Endless Frontier: The Hunter and the Knight

by Brett Lurie

The plains of Vanda are harsh and unforgiving. Kasta Krane, a hardened treasure hunter, rides this desolate land in search of her next big score. A wealthy collector hires her to seek out Vellon’s Blade, a legendary weapon said to have the power to reshape the world.

To aid in her quest, the collector assigns Sir Dresco Norte, a devout holy warrior sworn to restore honor to his fallen order. The odd duo quarrel as they navigate the wilds on their journey. For Kasta is not in the business of fairytales, and Dresco seeks more than lost riches.

But ruthless rivals converge on their trail, determined to claim the Blade’s power for themselves. Their quest draws the attention of a vengeful enemy from Kasta’s past who will stop at nothing to see her dead.

Deeper in the wastes, ancient terrors await in the ruins of the old world. The hunter and the knight must overcome these threats and their distaste for one another if they are to survive.

Genres: Fantasy

319 pages, Hardcover

First published June 14, 2024

About the author

Brett grew up splitting his adventure appetite between fantasy quests through Tolkien’s vistas and Eastwood standoffs in Sergio Leone westerns. His debut weird western saga, Endless Frontier pulses with reverence for flawed protagonists, supernatural showdowns, and mystical science magic. A scholar of political theory during his academic studies, Brett chose to apply his knowledge of statecraft to his worldbuilding.

An avid RPG gamer and comic book collector, Brett brings captivating women leads, amphibious races, and a magic system based on wireless electricity powered by charge crystals. With an endless frontier to explore, Brett looks to expand tales of high-voltage rivalry and unlikely alliances. His happy place is in the mountains with a cup of coffee on the table and his cat, Raven, on his lap.

Reviews

[Chris BReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun and engaging mashup of genre's. Brett Lurie did a fantastic job building out this world and stuffing it with so many interesting characters and creatures. Our two MC's, Kasta and Dresco were a blast to get to know and the banter was absolutely on point. Though of course the true stars of the show were our lovely Trugan companions Kaiar and Crevallis (but then again hard to compete with such show stoppers. You'll just have to read the book to find out why). I do wish there was a bit more character growth with Kasta and Dresco by the end, but overall really enjoyed my first foray into this world and very excited to find out what happens next. 

[Loren Butters · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First off I want to thank Brett for sending me copies of this series! I had such a BLAST! Kasta is such a fun character and I loved the mix of genres we got western/ Sci Fi !
This was such a fun adventure I’m excited to dive into book 2 !

[Rachel | fullybookedtbr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Characters: 5.00⭐️
Setting: 5.00⭐️
Plot: 4.50⭐️
Themes: 4.50⭐️
Personal enjoyment: 4.75⭐️
Emotional Impact: 4.00⭐️
Overall rating: 4.75⭐️

A treasure hunter, Kasta Krane, and holy warrior, Dresco Norte, are hired by a wealthy treasure collector to seek out a legendary sword called Vellon's Balde which has ultimate power. Along the way Kasta and Dresco go on a adventure to seek the treasure of course not without rivals and bandits on their trial.

This book is such a fun ride. It is a unique blend of sci-fi, fantasy, western and action adventure that made me what to keep turning the page. The banter between Kasta and Dresco is near perfect. Kasta is a hardened treasure hunter who has lived her life looking for the next big score, she is sarcastic and a bit full of herself, but I love her character development. Dresco is a knight who speaks with such authority that its an odd-pairing but it just works.

There is great world building, and never a slow moment. Overall, this story felt fresh and new and I cannot wait to see what is in story for our two heroes.

[Viking Jam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shjt that cover is gayer than a clutch purse with a three dollar bill in it. Fabio is holding a big shiny sword. Can you say inuendo? MEOW!

Anyhoo, this had some really high ratings yet I dismissed it as relevant to my needs due to the covers advertisement for western alien porn. This is a slow starter. Like watching slugs race through a salt mine. But, and it is a big butt, this novel will eventually surprise you when the slugs start rolling downhill.

Kasta is a sarcastic narcissist with a heart of gold and a penchant for slinging hot electro blasts and epithets. Confused? Me too. While she is all about the money and leaving your ass to die in a desert, she never kills anyone on a bounty hunt and will save a life here and there. Quite the walking contradiction.

