Fire's Ruin

by David Jamison

Lowly-born Clayde would give anything for his sister, Emia. When a group of nobles kidnaps her with intentions as mysterious as they are dark, he is forced to choose between letting her go or losing his soul to gain the power needed to save her.

Dhakara has lost everything, except for his enthusiasm for life. Amid a horrific accident, he discovers that perhaps he is not as alone as he thought, and neither is the world of Shalidur.

Living in the northern land of Elendor, built on the ruins of an empire that once ruled the world, Dresden has a problem; he is getting married. His whole life has been decided for him, including who he should marry. Yes, Adalia is beautiful, smart, and quite frankly amazing, but for once Dresden wished he could control his destiny. With an attack on his home by invaders, he may just get the chance, if he can overcome his demons.

That attack was but the first salvo in a series of tidal waves that are about to drown the world in blood and terror, begun by a mysterious emperor, rumored to be immortal.

Heroes, each forged in their fire of affliction, are not born or chosen, but rather set their path through their choices. But fire can also consume and destroy. Will the fires ruin, or will they reforge the broken pieces of a divided world?

418 pages, Hardcover

Published March 26, 2024

About the author

David Jamison has explored many careers throughout his life (locksmith, math faculty at a university, and vice-president of a landscape supply company, to name a few), and is still trying to answer the age-old question of "what he wants to be when he grows up," but thinks that being a writer will always be one of his favorite answers; though he very much doubts that he will ever grow up entirely.
He has also explored several paths when it comes to his schooling and has a BS in Business Management from Brigham Young University - Idaho (graduating magna cum laude) and a Master of Education from the University of Missouri.
His interests outside of writing include history, science, homesteading, community volunteer work, reading, building/fixing things, and making chainmail armor, along with a plethora of other oddball hobbies.
David feels that his varied job pursuits, education, and interests have made him a better author and that his writing is broader for it. He also uses his books as an excuse to share his love of poetry, with poets and poems often showing up in his fiction. He writes because it is fun, it is aggravating, it is easy, it is hard, but most of all because it is necessary, and he feels that he has something to share that might mean something to someone else, just as it does to him.
David is a native of Missouri and currently lives in Tennessee with his wife and their five children. They are more magical than anything he will ever write.

Reviews

[Jargon Jester · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how the dominant magic expressed in the story works. The mechanics and consequences make its use dangerous. Such power needs to have balance and it is handled well. There are allusions to other abilities and I look forward to discovering how those play out.

The creature Dhakara comes across has an interesting characteristic that sets it apart from other similar beings in parallel works. That makes it stand out, which is great. I like when an author can take something common to a genre and put a new spin on it.

Considering all life's demands on the author and the lack of a publisher's resources, this debut novel is a beautiful accomplishment. It has a firm foundation, direction, and is written with passion. With some modifying and touchup, the novel would be a topnotch gem.