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Loyalty and Survival: Friendships in Dark Fantasy

Dark fantasy shows us the worst of humanity.

Violence, betrayal, corruption.

Yet paradoxically, these shadows often illuminate the strongest friendships.

Perhaps because when the world strips everything else away, genuine connection becomes not just precious but necessary for survival.

Soren and Alaric’s Unbreakable Friendship

Guild of Assassins demonstrates this perfectly through Soren and Alaric’s relationship.

Their friendship predates the story, but it’s the guild’s brutality that transforms it into something unbreakable.

Every shared hardship, every brutal lesson, every drop of blood spilled becomes mortar cementing their bond.

Like the best dark fantasy friendships, their connection strengthens precisely because everything else tries to break it.

Friendship Proven Through Testing

What makes these friendships compelling isn’t their formation but their testing.

When Kierak torments them, when the masters try to pit them against each other, when the Threshing demands they fight to the death – each challenge becomes another forge heating and hammering their loyalty into something stronger.

These bonds matter because they’re constantly proven rather than simply declared.

Hardship as the Foundation of Friendship

The training sequences particularly highlight this dynamic.

When Soren and Alaric face Varus’s brutality together, when they support each other through Tamasin’s poisonous lessons, when they help each other retain humanity during Quillon’s clinical butchery, their friendship isn’t just surviving hardship.

It’s being tempered by it.

Bonds Formed Through Shared Trauma

This reflects something true about human nature – that shared trauma often creates the deepest bonds.

Like soldiers in trenches or survivors of disaster, people who face darkness together often form connections that transcend ordinary friendship.

Dark fantasy just makes this process more explicit, more immediate, more bloody.

The Guild’s Role in Strengthening Friendships

The guild itself inadvertently strengthens these bonds through trying to break them.

By attempting to pit recruits against each other, by creating an environment of constant competition and threat, it actually forces them to recognise friendship as essential for survival.

Like the best dark fantasy institutions, its attempts to isolate end up creating the strongest connections.

Friendship Adapting to Darkness

Even the psychological transformation these characters undergo deepens rather than diminishes their friendships.

When Soren learns to kill, when Alaric’s hands master violence, their bond adapts rather than breaks.

They accept each other’s darkness while helping each other retain fragments of light.

Like the best dark fantasy friendships, theirs evolves alongside their corruption.

The Threshing: Friendship as Life and Death

The Threshing sequence crystallises why these friendships matter so much.

When Soren and Alaric face Kierak, their victory comes not just from combat skill but from choosing to stand together.

Their friendship becomes literally the difference between life and death.

These bonds matter because they’re proven through blood rather than just words.

Friendships Chosen Against All Odds

Perhaps most powerfully, these friendships thrive because they’re chosen despite circumstances rather than because of them.

When Soren and Alaric maintain their loyalty during the Threshing, when they refuse to turn on each other despite survival demanding it, their connection becomes stronger precisely because it’s maintained against all logic.

What Sets Dark Fantasy Friendships Apart

This is what sets dark fantasy friendships apart.

They’re forged rather than found, proven rather than presumed, chosen rather than convenient.

Through characters like Soren and Alaric, we explore how the deepest bonds often come from shared darkness rather than shared light.

Friendship as Both Salvation and Burden

Yet these stories don’t present friendship as pure salvation.

They acknowledge how loyalty can enable destruction, how brotherhood can perpetuate cycles of violence.

When Soren and Alaric face their final test, their bond saves them but also damns them to a killer’s path.

Like the best dark fantasy, it shows how even the purest connections carry complexity.

Why Dark Fantasy Friendships Resonate

Maybe that’s why these friendships resonate so deeply.

They reflect something true about human connection.

That our strongest bonds often come not from sharing joy but from enduring hardship together.

That loyalty means most when it costs most.

That sometimes the deepest friendships are forged in the darkest places.

Friendship Proven Through Fire

In the end, dark fantasy friendships matter not because they’re perfect, but because they’re proven through fire.

Through characters like Soren and Alaric, we explore how connection can persist despite corruption, how loyalty can survive in darkness, how friendship can be forged rather than just found.

