Long ago stood the kingdom of Requiem, a land of men who could grow wings and scales, breathe fire, and take flight as dragons. Requiem ruled the sky. But Dies Irae, a tyrant leading an army of griffins, hunted Requiem's people, burned their forests, and shattered their temples. Requiem fell. This ancient land now lies in ruin, its halls crumbled, its cries silenced, its skeletons littering the burned earth. In the wilderness, a scattering of survivors lives in hiding. The griffins still hunt them, and every day promises death. Will Requiem's last children perish in exile... or once more become dragons and fly to war?

************************************************************************************** An outcast rogue must break a curse put on his fate, or die on his nineteenth birthday. To survive, he'll need the sword of a maiden, the aid of an immortal, and the power of forbidden magic that could cost him the only girl he ever loved. ************************************************************************************ *** THE JACK OF SOULS won a Silver IPPY this year! *** THE JACK OF SOULS won 1st place in the PNWA Competition in Fantasy! * *** THE JACK OF SOULS won 1st place in the Southwest Writers competition! * *** A "Featured Book" on Wattpad! * *** Now a "Staff Pick" on Kickstarter! * *** Available on Amazon in paper, hardback, and ebook ! * *** My contract with Kindle Select won't allow me to post more than 3 chapters here, but... *** Sign up for my newsletter on stephenmerlino.com for alerts when it's free on Amazon! * MY INSPIRATION I wrote this out of pure love of trickster rogues; I love the wit over brawn motif -- Odysseus over Achilles, Raven over Eagle -- so I like to play with it in my stories. In JOS I set the rogue and con-artist Harric against a foil of warriors in a land threatened by magic and civil war. Whenever possible I turn familiar tropes on their heads: instead of a handsome young Lancelot, I cast a broken-down ex-champion addicted to pain-killing herbs; instead of a dashing Squire Brian, the old knight reluctantly takes an ambitious young woman as squire. Similarly, I re-imagine the standard medieval milieu by infusing aspects of two of my favorite historical periods, Elizabethan England, and The American Frontier. Both eras boast a kind of nationalistic arrogance that borders on hubris, and a magnificent spirit of resourcefulness and re-invention that is fun to play with. SERIES The Jack of Souls is first in a series. I am posting parts of the sequel here now (The Knave of Souls), to help me refine the story.

Nineteen-year-old Mat Adam never expected his father's disappearance to uncover a world beyond the living. When a radiant mark known as the Seal of Light appears on his arm, Mat is thrust into the Astral Realm - a fragile land where dryads, sprites, and the last of the elves fight to survive. There, the fallen angel Casus Lucem, exiled from the higher realms, seeks to claim the island for himself using a forbidden weapon called the Kimera - a creation born from corrupted spirit energy. To rescue his father and others imprisoned within the Black Pillars, Mat must embrace the power that chose him, face the truth of his lineage, and stand between a fading light and the darkness determined to consume it. [Ongoing 2025 revision] [Wattpad Featured Fantasy Story - 2015 and 2016 ] [Self-Published | paperback - 2016] - Fantasy | Adventure | Action - Seal of Light - (Soul Drifter Series) | copyright 2025 - All rights reserved. RSalazar (@aftermat) author

❖ QUEENKILLER, KINGMAKER Book 1 ❖ Feudal Southeast-Asia filled with magic, daemons, and a royal conspiracy. This is Isla's quest for the truth, and her slow spiral into becoming her very own worst nightmare. When the gods ascended thousands of years ago, they left behind the divine gift of theurgy. Its powers still echo amongst men, but run fiercer yet in the blood of kings and queens. And one of them will stop at nothing before Isla is dead. A betrayal lures her out of refuge and into her journey home, where she must unmask her enemies before they unmask her. The theurgy that she has had to keep hidden for many years can be her greatest ally or her most lethal foil. Only her wits can guide her through the dangerous politics of the Surikh court. But amidst the plots and schemes bubbling around her, she uncovers something far more sinister than the identity of her enemies. Something that can change her entire life; indeed, entire kingdoms. ↝ this work contains violence, profanity, and sexual references ↜ ↝ Winner of Wattys 2016 HQ Love Award ↝ Winner of FANTASCI's first season Chosen One awards ↝ Winner of The Cryptic Awards 2018 ↝ Featured in Fantasy as of 18-01-2017 ↝ Wattpad Editor's Pick January 2021

*Now a featured Wattpad story! Zara was never meant to be an outcast. Once upon a time, she was a Red Cape- a member of the respected forest guard. That was before the accident, though. The one that left her partner dead and her to blame. Now expelled from the guard and living a life of shame, all Zara wants is to redeem herself and earn back her coveted position. The perfect opportunity arises when a mysterious Hunstman shows up in the kingdom...looking for her. Somewhere deep within the dark forest, a princess is being held captive by the werewolves and their king. As the royal Huntsman, it's Ronan's job to find her and bring her back. And who better to guide him than a former member of the renowned Red Capes? While Zara isn't thrilled at the idea of working side by side with the irritatingly charming Huntsman, she's in no position to refuse his proposition. Especially if she wants to impress the guard and earn a second chance. Together, they enter the forest to face the myriad of terrifying creatures awaiting inside. Ardon, the werewolf king, has an agenda of his own...one where he and his pack rise from exile to reclaim their place at the top of the food chain. When he begins to make unexplainable appearances within Zara's dreams, she realizes things are far from what they seem. The truth behind their strange connection may not be one she's ready for. However, the werewolf king is far from the only one harboring dark secrets. What began as a simple rescue mission will soon turn into a challenge not only for Zara's life, but for the world outside the forest.