Blog Archives
Reigning Fire
Reigning Fire tells the story of Yan Xun, a princess raised in a world built on Smokeveil magic, rigid hierarchy, and brutal expectations. Her secret Emberkin, a battered phoenix named Mo, marks her as something forbidden. That secret pulls her through a tightening web of palace politics, trauma, hidden archives, deadly trials at the Weaver Academy, and a long, dangerous unraveling of the Empire’s lies about power and worth. The book grows from courtly control to a fierce personal awakening, and the shift lands with real weight.
This book stirred me more than I expected. The writing has this sharp tenderness. Some scenes were very emotional, especially the ones where Xun remembers Kai’s abuse and the way his presence lingers like a stain in her memory. Her trauma does not exist for spectacle. It exists the way real pain exists, slipping into the quiet moments and messing with breath and thought. The training scenes with Xiao in the Dream Realm felt like oxygen, and I kept rooting for Xun to take each tiny step forward. The pacing in the middle swells as secrets pile up, especially once the Forbidden Archives start giving up their ghosts. I loved how the story mixes myth with rebellion and shows how tightly institutions grip the narratives they fear most.
I also found myself pulled toward the characters orbiting Xun. Jin in particular surprised me. His protectiveness has rough edges, but it feels shaped by real loyalty. His anger at what Xun endured is raw, almost reckless, and there were moments where his emotions reached through the page and hit me right in the gut. Even Yan Yun, cold as stone and twice as sharp, grabbed my attention. Watching him justify control while hiding old wounds gave him this unsettling depth. The world feels lived in, politically messy, and morally crooked. I liked that. I liked that nothing felt clean. The prose moves between poetic and punchy, and it never gets stuck in jargon. Sometimes the pacing jumps a bit fast, but I didn’t mind because the emotional beats landed exactly where they needed to.
By the time I reached the final stretch, the story had its claws in me. The revelations about mythic Emberkin, the tension in the archives, the pressure of Xun’s unbonded status closing in, all of it came together in a way that felt both heavy and hopeful. I walked away thinking about cycles of harm, about who gets to rewrite the rules, and about how power shifts when someone finally says no. If you enjoy fantasies that balance trauma recovery with rebellion, or if you like character-driven stories full of secrets, then this book is absolutely for you.
Pages: 330 | ASIN : B0FHQ211VC
Astral Seeds- Eternal Reign Edition
Jhani Mills’s Astral Seeds opens like a symphony of chaos, blending cosmic prophecy with the fragile humanity of its characters. The story follows Aric Draconis, a dragon rider tangled in a universe on the brink of rebirth. As celestial rifts tear open the sky and ancient Guardians stir from slumber, he becomes unwilling witness and participant in a struggle between creation and destruction. Kings crave godhood, dragons debate destiny, and stars themselves become instruments in a war of balance. Mills builds a world that feels both mythic and immediate, filled with lyrical dread and aching wonder.
The prose is lush, almost hypnotic, and sometimes it feels alive, like the words hum beneath the surface. The dialogue between Aric and Ignarion, his dragon, carries real warmth. Their bond has weight, not the kind of flat loyalty you find in typical fantasy tales. But the beauty of the writing cuts both ways. At times, the rich, layered descriptions slow the rhythm a bit, letting the poetry take center stage over the story’s momentum. The language feels deliberate, like Mills wants you to taste every syllable before moving on. But, when it hits, it hits like thunder. There’s power in the way small human acts like kneading dough, watching the sun, and listening to the river, mirror the collapse of galaxies.
What really stayed with me was the sense of longing that runs through everything. The book isn’t just about power or prophecy. It’s about connection, about what it costs to keep faith when the sky itself turns against you. Mills writes with this quiet conviction that even in ruin, there’s something worth saving. The characters aren’t perfect heroes, they’re scared, sometimes arrogant, sometimes heartbreakingly kind, and that makes them real. There were scenes that gave me chills, others that felt heavy in the chest. I could feel the loneliness in Aric’s choices, the hunger in Vaelion’s ambition, the melancholy in Zephyr’s song. The story asks questions most fantasy avoids: Can destruction be sacred? Can love survive apocalypse? It doesn’t hand out clean answers, and that uncertainty is what makes it linger.
