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Intent & Vigor: A Standalone Grimdark Epic Fantasy of Prophecy, Blood Magic, and Impossible Choices
A god who shows you the future is still no help when you’re the one He plans to sacrifice.
Racham has always been the disappointment—a charming drunk hiding from responsibility in the shadow of his devout, deadly older brother, Mordecai. While Mordecai is hailed as the Dusksong’s chosen vessel, destined to fulfill a world-shaping prophecy, Racham is left cleaning up the mess faith leaves behind.
When a fanatical holy order slaughters their people, the brothers flee to Sepultura—the last Vespran stronghold, a walled city where faith is law and magic is drawn from blood. Here, the faithful wield Vigor, inhaling sacred vapor to glimpse the next few seconds of the the path of an arrow, the swing of a blade, the moment someone dies.
Mordecai prepares for the coming Requiem that promises peace through conquest.
Racham is given a different duty—fill the prisons, silence dissent, and protect a city already rotting from the inside.
But survival has a body count.
As siege engines close in and the faithful turn on each other, Racham must choose who lives, who burns, and how much of his soul he’s willing to trade for a future his god insists is necessary.
Every time he draws Vigor, the world fractures into a dozen possible outcomes.
In none of them does he get to stay clean.
Intent & Vigor is a standalone adult epic fantasy perfect for readers who crave morally grey heroes, brutal siege warfare, and magic that demands sacrifice.
Racham has always been the disappointment—a charming drunk hiding from responsibility in the shadow of his devout, deadly older brother, Mordecai. While Mordecai is hailed as the Dusksong’s chosen vessel, destined to fulfill a world-shaping prophecy, Racham is left cleaning up the mess faith leaves behind.
When a fanatical holy order slaughters their people, the brothers flee to Sepultura—the last Vespran stronghold, a walled city where faith is law and magic is drawn from blood. Here, the faithful wield Vigor, inhaling sacred vapor to glimpse the next few seconds of the the path of an arrow, the swing of a blade, the moment someone dies.
Mordecai prepares for the coming Requiem that promises peace through conquest.
Racham is given a different duty—fill the prisons, silence dissent, and protect a city already rotting from the inside.
But survival has a body count.
As siege engines close in and the faithful turn on each other, Racham must choose who lives, who burns, and how much of his soul he’s willing to trade for a future his god insists is necessary.
Every time he draws Vigor, the world fractures into a dozen possible outcomes.
In none of them does he get to stay clean.
Intent & Vigor is a standalone adult epic fantasy perfect for readers who crave morally grey heroes, brutal siege warfare, and magic that demands sacrifice.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 13, 2026
Intent & Vigor was a great book with an ending that stayed with me long after I'd put it down. The characters were flawed in unique and realistic ways. The main protagonist, Racham, is funny and self-deceiving. The story is written in a way that the entire world is coloured through Racham's biased point of view as he tries to justify his own actions to himself. Racham's relationship with his brother Mordecai carries the story, showing the point of view of someone who has spent their entire time measuring up to their brother and coming up short. The pacing is great and whether it was an action scene or a description of the surroundings, I never felt like the book was dragging. Five stars!
May 18, 2026
Terrific book! Racham's humorous tone made it an easy read from start to finish. It was full of twists and turns that I didn't see coming until they happened and it had an ending that floored me! The characters all feel unique and morally gray. I don’t normally read fantasy books but I LOVED this one! I highly recommend reading this book! I’ve been telling all my friends about it!
May 8, 2026
I am not a fan of fantasy but a student asked me to read this and I was gripped. The characters are flawed and compelling, and the plot is full of surprises that are still somehow believable. A great read!!
May 13, 2026
Fantasy isn’t usually my genre, but this one pulled me in by the second or third chapter and kept me hooked. The story was so well written that I found myself genuinely caring about Mordecai and Racham. Impressive storytelling!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews