV
Welcome back to the six-part series detailing the history of Eldenspire and the family that called it home, the Battenbornes. Duke Rhime of the Spire is available for pre-order now and releases July 29th! Here is what we learned from Part III: The Long Watch and the Darkening (300–580). During the Darkening, famine, plague, and…
The History of the Spire, Part III
Welcome back to the six-part series detailing the history of Eldenspire and the family that called it home, the Battenbornes. Duke Rhime of the Spire is available for pre-order now and releases July 29th! Here is what we learned from Part II: During the Age of Restoration (160–300), the Battenbornes rebuilt Eldenspire into a thriving…

















