This week, I reached 75% on The Prince and the Fool draft, prepped Punks Versus Zombies for its September 1 Kindle launch (pre-order now!), and enjoyed a short break in Blackpool.
This week, I’ve made solid progress on The Prince and the Fool (Ravenglass Legends, Book 4), hitting the 75% mark in the draft. The story’s really coming together now as I push toward the final act.
I’m also busy getting Punks Versus Zombies ready for launch on Kindle, September 1, 2025. It’s up for pre-order now, so lock in your copy for a wild post-apocalyptic ride!
On a personal note, I had a fun night away in Blackpool—a much-needed change of scene that’s helped recharge the creative batteries.
To Her Holiness, High Priestess Marissin of the Great Temple, Reichsherz
Brauncliff Citadel, Outer Reach Third Moon of Stormtide, 3E.743
Your Holiness,
May the Four keep your path steady.
I write from the edge of our blessed Empire with troubling news—unsettling not only in content but in implication. What I describe here has passed beyond the threshold of sailor’s tale or weatherborn misfortune. This is, I believe, a matter of ravenglass sorcery, and of a wyvern-bound nature too deep for any temple at Brauncliff to safely interpret.
Over the past fortnight, several vessels have reported sightings of a black-rigged ship moving along the mists of the Braun Sea. No colours. No name. Her sails are dull as ash, and her prow juts forward like a blade drawn halfway from a scabbard. Of itself, this would not concern me—pirates grow bold when winter currents shift.
But the crew.
Every account describes them standing motionless on deck. Not resting, not bracing—but fixed, eyes forward, as though one body shared among many forms. Witnesses swear that when one turned his head, the others followed in perfect synchrony. When the ship drifted near, some observers claimed their own thoughts began to echo—hearing words not spoken, memories they could not place, and a sensation of being watched from within.
One survivor carved spirals into his palms, claiming he was “mapping his way back to himself.” Another threw himself to the sea mid-prayer, muttering about “tides in the blood.”
At the prow of the vessel, secured in a cradle of blackened iron, is what multiple witnesses describe as a massive shard of ravenglass—coffin-sized, lightless, and thrumming with a resonance they felt more than heard. One Captain described it as “remembering him.”
Attempts to board or dispel have failed. A Circle-trained enchanter attempted to sever the ship’s link with known currents of enchantment. He now speaks in fractured birdsong and refuses to step indoors. Even the lesser rites of Unknotting bring no relief.
We believe the crew is psychically bound—not merely bewitched, but fully absorbed—by a wyvern working through the shard. If so, this represents an evolution of ravenglass manipulation we do not understand and cannot counter with known rites. The suggestion has even been made—though not lightly—that this could be the work of a Ravenglass node, not merely a shard: a self-sustaining focus of thought and will.
Your Holiness, we are unprepared.
I humbly request immediate guidance from the Great Temple. The local orders are unwilling to act. The Vigilant here are fractured, and we lack the authority to sanction action without temple sanction. We require the wisdom of the Hierophants and, if I may say so without overstepping, the insight of the Guardians—if they are indeed still known to your circles.
This ship does not attack. It does not speak. It only moves through the fog, crewed by silence and the echo of will not its own.
And it is watching.
With reverence and urgency, Archivist Dern Halveth Brauncliff Citadel, Outer Reach Authority
This week, I’m 60% through The Prince and the Fool, reading about Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love, and watching House of Cards. Still nursing a bad back—hoping to recover in time to see Nine Inch Nails next week!
This week, I’ve hit the 60 percent mark on the draft of The Prince and the Fool (Ravenglass Legends, Book 4).
The story is moving steadily, and I’m excited to see it coming together.
I’ve also been reading the 33 1/3 book on Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love—a fascinating deep dive into one of my all-time favourite albums.
And I’ve finally started watching House of Cards on Netflix—dark, sharp, and brilliantly acted.
I’m still dealing with a bad back, which has been slowing me down. I’m really hoping it improves soon, especially with Nine Inch Nails coming up next week—fingers crossed I’ll be well enough to go!
