Wards of the Rift: The Nightmare King: Book One

by Brady Atwood

The Rift between the Nightmare World and the Waking World is tearing open again. Slipping through it are terrifying and deadly nightmarish creatures called dragons. A reckless invasion of the Ward Isles by the powerful Caradon Empire sets off a chain of events that may prevent the Rift from ever being sealed again. Esra, a shipwrecked Imperial sailor, and two coastal village teenagers, Jonus and Faarah, find themselves caught in the middle of a battle of supernatural and political forces.

Esra is torn between finding a way home and fulfilling a life debt. Red eyes watch Jonus in the night—omens of even darker things to come, and for the first time in her life, the always self-assured Faarah begins to doubt her destiny. In a world where magic fuels industry and dreams become reality, Wards of the Rift begins an epic fantasy tale of unlikely heroes that must make impossible choices to prevent a looming darkness from sweeping the world.

221 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 26, 2026

Reviews

[James Shoemaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It was nice to experience an old school-style fantasy book in a genre that's trended toward grimdark and gritty over the last decade or two, a tone that often falls flat in its dreariness. Wards of the Rift, meanwhile, embraced some of the tropes of classic post-Tolkien fantasy, but departed from the formula by drawing complex characters with complicated relationships who experience, manufacture, and manifest some truly unexpected occurrences. The world-building was deliberate and thoughtful, and the stakes of the story felt high enough that I was invested in the outcome quite early in the book. Jonus in particular is a great lead, a perfect mix of country bumpkin and nascent hero; Atwood wasn't afraid to portray Jonus as weak in certain areas and strong in others, especially later in the book when things really start to escalate.

Looking forward to book two.

[Valeria Robleto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I really loved this story. Its a true page turner, where you really want to know what is happening next to the characters but also just need to understand this mysterious magic system. The world building is elite and original. Also, I cannot wait for the next book. The book has the perfect ending where you are fully satisfied on the ending but also fully wanting more with a somewhat of a cliffhanger. (Not a big fan of cliffhangers but here it works!). Anyways, highly recommend.

[Lia Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

​A brilliant fantasy read, eagerly waiting for the next one.

I absolutely loved Wards of the Rift! The classic fantasy vibe combined with Jonus's incredible character growth kept me hooked from start to finish. I'm so invested in this world now and genuinely can't wait for the next book!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a genre that I generally don’t touch, this book really surprised me. I enjoyed the characters, the storyline, and the pacing at which everything moved.