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About the Books
All of Peter's published works are based in the same setting, with the same style and genre. There are common themes throughout: that of Light vs. Darkness, overcoming adversity and a sense of never giving up. The heroes are flawed and even the most scheming of villains have some redeeming qualities.
Setting
All Peter's novels are set in his own fantasy world, the World of Rodinia.
An explorer in Rodinia could stroll the busy streets of a hot, dusty Khemit bazaar, or drift through the lazy and peaceful countryside of Albion's feudal kingdom. They could explore the powerful and civilised Empire of Rodinia, following the legions across their conquered lands, or they could observe a devoted samurai of Honshu and their strange customs. They might try and locate the secretive fey kingdoms in the large forests that swath the landscape, or the dwarven strongholds dug deep and secure underground.
The World of Rodinia
Outside the civilised lands, in the heights of the mountains or the depths of dark foreboding marshes, lay the lairs of many a foul creature. Dragons roost in extinct volcanoes, orc chieftains control areas outside the patrols of kings and emperors, and undead lords claim dominion over lands no human would care to settle.
Magic, though rare, is a force to be reckoned with in Rodinia, with arcane sorcerers and holy priests wielding great power and being able to make the fantastical and unnatural happen at their whim. The common man fears and respects these great magic users and is all too aware that such people have control over things which are best not dwelt upon by mortals.
Genre
The genre of the books is firmly mainstream fantasy. The setting of Rodinia is low-magic, so the genre follows that theme. Magic is rare but the magic system of the world is well defined. The novels tend to favour action-adventure, with a healthy dose of intrigue and mystery. At times there's a bit of politics involved as often the plots involve characters who move in the upper echelons of the ruling classes.
Style of Writing
The style of writing is fairly light. The books have no swearing or sexual references in them but do contain some graphical combat scenes and descriptions of injuries. The combat descriptions are enhanced by Peter's many years of training in karate, so are detailed and evocative.
This makes them suitable for teen aged readers and adult audiences.
Published Works
The Lucarcian Series
Lucarcian Series
The Lucarcian Series begins with Reynard Ferrand, noble son of the Iron House, held captive in the dark hold of a slave galley. He teams up with four other slaves from various places around the world and they escape captivity only to find out that they are still not free. The mysterious and sinister Trade Lords have them at their mercy and force them to track down some corsairs who are striking the trade routes.
Slowly, over the course of three books, a tale of intrigue and betrayal unfolds, with Reynard and friends caught up in the middle of it all. The Writhing Death, a terrible catastrophe that split the lands asunder five hundred years ago, looks to be happening again. Strange aberrations have been summoned from the Void. Reynard and friends have to battle these terrible monstrosities whilst trying to understand how these events came about and put a stop to them.
Allies will prove themselves to be enemies and enemies will surprise with acts of kindness and support. Friends will die and nothing is always quite as it seems.
Reynard's Fate: Volume 1 (Lucarcian Series)
Blurb
Front Cover
Can the fate of one man decide the future of an empire?
The five hundred year old Lucarcian Empire is crumbling. Noble houses wait, poised for the death of the venerable and childless emperor. Behind the scenes they plot and scheme, trying to gain an upper hand in the inevitable civil war that is looming.
A daring corsair steals a priceless artefact from the sinister Trade Lords. They want it back and will let nothing stand in their way.
Reynard Ferrand, noble son of the Iron House, finds himself a captive in the dark hold of a slave galley. Can he escape and find out who put him there, and why, before the empire collapses?
Meanwhile, on the desolate island of Granita, an ancient evil stirs...
Synopsis (spoilers)
The story itself charts the fate of Reynard Ferrand, a young nobleman of a crumbling empire on the brink of civil war.
Opening with him a prisoner in a slave galley, Reynard escapes and, along with a group of other slaves, takes control of the ship. In doing so he finds out that his brother was responsible for selling him into slavery.
The group come to the attention of the sinister and powerful Trade Lords who force them to recover a suit of golden armour which has been stolen by a daring corsair. Tracking the corsair across the empire, they realise he has raised a fleet and is attacking political targets everywhere. They also realise that all the major noble houses are preparing for civil war. Reynard's brother is embroiled in this political storm.
Eventually Reynard and his companions track the corsair to his base on a cursed, deserted island, and the book comes to a finale as they try to defeat him and recover the golden armour.
In a twist of fate they discover that an ancient evil thought long banished has returned and is poised to become more of a threat to the empire than the civil war itself.
Buy Reynard's Fate
Kita's Honour: Volume 2 (Lucarcian Series)
Blurb
Front Cover
It is a perilous time in the Lucarcian Empire.
The Emperor is dead and the empire is on the verge of civil war. The Writhing Death pours into the island of Granita, consuming all in its path.
All seems lost.
As Kita embarks on a world-spanning adventure to find a way to close the gate to the Void, Reynard strives to unite the noble houses under one cause: Save the empire from the enemy within and without.