Your Thoughts on Friendships in Dark Fantasy

What dark fantasy friendships have most resonated with you?

How do you think these bonds differ from friendships in lighter fantasy?

Share your thoughts below.

The post Loyalty and Survival: Friendships in Dark Fantasy first appeared on Jon Cronshaw.

🏰 Progress on The Ravenglass Throne & Launching The Knight and the Rebel | Author Diary – January 24, 2025 📚✨

This week, I’ve made significant progress on The Ravenglass Throne series—I’m halfway through drafting Book 8, and the story is shaping up to be an intense and exciting continuation of the series.

I’m also thrilled to announce the launch of The Knight and the Rebel (Ravenglass Legends, Book 3). This new release is now available, and I can’t wait for readers to dive into this thrilling tale set in the Ravenglass Universe.

Get your copy HERE.

Thank you for joining me on this journey, and I look forward to sharing more updates soon!

The post 🏰 Progress on The Ravenglass Throne & Launching The Knight and the Rebel | Author Diary – January 24, 2025 📚✨ first appeared on Jon Cronshaw.

Announcing the Release of The Knight and the Rebel: Ravenglass Legends Book 3!

Hello from Morecambe!

The wait is over! I’m thrilled to announce the release of The Knight and the Rebel, the third instalment in the Ravenglass Legends series.

In this chapter of Ragnar and Maja’s journey, the stakes have never been higher.

The world teeters on the edge of chaos, as brother and sister take opposing sides in a battle that will determine the fate of their homeland.

Ragnar, now a knight of the Ostreich Empire, believes he can reform the system from the inside.

But how much of himself is he willing to give up to climb the imperial ranks?

Maja, a rebel leader, fights tooth and nail to shatter the Empire’s iron grip.

Yet with every victory, the cost of rebellion weighs heavier on her shoulders.

Will their choices bring balance to a fractured world, or will their opposing paths tear it apart?

Follow Ragnar and Maja as they grapple with loyalty, power, and the bonds of blood.

Get Your Copy Today

The Knight and the Rebel is available now in Kindle, paperback, and Kindle Unlimited.

Get your copy here

Thank you for joining me on this journey.

Your support means everything.

If you enjoy the book, don’t forget to leave a review—it helps other readers discover the series and keeps the adventure alive!

Happy reading,
Jon

The post Announcing the Release of The Knight and the Rebel: Ravenglass Legends Book 3! first appeared on Jon Cronshaw.

Bravery vs. Desperation: A Look at Dark Fantasy Protagonists

Traditional fantasy celebrates heroic courage, choosing to face danger for noble causes.

But dark fantasy understands that sometimes what looks like bravery is really desperation.

That choices made with knives at our throats aren’t really choices at all.

This distinction creates protagonists who feel real precisely because their actions stem from necessity rather than nobility.

Soren’s Journey in Guild of Assassins

My novel Guild of Assassins explores this tension through Soren’s journey.

His initial pursuit of his father’s killer might seem brave.

But it’s really grief and rage driving him forward.

When Raz offers him the choice between joining the guild or death, his “decision” isn’t courage but survival instinct.

Like the best dark fantasy protagonists, his path is shaped more by desperate circumstances than heroic choices.

Psychological Complexity Born from Desperation

This creates a fascinating psychological complexity.

When Soren enters the guild’s training, he’s not volunteering for hardship.

He’s accepting it because the alternatives are worse.

Each skill learned, each compromise made, comes from necessity rather than choice.

Yet somehow, real courage emerges through these desperate acts.

Training as a Test of Desperation

Consider the training sequences.

Soren doesn’t face Varus’s brutality or master Tamasin’s poisons because he’s brave.

He does so because he must to survive.

Yet in choosing to endure rather than break, in maintaining his friendship with Alaric despite pressure to compete, he displays a different kind of courage.

One born from desperation rather than virtue.

Desperation Masquerading as Bravery

The distinction becomes clearest during the Threshing.

Soren and Alaric’s decision to stand together might seem brave.

But it’s really about refusing to face their darkness alone.