If you like your fantasy poetic, unpredictable, and soaked in cosmic mystery, Astral Seeds is for you. It’s not a light read. It’s a storm you walk through, slow and unsteady, until you find something glowing on the other side. I’d recommend it to readers who love the mythic scope of Brandon Sanderson but crave the lyrical weight of Erin Morgenstern.
Pages: 422 | ASIN : B0FTGP8M9N
A Sea Tail
Marvin Brauer’s A Sea Tail is a curious blend of mystery, folklore, and personal transformation, set against the backdrop of Venice. The novel follows Dr. Ulysses Manque, a quasi-retired dentist who drifts into the city almost by accident and finds himself tangled in a story that begins with a strange fishtail in a canal and stretches into whispers of mermaids, secret investigations, and an undercurrent of myth that refuses to stay submerged. What begins as a chance discovery soon grows into a meditation on belief, longing, and the strange ways the extraordinary can seep into ordinary lives.
I loved the setting. Venice felt alive, not just in its architecture and canals but in the way small habits, daily walks, and quiet encounters stitched together the fabric of the story. The pacing at times wandered, and that worked for this book. Sometimes I was completely drawn in by the odd charm of Dr. Manque, his pigeons, his suits, and his obsessive rituals. Other times, I found myself wishing the narrative would push harder, dig faster into the mystery instead of lingering so long on side details. Still, that slow build did give the novel a thick and intriguing atmosphere.
The ideas at play here really stuck with me. I didn’t expect to be caught up in questions about myth and belief, about what happens when someone lets the fantastic leak into their daily routines. The mermaid, whether real or imagined, becomes a mirror for the protagonist’s loneliness and yearning, and I found that strangely moving. There were moments when the writing leaned into symbolism. I sometimes wanted less explanation, but even so, I couldn’t help but admire the ambition of weaving folklore into a modern story of self-discovery.
I felt a kind of bittersweet satisfaction. The book is not for readers looking for a fast-paced thriller or a tightly plotted mystery. It is more for those who enjoy atmosphere, who like to sit with odd characters and let their inner lives unravel slowly. If you’re drawn to Venice, or if you’ve ever wanted to believe that a city can hide its own secret myths beneath its stones and waters, this novel is worth your time. I’d recommend it to readers who like literary mysteries with a touch of magic.
Pages: 252 | ASIN : B0CTD13985
A Hero’s Journey
Dragon Riders of the 12th Battalion follows a thoughtful but rigid officer, as he commands a squadron of dragon riders who has to confront not just enemy threats, but also the deeper rhythms of trust, instinct, and the unknown that define dragonkind and, eventually, himself. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The honest answer would probably be: myself and my own experience. Of course, my life didn’t look exactly like this – no dragons, for one – but when you get the chance to look back and reflect on the path you’ve taken, you begin to see how much things can change over time. I wanted Jack to finally be honest with himself – and that kind of clarity only comes through experience. Through the events and people that shape you, challenge you, and ultimately force you to make choices that aren’t always safe or obvious. Following the guidebook is easy. It’s the default, the safe and simple route. But as you move forward in life – and if you really listen – you begin to understand what matters, what’s right for you, and what’s right for those you care about. Jack was lucky to have a creature like Tempest by his side, and a team that genuinely cared. And he was smart enough – eventually – to listen. To them, and to the rhythm.
I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from and how did it change as you were writing?
I’ve loved dragons – and I’ve been fascinated by World War II (and history in general) – for as long as I can remember. Being 45 years old, that adds up to thousands of books and articles read, countless documentaries and movies watched, games played and even a few made. The initial idea was simple: put dragons and Tiger tanks on the same battlefield and let them fight it out. But once I sat down and gave it real thought, the story shifted. It became clear that this wasn’t just about spectacle – it was a chance to tell a story about the hero’s journey, and about the kind of bond that forms when you walk that path with someone – or something – beside you. That “crash and burn” setup just wouldn’t be enough for a creature like Tempest. He deserved more. And I realized the only way the setting would truly resonate was if it gave room for that bond – for something deeper than fire and steel.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Very early on – really before I even created the outline – the story pivoted from Reign of Fireto Band of Brothers. For many years, I struggled with doing what I thought others expected of me, rather than what truly mattered – not just to me, but in life. So, one of the core themes I wanted to explore was the search for inner calm, acceptance, and the courage to make the right choices, even when they go against what’s easiest or most expected. Tempest, in that sense, became something more than a dragon. He’s a kind of temple – a quiet embodiment of wisdom and presence. The fact that he never says a single word makes his message even more powerful. He has a lot to say in this book – you just have to learn how to listen. Like in our own lives.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
The war is not over yet. Jack and Tempest are a powerful duo, and the rest of the team supports them in ways that go beyond tactics – they’re a unit shaped by trust and shared scars. But Jack is still a soldier. He has to follow orders and carry the weight that comes with that – even when it means making hard choices or going where he’d rather not. I’ll definitely return to them. Their story isn’t finished. But for now, I’m focused on a few other projects – they’ll have to wait just a little before they take flight again.
A WWII alternate history fantasy with dragons, magic, and myth reborn.
Pendragon Keep is crumbling. The guns of the Channel roar. And Captain Jack Hanlon walks the parapet with nine tons of storm-breathing wyrm above him, listening to the only rhythm that hasn’t betrayed him.
In 1944, the skies are no longer owned by aircraft alone. In a world where dragons are more than weapons, Jack leads the 12th Battalion: an elite unit of dragon-riders tasked with surviving a war twisted by rune-charged infantry, phantom decoy flights, and arcane sabotage.
Allied generals issue commands. Jack listens to something older—stone, silence, and the pulse of Tempest, his dragon, whose instincts see what radar never will.
From mist-wrapped abbeys to fire-scorched marshes, the 12th flies into doubt, fire, and myth reborn. But leading dragons is the easy part. Leadership demands listening between the orders—knowing when to follow the map, and when to burn it.
Haunted by his mother’s field notes and the unspoken wisdom of the wyrm at his side, Jack must decide whether loyalty lies in obedience… or resonance.
Welcome to the skies of a war rewritten.
What awaits inside:
• Epic alternate warfare – A gritty WWII reimagined with dragon fire and rune magic
• Sentient wyrms, not beasts – Ancient allies with instincts, memory, and agency
• Squad dynamics that matter – From fearless Costello to haunted Alvarez, the 12th isn’t just a team—it’s a crucible
• Resonant themes – Leadership. Silence. Sacrifice. Trust forged in fire
• Cinematic storytelling – Soaring dogfights, mist-laced ruins, and the moral weight of command
Perfect for readers who crave squad-driven war stories laced with myth, fire, and hard choices—where brotherhood is forged in battle, dragons carry more than riders, and silence can speak louder than command.
The dragons are ready. The orders have been given. But the rhythm of war is changing—and only those who listen will survive.
Culgan, Freki Wolf Clan
Victoria Saccenti’s Culgan is a rich and magical tale set in a world where direwolves, gryphons, and ancient magic exist in powerful harmony. The story follows Roisin, a young woman on the verge of discovering her destiny as a direwolf shifter, and Culgan, a seasoned warrior and heir to the Freki clan. As a dark force reawakens in the world, Roisin undergoes her shift with Culgan’s help, and together they find themselves bound by fate, ancient prophecy, and a rising evil that threatens the balance of their realm. The narrative weaves romance, fantasy, political intrigue, and supernatural battles into a tight, emotional adventure.
I found myself drawn in almost instantly by Saccenti’s worldbuilding. Her ability to blend myth, lore, and visceral details into a living, breathing world is impressive. The Freki stronghold, the gryphons’ bond with their riders, and the mystical laws of the universe all come alive with elegant precision. But it was the emotional depth of Roisin’s awakening, the fear, the wonder, the pain, and eventual triumph, that left the strongest impression on me. Her transformation didn’t feel like just another magical puberty metaphor. It felt real. And Culgan, stoic and noble, struck the perfect balance between protector and partner. Their connection had a slow-burn warmth that felt earned.