But treachery and betrayal threaten their quest and their very lives.
Will courage, strength and loyalty prevail and can Kita restore her lost honour?
Synopsis (spoilers)
The Emperor is dead leaving no heir and an empire in turmoil. The noble houses prepare for civil war, while the curse of the Writhing Death pours through a gate from the Void, consuming all it its path. Kita wishes to complete the quest laid at her late father's feet, to defeat the Writhing Death. Reynard wishes to try and avert civil war. Their friendship is strong, bordering on the romantic, but they cannot agree and they each go their own way.
Reynard decides to unite the ruling houses behind one cause: confronting the Writhing Death. He visits the Trade Lords and convinces them to join him. Their envoy, Evantia, accompanies him. Reynard and Evantia share a powerful mutual attraction. Reynard rescues Wiktor from the fires of Pyromancers and then tries to convince their house to join his cause. Their lord says he will if his arch-rival, the Ebon Lord, also joins. Evantia and Reynard begin to get intimate, though Reynard thinks of Kita and feels guilty.
Kita travels to see the Archmage who gave her father his quest. He tells her to find Darian Snow, the foremost expert on the curse.
Reynard travels to the Ebon Lord who initially will not help, but Wiktor appears and tells him that Reynard saved his life. The Ebon Lord pledges his undead warriors, commanded by Wiktor, who is his son and a necromancer.
Reynard and Kita reunite but Evantia makes it plain she and Reynard have been intimate, leaving Kita distraught. Darian Snow arrives and says he knows of a ritual to close the gate. Wishing to get away from Reynard, Kita agrees to escort Darian to an ancient, underwater city in search of the ritual.
Reynard travels to the jungle palace of the Verdant Queen. She is pleasant and agrees to pledge her Jade Assassins to the cause, but as soon as Reynard departs she orders her daughter Kululu to kill Reynard and his group.
Kita and Darian travel to the ruined city where they find the ritual. However they disturb a powerful arcane construct there. Kita defeats it but is hideously scarred in the process.
Everyone gathers in the capital where the ruling houses unite behind Reynard. Kita tells Reynard she will not come between him and Evantia, especially now she has been disfigured. Making his choice, he tells her that he loves her and always has. The two become lovers.
The army sails to the site of the Writhing Death where they find Baku, a giant aberration who killed Kita's father. In an epic final battle between the forces of the Empire and the aberrations of the Writhing Death, the Jade Assassins turn traitor and only the selfless actions of the necromancer Wiktor save the Pyromancers. Darian recites the ritual to close the gate and Kululu hurls a poisoned dagger at Kita. Evantia throws herself in the way and is killed instead. Kululu commands the Writhing Death, but her spell is broken and the Writhing Death swarm over her and eat her alive. Kita faces Baku in a titanic battle and strikes him down, taking revenge for her father. Darian completes the ritual and closes the gate.
Back home again, Reynard asks Kita to marry him. She says no — not until they have figured out why the Verdant Queen opened the gate to the Void.
Meanwhile the Verdant Queen has summoned a Naga Lord. She shows it hundreds of Naga and a valley with thousands of unhatched Naga eggs. The Naga Lord seems exceptionally pleased, then bites her head off and declares that the Naga invasion can begin...
Buy Kita's Honour
Okoth's War: Volume 3 (Lucarcian Series)
Blurb
Front Cover
The Lucarcian Empire has crumbled, to be replaced by a fledgling republic.
Meanwhile, a terrible threat rises from the jungles of Ibini. The Naga, a malicious and cunning species, spawned in the darkness of the Void, assaults the lands, killing men and capturing women and children.
What are these terrible aberrations, what is their goal and what is happening to their captives?
As Reynard wrestles with the politics of the new republic, his trusted friend Okoth is sent to deal with this latest threat and answer these questions.
Questions whose answers will finally decide the fate of Lucarcia.
Synopsis (spoilers)
Chalis, a hunter in Ibini, has an encounter with a terrible creature from the Void — a Naga. He realizes that there are many of these aberrations in Ibini and that they are killing the local men but capturing women and children and taking them off to the jungles in the south. Chalis comes to the capital city, Lucar, to petition for help. Reynard wants to go but as the new First Consul politics means he must stay. He sends Okoth and Mosi with Chalis to investigate.
Okoth, Mosi and Chalis go to the Ibini farmlands and see the place is overrun. They see many dead men but no sign of any women and children. They find out that the Naga are in control of Ibini and are now launching an attack on Manabas. They just escape Ibini after a fight with the Naga.
They head to Manabas in time to warn the Ice King. The King will not leave his fortress and refuses to aid them. Okoth gathers the hill-folk of Manabas to his banner. Then the Nanuk arrive and agree to help Okoth.
