Eleven years after the events in Elvenfast and Tal Morun, the world of Ramnor is caught in the grip of the Diaspora: a season of turmoil and chaos marking the beginning of the Ascendance, the last stage of the Norak Utterance, a prophecy detailing the end of all things. Now young men, the Sons of Ironstorm begin to learn of their fate as Wielders of the Weapons of Power. Can they survive the forces pitted against them as they race towards that fate? Can they accept their destiny before the darkness from the Abyss sweeps across Creation once more?

"Magick ain't pretty, it ain't stars and sparkles. Magick is dirty. It's rough. Raw. It's blood and guts and vomit. You hear me?" When Prime Lord Hark is found in a pool of his own blood on the steps of his halls, Tonmerion Hark finds his world not only turned upside down, but inside out. His father's last will and testament forces him west across the Iron Ocean, to the very brink of the Endless Land and all civilisation. They call it Wyoming. This is a story of murder and family. In the dusty frontier town of Fell Falls, there is no silverware, no servants, no plush velvet nor towering spires. Only dust, danger, and the railway. Tonmerion has only one friend to help him escape the torturous heat and unravel his father's murder. A faerie named Rhin. A twelve-inch tall outcast of his own kind. This is a story of blood and magick. But there are darker things at work in Fell Falls, and not just the railwraiths or the savages. Secrets lurk in Tonmerion's bloodline. Secrets that will redefine this young Hark. This is a story of the edge of the world. ---------- You can also now read the second book in the trilogy-Bloodmoon-at: https://www.wattpad.com/story/45459244-bloodmoon-scarlet-star-trilogy-2. The third and final book-Bloodfeud-is also now out and available from www.bengalley.com or all good bookstores.

The Shadowbearer is made to be a stand alone of sorts and a prelude to Etchings of Power. Etchings and the other books that follow are told from different POVs than the Shadowbearer. They are all part of the interconnected worlds of the Cyclic Omniverse that currently spans 8 books. You can start with any series in the Omniverse. Now, to the blurb: In a world where magic corrupts and kingdoms constantly war, the power that drives the world stirs. It whispers promises of greatness in the heads of the men and women that wield it. Now, it has spoken to the mind of a king. Knight Commander Stefan Dorn, leader of the Unvanquished, has known only war, death and, victory. All in the name of his loyalty to King Nerian the Lightbearer, a man he idolized. Until now. Everything he thought he knew about the King, his people, and his world is coming to an end. At a time when there should be peace, he's once again called to war. Torn between shocking changes at home, his family, loyalty to his men and his King, Stefan wishes only to enjoy life away from the battlefield. But with the new campaign comes a rabid, unforgiving enemy and a potential cataclysm. Follow him as he fights to save his family, his people, his honor, and his birthright from the grips of the shade. Can he save them all? If not, which will he choose, which will he lose? The Shadowbearer is a rousing and engaging prequel to Etchings of Power and a worthy addition to the Aegis of the Gods series. Also free on Amazon, Itunes, and Kobo.

It begins with a plant. It begins with Baz. In the old days of the Empire, only talented Casters could eat the Baz grains and tap the power that lay in the seed. Bazza'Casters were powerful, legendary figures with abilities that were limited only by their talent, skill and imagination. These days, Casting is for everyone. Bazza'Jo brought the power of Baz to every corner of the Empire, using it to bring all the lands of the world together. Because of Bazza'Jo, everybody can Cast. Everybody does. Living in the furthest reaches of the Empire, Raina Ratherham doesn't care about Casting. She's more concerned about the conflict that is brewing between the people of her home town and the people who live in the woods that surround them. Raina is just as fiercely loyal to her friends in the woods as she is to her family in the town. Caught between field and forest, Casters and warriors, farmers and hunters, Raina is determined not to choose a side. She is going to fight to protect them all against the distant powers who are trying to break them apart... Bazza'Jo is a Young Adult Fantasy inspired by the wonderful books of Philip Pullman, Kenneth Oppel, Frances Hardinge, Diana Wynne Jones and others! I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

************************************************************************************** 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.

This is the sequel to The Jack of Souls. As of today, March 12, 2017, it is95% complete. S

Jace and Knox go backpacking in the Canadian mountains for what they plan to be only for a week. But when their harmless vacation becomes a two month fight for survival, their only hope may lie in the guidance of a wild dog. ___________ 2015 FEATURED STORY ON WATTPAD #31 in Adventure EKS 2014

THE SILENT DEAL is an award-winning explosive adventure. The Magic Trick (book 2) is out, and book 3 comes out next year. Within these pages lies mystery, magic, mythology, and wide cast of gypsies, gamblers, fire-jugglers, and thieves. The Card Game awaits... ** WHEN VIKTOR AND ROMULUS, two peasant boys, dig too deep into their town's strange past, they awaken the wrath of a mysterious overlord. As the blood brothers struggle to survive, their search for answers takes them through gambling parlors, fortune-teller dens, and moonlit forests full of monsters and men alike. But even with the help of their friends, can they escape the deathly experiments that their foe is creating in Staryi Castle? ** WINNER of 'Outstanding Fiction' at the California Writers Con. 5 STAR Finalist of the 2015 Readers Favorite Awards.

'Twinkle, twinkle little star How I wonder who you are.' With the birth of every child a star is born. The being's life force powers the star and it burns as long as the child's influence is present. This is the unbreakable law of the void. Under no circumstances it can be broken. If it is, then there will be a heavy price to pay. This is the story of a child born without a star. A child who defied the laws of the universe. A child who holds the power to set the void ablaze and bring hell down within it. Highest rankings: #12 in adventure #45 in paranormal

A girl with a heart of gold, beauty, and grace. Not to mention a dragon as a pet. What could possibly be wrong? Probably the fact she's trapped inside a lamp. __________________ Re-edited as of 5/22/2021 : new edits and changes to the plot