Book One:
The Forgotten
VALARAII RISING
Book Two:
The Lost
Coming Soon
Book Three:
The Dead
Explore the art of Nolan Evans
Sylle—aka Sylemar—is a child of the Leas, a race thought to be extinct after the Desolation of Lumenas where Dark Lord Merilik—a fallen Leas—attacked Lumenas, the home of the Leas, for the purpose of killing every last Valaraii. She is found entombed within the Rudu Mountains by the dwarf twins, Kwin and Finn at the beginning of The Forgotten. As the trilogy’s central character, she is an idealized me. The warrior I wanted to be when I was a shy, insecure, acne-ridden introvert walking the halls of my middle school. What we actually share is our curly brown hair, blue eyes, and affinity for sarcasm.
Nolan also create a timelapse video of his creation of a malidaemon and referenced the transformation of Falinor when he was infected.
Kwin and Finn are the sons of Hil and nephews and heirs of Lord Tarin, the ruler of Exulias. They are the newest generation of the line of Asger, greatest of all dwarf kings. Kwin is the youngest by three minutes and is known as a strong fighter, quiet, reserved, and contemplative—a good balance for his older brother Finn. Finn is also a great warrior, but possibly because he has had so much practice. His brash and impulsive nature along with his love of pranks has gotten him into many dicey situations giving him a great deal of fighting practice. The video is a fun time lapse of Nolan’s creation of the pair.
Nolan’s interpretation of two of my most formidable demons of the Dark. Strygoi are telepathic creatures that exist in covens hidden deep within mountain ranges. Finn described one of their charges as every nightmare you ever had descending upon you. Malrauk are tortured elves or humans who have been poisoned and corrupted by a blade dipped in Dreor poison that has been shoved into the body and left to fester. The poison morphs them into a dark shadow beast intent on destroying everything in its path.
Tarin is the Lord of Exulias, the realm of the exiled dwarves of Shara, and the son of Shara’s last king, Farin, a longtime friend of Sylle. He is stubborn, suspicious of all outsiders, and staunchly loyal to his family and his people.
Over a year ago, I was given the information about a young artist friend of a friend who might be interested in doing a few pieces for me that related to my books. My idea was some real art—not AI generated—for social media as well as promotional materials like free bookmarks or postcards, etc. Nolan fulfilled those dreams for me with some utterly amazing pieces that I have turned into Instagram posts and promotional materials to give out at book signings and events. His interpretation of a map of MithTerra is a background on some of the pages on this website. He even sent me a few time lapse videos to go along with his art that are amazing. Enjoy.
Book One: The Forgotten
Deep within the Rudu Mountains in a long-forgotten tomb guarded by Strygoi-phantom creatures that thrive on fear and flesh - a warrior lay within a dark sarcophagus until two dwarf brothers, fleeing from the tomb's terrifying guards, arrived. The warrior they awakened would be more than they could ever imagine and take their exiled clan on a journey beyond any fantasy or nightmare any of them had ever dreamed. It would take all the reckless courage and ingenuity of the dwarves to survive the terrors heading their way as the Dark Lord Merilik appeared, intent on what he had started so long ago - the line of Asger's total annihilation.
If you’re local to the Tri-Cities area, feel free to stop by Johnson’s Literary Depot in Johnson City, TN, or Fern & Fable Collective in Jonesborough, TN, and pick up a copy. Or you can always use the provided link if you prefer shopping online.
Reading an excerpt from The Forgotten at a book signing held in my school’s library. It’s one of my favorite sections from chapter one as you get an introduction to not only three of my main characters, but also one of the most powerful and horrific of the dark lord’s creations—Strygoi.
“As a lifelong fantasy fan, I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed getting lost in the world of The Forgotten: Valaraii Rising Trilogy. This is a vibrant, exciting story with a fully realized mythos, told with briskly readable style. It pays tribute to all the traditions of classic fantasy while still bringing freshness and creativity to the genre. Fans of Tolkien will be delighted!”
Book Two: The Lost
Thirteen warriors left- Helmfirth and Exulias in search of the lost, traveling deep into lands threatened by the dark lord Merilik and his forces.The farther from home they traveled, the deeper in darkness they found themselves, journeying closer and closer to Therende'al's sinister prison. Would they all survive facing the Dreor king's most powerful disciple, as well as his army of orcs, wargs, and the dead? Would they find any of the lost, or would they become lost themselves, victims of Merilik's plans for them? This small band of thirteen dwarves, elves, and humans- races not known for their trust in each other-will need to work together if they have any chance of surviving, and Tarin will need to set aside his hatred of elves if he wants any of his dwarves to return home.