They reach the outskirts of the town of Pembrose. There are huge numbers of the Naga. Okoth and his men fight them, but it is clear they will lose and eventually even Stoneheart will fall. As the fighting progresses the Naga continue to kill all the men but capture women and children. The Naga seem limitless in number. The hillfolk and Nanuk flee back to Stoneheart and Okoth leaves Manabas.
Okoth returns to the capital to report to Reynard on the war. Reynard sends Okoth to find out how come the Naga appear to have unlimited numbers and where are they coming from. His lead is to follow the captured women. Kita puts herself forward to be bait.
Kita is captured in Manabas and Okoth goes deep into southern Ibini, tracking her. He discovers the Naga Mother and her breeding pits. There are lots of women and children held prisoner there. They are being slowly fed to the Naga Mother. Okoth almost gets caught trying to rescue Kita, but they escape.
Back in Lucar, Reynard tries to raise an army, but politics stop him. He resigns his position as First Consul and heads to Ibini himself, determined to solve this problem first hand.
They fight their way to the Naga Mother and destroy her and her breeding pits, rescuing the prisoners in the process.
Returning to Lucar they find the Naga Army has besieged the capital. They launch a daring attack into the Naga camp, sneaking their way to the Naga Lord's base. A huge battle with the Naga Lord ensues. They fight and kill the Naga Lord, but Okoth is slain.
With the Naga Lord dead the remaining Naga are leaderless and fall apart. They start destroying each other. The war is won, though the cost has been huge.
Reynard is offered the position of First Consul again but refuses. He asks Kita to marry him, again. This time she says yes. Kita and Reynard retire to a small cottage in Albion where they raise a son and call him Okoth.
Buy Okoth's War
The Albion Series
The Albion Series is set in the feudal Kingdom of Albion.
The first book, Eldred, describes events that forged the Kingdom of Albion. It follows two main characters from childhood through to adulthood and their relationships as they work towards the common goal of uniting the tribes as one kingdom. This book is currently being written.
The second book, Callindrill, is set in the same location but hundreds of years later — roughly at the same time as The Lucarcian Series is set. In this book, three misfits and outcasts come together through chance, only to discover that they have been manipulated into doing the will of another who does not have their best interests at heart.
Callindrill: Volume 2 (Albion Series)
Blurb
Front Cover
Three individuals across the Kingdom of Albion and beyond begin their initiations into their separate careers.
A young Albion lad is rescued from a raid by the Feral and given over to a monastery in Honshu where he begins his training as a Ghostwalker.
A noble's son in the capital of Littlebrook is set to become the personal squire to the Grandmaster of the Knights of the Sun.
Meanwhile a half-fey struggles with her training as a mage, only to discover her magical talents lie in another, rare branch of the arcane.
Unknown to them all, a common enemy unites them and as that enemy stirs the different forces around the Kingdom of Albion, the three will be thrown together into a titanic struggle for the survival of the kingdom itself.
Synopsis (spoilers)
Jaeden, the young son of a nobleman in the southern capital of Littlebrook, becomes squire to the Grandmaster of the Sun. As he does so he makes an unlikely bond with a street rat, Alfred. Meanwhile in the north, a young orphan from Albion is captured by the Feral and rescued by a patrol from Honshu. He is taken back east and there is placed in a Monastery of the Way and renamed Chi. Deep in the fey forest of Sylvandale a young half-fey, Thia, is appointed to archmage Alandriel as an apprentice, but struggles to manage even a simple incantation. During each of their apprenticeships, each meets an old man called Caerdic. He takes on different roles in each of their lives but is a mentor to them all.
Jaeden, soon after winning his spurs, is ordered to escort a noble's daughter on a simple trip north. They are ambushed and she is killed, leading to Jaeden's expulsion from the order of knights. Meanwhile, Chi is tasked with returning to his homeland of Albion and, as a Ghostwalker of Honshu, beginning the process of sabotaging that land's interests. At the same time, Thia's mentor leaves Sylvandale unexpectedly, seeking out the answer to a critical question. Thia, not knowing where he's gone or what the question is, follows him.
All three meet on the road to Mount Macarack where their different quests merge. They discover they all know Caerdic and that he was responsible in one way or another for bringing them together. Caerdic then appears and encourages them to help him stir the Feral for an assault on the north of Albion. With all three disillusioned with the kingdom, they all agree.
Jaeden fights Tor, the leader of the Feral, for the right to invoke the combined masses of the hordes to attack the town of Thistledelve. They do so, though Tor is displeased with the result. There Tor meets his old friend Lady Fortuna and the two are forced to fight.
Jaeden, Chi and Thia realize that Caerdic has manipulated them to his own ends. Bringing all their information together they determine that Caerdic might in fact be the ancient mage, Callindrill, returned from the dead. The only way to be sure is to travel to his tomb in the desert. They do so, discovering that Callindrill has indeed left his tomb, and appears to be some sort of powerful lich.
