Are you tired of fantasy that seems ever grimmer and darker?
Had enough of gambling your time and affection on amazing stories that are never finished?
Did you enjoy the Machiavellian politics and huge stakes of Game of Thrones, but wish that the heroes had been a bit more heroic?
Traitor Son, the first book of the Empire of the Stars, is about people who have seen enough destruction to know they want to build. It's about noble knights who long for home and fair ladies who fight with their wits. It's a story of resilience and redemption and rebuilding after the catastrophe, with shattered trust and an unquenchable hope that something better is possible.
A Place Like No Other
Set in a Renaissance-inspired fantasy world where the Empire is the only place without magic, the stakes couldn't be higher as Remin and his knights settle in the Andelin Valley, where Remin hopes to deliver on his promises of home, safety, and peace. On a bend of the River Brede, he begins construction of his life's work: the city of Tresingale, the seat of his duchy. One day, it will be a garden. A center of learning and the arts, the place where he will raise his children and shelter his people. The most beautiful city in all the Empire.
One day.
Right now, it's a series of small camps and dirt pits surrounded by palisades and partially constructed stone walls, with only the sketches of architects breathe life into their dream. And Remin and his men will have to build fast if they ever want to see those dreams become reality. There are monsters coming, terrible creatures unleashed by Valleth in the waning days of the war. Devils that seek only to kill and destroy, and leave the dead where they lie.
The Knights of the Brede
There are no better men in the world to take on this challenge. The surviving Knights of the Brede are heroes famous throughout the Empire, men about whom literal songs are sung. Bram of Lisle, a former mercenary with the brands of a criminal on his hands. Humble Auber Conbour, a farmer's son who dreams of rich soil and green fields. Huber Adaman, a quiet man who loves wild places and still grieves the loss of his brothers.
There is Edemir of Trecht, lordly and steadfast. Tounot of Belleme, who could have inherited his family's lands, but would not foreswear his friends. Gentle Justenin, whose placid eyes conceal a rage great enough to tear down the Empire. And the beautiful Miche of Harnost, a charmer and a trickster, who smiles in his enemies' faces and sows chaos behind their backs.
But greatest of them all is Remin of Andelin, the military prodigy that waged a seven-year war without losing a single battle. They call him Remin Grimjaw, impervious to pain, and he is both the savior of the Empire and the son of its most infamous traitors.
An Unlikely Heroine
There is no ambiguity in the status of Princess Ophele, the Emperor's secret daughter: she is no hero, and thoroughly eclipsed in the shadow of these legends. Abandoned by her father and abused by her guardians, Ophele grew up in an exile prison, with books for companions and vague dreams of escape. That dreams with the arrival of Remin Grimjaw, come to collect the bride he was promised as a reward for his victory. Three days later, they are married, and Ophele is swept off to the Andelin Valley, with little hope that she will ever be anything but a disappointment.
But the women of the Empire are a law unto themselves, and Ophele will soon learn that there are many kinds of strength. She will have to find hers quickly. Enemies old and new are circling, and if she and Remin can't find a way to overcome the terrible history of their families, they will risk repeating the tragedies that shattered their world.
A (Complete) Epic Story of Love, Trust, and Redemption
Empire of the Stars is finished. Five books and the first side story are already completed, and will be published at six month intervals, because fantasy readers have been burned too many times by authors who for one reason or another just couldn't pull it together in the end. While there is still more to be told, the major arc of the story has been brought to a satisfying conclusion.
It is a journey that will extend through the Andelin Valley to the capital and beyond, as Remin and Ophele struggle to protect each other and their people. On the way, they will learn the dark secrets of the calamity that destroyed both their families, and even now threatens their whole world. But through it all, they will hold true to Remin's promise, the simple dream he conjured for his men beside a thousand campfires: that he will build them a good place, where they will never want for anything again.
An unforgettable adventure awaits. Sign up here for news about future releases, ARCs, and bonus content!
Thank you for subscribing!
Have a great day!
Traitor Son, Book 1 of the Empire of the Stars, releases November 1, 2024!
