The Dying Lands Chronicle Series by Jacob Cooper

Sacrifice. The single act capable of bringing both death and life simultaneously. Thannuel Kerr is handsome, young and brash, fumbling through childhood toward his inevitable inheritance: the next Lord of the Western Province. He struggles to accept his arranged marriage and to grow into the man he must become. The journey toward that end, however, is fraught with more peril than he could possibly imagine. In the remote reaches of the Realm, an unknown, silent threat is growing... moreSacrifice. The single act capable of bringing both death and life simultaneously. Thannuel Kerr is handsome, young and brash, fumbling through childhood toward his inevitable inheritance: the next Lord of the Western Province. He struggles to accept his arranged marriage and to grow into the man he must become. The journey toward that end, however, is fraught with more peril than he could possibly imagine. In the remote reaches of the Realm, an unknown, silent threat is growing. The Thoulden-sha of Mari-shaden is gathering his disciples, those who have relinquished their bloodlines to the Ancients and embraced Those Not Remembered, a forgotten race that inhabited Våleira long before the Age of the Ancients. As Thannuel learns more about his heritage, he begins to understand why powers that seem greater than anything the world of Våleira has ever seen are targeting him. As a young man, he and his beloved intended, Moira, will face assassination attempts, civil war, and foreign invasions that could tear the Realm—and Våleira itself—apart. Sacrifice. It is what the Thoulden-sha demands. It is what the world desperately needs. To save all he loves, Thannuel will be called upon to lay himself upon the Altar of Influence. less

Lands Die. The Living Light Fades. An Ancient Darkness Awakens. The Living Light that sustains Arlethia is dwindling. An unknown, vicious enemy approaches in stealth from beyond the northern glaciers, a wasteland of ice that spans hundreds of miles. A clandestine brotherhood of assassins, held in check by the Light for millennia, seeks to break their maledictive shackles and unleash their bloodlust upon the world... moreLands Die. The Living Light Fades. An Ancient Darkness Awakens. The Living Light that sustains Arlethia is dwindling. An unknown, vicious enemy approaches in stealth from beyond the northern glaciers, a wasteland of ice that spans hundreds of miles. A clandestine brotherhood of assassins, held in check by the Light for millennia, seeks to break their maledictive shackles and unleash their bloodlust upon the world. Those that should stand with Arlethia clothe themselves in betrayal, desiring her secrets for themselves, leaving Arlethia to stand alone. The rebirthing of lands ceased decades ago. The world of Våleira is dying. Only Arlethia, the Western Province of the Realm, remains untainted by the Ancient Dark’s Influence. Reign, the young daughter of Arlethian Lord Thannuel Kerr, becomes entangled in a perilous web of deceit, greed, and assassination plots after witnessing something horrific – something that will destroy all she knows and loves. As threats culminate, she and her twin brother, Hedron, must battle demons on every side – both external and internal – in their efforts to save Arlethia from extinction, as they simultaneously reach for their own personal redemption. But they have become pariahs to their own people. There will be few that dare to stand with them in the dimming Light – and even fewer that will survive. The world of Våleira cannot endure without Arlethia. And the Living Light is fading ... less

This short story takes places during the timeline of Circle of Reign, Book 1 of The Dying Lands Chronicle, and could be viewed as a lost chapter. Lord Thannuel Kerr is dead. Lady Moira Kerr is dead. Their twin children, Reign and Hedron, have fled north, hiding amid the Great Glaciers of Gonfrey at the edge of the Realm, protected by a mysterious old woman and her pack of wolves. They believe they are safe, that their presence goes unnoticed. They are wrong... moreThis short story takes places during the timeline of Circle of Reign, Book 1 of The Dying Lands Chronicle, and could be viewed as a lost chapter. Lord Thannuel Kerr is dead. Lady Moira Kerr is dead. Their twin children, Reign and Hedron, have fled north, hiding amid the Great Glaciers of Gonfrey at the edge of the Realm, protected by a mysterious old woman and her pack of wolves. They believe they are safe, that their presence goes unnoticed. They are wrong. Forces that brought down House Kerr are still at work. A cleansing of Kerrs has occurred throughout the Realm and now the last of that lineage has been mercilessly targeted—again. But there is something those who seek their destruction have not accounted for, something that lies in wait beneath the pure snow. less