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.
Releasing July 10th 2026
It all started with a question from a movie.
As I watched the movie Seventh Son starring Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, and Ben Barnes, my mind churned. A seventh son of a seventh son is a cool concept, but what about the six uncles and six brothers? Are they all going to stand by and watch the world fall apart while their baby brother/nephew trains to save them? As an older sister myself, who also joined the military very young, I wouldn’t. That question launched my magic system based on the number seven and inspired Asha’s character. Like me, Asha is the oldest daughter. Unlike me, she can shoot fireballs and learned to swordfight from age 6. There are other differences (I wish I was tall like her), but you can learn those if you chose to read her story.
Dragons, and Trolls and Yetis, oh my….
These are a few examples of the monsters that our heroes will encounter as they traverse the world of Anitaris. Asha and her friends will have to know when to fight, when to bind and when to simply get along.
Ok, but you mentioned Elves and Dwarves?
Yes, humans are magically strongest of Anitaris, but the other sentient races are Elves, Dwarves, and Gnomes. All four were created by different gods and have different attributes and magical strengths. Although, no one really knows who created Gnomes, or why or if they’re really sentient or just really intelligent tricksters.
If you would like to read about the world of Anitaris and get a sneak peek at the world map, follow this link to my World Anvil page. It has all the fun, nerdy details.