Thankfully there is no romantic entanglements. Just hard driving action. I enjoyed myself, but not too much as that would be juvenile.

[Lady LoudMouth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well balanced blend of western and sci-fi without losing either in the mix. I enjoyed Kasta our FMC. She had a smart mouth and fun banter with Dresco MMC. This read gave me a feeling of book fair nostalgia. This colorful adventure takes you on a journey both land and sea. Not to mention Trugans!! The illustrations throughout the book provide a delightful visual of some of the characters we meet along the way! The supporting cast of women was also refreshing as heck!

[David Pospisil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this sci if/pirate/western adventure.
Well written, perfect pace and very interesting characters.
I’ll be back for more

[The Reading Ruru (Kerry) · Rating 3 out of 5]

a fun jaunt of a book that brings to mind D & D games with necessary side quests. Great cast (and side crew) with great female representation & yay for no romance between the two MCs.

[Joelle Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a ride!
I want to be like the FMC, Kasta Krane, what an absolute bad*ss!
It’s giving Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones vibes

The entire book grappled my attention. I was utterly entranced! The world building is BEAUTIFUL. In depth details that paint the most extraordinary pictures while reading.
The dynamic between the two main characters was written so well. She’s sarcastic, he’s extremely serious. He wants to talk about religion, she just wants a drink.
There was a great balance of exhilarating to calm scenes. Right when you’re ready for some action, you get it!

All in all, a super fun read. Highly recommend!

[Meg Bozarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hunter & The Knight by Brett Lurie is Book 1 in the Endless Frontier Series!

This book was such a fantastic read for me!

Bret Lurie does an incredible job of giving the reader a unique reading experience! He gives you so many different genres in on book!
-western/ cowboy
- sci-fi
-fantasy
- magical
- action
-adventure
I really didn’t know what a genre blending book was, until I read this book and it all became crystal clear!!

You have Kasta Krane the merciful treasure hunter, whose attitude and sarcasm will always have you laughing. And then you have Dresco Notre who once was a knight of the Imperiaium lives by a sense of honor and code. They couldn’t be more opposite and couldn’t like each other any less. They must travel on a mission to find an ancient relic! Their journey is filled with so many obstacles and adventure, and heart racing scrapes they must find their way out of my working together.

Brett Lurie’s World Building is something that I think about daily!
You get introduced to the world of Vanda, and I never wanted a book to let me in so bad before!
Everything about this world is so unique! We have a blue sun, all different species, and instead of riding on a horse they ride on these horse sized cybernetic creatures called Trugan!! Which they can run as fast if not faster than a motorcycle!


This book doesn’t end on an extreme cliffhanger, however the reader can tell this ending is only the beginning!

Currently there is book 2 out, Blood and Soul, and they are two novella!

Book 3 will be released someone in 2026!

Brett Lurie you have done an incredible job of bringing this world to life! I could picture everything I read because of your great detailed writing! Thanks for writing a series that lives rent free in my head!

I will never stop recommending this series! Ever!

[Zosia Mehlberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stylistically unlike any other book I have read;I had a really good time with this and the cast of characters unique to the world of Eramaa. Gathering my thoughts to rate this accurately as it was a reading experience that lead me to new thoughts and conclusions about my own reading preferences.

Synopsis

Renowned (and perhaps infamous) treasure hunter Kasta Krane has gotten herself into a quest that is shaping up to be much more than the initial temple raid she thought it was. Paired up with the rigid Dresco Norte, an ex-Imperial Knight, she has already spent far too long traversing the desert for their patron the retired pirate captain Madame Vaeliz. The name Kasta Krane comes with a lot of notoriety. Law enforcement and criminals alike all know of her lone wolf status, agility when faced with traps, and her taste for quality whisky. But the most confounding habit of the no-nonsense bounty hunter is her refusal to set her shock cannons to ‘kill’. When Kasta and her unlikely companion return to the Vaeliz estate with the map (and a bounty on her own head), the Madame offers a follow-up hunt even Kasta’s high rates can’t pass up. Though unfounded, the bounty has attracted every gang and criminal with a taste for revenge or notoriety (capturing Krane on top of a significant reward in platinum coin) means the travels that follow will be even more treacherous than the varied/unpredictable landscapes already promise. Together Kasta and Dresco venture atop their cybernetic lizard mounts across barren desert, through unsteady mountain passes, across deep red seas, and even through the purple skies in search of Vellon’s Blade. The two treasure hunters are an unlikely pairing, but they bond on these travels and learn to trust eachother and test the limits of their own faiths when they contemplate the Blade’s purpose. Can Kasta and Dresco overcome personal misgivings, convoluted prophecies and past treacheries to safely recover the relic, and what will they learn about themselves in the process?

