Crossroads of Time [Fantasy/Adventure] - Launch December 8th!
Read my first fantasy/adventure novel, "Crossroads of Time", launching on December 8th!
Hi, I am Alex. I’m a scientist, engineer, artist, writer, and musician.
I’ll use Substack to publish my debut full-length fantasy novel, Crossroads of Time.
The first draft of this book was written when I was only 13 years old, inspired by books such as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and His Dark Materials. I revised it later when I was 17, making the story darker, adding complexity and some more mature themes, this time inspired by The Witcher series. Then the project was abandoned in my Google Drive for another 13 years, until early this year, the nostalgia kicked in, and I edited it once more. Now I feel all the pieces finally fall into place, and I’m ready to share this story with the world.
Crossroads of Time is an epic fantasy that explores a wide range of topics that excited me at different stages of my life. The first edition was trying to answer the question: what does it take to restore the friendship between 3 different nations that were millennia-long hostile to each other? The second edition was more focused on the evolution of a villain, how an individual turns to evil, and what it takes to redeem and get back on the path of good. The latest edition was largely inspired by Asimov’s End of Eternity, and it explores sociological, political, and philosophical implications of using a time machine in order to change history. The theme is basically: if you could return to the past and change something to prevent the apocalypse, while knowing that it could lead to a completely unexpected chain of events in the future, would you still do it?
Here is the cover of the series, designed and painted by me.
The first 3 books of the series are also available for free on the RoyalRoad website: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/130820/crossroads-of-time-epic-fantasy-adventure
Blurb:
Imagine you could see the future… But is that enough to alter it?
Kairu Kenai, the son of a blacksmith from a desolate village, was only 13 when he discovered his unusual gift: the things he saw in his dreams soon became reality.
It’s useful when your dreams tell you what tomorrow’s weather will be like, or how good the autumn’s harvest will be… But what do you do when your visions become full of blood, fire, and destruction?
A few years later, Kairu receives a letter from an extravagant scientist, who invites him to join the archeological expedition that aims to discover a powerful magical artifact from a lost ancient shrine. The expedition will set out toward the cold and dangerous northern mountains, where ice winds, wild monsters, and dark ancient magic protect the shrine from uninvited guests. But the reward is worth it: in return, the scientist promises Kairu wealth, fame, a chance to see the world—and most importantly, the truth behind his nightmares.
What his dreams will not show is that by signing the contract, Kairu will enter a violent game of powerful opposing forces, who seek to know the future… or control time itself.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
[+] The story is FINISHED. It spans 7 books, and in total about 500k words
[+] Slow-burn epic fantasy
[+] Multiple PoVs. Often, intra-chapter PoV switches
[+] The story is driven by characters and their interactions to solve the mysteries. The action scenes are sparse, but intense.
[+] Slow-burn romance side-arc
[+] Time traveling! (Not immediately, though)
What NOT to expect:
[-] This is NOT a LitRPG! There are no System or Stats!
[-] No harem, smut, etc
It’s like: Indiana Jones and Lara Croft raiding tombs in the world of Lord of the Rings, with prose and pacing inspired by The Witcher and His Dark Materials.
Average chapter length is 3k, and it will get longer.
The first chapter will drop on December 8th!
Love your original art!