Discover the Order of the Guardians in the Ravenglass Universe. Learn about their seven paths, philosophy, leadership, and how they shape the world across epic fantasy series like Ravenglass Throne, Ravenglass Legends, and more.
The Guardians stand as one of the most intricate and morally layered institutions in the Ravenglass Universe.
Formed in response to centuries of war, oppression, and cultural devastation, the Guardians emerged from the ruins of broken systems with a radical new purpose.
They are neither a military force nor a religious sect, but a decentralised order bound by a shared commitment to truth, balance, and service.
Operating in secrecy and often in tension with ruling powers, the Guardians represent a unique answer to the question of how to do good in a world shaped by conquest.
What Are the Guardians? Understanding Their Core Mission
The Guardians exist outside the structures of empire, monarchy, and temple.
They are guided by three core principles that define their mission across the Ravenglass Universe.
Balance Over Dominance: The Guardians resist all forms of absolute control.
They aim not to topple governments or seize power, but to maintain equilibrium by ensuring no single ideology, empire, or institution becomes dominant.
Truth Over Convenience: In a world where truth is often manipulated or erased, the Guardians preserve facts that others would prefer forgotten.
They protect knowledge, maintain hidden archives, and guard against historical revisionism.
Service Over Self: Guardians renounce personal ambition and political allegiance.
Their loyalty lies only with those who cannot defend themselves, with the oppressed, the forgotten, and the silenced.
The Seven Paths: Specialisation Within Unity
The Order recognises that one solution cannot address every problem.
To meet the demands of a complex world, the Guardians operate through seven specialised paths, each with its own tools, philosophy, and domain.
The Watchers: Silent Observers of Truth
Watchers are the Order’s unseen eyes, observing without interference or personal bias.
They track power, corruption, and injustice over the long term.
Discover 10 powerful fantasy novels featuring the conquered homeland trope. From grimdark revenge to political rebellion, this list includes The Fall of Wolfsbane, The Rage of Dragons, and more must-read epic fantasy titles.
There’s something deeply compelling about fantasy stories where the protagonist’s home is invaded, destroyed, or taken over.
The conquered homeland trope is a powerful foundation for tales of resistance, identity, and revenge—and it’s one that’s resonated with readers for generations.
Here are ten gripping fantasy novels where everything is lost… and the real story begins.
1. The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
Tau’s people are attacked. His family is destroyed. He turns from soldier to weapon.
Set in a world inspired by African cultures, The Rage of Dragons turns the vengeance dial up to ten.
Tau’s homeland may be ruled by a rigid caste system and caught in endless war, but he’s determined to break the cycle—even if it kills him.
The Fall of Wolfsbane goes beyond grimdark fantasy. Discover how this epic fantasy novel blends grit, honour, and hope within a brutal world of empire and war — a story shaped by nobledark themes of resistance, survival, and courage.
Grimdark fantasy has carved out a powerful space in the genre.
It’s known for harsh worlds, cynical characters, and stories where hope often dies with the idealist.
And while I appreciate what grimdark offers — realism, moral ambiguity, and weighty stakes — I didn’t want The Fall of Wolfsbane to stop there.
For me, grit alone wasn’t enough. What I wanted to write wasn’t grimdark, but something else. Something that allowed for blood and betrayal, but also courage and compassion.
Something closer to nobledark. A fantasy where the world is brutal, but characters still try to do the right thing. Even when it costs them. Even when it doesn’t matter. Especially when it doesn’t matter.
Nobledark: Fighting for Good in a Broken World
Nobledark fantasy isn’t a world of shining heroes or fairy tale endings. It recognises that the world can be unjust, cruel, and unforgiving.
But it also believes that people can choose honour over power. That characters can suffer and still hold fast to a moral code. That small acts of bravery matter, even in the shadow of empire and war.
This is where The Fall of Wolfsbane belongs.
It is a nobledark story—set in a world ruled by conquest, filled with flawed characters, but driven by a belief that survival does not have to mean surrender.