Review

(Coming soon)

[Daly Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun adventure, full of treasure hunting, religious relic chasing, and close calls. The MC’s, Kasta Kane and Dresco Norte, are well-developed and their character progresses throughout the book, with plenty of room for growth in upcoming sequels. They are an unlikely duo who have to go through some difficult opposition to each other in order to work together toward a common goal, while reconciling their differences in motivation toward that goal.

The illustrations are so well timed and help you capture some of the more thrilling points in the story. The artist did such a good job with detail and capturing the essences of the scenes depicted.

One of the things I love about this book is how wide the range of potential readers is. I would easily let my middle grader read this, though I don’t have issues with adult language for her.

I also love how well Lurie depicts the various settings, humans, and creatures. The visuals I had while reading were very clear and vibrant.

Thank you to the author, Brett Lurie, for providing me with a copy of his book in exchange for an honest review. I will definitely be picking up books two and three in this series!

I would recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of ancient mysteries, treasure hunting adventures, battles between the forces of good and evil, and an action-packed good time.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, shout out to the author Brett, I found him on the Whatnot app and chatted with him about comics and other nerd stuff. Which eventually led to me buying this beautiful copy of his first full-length novel, right there in his Whatnot show. Thank you, sir. I will eventually pick up the rest of your books when I can, on with the review.

I have to admit, I kind of hated the main character, Kasta, at first. She was extremely annoying at times, but she grew on me. Perhaps this was intentional, I'm not sure. However, her companion, Norte, I liked greatly right from the start.

This story has a little bit of everything that I, and our wonderful author, grew up watching/reading. It kind of doesn't fit just one genre (I believe Brett refers to it as 'Weird Western'). I really enjoyed this start to what I hope is a fantastic series. Bravo Brett!

A secondary, but no less important shout out to Violet Bast (who Brett calls his "nymph of the woods" in his acknowledgments, correct me if I'm wrong, Brett!, whom I believe is his girlfriend or wife) for the interior illustrations, as well as the great bookmarks he sent with my copy of the book.

[Shai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished my third reread and still just as obsessed with this book as I was the first time around!

The story is told from the perspective of Kasta - a successful treasure and bounty hunter. Destiny slaps her in the face when she is tasked with a mission to retrieve some ancient artifacts. Her companion for the trip, Dresco, has his own motivations for tagging along, and the central theme of the book is both of them having to renegotiate their worldviews for the sake of the task. This is subtly done, through humor and action, but it will make sure that this book leaves a lasting imprint on your heart.

The first book of this series does an epic job setting the scene: be ready for beautiful visuals, characters with a ton of personality and loads of culture and history unique to this magical world. You'll soon realize this series doesn't want to be contained to any genre. It has the flavor of a western or an Indiana Jones-style treasure hunt, but the setting blends fantasy and sci-fi to create a high-stakes environment for the characters to roam in.

Warning: you may not be able to put it down.

[Lexi Havener · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect blend of Western, Si-Fi, and Fantasy!
Brett Lurie built an awesome world and badass characters, then blended everything together to perfection to keep the reader interested and ready to see what is next at every turn.
Kasta the FMC is a smart mouth, funny, stubborn, and badass character.
Dresco was irritating at times in the beginning but I turned to love him before halfway through the book.
The trugans?? awesome, I want one. could you imagine riding around on a giant creature that reminds you of a protective & loveable dog? well yeah I imagined myself as Kasta riding out this adventure packed story on the back of a trugan more than a few times lol.
I cannot wait for book 2. If you want a page turning adventure, amazing story, & great plot.. then this is a must read!!!

