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Wildborn
Not yet published
Expected 14 Sep 26Anya has lived her life among the Wildborn, far beyond the walls of Valemark, where survival is a thing hard earned.
She is a hunter. One of the best the Wildborn have ever known, and she knows better than to trust anything that comes from beyond her forest.
Until she finds Derryn. A brightly coloured minstrel wandering lost among the trees.
Saving him should have been a simple act of mercy. Instead, it drags a kingdom's shadow to her door.
Set on a journey of vengeance, she will stop at nothing to take back everything she has lost.
She is a hunter. One of the best the Wildborn have ever known, and she knows better than to trust anything that comes from beyond her forest.
Until she finds Derryn. A brightly coloured minstrel wandering lost among the trees.
Saving him should have been a simple act of mercy. Instead, it drags a kingdom's shadow to her door.
Set on a journey of vengeance, she will stop at nothing to take back everything she has lost.
240 pages, Paperback
Expected publication September 14, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you, Chris, for letting me be a part of your ARC team for Wildborn.
Aussie indie author Christopher Dean has his third book on the way, Wildborn, and it’s an emotional journey that will have you feeling all the things.
We follow Anya, a huntress of the Wildborn tribe, and Deryn, a stranger fleeing the king who Anya ends up saving almost by accident – a meeting that sets the two of them on a collision course neither could have predicted.
What I loved first is that Anya is the rescuer, not the other way around. It’s a refreshing flip from the usual ‘male hero saves the day’ formula. It’s a small shift on paper, but it changes the entire shape of the story: Anya isn’t waiting to be swept into someone else’s journey, she’s already living hers, and Deryn is the one who has to catch up.
Throughout the story, the characters wrestle with loss, grief, anger, betrayal, sadness, and Chris doesn’t rush any of it. Each emotion is given room to breathe, which makes the quieter moments hit just as hard as the dramatic ones.
There were moments that had me laughing out loud – simple, one liners that broke me out of that ‘in the zone’ spell, but make no mistake: this isn’t a comedy. It’s a fantasy that isn’t afraid to sit with hard, serious issues, and it doesn’t demand that its characters handle them perfectly. Anya and Deryn are allowed to be messy, reactive, and sometimes downright wrong. And that’s exactly what makes them feel real. There’s something quietly powerful in a story that lets its characters fall apart without rushing to fix them.
Chris’s writing is clear and concise, never over-explaining or getting lost in its own worldbuilding, and he draws you into each character so deeply you’ll feel every gut-punch right alongside them. By the time you close the book, Anya and Deryn won’t just feel like characters you’ve read about.
They’ll feel like people you’ve lost sleep worrying over.
Aussie indie author Christopher Dean has his third book on the way, Wildborn, and it’s an emotional journey that will have you feeling all the things.
We follow Anya, a huntress of the Wildborn tribe, and Deryn, a stranger fleeing the king who Anya ends up saving almost by accident – a meeting that sets the two of them on a collision course neither could have predicted.
What I loved first is that Anya is the rescuer, not the other way around. It’s a refreshing flip from the usual ‘male hero saves the day’ formula. It’s a small shift on paper, but it changes the entire shape of the story: Anya isn’t waiting to be swept into someone else’s journey, she’s already living hers, and Deryn is the one who has to catch up.
Throughout the story, the characters wrestle with loss, grief, anger, betrayal, sadness, and Chris doesn’t rush any of it. Each emotion is given room to breathe, which makes the quieter moments hit just as hard as the dramatic ones.
There were moments that had me laughing out loud – simple, one liners that broke me out of that ‘in the zone’ spell, but make no mistake: this isn’t a comedy. It’s a fantasy that isn’t afraid to sit with hard, serious issues, and it doesn’t demand that its characters handle them perfectly. Anya and Deryn are allowed to be messy, reactive, and sometimes downright wrong. And that’s exactly what makes them feel real. There’s something quietly powerful in a story that lets its characters fall apart without rushing to fix them.
Chris’s writing is clear and concise, never over-explaining or getting lost in its own worldbuilding, and he draws you into each character so deeply you’ll feel every gut-punch right alongside them. By the time you close the book, Anya and Deryn won’t just feel like characters you’ve read about.
They’ll feel like people you’ve lost sleep worrying over.
Read
July 22, 2026Firstly, thank you Chris for allowing me the chance to read the ARC of Wildborn.
This epic follows the story of Anya, in first-person, who is a huntress in the Wildborn clan. The story featured high stakes throughout and was a genuine page-turner. The action scenes were done so well that I could picture myself being right there in the battles.
Deryn is a gem of a character. You’ll hate him, you’ll like him, but he is essential to Anya’s journey through the good and the bad. Deryn is the colour when all else turns grey through hardship.
Wildborn is a story that weaves together loss, betrayal, and vengeance, and you just need to get to the end to see how it all plays out. On more than one occasion, I found myself surprised by a plot twist or questioning what I thought I knew.
Chris’s ability to write with great expression will pull you into this world. It was a pleasure to read.
Thank you.
This epic follows the story of Anya, in first-person, who is a huntress in the Wildborn clan. The story featured high stakes throughout and was a genuine page-turner. The action scenes were done so well that I could picture myself being right there in the battles.
Deryn is a gem of a character. You’ll hate him, you’ll like him, but he is essential to Anya’s journey through the good and the bad. Deryn is the colour when all else turns grey through hardship.
Wildborn is a story that weaves together loss, betrayal, and vengeance, and you just need to get to the end to see how it all plays out. On more than one occasion, I found myself surprised by a plot twist or questioning what I thought I knew.
Chris’s ability to write with great expression will pull you into this world. It was a pleasure to read.
Thank you.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is our third Chris Dean read and once again it delivered! We adored the fantasy world and characters introduced and developed throughout this story. Especially our "odd couple" of Wildborn and Minstrel as they navigate treachery, betrayal, political machinations and court intrigue. They grow together, bringing out the best in each other as they learn nothing is all as it seems, how strong and capable they truly are, and that vengeance is a difficult road to travel. Well done Chris! Two paws up from us.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews