Being a thief requires more than just skill, and Sif’s had failed her miserably. After an ill-fated theft in a Fae ruin, she found herself cursed and on limited time. Were it not for the kindness of a relative stranger, Regis, she would have starved into undeath in the Red Basin. And then he died. Now, all she has left of his sacrifice is his bow, a rare vanawood relic taken all the way to the Kingdom of Vaspal. Sif journeys there in search of closure, and instead finds herself at the mercy of slavers. Though this misfortune isn’t quite her fault. Grim was Mechthild’s best war trophy, an orphan of the Eromani Civil War. Adopted into her mercenary company at an early age, his life has been one of brutal battles and humiliation. But when their company is betrayed and sold to the Lord of Crows, Grim finds himself as the only one who may save his Brothers from lifelong slavery.  Together, these two find themselves in a nest of vipers, where survival takes many forms among the collared and even those they trust can betray them. There’s Rhys, a former Faithman and a slave of twenty years, who takes Grim under his wing. The Vaspali Dreamer, Frey, whose magic bends reality to her will. Then there’s Slygut, the dwarven overseer who cuts at old wounds for his own amusement.  Apart, they and Grim’s Brothers are forever cemented as slaves. Together, they could find a way to break free and flee to the free country of Uswain. Perhaps even find the Brotherhood’s traitor in the process.   One thing is for sure, the Lord of Crows won’t make it easy, and their every step is marked by the shadow of black wings. If their group is truly to survive, they have to break away from more than just their chains - they may have to learn to live.

2024 Indie Ink Awards Finalist; Writing the Future We Need: Asian Representation by an Asian Author His life wasn't perfect, but Ewan was content with his life; he had a girlfriend, he had friends. Isn't that what matters? He wasn't looking to be a hero, but when he unintentionally takes a bullet meant for someone else, he is thrown into the afterlife and asked to become one. Defeat an evil overlord in another world? Not what he wanted to do in his first life, and certainly not what he wants to do in his next. But it is his only chance to get back home. So reluctantly, Ewan accepts. After all, you can't keep a good man down.  But things go from bad to worse when he's captured by a secret organization dedicated to a death god. What started as a mission to reclaim his old life becomes a desperate bid to free himself in this one, too.  Unwilling to remain enslaved but unable to openly rebel against his captors, Ewan must carry out these dangerous missions, all while marshaling resources and support, plotting not just the overthrow of that dark lord, but freeing his new world from divine colonizers. If he can't, not only will his new world succumb to total oppression, but he'll never make it home to see his girlfriend again.