At times, the story takes a pause to dive deep into the background and inner thoughts, which can slow the pace a little. And I felt some of the dialogue leaned toward the polished side, feeling a bit more formal than the story’s otherwise grounded and emotional style. Still, these moments felt intentional and helped flesh out the world and its history. But these moments were few, and the rest more than made up for them. The villains felt truly menacing. The magic felt ancient and consequential. And when Saccenti brings in darker themes like abandonment, manipulation, and power struggles, and she doesn’t sugarcoat it.
Culgan is a heartfelt and exciting fantasy that reads like a coming-of-age epic blended with a deep, magical love story. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy immersive fantasy worlds with strong female leads, loyal found families, and just the right touch of romance. It’s perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Patricia Briggs, especially those craving more complex shifter lore and mythology. Saccenti writes with conviction, and her story pulses with emotion. I walked away from the last page feeling satisfied, hopeful, and more than a little tempted to dive back into her world again.
Pages: 294 | ASIN : B0F4KN8WJ4
Dragon Riders of the 12th Battalion
Dragon Riders of the 12th Battalion is a war novel like no other. It mixes the familiar grit of military life with a surreal, almost poetic fantasy about dragons integrated into a World War II-style campaign. The story follows Captain Jack Hanlon, a thoughtful but rigid officer, as he commands a squadron of dragon riders stationed at Pendragon Keep. These dragons aren’t just beasts of war, they are sentient, elemental, and emotionally resonant partners in a conflict that is both external and internal. As Hanlon tries to lead his team, he’s forced to confront not just enemy threats, but also the deeper rhythms of trust, instinct, and the unknown that define dragonkind and, eventually, himself.
The writing is vivid, lyrical, and strangely intimate. It has the grit of trench warfare, but also the quiet weight of a held breath. I loved how the dragons weren’t just weapons, they were characters with presence, agency, and weight. The author never over-explains their nature, which adds mystery, but he also doesn’t fall into fantasy tropes. Instead, everything feels grounded, as if dragons were a long-forgotten part of real military history. The prose, especially during the flight scenes, pulses like a living thing. It’s emotional without being sappy, epic without losing its sense of place.
That said, this isn’t an easy or conventional read. There’s very little exposition. The narrative drops you right into the fog of war and expects you to feel your way through it, like the characters do. Sometimes, I found myself rereading sections to track who was speaking or what exactly was happening. But even in confusion, the mood carried me. The emotional arc of Hanlon, his shift from rule-bound captain to instinct-led leader, was powerful, slow-burning, and deeply satisfying. His final decisions feel earned because they come from silence, not speeches. I also appreciated how the book didn’t tie everything up neatly. It left room for questions and for wonder.
I’d recommend Dragon Riders of the 12th Battalion to readers who like their fantasy mature, moody, and mixed with real human stakes. It’s perfect for fans of military fiction who aren’t afraid of a little metaphysics, or for fantasy readers who want dragons with more depth than fire and fury.
Pages: 358 | ASIN : B0F899C67P
Paragons of the New Moon (Book 2 of The Last Battlefield for Light and Darkness)
Paragons of the New Moon is a sweeping cosmic fantasy filled with layered lore, celestial politics, and introspective heroes fighting not only monsters but the haunting echoes of their own pasts. This second book in The Last Battlefield for Light and Darkness saga follows Rayeen Beeta—a man brought back from the dead by otherworldly magic—as he’s sent on a mission by the enigmatic Overseer Shamooga to track down a mysterious boy named Kosinki, whose powers may very well rewrite the universe. What unfolds is a bold journey that dances between metaphysical philosophy, epic-scale action, and raw emotion, stretching from the dusty violet dunes of Amethyst Sands to the heart of cosmic archives and long-buried grief.