Grit Sets the Stage—But It’s Not the Whole Story
The world of The Fall of Wolfsbane is as unforgiving as any grimdark setting.
The Ostreich Empire crushes rebellion with steel and ceremony.
Meerand is conquered and renamed. Ragnar sees his father executed and is taken hostage. Maja is treated like a curiosity to be tamed and shaped.
There is no mercy in this world unless it serves the powerful. But I didn’t want grit to be the point—I wanted it to be the pressure. A weight my characters must carry as they try to hold on to something better.
Honour Is Not Easy — It’s Chosen
Ragnar and Maja don’t come from perfect backgrounds. They’re raised in a warrior culture that values pride and strength. They’ve grown up believing in their own people’s superiority, just as the Empire does.
But when they’re scattered by war, they have to decide what their values truly mean.
Ragnar adapts to life in the Empire, but he never forgets who he is. He learns diplomacy, strategy, and patience — not to please his captors, but to outlast them. He risks everything to save others, even when it gains him nothing.
Maja resists quietly, subtly. She refuses to become what the Empire wants her to be. Her honour is not in battle, but in memory. In preserving who she is despite being surrounded by people who deny her identity.
Honour in a nobledark world is never easy.
It’s painful. It’s costly.
But it’s real.
Hope is the Act of Defiance
In a world like this, hope is not naïve. It is radical.
Ragnar and Maja hope for more than survival. They hope for their homeland to be free.
They hope to be reunited.
They hope that even in the shadow of empire, something can be rebuilt. That’s what nobledark offers where grimdark does not—the chance to care, even when it hurts.
Hope in The Fall of Wolfsbane is not sentimental. It’s something you fight for. It’s something you bleed for. It’s a choice—one that defines my characters more than any sword or spell.
Why Nobledark Matters in The Fall of Wolfsbane
I didn’t want to write a story where everyone is corrupt and nothing matters. But I also didn’t want a world of chosen ones and simple answers.
Nobledark gave me the space to tell a story where the world is broken—but the people in it can still try to put something right. Where the characters can make mistakes, act selfishly, fall short—and still grow. Still hope. Still fight.
The Fall of Wolfsbane is filled with war, betrayal, and hard choices. But it is also filled with memory, resistance, and the quiet power of doing what’s right — even when no one is watching.
That, to me, is the beating heart of nobledark fantasy.
In The Fall of Wolfsbane, Ragnar and Maja Wolfsbane face cultural erasure under an empire determined to reshape them. Discover how this epic fantasy novel explores identity, resistance, and survival when everything familiar is lost.
One of the central themes in The Fall of Wolfsbane is the question of identity.
What happens when everything that defines you — your home, your language, your customs — is taken away?
Who do you become when your world is conquered?
This is the struggle that shapes both Ragnar and Maja Wolfsbane in The Fall of Wolfsbane.
Their story is about more than war. It is about survival in a world designed to erase them.
Empire Always Demands More Than Land
When I created the Ostreich Empire, I wanted it to reflect a truth found in history.
Empires do not only conquer land. They conquer culture. They rename cities. They rewrite history. They teach the conquered that their way is the only way.
This is the process of cultural assimilation.
It is not always done with swords and soldiers. Often, it is done with schools, religion, and ceremony. It is done with laws and language. It is done slowly—until people forget what they lost.
Ragnar Wolfsbane: Adaptation Without Surrender
Ragnar’s story is shaped by this pressure to assimilate.
As a hostage in the Empire, he is forced to learn their ways. He must speak their language. He must fight with their weapons. He must survive within their rules. But Ragnar never fully becomes one of them.
He learns to adapt without surrendering who he is. He keeps his father’s name. He remembers the songs and stories of his people. Even when he earns a title in the Empire, he carries his past like a hidden blade.
For Ragnar, survival does not mean forgetting.
It means waiting. It means learning. It means biding his time.
Maja Wolfsbane: Resistance Through Identity
Maja faces a different challenge. She is taken to the Empire’s capital as a living trophy.
Her captors want to civilise her — to cut her hair, change her clothes, and teach her how to walk, speak, and dance like them.