Their loyalty comes not from nobility but from a desperate need for human connection in an inhuman situation.

Like the best dark fantasy, it shows how something like courage can emerge from primal necessity.

Human Nature and Desperate Choices

This reflects something true about human nature.

That our most profound choices often come not from heroic intention but from desperate circumstance.

When Soren kills during the Threshing, it’s not bravery driving his blade but raw survival instinct.

Yet his choice to retain some humanity through loyalty, to not completely surrender to savagery, is where real courage emerges.

The Guild’s Method: Desperation Over Bravery

The guild masters understand this distinction.

They don’t try to inspire bravery in their students.

They create desperation through systematic pressure.

Each brutal lesson, each impossible choice, forces recruits to act from necessity rather than virtue.

Like the best dark fantasy institutions, they recognise that desperation shapes more reliable tools than courage.

Relationships Driven by Desperation

Even relationships reflect this dynamic.

Soren and Alaric’s friendship endures not because they’re brave enough to maintain it.

But because they’re desperate enough to need it.

Their loyalty comes from recognising their mutual need for human connection to survive the guild’s corruption.

It’s necessity masquerading as choice.

Desperation Forging a Different Kind of Courage

Perhaps most interestingly, these stories show how desperation can forge something stronger than simple bravery.

Through enduring impossible situations, through making choices with no good options, characters develop a harder kind of courage.

One born from surviving rather than choosing danger.

The Threshing as a Test of Forced Courage

The Threshing sequence crystallises this theme.

Soren and Alaric don’t fight Kierak because they’re brave.

They fight because they have no choice.

Yet in choosing how they fight – standing together, maintaining some fragment of humanity – they display a courage that emerges from rather than precedes their desperate circumstances.

The Profound Truth About Human Nature

This reflects something profound about human nature.

That our finest moments often come not from choosing to be brave.

But from refusing to break when circumstances force us to be.

Through characters like Soren, we explore how courage can emerge from cornered animals rather than willing heroes.

Why Dark Fantasy Protagonists Feel More Real

Maybe this is why dark fantasy protagonists feel more real than traditional heroes.

Their actions stem from relatable desperation rather than aspirational bravery.

When Soren kills, when he compromises his principles, when he betrays his former self, we understand because we recognise how desperation can reshape anyone.

True Courage Emerging from Desperation

Yet these stories don’t completely dismiss true courage.

Rather, they show how it can emerge from desperate circumstances rather than preceding them.

Through Soren’s journey, we see how enduring desperate situations, making impossible choices, and refusing to completely surrender humanity can forge a different kind of bravery.

Chosen vs. Forced Courage

In the end, perhaps the real distinction isn’t between bravery and desperation, but between chosen and forced courage.

Dark fantasy recognises that sometimes the most profound acts of bravery come not from choosing to face danger.

But from how we face the dangers we never chose.

Your Thoughts on Bravery and Desperation in Dark Fantasy

How do you think desperation differs from bravery in dark fantasy?

What examples have most powerfully explored this distinction for you?

Share your thoughts below.

The post Bravery vs. Desperation: A Look at Dark Fantasy Protagonists first appeared on Jon Cronshaw.

The Ravenglass Throne (Part One) – I. Irmin

Irmin adjusted her grip on Berthold’s reins, the worn leather familiar against her calloused palms.

Below, the Imperial courtyard teemed with nobles in finery, jewels catching the light amid a sea of emerald and jade.

Beneath her, Berthold shifted, his muscles bunching as his scarred wings stretched wide, their black scales edged with red like cooling embers. Through their bond, she felt his eagerness thrum—a crackle of anticipation that mirrored the quickening beat of her own pulse.

“Steady,” she said, though the warning was more for herself than her mount. The weight of tradition bore down on her, heavier than her ceremonial armour. Fifty years since her father’s birth, and now his naming day celebration would showcase the Ostreich Kingdom’s might to all who watched. Including those who might wish it harm.

A shadow passed overhead, then Sergeant Wulfram’s wyvern drew alongside, its bronze scales catching the sun. “Squadron’s in position, Commander.”

