Book 1, The Gateway, won 3rd Best Fantasy Novel of 2009 in the Preditors & Editors Readers Poll.
The Harbinger of Doom saga centers around one Lord Angle Theta, an enigmatic warrior of unknown origins and mystical power. No mortal man is his match in battle. No sorcery can contain or confound him. No scholar or sage can outwit him. But for all his skills, he is but one of us; a man, a human, who shares our faults, our dreams, and our ambitions. He boldly strides across the land, fearless, peerless, and cloaked in mystery; all his will bent on righting such wrongs as he deems fit.
Until the day the Gateway opened and turned the world on its head. On that fateful day, Korrgonn came and washed away our dreams. And his outre' realms of chaos set their unholy mark upon our world and claimed it for their own.
Only Theta and his companions see the enemies aligning against us. Only they foresee our end coming -- the end of civilization, the end of the world of man. Only they can hope to turn the tide of madness and preserve all that we hold dear.
But no man, not even our greatest hero, can stand against the Lords of Chaos and the dark armies of Nifleheim at their command. Fiends that infiltrate unseen within our ranks, that tear down our temples and our traditions; that devour us from within, unseen, unknown, unheralded, and unopposed until the hour grows far too late.
Through the murk and mist that hangs before our eyes, one man only sees true. One man pierces the veil of magic that blinds us all and marks the world as it truly is, revealing secrets, secrets of Angle Theta, so horrifying as to shatter a man's mind and call into question the very nature of good and evil.
Excerpts from the Preface to Harbinger of Doom:
Floating at the surface of the Harbinger of Doom stories (commonly known as the Thetian Saga) are action, heroism, villainy, fantastical creatures, magic, and intrigue, obvious and entertaining to all those that skim its pages. But for those who delve deeper, the Thetian tales present truths both shocking and eternal. The nature of good and evil is explored in ways that led to the Saga’s banning for either religious or political reasons in much of Western Europe for centuries. Ironically, a more careful reading of a wider swath of Thetian canon affirms the time-honored truths and values taught by the Church and upheld by the best of nations.
The Thetian Saga presents a vast, complex world populated by a myriad of memorable characters, and beset with magic, monsters, mystery, myth, and mayhem. It is epic fantasy on its grandest scale. Dropping a reader somewhere amidst that maelstrom is a daunting prospect for author and reader alike. To ease the entrance, I begin the telling with the novella, The Gateway, which is decidedly not epic in scope but introduces some of the most beloved characters of the saga, showcases Theta at his finest, and features the realistic, gritty action the Saga is known for, while also hinting at the wonders and mystery that define the ancient world of Midgaard. Fantasy readers may find it reminiscent in scope and feel to some of Robert E. Howard’s stories of Conan, Kull, or Solomon Kane. Subsequent volumes of the Saga expose the reader to the vast landscape of Midgaard as the Saga’s reach spirals outward and becomes truly epic in scale and complexity.
As you take your first dip into the waters of Midgaard and experience the vivid descriptions of the landscape and the heart-thumping action, you may, as I do, feel the urge to pick up a sword and dive into the fray. Although we can’t fight at Theta's side, take solace that we can revel in his exploits and follow him again and again as he strides across Midgaard in the days of high adventure.
The Harbinger of Doom saga centers around one Lord Angle Theta, an enigmatic warrior of unknown origins and mystical power. No mortal man is his match in battle. No sorcery can contain or confound him. No scholar or sage can outwit him. But for all his skills, he is but one of us; a man, a human, who shares our faults, our dreams, and our ambitions. He boldly strides across the land, fearless, peerless, and cloaked in mystery; all his will bent on righting such wrongs as he deems fit.
Until the day the Gateway opened and turned the world on its head. On that fateful day, Korrgonn came and washed away our dreams. And his outre' realms of chaos set their unholy mark upon our world and claimed it for their own.
Only Theta and his companions see the enemies aligning against us. Only they foresee our end coming -- the end of civilization, the end of the world of man. Only they can hope to turn the tide of madness and preserve all that we hold dear.
But no man, not even our greatest hero, can stand against the Lords of Chaos and the dark armies of Nifleheim at their command. Fiends that infiltrate unseen within our ranks, that tear down our temples and our traditions; that devour us from within, unseen, unknown, unheralded, and unopposed until the hour grows far too late.
Through the murk and mist that hangs before our eyes, one man only sees true. One man pierces the veil of magic that blinds us all and marks the world as it truly is, revealing secrets, secrets of Angle Theta, so horrifying as to shatter a man's mind and call into question the very nature of good and evil.
Excerpts from the Preface to Harbinger of Doom:
Floating at the surface of the Harbinger of Doom stories (commonly known as the Thetian Saga) are action, heroism, villainy, fantastical creatures, magic, and intrigue, obvious and entertaining to all those that skim its pages. But for those who delve deeper, the Thetian tales present truths both shocking and eternal. The nature of good and evil is explored in ways that led to the Saga’s banning for either religious or political reasons in much of Western Europe for centuries. Ironically, a more careful reading of a wider swath of Thetian canon affirms the time-honored truths and values taught by the Church and upheld by the best of nations.
The Thetian Saga presents a vast, complex world populated by a myriad of memorable characters, and beset with magic, monsters, mystery, myth, and mayhem. It is epic fantasy on its grandest scale. Dropping a reader somewhere amidst that maelstrom is a daunting prospect for author and reader alike. To ease the entrance, I begin the telling with the novella, The Gateway, which is decidedly not epic in scope but introduces some of the most beloved characters of the saga, showcases Theta at his finest, and features the realistic, gritty action the Saga is known for, while also hinting at the wonders and mystery that define the ancient world of Midgaard. Fantasy readers may find it reminiscent in scope and feel to some of Robert E. Howard’s stories of Conan, Kull, or Solomon Kane. Subsequent volumes of the Saga expose the reader to the vast landscape of Midgaard as the Saga’s reach spirals outward and becomes truly epic in scale and complexity.
As you take your first dip into the waters of Midgaard and experience the vivid descriptions of the landscape and the heart-thumping action, you may, as I do, feel the urge to pick up a sword and dive into the fray. Although we can’t fight at Theta's side, take solace that we can revel in his exploits and follow him again and again as he strides across Midgaard in the days of high adventure.
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