At this stage, driven in the shadows by Callindrill, the Feral attack from the north of the Kingdom whilst the Easterners assault from their lands. Ghostwalkers are in the capital city and the queen's life comes in danger. The heroes team up to save the queen and then are granted an audience by the king.
They explain that the only way to save the kingdom is to destroy Callindrill. They travel north to Dragon's Perch where the lich is endeavouring to raise the spirit of the ancient dragon as a dracolich, to become steed to the ancient king, Eldred – who he has also raised as an undead.
In a huge final fight, they destroy Callindrill, sending his spirit home to his tomb. But they know to destroy him permanently they need to find his phylactery, so they race to the desert to find and destroy it before Callindrill reforms.
Buy Callindrill
Future Projects
The things I'm working on now.
Eldred: Volume 1 (Albion Series)
Blurb
Front Cover
One is the son of a chieftain and destined for greatness. The other is an orphan boy, spurned by the villagers, but defended by his best friend.
Eldred grows up to become a heroic warrior and leader, whilst Caerdic disappears into the Great Desert in search of ancient knowledge. As Eldred struggles to unite the kingdom against the threat of its enemies, the long-lost Caerdic returns, bringing the promise of true power to aid Eldred's side.
But at what cost?
The son of a chieftain and a misfit orphan boy, whose entwined destinies will shape the future of their lands. As one tries to unite the tribes against the threat of the warlike Easterners, the other delves into secret mysteries best left untouched.
Can the orphan bring this ancient knowledge to help his childhood friend? And what will the chieftain's son be prepared to sacrifice to reach his goals?
Synopsis (spoilers)
Eldred's father, Alban, is dying, mortally wounded. Eldred and Caerdic travel into the desert in search of a rare plant to cure him. A storm uncovers a stone tablet which Caerdic reads. Lightning strikes down and Eldred saves Caerdic but his right hand is destroyed in the process. They find the plant and save Alban.
Alban tries, unsuccessfully, to win the druids' support for uniting the tribes. Eldred begins combat training with his left hand. Caerdic speaks to a druid from the far south, beyond the desert, and finds out about the mysterious Keri-heb.
Alban, aiming to unite the tribes, continues north to Thistledelve. Eldred, Lynna and Caerdic ride into the hills. Lynna is captured and Caerdic and Eldred try rescue her. The chief of Thistledelve refuses to unite.
Alban rides to Eastward. Eldred watches an Easterner who is training the local warriors. The Easterner becomes part of Alban's retinue, training Eldred. Eastward will not unite until Thistledelve does. Caerdic and Lynna get intimate.
Returning to Thistledelve, Alban attacks, trying to force them to his rule. Alban dies in the battle. His second calls a retreat and they return to Littlebrook. The Easterner escapes in the chaos. In Littlebrook, Eldred is made chieftain. Caerdic departs into the desert, to seek the Keri-heb.
Twenty years pass.
35-year-old Eldred is chieftain of the local tribe based out of the town of Littlebrook. He is fighting a rival local tribe and winning apart from their hero who is a powerful and honourable foe. Caerdic returns from 20 years in the Great Desert and brings knowledge of the Void. Caerdic helps Eldred kill the rival hero, dishonourably, enabling Eldred to take control of the south. Lynna, now Eldred's wife, sees Caerdic and is clearly torn.
Eldred builds his relationship with the new Church of the Sun and gets their warrior priests on his side. Eldred subjugates the last of the southern tribes. Caerdic speaks to Eldred and Lynna about the new religion and warns them that the High Priest is a corrupt spirit.
Eldred rides to Eastward after hearing the town is under attack by the Easterners. The Knights of the Sun make the difference in the battle. Eldred faces the Easterner who trained him, and has to kill him. Eastward swears fealty to Eldred.
Eldred tries to get the Druids on his side but fails. They know of his alliance with the Church of the Sun and stay neutral. The chieftain of Waymeet opposes him. The chieftain dies in mysterious circumstances. Eldred suspects Caerdic and begins to doubt his friend's help.
Thistledelve. Diplomacy is failing. Thistledelve is the last tribe but also the strongest. Eldred attacks. Simultaneously, and unplanned, Thistledelve comes under attack from the Feral. The volcano is likely to erupt at any stage, which is causing the Feral to flee the mountains. Eldred stops attacking Thistledelve and comes to their aid.
Then the volcano erupts! Worse still is what is then seen: A dragon!
Caerdic goes off and faces the dragon singlehanded, but is defeated. He does weaken the dragon so that he's no longer a threat. Eldred defeats the Feral and gets fealty of the chief of Thistledelve.
Eldred is crowned king of the whole kingdom. He names it Albion in honour of his father who started the process of uniting the tribes.
Meanwhile Caerdic's followers, led by Lynna, take his body and bury it in the desert - where he rises as a lich. His first job is to kill Lynna and raise her as his undead servant.