Irmin nodded, studying the formation with a critical eye. Five pairs of riders and mounts hovered in perfect alignment, their shadows painting dark crosses on the courtyard stones. Each rider sat straight-backed, armour gleaming, every detail precise. As it should be. “Begin the display. Standard sequence.”

From her mind, she fed Berthold the pattern—an intricate dance of loops and dives perfected over countless hours of training. His approval rumbled through his chest, a deep vibration she felt in her bones.

The first notes of the Imperial anthem rose from below, carried on the breeze.

Irmin raised her arm, the signal to begin.

The sun caught the etched surface of her vambrace—a gift from her father on the day she’d earned her command.

As one, the squadron dived.

Wind whipped at Irmin’s face as Berthold led the formation into a tight spiral. The crowd’s gasps faded beneath the rush of air and the steady beat of wings as the ground blurred below.

They pulled up sharply, climbing until the air grew thin and cold enough to sting.

At the apex, Berthold tucked his wings and rolled, the rest of the squadron mirroring the movement in perfect synchronisation. The manoeuvre would look like a blooming flower from below.

Through gaps in the formation, Irmin glimpsed the Imperial dais. Her father sat straight-backed on the Ravenglass Throne, every inch the King, even after three decades of rule.

They were approaching the finale—the most dangerous segment of the choreography.

“Squadron, prepare for cross-formation,” she commanded through the bond network that connected all riders and mounts.

The squadron split into two groups, banking hard in opposite directions. They would cross paths at high speed, close enough for their wing tips to nearly touch. Even the slightest miscalculation would spell disaster.

Berthold’s excitement spiked through their connection. This was what they lived for—the razor’s edge between control and chaos.

The formations converged.

“Three…two…one…”

A crack split the air.

For a heartbeat, Irmin thought someone had mistimed the fireworks. But fireworks didn’t make people scream. Fireworks didn’t leave bodies crumpled on the courtyard stones.

More cracks followed—crossbow bolts.

“Protect the civilians!” Irmin shouted through the chaos. The squadron responded instantly, banking to form a protective circle above the panicking masses.

Below, figures in servants’ livery converged on the dais. Steel glinted in their hands. The Imperial guards moved to intercept, but they were outnumbered.

“Berthold!” They dived as one, his roar scattering those in their path. The wind of their descent sent banners snapping.

Mid-descent, Irmin drew her ravenglass sword.

She leaped from Berthold’s back while he was still airborne, using the momentum to drive her sword through the first assassin’s chest. The blade caught on bone, forcing her to abandon it as she rolled to avoid another attacker’s knife.

“Father! Get back!”

But her father stood his ground, drawing his own ceremonial sword. Its black form seemed to drink in the light as he parried a blow, his movements still graceful after all these years.

A flash of movement drew her eye. Another assassin, approaching from her father’s blind side—the blade already drawn back to strike.

“No!”

She sprinted forward, but bodies pressed between them—guards, assassins, panicking nobles.

Every step felt like wading through mud.

Every heartbeat stretched through time.

The assassin’s blade plunged into her father’s side.

Time fractured.

The King’s face showed more surprise than pain.

He looked at Irmin, his lips moving to form words she couldn’t hear over the roaring in her ears.

Then he fell.

Berthold’s roar shook the courtyard. His massive form dropped from above, and he pinned one of the fleeing assassins beneath his claws.

Blood welled around his talons as he pressed down. The wyvern’s thoughts crashed into Irmin’s mind, heavy with the scent of betrayal.

“This wasn’t random,” he growled, his voice like stones grinding together. “The stench of treachery is thick.”

Irmin spun, taking in the scene with new eyes. Most of the nobles had fled, but a few remained, watching the chaos unfold.

She stalked towards the pinned assassin and closed her hand around a fallen dagger.

The weapon bore an intricate sigil she recognised. She knew it from countless court functions and council meetings, and it had no business being in an assassin’s possession.

The mark of House Darius.

Irmin’s fingers tightened around the hilt until her knuckles whitened. This was more than an assassination. More than a simple bid for power.

This was the beginning of a civil war.

