The Worth of Scars

by Gabriel Farrell

A bookworm, a brothel madam, a gangster, an aristocrat, a widow and a war hero walk into an inn – though it turns out there’s nothing funny about what happens next.

For humanity’s ancient enemy the Serafin are rumoured to have returned, and the old man who assembled such an unlikely band believes these misfits might hold the key to defeating them. United only by guilt, trauma, and the machinations of their mysterious patron, together they must journey to the centre of the continent to do battle with gods.

But only by using the Serafin’s own powers do they hold any chance of victory: a magic that has a cost. Corrupted long ago, it condemns those who wield it to become the shunned, self-mutilating sorcerers known as the Scarred.

Each must decide – is that cost worth paying to save the world?

Perfect for fans of authors like Joe Abercrombie, Brian McClellan and George R.R. Martin, The Worth of Scars is an epic flintlock adventure with a twist, fusing thought-provoking, dark and intriguing themes with the classic fantasy quest.




***CONTENT WARNING***

This is a dark book featuring themes, topics and scenes that will not be suitable for everyone. It is very much ‘grimdark’ fantasy, and features many of the staples of that sub-genre.

In particular, the magic at the heart of the novel requires self-mutilation for a user to wield it. This is not a spoiler – it’s very much a core part of the book from the beginning.

As such, depictions of graphic self-harm in the novel are frequent and unflinching.

If you suffer from or have ever suffered from self-harm or suicidal ideation, then it is the author’s urgent wish that you consider extremely carefully whether or not to read the novel.


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Genres: Fantasy

650 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 28, 2026

About the author

Gabriel is based in Oxford, where he walks the streets of the city of dreaming spires in the footsteps of fantasy legends he one day hopes to emulate. An avid reader and writer since his childhood growing up in rural Wiltshire, for a while his dreams lay not on the page or in fantasy epics, but in seeing his words translated to screen. He studied Film and Writing at university, then worked as a freelance copywriter, script-reader and screenplay consultant for the likes of BAFTA, Netflix and the BBC. Then came COVID. During lockdown, he found solace and escape in the fantasy classics from his youth – Tolkien, Martin, Pullman and more – whilst also endeavouring to broaden his horizons through Jordan, Abercrombie, Hobb and Sanderson, to name but a few new favourites. Slowly, he became more and more consumed by the genre, and soon after began work in earnest on his first novel, hoping to combine the humanity and relatability of the kitchen-sink drama with the scope, scale and imagination of the fantasy epic. In addition to his freelance work, over the last few years Gabriel has worked part-time as a cook to supplement his fantasy-writing obsession. A particular passion of his, he enjoys cooking up a good roast or stew almost as much as he does a colourful character or a magical realm. Much of his debut novel 'The Worth of Scars' was dreamt up while simmering sauces, peeling vegetables or searing meats (a detail that might go some way towards explaining the grimness of the story's magic system).