The opening chapters hooked me right away with their weird, wonderful energy. You get this totally surreal setting—Shamooga in a tower beyond physics, manipulating reality like origami. And then Rayeen’s dropped into a vision quest-style battle with his inner demons and literal monsters. His body is dead, his soul’s in his pocket, and he’s trying to hold onto his humanity through sheer force of will. North knows how to blend high-concept magic with gut-punch emotion, and that combo really shines here.
In the middle of the book, the pace kicks up a notch with Rayeen tracking Kosinki, clashing with pirates, and getting absolutely wrecked by the Black Lake and its Corrupted beasts. The fight scenes are wild—like, anime-level intense—but what I appreciated more was Rayeen’s frustration. He’s powerful, nearly godlike, but he’s constantly told “not yet,” “you’re not ready,” and you can feel his resentment simmer. It’s not just about power—it’s about emotional readiness, and man, that hits harder than any boss battle.
We finally learn about Shamooga’s own past—how he survived an apocalypse, got offered godhood, and became an Overseer almost against his will. These late chapters are steeped in lore, with cool reveals about the higher powers pulling the strings, and even a secret archive Shamooga keeps to remember people the universe has erased. The vibe gets almost melancholic toward the end. By the time Rayeen returns, frustrated and desperate to go home, there’s this shared, quiet pain between the two of them.
If you’re into Final Fantasy, Fullmetal Alchemist, or anything that blends big cosmic ideas with messy, soulful characters—you’ll dig this book. It’s poetic, intense, a little chaotic, and full of heart. There’s some deep stuff in here, and it helps to read slowly to catch all the meaning. But it’s worth it. North doesn’t spoon-feed. He lets you feel lost, like the characters. And that makes the victories—no matter how small—feel earned.
Pages: 299 | ASIN : B0F2SD32FK
Funny Contradictions: Medusa as a Hairdresser
Cryptid Bits follows the residents living in the Fairy District, a unique place where creatures of myth and legend live side by side, and humans want to be a part of it all. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The whole collection was actually spawned by a single flash story I wrote from a prompt. The prompt was to write a story where an unexpected character is in a mundane or well-known setting. I wrote a little piece about bigfoot going to the movies and it was such a fun exercise I wrote a couple more. Once I had a half dozen or so little micros I started to see some potential threads and arcs that could connect them and realized I was writing a collection. I’ve always enjoyed books that take a collage approach to storytelling or use a “found document” conceit, so once I knew I was working on a chapbook I made a point of trying out some different storytelling formats. That’s how things like the listicles and Yowl! reviews ended up coming to be. What’s kind of funny is that the original bigfoot at the movies story didn’t end up making it into the finished book, although the spirit of it is still there in the piece “Pros and Cons of Going to the Movies with a Bigfoot”.
The creatures in this book were very intriguing. How did you go about creating them for this book?
All of the creatures in the book come from some kind of folklore or mythology, so it was less about creating them than it was choosing which ones to feature, and which version of the creature archetype to use. I went about that in different ways depending on the piece. A few of them started from the “punchline”—Banshee and the Siouxies was one of those, and so was the vampire at the blood drive. For a lot of the others, I started with the creature I wanted to play with and brainstormed either real-world situations they’d be suited for (brownies working in hospitality) or things I felt would be a funny contradiction (Medusa as a hairdresser).
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
To be honest, I rarely intentionally explore themes in my work. When I was writing Cryptid Bits I was more focused on exploring the world and following the characters who lived there. I do think that some themes naturally emerged when I was writing just because this setting is so close to the modern real world, but I can’t really take credit for putting those in there, and honestly didn’t even really think about themes until after the collection was done.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
I definitely plan to come back to this universe, because it’s a very fun sandbox to play in! I’ve been working on other projects recently and haven’t decided yet which creatures the next book will feature or what the overarching plot will be. I do think the next one will probably be at least novella-length and will likely include some longer short stories rather than just micros. I’m also brainstorming some different types of “found document” forms to include, because I think the collage aspect is something I want to continue in some way.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Website | Book Review
This is the story of cryptids and humans living in the same world, one where it’s not as obvious as you might think to figure out who around you is a monster.
LITERARY TITAN 