Above, her squadron maintained their protective formation, but Wulfram’s wyvern descended. “Commander, we need to get you out of here,” he said. “Now. Before they realise what you’ve found.”

She looked at her father’s body, already being covered by royal guards, and at the dagger in her hand, its sigil damning in the morning light.

“No.” Her voice came out steady, despite the rage burning in her chest. “We’re not going anywhere. This ends now.”

Berthold’s approval blazed like fire. They had trained for war their entire lives. Had prepared for every contingency, every possible threat to the Kingdom.

They’d just never expected to fight it at home.

The assassin beneath Berthold’s claws laughed, blood staining his teeth. “You’ve already lost, Commander. The old order dies today.”

Berthold’s claws tightened. The man’s laughter turned to screams.

“Berthold.” Irmin’s quiet voice cut through the sound. “We need him alive.”

The wyvern growled but eased his grip. “For now.”

Irmin kneeled beside the assassin, holding the sigil-marked dagger so he could see it. “Tell me who gave you this,” she said.

“You know who.” His eyes gleamed with fanatic fervour. “The weak must fall. The Kingdom must be cleansed.”

“The Kingdom must be preserved.” Irmin narrowed her eyes. “And it will be, once traitors like you are dealt with.”

Movement caught her attention. Imperial guards were spreading through the courtyard, securing the area.

“Wulfram!” she called. “Get the squadron into defensive positions. No one leaves the courtyard without being searched.”

Her second-in-command’s wyvern banked sharply, relaying orders to the rest of the formation. They moved with practised efficiency, creating a barrier of wings and teeth above the chaos below.

Irmin stood, her mind racing. She needed to secure the assassin, warn the Imperial guard about Darius’s involvement, find her sisters…

“One thing at a time,” Berthold said, his thoughts steady against the storm of her own. “We can’t fight everyone at once.”

He was right, of course. Strategy had never been her strong suit—she preferred direct action, immediate solutions. But this situation required more than brute force.

She touched the hilt of her father’s sword, still clasped in his lifeless hand. The weight of it, of all it represented, settled onto her shoulders.

Her father was dead.

The King was dead.

And he had not chosen a successor.

“Secure the prisoner,” she ordered the nearest guards. “Take him to the high cells. No one speaks to him without my direct authorisation.”

The guards saluted, dragging the assassin away. Berthold’s wings mantled, casting a shadow over Irmin as she kneeled beside her father’s body.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I should have been faster. Should have seen this coming.”

But recriminations wouldn’t change what had happened. Wouldn’t bring him back. All she could do now was ensure his death meant something.

She stood, her hand still gripping the dagger.

She pulled her sword free from an assassin’s body, wiped its blade, and sheathed it.

Around her, the courtyard continued to churn with activity—guards securing the area, healers tending the wounded, nobles being escorted to safety.

And somewhere in the chaos, traitors walked free.

“Sound general quarters,” she told Wulfram. “I want every rider in the air within the hour. No one enters or leaves Reichsherz without our knowledge.”

War had come to the Kingdom. Not from outside forces, but from within.

Irmin mounted Berthold, feeling his muscles coil beneath her. Together, they rose above the courtyard, above the spreading ripples of chaos that would soon engulf the Kingdom.

The time for ceremonies was over.

continue reading.

The post The Ravenglass Throne (Part One) – I. Irmin first appeared on Jon Cronshaw.

🏰 Progress on The Ravenglass Throne & My First Contest! | Author Diary – January 17, 2025 📚✨

This week, I’ve been making slow progress on The Ravenglass Throne—I’m now just three chapters away from finishing Book 7.

The story is heating up, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

I’ve also been enjoying The Diplomat on Netflix. It’s a gripping show full of political intrigue, and it’s been a nice way to recharge between writing sessions.

For the first time ever, I’m running a contest!

You could win a year of free access to my Patreon’s Hero Tier, where you can enjoy exclusive chapters, updates, and behind-the-scenes content.

Enter here.

The post 🏰 Progress on The Ravenglass Throne & My First Contest! | Author Diary – January 17, 2025 📚✨ first appeared on Jon Cronshaw.