Buy Eldred
Eldred is still being developed and is not available to purchase yet.
All of Peter's published works are based in the same setting, with the same style and genre. There are common themes throughout: that of Light vs. Darkness, overcoming adversity and a sense of never giving up. The heroes are flawed and even the most scheming of villains have some redeeming qualities.
All Peter's novels are set in his own fantasy world, the World of Rodinia.
An explorer in Rodinia could stroll the busy streets of a hot, dusty Khemit bazaar, or drift through the lazy and peaceful countryside of Albion's feudal kingdom. They could explore the powerful and civilised Empire of Rodinia, following the legions across their conquered lands, or they could observe a devoted samurai of Honshu and their strange customs. They might try and locate the secretive fey kingdoms in the large forests that swath the landscape, or the dwarven strongholds dug deep and secure underground.
The World of Rodinia
Outside the civilised lands, in the heights of the mountains or the depths of dark foreboding marshes, lay the lairs of many a foul creature. Dragons roost in extinct volcanoes, orc chieftains control areas outside the patrols of kings and emperors, and undead lords claim dominion over lands no human would care to settle.
Magic, though rare, is a force to be reckoned with in Rodinia, with arcane sorcerers and holy priests wielding great power and being able to make the fantastical and unnatural happen at their whim. The common man fears and respects these great magic users and is all too aware that such people have control over things which are best not dwelt upon by mortals.
The genre of the books is firmly mainstream fantasy. The setting of Rodinia is low-magic, so the genre follows that theme. Magic is rare but the magic system of the world is well defined. The novels tend to favour action-adventure, with a healthy dose of intrigue and mystery. At times there's a bit of politics involved as often the plots involve characters who move in the upper echelons of the ruling classes.
The style of writing is fairly light. The books have no swearing or sexual references in them but do contain some graphical combat scenes and descriptions of injuries. The combat descriptions are enhanced by Peter's many years of training in karate, so are detailed and evocative.
This makes them suitable for teen aged readers and adult audiences.
Lucarcian Series
The Lucarcian Series begins with Reynard Ferrand, noble son of the Iron House, held captive in the dark hold of a slave galley. He teams up with four other slaves from various places around the world and they escape captivity only to find out that they are still not free. The mysterious and sinister Trade Lords have them at their mercy and force them to track down some corsairs who are striking the trade routes.
Slowly, over the course of three books, a tale of intrigue and betrayal unfolds, with Reynard and friends caught up in the middle of it all. The Writhing Death, a terrible catastrophe that split the lands asunder five hundred years ago, looks to be happening again. Strange aberrations have been summoned from the Void. Reynard and friends have to battle these terrible monstrosities whilst trying to understand how these events came about and put a stop to them.
Allies will prove themselves to be enemies and enemies will surprise with acts of kindness and support. Friends will die and nothing is always quite as it seems.
Reynard's Fate: Volume 1 (Lucarcian Series)
Blurb
Front Cover
Can the fate of one man decide the future of an empire?
The five hundred year old Lucarcian Empire is crumbling. Noble houses wait, poised for the death of the venerable and childless emperor. Behind the scenes they plot and scheme, trying to gain an upper hand in the inevitable civil war that is looming.
A daring corsair steals a priceless artefact from the sinister Trade Lords. They want it back and will let nothing stand in their way.
Reynard Ferrand, noble son of the Iron House, finds himself a captive in the dark hold of a slave galley. Can he escape and find out who put him there, and why, before the empire collapses?
Meanwhile, on the desolate island of Granita, an ancient evil stirs...
Synopsis (spoilers)
The story itself charts the fate of Reynard Ferrand, a young nobleman of a crumbling empire on the brink of civil war.
Opening with him a prisoner in a slave galley, Reynard escapes and, along with a group of other slaves, takes control of the ship. In doing so he finds out that his brother was responsible for selling him into slavery.
The group come to the attention of the sinister and powerful Trade Lords who force them to recover a suit of golden armour which has been stolen by a daring corsair. Tracking the corsair across the empire, they realise he has raised a fleet and is attacking political targets everywhere. They also realise that all the major noble houses are preparing for civil war. Reynard's brother is embroiled in this political storm.
Eventually Reynard and his companions track the corsair to his base on a cursed, deserted island, and the book comes to a finale as they try to defeat him and recover the golden armour.
In a twist of fate they discover that an ancient evil thought long banished has returned and is poised to become more of a threat to the empire than the civil war itself.
Buy Reynard's Fate
Kita's Honour: Volume 2 (Lucarcian Series)
Blurb
Front Cover
It is a perilous time in the Lucarcian Empire.
The Emperor is dead and the empire is on the verge of civil war. The Writhing Death pours into the island of Granita, consuming all in its path.
All seems lost.
