Upward I soar, lost in the flight
Carried away on the storm
Into the sky and into the night
Silver wings tattered and torn

A world of sea and sky and endless storms, Kestrien is locked in a cycle of devastation that no-one entirely understands. Most people believe that the Fall of Demira, which shattered one of the moons and sent the world into a centuries-long dark age, was brought about by meddling in magic they didn’t understand. But for all the modern world disdains and despises sorcery, for all the persecution heaped on those who practise it, Dyne’s Storm is growing restless once again. Wild magic is welling up from old springs, ancient powers are stirring, and the dae, elemental beings of the aether, are growing in power…

In Thari, the storm-lashed island nation on the very edge of the continent, there are people willing to defy the ages-long prohibition on magic in an attempt to prevent another Fall. Jenna de’Sorres, exiled from her home in Merresh, is determined to uncover the purpose of the mysterious Seagrave Academy. Her friend Mikhal Danessos is on a quest of his own: to discover what really happened to his younger sister, who disappeared without a trace five years ago. And then there’s Rhinn Seagrave, enigmatic daughter of the Chancellor of the Academy, shunned and outcast for reasons no-one will explain.

Elsewhere, deep below the ground, lies the city of Vanrillion, whose inhabitants have not seen the surface since the Fall. Trapped between deadly darkness above and below, the city has been shrinking for generations, more and more sectors falling into disuse, more and more dae creeping in through the cracks. Skye, a mercenary in search of her lost memories, survives and protects her companions, Linette and Kiera, by scavenging in the forbidden areas. It’s a life on the margins, but it’s not so bad… at least, until they cross paths with the Keepers, Vanrillion’s elite guard, and find themselves caught up in secrets and plots that could tear the city apart.

The Kestrien stories are high tech fantasy adventures: think Final Fantasy or Marvel’s Thor, with magic and computers side by side. I’ve been working on this world since I was fifteen, so there’s… quite a lot to cover. Initially, there will be two series of novels, one set in Thari, the other in Vanrillion. Would it shock you if I say that they’re going to collide in epic fashion at some point? No, didn’t think so.

Also featuring: gay cinnamon rolls, snarky immortals, magic glowy crystals, reincarnation shenanigans, a kingdom on the moon, and a weather aesthetic that can best be described as “Cornwall on a really nasty day”. Because I know what I like, and I have no shame.

Stories

NaNoSortofMo 2018: A collection of prompts
Part 1: The Seagrave Academy (Thari)
Part 2: City of Light (Vanrillion)
Part 3: After the Fall (Zephony and Akana)
Part 4: Before the Fall (Demira)