The Unexpected Vanguard Series
Book 1 - The Glimmerstone Enigma
The grand tapestries of history often overlook the unsung heroes – the ordinary individuals whose unnoticed actions shape the fate of empires. This is one such tale, told through a shifting mosaic of perspectives that reveal a world unknowingly on the brink.
The isolated Glimmerstone Mountains become a killing ground when demonic forces obliterate a monastery, a tragedy and warning lost on the oblivious empires beyond. Against a coming darkness unrecognized by the world, an Unexpected Vanguard emerges: two driven survivors and a volatile mix of amateur spies, treasure-hunting thieves, and a ranger more wine merchant than mercenary.
Isolated and underpowered, when steel and sorcery quickly prove insufficient, their perilous quest to unravel the enigma escalates into a high-stakes grift to steal a mysterious prize from an unseen adversary. Can this unlikely crew rise to the challenge, and what consequences might result from breaking Teffel’s fourth rule of thievery – "Always know who you’re stealing from!"?
Book 2 - The Siremirian Conundrum
Surprised by their own success after brazenly stealing a mysterious stone from under the nose of the shadowy Red Queen, a group of unremarkables learns the hard way that if you take the big dog’s bone, you’d best be prepared for the teeth.
Seeking payback and a retirement fund, they grift an otherworldly relic that disrupts the laws of magic, well beyond their ability to handle.
Now, the undead arch-mage with goals of planetary conquest is coming to get it back.
There are no gods, armies, or chosen ones to stand against her. Venn’s future lies squarely in the hands of a quirky crew of moderately talented misfit adventurers who excel at breaking balls, creating nicknames, and taking care of their own.
To keep it from her grasp and survive the fallout, they’ll need to outrun an interplanar killer, outmaneuver a cabal, and outwit an undead genius, all while trying to unravel the conundrum of her immortality.
Armed with little more than a stubborn belief in each other, a dollop of delusional optimism, and just enough ignorance to believe they have a puncher’s chance, they’re putting their faith in gritty ingenuity and Teffel’s sixth rule of thievery – While a pauper can trust the man guarding his fortunes, a prince mistakenly believes the same.
For their sake, and Venn’s future, the old rogue better be right!