🎉 Win a Free Year of Patreon Hero Tier Membership! 🎉

I’m excited to announce a viral giveaway with five chances to win a full year of my Hero Tier on Patreon, worth $119.88! 

What You’ll Get as a Hero Tier Member:

– Early access to chapters of my current projects (The Ravenglass Throne, Guild of Assassins, and Hunters). 

– Exclusive short stories and novellas not publishes anywhere else. 

– Weekly author diary videos. 

– A community of like-minded readers s and much more! 

How to Enter:

1. Join as a free member on my Patreon.

2. Earn bonus entries by: 

  – Sharing this giveaway on your social media. 

  – Following me on Facebook, YouTube, BookBub, and Amazon.

 Each action gives you an additional entries, so the more you share and follow, the better your chances! 

– The giveaway ends January 31, 2025, and winners will be notified shortly after. 

Don’t miss this chance to unlock a year of exclusive content, early access to my stories, and a front-row seat to my creative journey. 

 Start your entries now and good luck! 

 Thank you for your support, and I can’t wait to welcome five lucky winners to the Hero Tier! 

– Jon  

enter Now.

The post 🎉 Win a Free Year of Patreon Hero Tier Membership! 🎉 first appeared on Jon Cronshaw.

The Role of Lost Innocence in Fantasy: A Dark Perspective

The loss of innocence isn’t just a theme in dark fantasy.

It’s often the whole point.

These stories show us not just that innocence dies, but how it dies.

One compromise, one trauma, one impossible choice at a time.

Through characters forced to grow up too fast, we explore how harsh realities reshape those who face them.

Soren’s Journey in Guild of Assassins

My novel Guild of Assassins presents this transformation with brutal clarity through Soren’s journey.

He begins as a sculptor’s apprentice, someone who creates beauty from stone.

By the end, those same hands deal death instead of crafting art.

It’s a metamorphosis that feels inevitable precisely because each step away from innocence comes through understandable choices.

Becoming Conscious of One’s Own Darkness

What makes these stories resonate isn’t just the loss of innocence itself.

It’s watching characters become conscious of their own corruption.

When Soren masters Tamasin’s poisons or learns Elysia’s manipulation, he’s not just gaining skills.

He’s losing pieces of himself.

Like the best coming-of-age narratives in dark fantasy, it shows how awareness of one’s own darkness becomes part of growing up.

Training That Strips Away Innocence

The training sequences particularly highlight this evolution.

Each lesson strips away another layer of innocence while adding another capability.

Quillon teaches anatomy by making recruits dissect bodies, turning human beings into collections of vulnerabilities.

Varus breaks down resistance to violence through systematic brutality.

The physical training parallels psychological transformation.

Institutions That Shape Innocence Lost

But these stories recognise that lost innocence isn’t just about individual choices.

The guild itself represents how institutions systematically strip away innocence to create useful tools.

The masters don’t just teach skills; they reshape worldviews.

Like the best dark fantasy, it shows how systems are designed to break down and rebuild people.

Friendship Through the Loss of Innocence

The relationship between Soren and Alaric adds another layer to this theme.

Their friendship survives their loss of innocence, but it also enables it.

They help each other retain humanity while simultaneously supporting each other’s descent into darkness.

It’s a complex dynamic that shows how relationships evolve as innocence fades.

Gaining Darker Wisdom Through Lost Innocence

Perhaps most powerfully, these stories explore how lost innocence changes perception itself.

As Soren progresses through his training, he begins seeing the world differently.

People become targets.

Relationships become tactical advantages.

Violence becomes normal.

Like the best dark fantasy, it shows how losing innocence means gaining a darker kind of wisdom.

The Threshing as a Final Transformation

The Threshing sequence crystallises this theme.

It’s not just a test of survival but a final stripping away of innocence.

When Soren and Alaric face Kierak, they’re forced to become killers not just in theory but in practice.

Their transformation becomes complete through blood and necessity.

Gaining Wisdom Through Darkness

Yet these stories don’t present lost innocence as simple corruption.

