As the first book in the Daughters of Agendale series, The Legend of Eloeen is my oldest completed written work. Originally a science fiction story that I started in high school, The Legend of Eloeen changed dramatically when, in college, my laptop was stolen. As a result, I was sent back to square one. At that point, I was so discouraged by the loss of the manuscript that I gave up writing (it would not be the first time, but I have found that ultimately, for better or worse, I can’t seem to quit). What saved-or else doomed me-was my future bride. My then-girlfriend, Kristina, pushed me to rewrite it and to reimagine it. As a result, The Legend of Eloeen became a more manageable high fantasy tale, and while it was vastly different from the original draft, there are elements of the original story buried within it.
The story follows the first of Eldemel’s female descendants, as she is faced with the insurmountable task of personally opposing the greatest of all of the Archdemons. Imprisoned for thousands of years and now robbed of his greatest weapon, Neyrlor, the Fire King of Malirost is out to have vengeance not only upon all of the Keepers who replaced and opposed him, but the descendants of his greatest foe. But the Fire King’s return is known by more than just the Keepers and their allies. Other forces are interested in Eloeen and her quest, and not all of them are friendly.
Note: All titles are subject to change.
Eloeen, the only girl ever born to the King of Agendale, is comfortable with the father and two brothers, and her best friend Dalthae. But it is not meant to last, for when a tragedy rocks her family’s world, it will send her colliding with a wayward highlander, a self-exiled Serebend dragoon, a colorful crew of vigilante sailors, and a mysterious woman with near-infinite knowledge. While they speed her toward her destiny, her two brothers will lead a defense against another ancient evil, which bills itself as an opponent to the true evil, but whose actions may further complicate Eloeen’s efforts to oppose it.
Eloeen’s adventure goes on as she evades her pursuers and faces new dangers as she passes out of the Welderlend Vale she calls home, and ventures into the mysterious and dangerous lands of Alianar, and its vast woodscape of the Erylade, and the strange beings that call it home. She encounters new Keepers, new friends, and new foes in a region already embroiled in conflict. The anthropomorphic Yddhonii are locked in an ancient cold war, and she arrives in the middle of it, only to discover that the evil she and her friends are opposing has arrived there already, and the current state serves it well.
The prophecies of her past have lead Eloeen to this place, the far northeast, in the very lands of her esteemed ancestor, Eldemel. Having come all the way to Vanlavel, Eloeen finds many of the things she thought she know about her quest, and her companions, challenged to the core. As the Keepers gather for their role in the Fire King’s war, Eloeen must decide if she will be willing to go against the ancient Archdemon herself, and what-and who-she is willing to sacrifice to bring about his second and ultimate fall. With nothing and no one left to put her faith in, Eloeen must turn to Avar himself to see her through the end.
Word Weld 