As Kita embarks on a world-spanning adventure to find a way to close the gate to the Void, Reynard strives to unite the noble houses under one cause: Save the empire from the enemy within and without.
But treachery and betrayal threaten their quest and their very lives.
Will courage, strength and loyalty prevail and can Kita restore her lost honour?
Synopsis (spoilers)
The Emperor is dead leaving no heir and an empire in turmoil. The noble houses prepare for civil war, while the curse of the Writhing Death pours through a gate from the Void, consuming all it its path. Kita wishes to complete the quest laid at her late father's feet, to defeat the Writhing Death. Reynard wishes to try and avert civil war. Their friendship is strong, bordering on the romantic, but they cannot agree and they each go their own way.
Reynard decides to unite the ruling houses behind one cause: confronting the Writhing Death. He visits the Trade Lords and convinces them to join him. Their envoy, Evantia, accompanies him. Reynard and Evantia share a powerful mutual attraction. Reynard rescues Wiktor from the fires of Pyromancers and then tries to convince their house to join his cause. Their lord says he will if his arch-rival, the Ebon Lord, also joins. Evantia and Reynard begin to get intimate, though Reynard thinks of Kita and feels guilty.
Kita travels to see the Archmage who gave her father his quest. He tells her to find Darian Snow, the foremost expert on the curse.
Reynard travels to the Ebon Lord who initially will not help, but Wiktor appears and tells him that Reynard saved his life. The Ebon Lord pledges his undead warriors, commanded by Wiktor, who is his son and a necromancer.
Reynard and Kita reunite but Evantia makes it plain she and Reynard have been intimate, leaving Kita distraught. Darian Snow arrives and says he knows of a ritual to close the gate. Wishing to get away from Reynard, Kita agrees to escort Darian to an ancient, underwater city in search of the ritual.
Reynard travels to the jungle palace of the Verdant Queen. She is pleasant and agrees to pledge her Jade Assassins to the cause, but as soon as Reynard departs she orders her daughter Kululu to kill Reynard and his group.
Kita and Darian travel to the ruined city where they find the ritual. However they disturb a powerful arcane construct there. Kita defeats it but is hideously scarred in the process.
Everyone gathers in the capital where the ruling houses unite behind Reynard. Kita tells Reynard she will not come between him and Evantia, especially now she has been disfigured. Making his choice, he tells her that he loves her and always has. The two become lovers.
The army sails to the site of the Writhing Death where they find Baku, a giant aberration who killed Kita's father. In an epic final battle between the forces of the Empire and the aberrations of the Writhing Death, the Jade Assassins turn traitor and only the selfless actions of the necromancer Wiktor save the Pyromancers. Darian recites the ritual to close the gate and Kululu hurls a poisoned dagger at Kita. Evantia throws herself in the way and is killed instead. Kululu commands the Writhing Death, but her spell is broken and the Writhing Death swarm over her and eat her alive. Kita faces Baku in a titanic battle and strikes him down, taking revenge for her father. Darian completes the ritual and closes the gate.
Back home again, Reynard asks Kita to marry him. She says no — not until they have figured out why the Verdant Queen opened the gate to the Void.
Meanwhile the Verdant Queen has summoned a Naga Lord. She shows it hundreds of Naga and a valley with thousands of unhatched Naga eggs. The Naga Lord seems exceptionally pleased, then bites her head off and declares that the Naga invasion can begin...
Buy Kita's Honour
Okoth's War: Volume 3 (Lucarcian Series)
Blurb
Front Cover
The Lucarcian Empire has crumbled, to be replaced by a fledgling republic.
Meanwhile, a terrible threat rises from the jungles of Ibini. The Naga, a malicious and cunning species, spawned in the darkness of the Void, assaults the lands, killing men and capturing women and children.
What are these terrible aberrations, what is their goal and what is happening to their captives?
As Reynard wrestles with the politics of the new republic, his trusted friend Okoth is sent to deal with this latest threat and answer these questions.
Questions whose answers will finally decide the fate of Lucarcia.
Synopsis (spoilers)
Chalis, a hunter in Ibini, has an encounter with a terrible creature from the Void — a Naga. He realizes that there are many of these aberrations in Ibini and that they are killing the local men but capturing women and children and taking them off to the jungles in the south. Chalis comes to the capital city, Lucar, to petition for help. Reynard wants to go but as the new First Consul politics means he must stay. He sends Okoth and Mosi with Chalis to investigate.
Okoth, Mosi and Chalis go to the Ibini farmlands and see the place is overrun. They see many dead men but no sign of any women and children. They find out that the Naga are in control of Ibini and are now launching an attack on Manabas. They just escape Ibini after a fight with the Naga.
They head to Manabas in time to warn the Ice King. The King will not leave his fortress and refuses to aid them. Okoth gathers the hill-folk of Manabas to his banner. Then the Nanuk arrive and agree to help Okoth.
