ELEGY OF THE STARS
ARC AVAILABLE JULY 2025
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The Horsemen are here, and they aren't leaving until the last remaining kingdom is burned to the ground.
Fifteen-year-old Balmung works as a necromancer, negotiating with malevolent ghosts and helping lost souls pass on. His goal? Join the Necromancy Guild – trusted by Brevaria’s High Astrologers to protect their kingdom from the Horsemen – and repay Guild leader Magdalene for saving his life.
To earn her favor and a place at her side, Balmung must journey into the heart of Horsemen territory and retrieve a holy relic that could save Brevaria. The quest sets him on a collision course with others seeking its power: Roma, an astrologer determined to bargain her way out of a political marriage, and Dieter, an undercover prince who must dethrone Brevaria’s king if he wants to save his people.
New horrors lurk in the ruins of fallen nations, and longstanding truths begin to crack. What is the true nature of the relic they're after, and are the Horsemen really mankind's greatest threat?
High-octane battles, deep-rooted betrayals, and unexpected romance breathe ferocity into this multi-POV dark fantasy debut from award-nominated author J. J. DE GROOT.
A streetwise necromancer who's one ghost away from becoming a Guildsman. He can't stand the sight of gore after watching the Horsemen kill his parents when he was a child, but he chooses to pursue necromancy to repay the Royal Necromancer for saving him.
An astrologer from the southern continent sent to marry a Brevarian nobleman in order to preserve her family's reputation, a fate she hopes to escape by recovering the Hand of the Heavens, a sacred relic stolen from the Celestial Gardens.
The estranged First Prince of Monteleau - the kingdom that launched ten Crusades and brought on God's wrath in the form of the Horsemen. He's entered Brevaria under the guise of a militiaman to rescue his father from the dungeons and gain asylum for his people.
A streetwise necromancer who's one ghost away from becoming a Guildsman. He can't stand the sight of gore after watching the Horsemen kill his parents when he was a child, but he chooses to pursue necromancy to repay the Royal Necromancer for saving him.
An astrologer from the southern continent sent to marry a Brevarian nobleman in order to preserve her family's reputation, a fate she hopes to escape by recovering the Hand of the Heavens, a sacred relic stolen from the Celestial Gardens.
The estranged First Prince of Monteleau - the kingdom that launched ten Crusades and brought on God's wrath in the form of the Horsemen. He's entered Brevaria under the guise of a militiaman to rescue his father from the dungeons and gain asylum for his people.
This work is targeted at ages 14+ and contains themes of religion, politics, and romance. It is best enjoyed by those who are socially progressive. See trigger warnings below for more details.
This work is a story about necromancers, astrology, politics, and religion in a medieval world. While the heroes may be seen as progressive, the same cannot be said for every character, nor for medieval culture as a whole. The following are a list of potentially triggering topics that this story contains. Please review the list below to make sure the content of this story is safe for you.
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This work is releasing in September 2025. Advanced reader copies (ARCs) will be available as soon as late July.
