The Chosen One’s Substitute
When the most powerful religious order in the Empire summons her five-year-old sister, Asha does the only thing she can—she takes her place. Armed with a whip, destructive magic that runs too hot in her hands, and a stubbornness her great uncle calls close to being well-trained, Asha leaves her sprawling Mage family behind to enter a world of soldiers, politics, and dangers far greater than she imagined.
Across the sea, Mago plays a far deadlier game. A whore master in the camp of the Dragon Riders; he witnesses atrocities he is powerless to stop. The Warlord’s army is on the move, and when their Blind Seer turns her prophetic gaze in his direction, Mago’s carefully constructed cover begins to unravel.
As Asha trains alongside Elves, Dwarves, and fellow Mages in a unit that was never meant to exist, she discovers that the bonds forged in a ballast run deeper than blood. But the Order’s enemies are not just across the sea. When the Dragon Riders come, Asha and her companions must find a way to stop the invasion and defeat the invincible, no matter what it takes.
The Chosen One’s Substitute is the first book in an epic fantasy series of war, sacrifice, and the bonds that hold when everything else breaks.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Chosen One’s Substitute can be shelved under Epic fantasy or Military fantasy.
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No, it is the first of a four-book series called The Jagged Sword Chronicles. There is not currently a release date for book 2 but the author is working on the first draft.
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This book employs several different POVs to weave a cohesive and immersive narrative. The main narrative alternates between 3 characters and 2 more are added for the final battle scene.
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There is a romantic subplot, that would be best described as slow burn, but no explicit sexual descriptions in this book, nor will there be in the other books in the series when they are released.
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Signed paperbacks and DRM-free eBooks are available here from my direct store.
The eBook is available on Amazon, Kobo, Google Play, and all other major online retailers.
Unsigned paperbacks are available from Amazon, Ingram Spark, and Barnes Noble. We are working on placement in several independent bookstores as well.
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This book is intended for adults, so we recommend that parents read/screen it first before allowing their child to read it. Content warnings include human and animal death, non-lethal injuries, foul language, prostitution and human trafficking. There is no explicit sexual content.
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118,000 words or 342 pages.
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This book is similar to Red Sister by Mark Lawrence, Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames, and the Justice of Kings by Richard Swann, with deep worldbuilding, found family, martial religious orders and subversion of the chosen one trope.
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This book was inspired by the question: what if the chosen one was too young to save the world when calamity struck? As well as my own military experiences and love for history and fantasy.