They reach the outskirts of the town of Pembrose. There are huge numbers of the Naga. Okoth and his men fight them, but it is clear they will lose and eventually even Stoneheart will fall. As the fighting progresses the Naga continue to kill all the men but capture women and children. The Naga seem limitless in number. The hillfolk and Nanuk flee back to Stoneheart and Okoth leaves Manabas.
Okoth returns to the capital to report to Reynard on the war. Reynard sends Okoth to find out how come the Naga appear to have unlimited numbers and where are they coming from. His lead is to follow the captured women. Kita puts herself forward to be bait.
Kita is captured in Manabas and Okoth goes deep into southern Ibini, tracking her. He discovers the Naga Mother and her breeding pits. There are lots of women and children held prisoner there. They are being slowly fed to the Naga Mother. Okoth almost gets caught trying to rescue Kita, but they escape.
Back in Lucar, Reynard tries to raise an army, but politics stop him. He resigns his position as First Consul and heads to Ibini himself, determined to solve this problem first hand.
They fight their way to the Naga Mother and destroy her and her breeding pits, rescuing the prisoners in the process.
Returning to Lucar they find the Naga Army has besieged the capital. They launch a daring attack into the Naga camp, sneaking their way to the Naga Lord's base. A huge battle with the Naga Lord ensues. They fight and kill the Naga Lord, but Okoth is slain.
With the Naga Lord dead the remaining Naga are leaderless and fall apart. They start destroying each other. The war is won, though the cost has been huge.
Reynard is offered the position of First Consul again but refuses. He asks Kita to marry him, again. This time she says yes. Kita and Reynard retire to a small cottage in Albion where they raise a son and call him Okoth.
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The Albion Series is set in the feudal Kingdom of Albion.
The first book, Eldred, describes events that forged the Kingdom of Albion. It follows two main characters from childhood through to adulthood and their relationships as they work towards the common goal of uniting the tribes as one kingdom. This book is currently being written.
The second book, Callindrill, is set in the same location but hundreds of years later — roughly at the same time as The Lucarcian Series is set. In this book, three misfits and outcasts come together through chance, only to discover that they have been manipulated into doing the will of another who does not have their best interests at heart.
Callindrill: Volume 2 (Albion Series)
Blurb
Front Cover
Three individuals across the Kingdom of Albion and beyond begin their initiations into their separate careers.
A young Albion lad is rescued from a raid by the Feral and given over to a monastery in Honshu where he begins his training as a Ghostwalker.
A noble's son in the capital of Littlebrook is set to become the personal squire to the Grandmaster of the Knights of the Sun.
Meanwhile a half-fey struggles with her training as a mage, only to discover her magical talents lie in another, rare branch of the arcane.
Unknown to them all, a common enemy unites them and as that enemy stirs the different forces around the Kingdom of Albion, the three will be thrown together into a titanic struggle for the survival of the kingdom itself.
Synopsis (spoilers)
Jaeden, the young son of a nobleman in the southern capital of Littlebrook, becomes squire to the Grandmaster of the Sun. As he does so he makes an unlikely bond with a street rat, Alfred. Meanwhile in the north, a young orphan from Albion is captured by the Feral and rescued by a patrol from Honshu. He is taken back east and there is placed in a Monastery of the Way and renamed Chi. Deep in the fey forest of Sylvandale a young half-fey, Thia, is appointed to archmage Alandriel as an apprentice, but struggles to manage even a simple incantation. During each of their apprenticeships, each meets an old man called Caerdic. He takes on different roles in each of their lives but is a mentor to them all.
Jaeden, soon after winning his spurs, is ordered to escort a noble's daughter on a simple trip north. They are ambushed and she is killed, leading to Jaeden's expulsion from the order of knights. Meanwhile, Chi is tasked with returning to his homeland of Albion and, as a Ghostwalker of Honshu, beginning the process of sabotaging that land's interests. At the same time, Thia's mentor leaves Sylvandale unexpectedly, seeking out the answer to a critical question. Thia, not knowing where he's gone or what the question is, follows him.
All three meet on the road to Mount Macarack where their different quests merge. They discover they all know Caerdic and that he was responsible in one way or another for bringing them together. Caerdic then appears and encourages them to help him stir the Feral for an assault on the north of Albion. With all three disillusioned with the kingdom, they all agree.
Jaeden fights Tor, the leader of the Feral, for the right to invoke the combined masses of the hordes to attack the town of Thistledelve. They do so, though Tor is displeased with the result. There Tor meets his old friend Lady Fortuna and the two are forced to fight.
Jaeden, Chi and Thia realize that Caerdic has manipulated them to his own ends. Bringing all their information together they determine that Caerdic might in fact be the ancient mage, Callindrill, returned from the dead. The only way to be sure is to travel to his tomb in the desert. They do so, discovering that Callindrill has indeed left his tomb, and appears to be some sort of powerful lich.