If you’re local to the Tri-Cities area, feel free to stop by Johnson’s Literary Depot in Johnson City, TN, or Fern & Fable Collective in Jonesborough, TN, and pick up a copy. Or you can always use the provided link if you prefer shopping online.
<p>Hello, World!</p>
Another piece of Nolan Evan’s artwork, this is his interpretation of the realm of MithTerra with all the major settings of the first two books.
“I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Once I sat down, I finished it within a day. It’s fast-paced so I never felt bored waiting for the next scene. Unlike many fantasy books, I didn’t feel like there was a boring amount of world-building. Character names and backgrounds came naturally as I read along, and I didn’t feel like I was overrun with a thousand things to remember.”
Explore Mith Terra of The Lost
The Third Waterfall
When I first saw this waterfall (Dettifoss Waterfall, Iceland), I was struck by the ferocity of it—the way it doesn’t simply fall, but thunders, splitting into multiple churning veils before crashing into a mist-shrouded basin. There is beauty in it, but also danger: a sense that once you’ve stepped beyond the edge, there is no turning back. This image became the seed for the third waterfall of Ontari, the final plunge of Tarin and Thranulas’s desperate flight in The Lost. With a basilisk at their backs and an army of orc, goblins, and Vikari crashing through the trees behind them, they chose the only path left: straight over the edge. In Ontari, the water is colder, darker, but the shape of it, the wild descent where the river fractures and roars, came directly from this place. In the story, this is where Sylle meets them again—not on the gentle bank of a river, but at the brink of annihilation and like a flame in the storm, guides them not away from the water, but through it. Hidden behind the curtain of the falls is a sanctuary: a hollow carved by ancient forces, warded and secret, where they can finally breathe, rest, and mend their wounds. The idea that a place so violent on the outside could conceal profound refuge resonated with me. A sanctuary not in spite of the chaos, but because of it. The falls themselves become a guardian—beautiful, merciless, and necessary—offering protection to those brave or desperate enough to leap. This photograph captures that contrast: overwhelming power, breathtaking beauty, and the possibility that somewhere behind all that fury, there might be safety—if you know how to find it.
The Arcasian Wilds
When I saw this photograph, I immediately thought of the Arcasian Wilds, which appear in The Lost. It is a vast and dangerous land between Vanguard and the Perdarus that Sylle and her party must cross to reach their ultimate destination—the realm of the Dreor, Therende’al. Sunrise over the Arcasian Wilds feels like this—beautiful, vast, and a little unnerving. Light breaking over land that refuses to be anything but wild. In The Lost, this is the stretch between Vanguard’s liberation and the hidden kingdom of the Drengas: rough, quiet, and testing the strength of Sylle’s hunting party. They lie between victory and uncertainty—a stretch of land beyond Vanguard, the human town Sylle liberated when she slew the Dreor in the heart of its square. Out here, the world feels emptied of breath. Beautiful, but desolate. Sunlight on twisted grass, wind carving old scars into stone, and a silence that feels less like peace and more like a warning. To reach the kingdom of the Drengas, they have to cross this wilderness—uncharted, rough, and watching. The kind of wilderness that strips you down until only truth remains. Not all battles roar. Some whisper.
Entrance to the Realm of Drengas
The kingdom of the Drengas lies in the foothills of the Perdarus Range, hewn directly into the stone cliffs that tower above the wilds. Light doesn’t fall gently here—it fractures against granite, catching on carved battlements and narrow stairs worn smooth by generations of warriors.
The Drengas are a people shaped by the land they inhabit: unyielding, formidable, and fiercely alive. Composed of three clans—the Efo, the Lupine, and the Ursu—they are known across MithTerra as warriors without rival.
Their origins are as layered as their mountain halls. Some say they descend from elves and humans both, though the Drengas dismiss such distinctions. Race means little to a people who measure worth by loyalty, courage, and the scars one carries. They welcome any proven ally into their ranks—dwarves included—and forge kinship through battle rather than blood.
When Tarin meets them in The Lost, he finds not savages, but disciplined, fearsome fighters whose strength is matched only by their unity. Among the Drengas, legends are not born—they are earned.