There is no night in the Everburning City. There can never be. ***** For four hundred years the Everburning City has withstood the advance of the life-strangling fog known as the Gloam. Its walls have held back five invasions, but on the eve of the sixth, the city's inhabitants know things have changed. Golems are coming out of the mist, and the bodies of the dead are rising at the Gloam's bidding. The city's last and most desperate line of defence comes in the form of the Crafters, individuals who can channel the power of fire, though they risk their sanity each time they do. The brightest of these valiant heroes are Tabitha a'Loria and her apprentice Gerald Reath. Risking their lives, they mount their airships, determined to save the last bastion of humanity - the Everburning City. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

After the death of his mother, Sora has now taken it upon himself to know more about the father who perished in battle before he was even born. This self-imposed pilgrimage of closure lead him to wander the land of Firenum, to the places in his mother's tales, in hopes of bonding with his father's memory. When the appearance of a gnoll suddenly disturbs one of his hunts, the young hunter could not help but follow it through the woods to make sure it poses no threat to the human lands on which he resides. The Hunter's Warning is the first of five short stories introducing the five main characters of my new series, The Covenant Cycle. This specific story will centre around a hunter named Sora who comes across a gnoll on one of his hunts, in a place far from where their tribes are known to settle. He follows the gnoll in order to find the rest of its pack and warn the soldier squadrons that patrol the lands of the dangers it may pose. But he finds more than a small pack of wandering gnolls.

The Cartwright clan has worked the farm for almost a century. On the surface, they are prosperous pillars of the community. But once a generation, a wicked harvest must be reaped, to ensure that the family never falls. The appointed time for Joshua Cartwright's offspring approaches. He has to remind himself that we all must suffer, so that we do not take our blessings for granted. Reviews for Birthright: @Finnyh "Birthright's uniqueness, quality, and authenticity are what set it apart. A piece to indulge every fan of horror, historical fiction, and Southern Gothic themes. Ian delivers a compelling story about a family curse through the ages, all the while keeping up a sinister tone and the 'feel' of a different time and place. Ian's Deep South horrors will never fail to entrance and haunt me." @rosaimee "Ambience and tone are incredibly well weaved, in that it's both terrifying and beautiful. With each chapter it grows in complexity, and a solid backdrop enriches the plot." @LynnS13 "Birthright goes to the heart of Southern Gothic. It understands that pace is all when it comes to this special breed of horror. It doesn't boil over or spill; it simmers and goes skin deep."