At this stage, driven in the shadows by Callindrill, the Feral attack from the north of the Kingdom whilst the Easterners assault from their lands. Ghostwalkers are in the capital city and the queen's life comes in danger. The heroes team up to save the queen and then are granted an audience by the king.
They explain that the only way to save the kingdom is to destroy Callindrill. They travel north to Dragon's Perch where the lich is endeavouring to raise the spirit of the ancient dragon as a dracolich, to become steed to the ancient king, Eldred – who he has also raised as an undead.
In a huge final fight, they destroy Callindrill, sending his spirit home to his tomb. But they know to destroy him permanently they need to find his phylactery, so they race to the desert to find and destroy it before Callindrill reforms.
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The things I'm working on now.
Blurb
Front Cover
One is the son of a chieftain and destined for greatness. The other is an orphan boy, spurned by the villagers, but defended by his best friend.
Eldred grows up to become a heroic warrior and leader, whilst Caerdic disappears into the Great Desert in search of ancient knowledge. As Eldred struggles to unite the kingdom against the threat of its enemies, the long-lost Caerdic returns, bringing the promise of true power to aid Eldred's side.
But at what cost?
The son of a chieftain and a misfit orphan boy, whose entwined destinies will shape the future of their lands. As one tries to unite the tribes against the threat of the warlike Easterners, the other delves into secret mysteries best left untouched.
Can the orphan bring this ancient knowledge to help his childhood friend? And what will the chieftain's son be prepared to sacrifice to reach his goals?
Synopsis (spoilers)
Eldred's father, Alban, is dying, mortally wounded. Eldred and Caerdic travel into the desert in search of a rare plant to cure him. A storm uncovers a stone tablet which Caerdic reads. Lightning strikes down and Eldred saves Caerdic but his right hand is destroyed in the process. They find the plant and save Alban.
Alban tries, unsuccessfully, to win the druids' support for uniting the tribes. Eldred begins combat training with his left hand. Caerdic speaks to a druid from the far south, beyond the desert, and finds out about the mysterious Keri-heb.
Alban, aiming to unite the tribes, continues north to Thistledelve. Eldred, Lynna and Caerdic ride into the hills. Lynna is captured and Caerdic and Eldred try rescue her. The chief of Thistledelve refuses to unite.
Alban rides to Eastward. Eldred watches an Easterner who is training the local warriors. The Easterner becomes part of Alban's retinue, training Eldred. Eastward will not unite until Thistledelve does. Caerdic and Lynna get intimate.
Returning to Thistledelve, Alban attacks, trying to force them to his rule. Alban dies in the battle. His second calls a retreat and they return to Littlebrook. The Easterner escapes in the chaos. In Littlebrook, Eldred is made chieftain. Caerdic departs into the desert, to seek the Keri-heb.
Twenty years pass.
35-year-old Eldred is chieftain of the local tribe based out of the town of Littlebrook. He is fighting a rival local tribe and winning apart from their hero who is a powerful and honourable foe. Caerdic returns from 20 years in the Great Desert and brings knowledge of the Void. Caerdic helps Eldred kill the rival hero, dishonourably, enabling Eldred to take control of the south. Lynna, now Eldred's wife, sees Caerdic and is clearly torn.
Eldred builds his relationship with the new Church of the Sun and gets their warrior priests on his side. Eldred subjugates the last of the southern tribes. Caerdic speaks to Eldred and Lynna about the new religion and warns them that the High Priest is a corrupt spirit.
Eldred rides to Eastward after hearing the town is under attack by the Easterners. The Knights of the Sun make the difference in the battle. Eldred faces the Easterner who trained him, and has to kill him. Eastward swears fealty to Eldred.
Eldred tries to get the Druids on his side but fails. They know of his alliance with the Church of the Sun and stay neutral. The chieftain of Waymeet opposes him. The chieftain dies in mysterious circumstances. Eldred suspects Caerdic and begins to doubt his friend's help.
Thistledelve. Diplomacy is failing. Thistledelve is the last tribe but also the strongest. Eldred attacks. Simultaneously, and unplanned, Thistledelve comes under attack from the Feral. The volcano is likely to erupt at any stage, which is causing the Feral to flee the mountains. Eldred stops attacking Thistledelve and comes to their aid.
Then the volcano erupts! Worse still is what is then seen: A dragon!
Caerdic goes off and faces the dragon singlehanded, but is defeated. He does weaken the dragon so that he's no longer a threat. Eldred defeats the Feral and gets fealty of the chief of Thistledelve.
Eldred is crowned king of the whole kingdom. He names it Albion in honour of his father who started the process of uniting the tribes.
Meanwhile Caerdic's followers, led by Lynna, take his body and bury it in the desert - where he rises as a lich. His first job is to kill Lynna and raise her as his undead servant.
Eldred is still being developed and is not available to purchase yet.