Publisher's Synopsis
Under the guidance of the royal tutor, and in the protection of a champion martial artist from the hill country, young prince Aedhon Berethavan finds that his world is full of mystery, tragedy, and peril.Questions haunt him - yet no answers can be found. His brother the heir is always just short of pleasing their father, the imperious King of Peace, and Aedhon himself wishes only for quiet, untroubled days in the palace libraries.Meanwhile, a nameless enemy is afoot, and it seems fate itself has turned against the royal family. Terrifying visions rob Aedhon of sleep and cloud his mind. Do his night terrors have meaning? Or are the swirling rumors true, that old wounds and personal losses have broken his mind? Loyalties and beliefs will be sorely tested as the kingdom prepares once more for war. Yet in the midst of rising strain and paranoia an ally arrives, unnoticed and unexpected, from a distant land. Mysterious and wondrous, The Low King is a uniquely imagined, compelling adventure steeped in vivid myth and rich worldbuilding.More about the seriesWhat sets this fantasy saga apart from others?While I was inspired by all the greats we know and love, I set out to craft a world with its own niche. The Dream of the White Stag is distinct from other epic, dark, political, and action/adventure fantasy because its main characters endure deep challenges of personal choice, identity, and belonging that modern readers can resonate with - including LGBTQI readers, ethnic and religious minorities, and people of diverse other communities. The Dream of the White Stag sets out to do more than just replicating an idea of an Old Europe, or a stereotype of some "exotic" non-Western land - but that said, there are many concepts and archetypes that will be familiar to Western readers and traditional fantasy fans. In sum, The Dream of the White Stag is simultaneously very classic and very strange.Are these books appropriate for kids and young adults?There are difficult themes in this saga, and several characters go through significant personal trauma. There are also some scenes that are tough to grapple with no matter who you are, due to their challenging moral or existential themes. Therefore, I strongly suggest a minimum reader age of about 14. If you're looking for a story closer to the Young Adult (YA) flavor, I would rather point you to my good friend Riley S. Keene, who specializes in YA fantasy and is currently kicking off a new series: Heroes by Necessity.So you're saying there's a lot of violence/sex/etc., like certain other famous sagas in this genre?The story of The Dream of the White Stag revolves around political, religious, and ethnic conflict, so there is a high share of violence and some sexual content. I can sympathize with readers who are wary of that. If you really don't want to read about the darker side of life at this time, I wish you well on your quest for a different kind of series.How many more novels are coming? Are you just going to string me along and die before you finish the last book?There are 6 full novels planned, of which this is the first. Check my author page for more information and a link to my Patreon site!Who designed that gorgeous cover?That would be Zach Vaupen of emo-sludge.com. Zach and I are excited to continue our creative partnership for the remainder of the series!