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better bounty hunter and treasure seeking books I’ve ever read! I had an absolute blast reading The Hunter and The Knight!

Brett’s prose is right up my alley. It’s fluid, easy, and fun! I love it when I can see inside of the protagonists head and I see how they overcome problems.

This book kept me on my toes. I tried many times guessing what would happen and I failed each time! Great character growth and amazing wrap up to the story. Excited to see where it goes for the next books!

[bakwardshatbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is like if Indiana Jones and one of the Knights of Arthur’s round table teamed up. I never knew I needed or wanted a team up like that, but it’s so good. This book does something extremely well that many others don’t: character growth. Both the main characters grow and change over the course of the book, which is great. It’s so well done.

If you like pirates and you like knights, you’ll love this. Actually, I think everyone should love this. I can’t wait to see what’s next in this series. Pick this one up, you won’t be sorry.

[Christian Fitzcharles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brett Lurie has crafted a fresh take on a largely untapped genre blending method of storytelling. His debut novel aspires to immerse you in the expanse of the wild west of an alien planet. His characters will entertain, and his world will intrigue. If this is Brett Lurie's start as a fantasy author, the future of the Endless Frontier is bright. Readers won't want to pass up the chance to ride with Kasta Krane and Ser Dresco Norte across the craggy planes of Vanda. To do so would be a tragedy indeed.

[Brody Dovel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a really fun time with this Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider vibe fantasy. Brett did a great job really building the image of this world. The banter between our two main characters was great. The trugans were such a fun addition to this. The audiobook is also very well done. All in all, i had a really great time reading this and I’m interested to see where Kasta and Dresco end up in their next adventure.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kasta Krane is the greatest treasure hunter; she's also one of the best bounty hunters around. And she always works alone, well, I guess not always because this latest job has forced her to team up with a knight from the imperial

The action is spectacular. A combination of Indiana Jones and Louis Lamour, with just a dash of steampunk thrown in for good measure. The characters come to life on the page, and the world grows as we learn more about them.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautifully done fantasy western novel, it was a strong start to the world and had that adventure element that I wanted in this type of book. I thought the characters worked well in this world and were written in a way that wasn't cheesy. It left me excited for the next book in the series and from Brett Lurie.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jake Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a ton of fun! I really enjoyed the mashup of genres with the unique and immersive world built by the author. Loved the characters and their banter was top notch ( The Trugans have my whole heart though) I did this an immersive read and the audio production was also very well done. I’m ready to see where we end up in the next book

[Anny Wilkes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author has built an atmospheric and kaleidoscopic world filled with unique characters (and creatures)! This a genre bending odyssey filled with action, suspense and tension. The dialogue/character work is incredible and you’ll be reading deep into the night to find out what happens next!

[Stacy B · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

This book was a fun adventure from beginning to end. The banter between the two main characters brought sarcasm and humor to the story.

This book reads like a YA, but absolutely can be enjoyed at any age older than that.

Definitely recommend

[Jensen Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from the first page to the last sentence.
Excellent character introduction and depth. Amazing word-pictures to captivate one’s imagination. The setting was other-worldly with a western twist that worked very well.
It’s one of those books that is hard to put down.

[Joseph South · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was slow starting but good book overall. I enjoyed it

[Kelsey Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

so much fun to read and did not expect the plot twist at the end

[Piper James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional world building, creative lore, intricate plot.

It does take some time to get into this book 💙 but it is worth it.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book takes you on a journey unlike any book I have ever read. Loved it!

[Theycallmegreg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This world is a literary painted masterpiece. Mixing Indiana Jones with Tomb raider our merciful hunter/ treasure hunter lives in a world of thrills and danger as she hunts down an artifact thought long lost. The way the world pops right off the pages is beautiful. Along with the hand drawn artwork in the pages, this book will suck you in. It is a happy fun easy read that I think will be enjoyable everywhere.

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, never thought cowboys and knights could co-exist in one universe, but the story was truly intriguing, action-packed throughout the entire story and the characters are engaging, believable and fun at times. Definitely a read that grabs you from the very beginning and the joy of reading doesn't stop till the end. And the art is gorgeous too! ^^