But Maja resists in every way she can. She learns their lessons, but only to use them against them. She speaks their words, but dreams in her own tongue. She is clever enough to survive their court, but never lets herself become what they want her to be.
Maja’s resistance is quiet.
It is the resistance of memory. It is the refusal to forget who you are, no matter how isolated or powerless you feel.
For Maja, identity is a weapon. It keeps her alive. It keeps her strong.
Cultural Erasure in Fantasy Reflects Real History
I believe fantasy is at its most powerful when it reflects the struggles of the real world.
Throughout history, countless cultures have faced erasure at the hands of empire.
Languages have been banned. Traditions have been outlawed. Stories have been lost.
But there is always resistance. There are always people who remember. There are always voices that survive.
In The Fall of Wolfsbane, this is the heart of the story.
Ragnar and Maja are not just fighting for their lives. They are fighting for their culture. For their names. For their future.
Who Are You When You Lose Everything?
That is the question I want readers to carry with them. Who are you when your home is taken? When your language is forbidden? When your stories are silenced?
For Ragnar and Maja, the answer is simple. You survive. You remember. You resist.
Even in the heart of the Empire, they carry the spirit of Meerand.
They are Wolfsbanes. And that will never be forgotten.
Discover how The Fall of Wolfsbane explores coming of age in a world shaped by war and empire. Follow Ragnar and Maja Wolfsbane as they navigate survival, resistance, and identity in this gritty epic fantasy of conquest and rebellion.
The Fall of Wolfsbane is a story shaped by war, conquest, and survival, but at its heart, it is also a coming-of-age story.
It follows Ragnar and Maja Wolfsbane—a brother and sister forced to grow up in a world shattered by empire.
Their parallel arcs show two very different journeys into adulthood, shaped by loss, resistance, and the search for identity.
Growing Up When Everything Is Taken From You
When I set out to write The Fall of Wolfsbane, I knew I didn’t want a traditional coming-of-age story.
I wanted to show what happens when childhood ends too soon.
For Ragnar and Maja, there is no gentle transition into adulthood.
There are no safe mentors or welcoming communities.
Their world is broken from the start.
Their home is conquered. Their father is executed. Their people are scattered.
They don’t get to choose to grow up. They are forced to.
Ragnar’s Journey: Adaptation and Survival
Ragnar begins the story as the heir to Meerand, raised in a warrior culture built on tradition, honour, and strength.
He believes in clear lines between right and wrong.
But when the Ostreich Empire conquers his home and takes him hostage, his world collapses.
Ragnar’s coming of age is shaped by adaptation.
He learns to survive within the very empire he hates.
He forms bonds with his captors. He learns their language, their fighting styles, and their politics.
Yet he never fully loses his identity as a Wolfsbane.
His growth is painful.
He carries shame for not dying in battle like his father.
But his survival is not weakness.
It becomes a different kind of strength — one built on patience, understanding, and strategic thinking.
Ragnar’s journey shows how coming of age sometimes means letting go of who you were — without forgetting who you are.
Maja’s Journey: Resistance and Rebellion
Maja’s arc runs parallel to Ragnar’s but follows a very different path.
While Ragnar is forced to adapt, Maja is determined to resist.
She is taken to the Empire’s capital and paraded as a project — a symbol of civilisation imposed on a conquered people.
But Maja never accepts her role.
Outwardly, she learns the Empire’s customs. She studies their language and culture. But inwardly, she plans her escape.
Maja’s coming of age is shaped by rebellion.
She becomes skilled at subtle defiance. She learns when to wait, when to listen, and when to strike.
Her journey shows the power of inner resistance — of surviving with your identity intact even when everything around you is designed to erase it.
Two Siblings, Two Paths, One Broken World
What I love most about writing Ragnar and Maja is that neither of them has the luxury of a safe childhood.
They both grow up too fast. They both suffer loss, betrayal, and isolation. But their responses are shaped by their circumstances.
Ragnar finds strength in adaptation.
Maja finds strength in resistance.