There’s often a tragic wisdom gained through darkness.

When Soren finally confronts Kierak, his victory comes not just from physical capability but from understanding darker truths about survival and human nature.

Innocence is replaced by a harder kind of knowledge.

Growing Up Through Hard Truths

This reflects something true about growing up in any world.

Maturity often comes through losing comfortable illusions.

Dark fantasy just makes this process more explicit, more violent, more immediate.

Through characters like Soren, we explore how reality strips away innocence whether we’re ready or not.

Lost Innocence as a Survival Tool

The genre also recognises that lost innocence isn’t always tragic.

Sometimes it’s necessary for survival.

When Soren learns to kill, when he masters manipulation and deception, he’s gaining tools he needs to navigate his harsh reality.

Like the best dark fantasy, it shows how losing innocence can be a form of adaptation.

What Remains After Innocence is Lost

Perhaps most importantly, these stories explore what remains after innocence is lost.

Through Soren and Alaric’s enduring friendship, through small acts of loyalty in a brutal world, we see how some core of humanity can survive even as innocence dies.

These moments matter precisely because they’re chosen despite darkness, not in ignorance of it.

Why Stories of Lost Innocence Resonate

This is why stories of lost innocence in dark fantasy resonate so deeply.

They show us not just that growing up means losing illusions, but how that process shapes us.

Through characters like Soren, we explore how people adapt to harsh realities while struggling to retain something of themselves.

Your Thoughts on Lost Innocence in Dark Fantasy

How do you think dark fantasy’s treatment of lost innocence differs from other genres?

What stories have most powerfully explored this theme for you?

Share your thoughts below.

The post The Role of Lost Innocence in Fantasy: A Dark Perspective first appeared on Jon Cronshaw.

🏰 Mixed Week, Big News, and Fascinating Reads | Author Diary – January 10, 2025 📚✨

This week has been a bit of a mixed bag. I’ve been working on The Ravenglass Throne and Hunters, but progress has been slow as I’ve been feeling the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

I realised I forgot to mention some big news in the podcast: I’ve started posting The Ravenglass Throne on Patreon!

The first few chapters are up now, and I’m also sharing Blade of Sorrows (Guild of Assassins Book 3). If you’re a fan of dark fantasy and epic tales, be sure to check them out!

On the reading front, I finished Ringmaster, a book about Vince McMahon, and I’m now diving into The Contrarian, a biography of Peter Thiel. Both are fascinating reads and fantastic sources of inspiration for storytelling.

Next week, I’ll be continuing with The Ravenglass Throne and pushing forward with my writing projects.

follow jon on PAtreon.

The post 🏰 Mixed Week, Big News, and Fascinating Reads | Author Diary – January 10, 2025 📚✨ first appeared on Jon Cronshaw.

Read Blade of Sorrows First on Patreon – Join the Adventure

Exciting News! I’ve started posting Blade of Sorrows, Book 3 in the Guild of Assassins series, exclusively on Patreon!

In this latest installment, we follow Soren deeper into the Guild’s shadows as he grapples with the price of power and the weight of impossible choices.

What begins as a test of loyalty becomes a journey that will challenge everything he thought he knew about himself and the dark organization he serves.

If you’re new to the series, you can start with Book 1 (Guild of Assassins) on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. Book 2 (Forged in Blood) is available in the Collections tab on my Patreon.

Special Offer: Join before June 1, 2025, using promo code RAVENGLASS to get 50% off your first month at any tier!

Visit: patreon.com.joncronshawauthor

Your Patreon subscription includes:

– Early access to Blade of Sorrows chapters,

– Exclusive short stories set in the Ravenglass Universe (and beyond,

– Access to The Ravenglass Throne serial – a new story exploring different corners of the Ravenglass Universe,

– Behind-the-scenes insights into the writing process.

Don’t miss out on this dark fantasy series where magic comes with a price, loyalty is tested in blood, and every choice has consequences that echo through the darkness.

Join us in the shadows. The Guild is waiting.

join the community.

The post Read Blade of Sorrows First on Patreon – Join the Adventure first appeared on Jon Cronshaw.