Both paths are valid. Both paths require courage.
Their parallel arcs reflect the reality of growing up in a broken world.
Some people learn to live within it.
Others fight to change it.
Sometimes, survival means doing both.
Coming of Age in Epic Fantasy
Epic fantasy has always been a genre where coming of age stories thrive.
But I wanted The Fall of Wolfsbane to approach this theme from a darker, more grounded angle.
I wanted to show how growing up isn’t always about gaining power or reaching a grand destiny.
Sometimes, coming of age is about surviving loss.
Sometimes, it’s about holding on to who you are when everything is taken.
Ragnar and Maja’s journeys are only beginning in The Fall of Wolfsbane.
But their paths are already shaped by the hard lessons of a world torn apart by empire.
Their story is about finding strength in the ruins.
It’s about identity, loyalty, and the cost of survival.
And for both of them, growing up will never mean forgetting where they came from.
Discover five essential things to know before you read The Fall of Wolfsbane, a gritty epic fantasy novel of conquest, resistance, and magic. Learn about the story’s world, characters, themes, and what makes this fantasy series stand out.
If you’re thinking of reading The Fall of Wolfsbane, the first book in my Ravenglass Legends series, here are five key things to know before you begin.
Whether you’re a seasoned fantasy reader or new to the genre, this will help set the scene for the world, the tone, and the journey ahead.
1. This Is Not a Traditional Hero’s Journey
The Fall of Wolfsbane doesn’t follow a clear-cut tale of good versus evil.
It’s a story about survival, power, and the moral grey areas in between.
The protagonists aren’t chosen ones or saviours.
They’re young people torn from their home, forced to adapt, resist, or submit under an occupying force.
This is a coming-of-age story shaped by trauma, culture clash, and impossible choices.
2. The Story Is Told from Two Contrasting Perspectives
The novel follows a brother and sister, Ragnar and Maja Wolfsbane, whose lives are violently upended by the Ostreich Empire’s conquest of their homeland.
Ragnar becomes a hostage, forced to live among the conquerors.
Maja is taken to the Empire’s capital as a court curiosity, stripped of her identity and used as a tool for political propaganda.
Their paths diverge, but their bond remains central to the story.
Each character’s perspective offers a different view of the same war—one from within the Empire, the other in defiance of it.
3. Expect Grit, Politics, and Emotionally Grounded Magic
This is a gritty epic fantasy with moments of emotional intensity.
There is violence, political manoeuvring, and deep psychological conflict.
The magic system, built around a rare substance called ravenglass, is powerful but comes with a price.
To forge a ravenglass weapon, blood must be spilled and tears must be shed.
The magic isn’t flashy—it’s mysterious, intimate, and tied to memory and emotion.
4. It Explores Themes of Empire, Resistance, and Identity
One of the driving forces behind the novel is a desire to portray the emotional and cultural cost of conquest.
It’s about what happens when a people are conquered—not just physically, but spiritually and culturally.
How do you hold on to your identity when your language, clothes, and customs are stripped away?
Both Ragnar and Maja face these questions in different ways, as they navigate their roles within the Empire and decide what it means to resist or survive.
5. There’s More to Come in the Ravenglass Legends Series
The Fall of Wolfsbane is only the beginning.
The story lays the groundwork for a larger conflict that will shape not only the fate of the Wolfsbane siblings but the future of the Ostreich Empire itself.
Secrets about the ravenglass, the origins of magic, and the truth behind the Empire’s expansion are only beginning to surface.
If you enjoy richly layered worlds with long-term stakes and character growth, there’s much more in store.
Ready to Begin The Fall of Wolfsbane?
Now that you know what to expect, I hope you’re ready to step into a world of war, resistance, and dangerous magic.
The Fall of Wolfsbane is a story about transformation, about what we become when everything is taken from us, and what we choose to protect when we have the chance to fight back.
This week, I launched Wyvern’s Shadow and Blade of Sorrows, and began writing Ravenglass Legends Book 4—part of a newly planned seven-book passion project I’m excited to share with readers.
