Hi folks — I’m Austin, and I’ve been building out a gritty fantasy series called The Dreadful Series. It’s full of goblin crime families, sorcery-run syndicates, ogre mutinies, and forbidden love—all wrapped in a world of fantasy noir slang, stealth politics, and morally gray protagonists.
James Dreadful never wanted to steal anything. He just wanted to escape. But when Qadira—a sharp-tongued spy with firestealer magic—pulls him into a plot to steal a forbidden painting, their secret meetings raise suspicion. To cover their tracks, they fake a romance. And Drool, the brutal ogre-king who holds James captive, finds their courtship so tender he makes it the crown jewel of his royal entertainment. By day, James teaches the ogre to read philosophy and war. By night, he and Qadira hunt a weapon that could destroy empires. But the deeper James falls into Drool's cause—and Qadira's arms—the more he questions who the real villains are.
Book 3 drops October 31st, and I’m offering free ARCs to readers who enjoy dark fantasy with streetwise texture and myth-soaked grit. DM me or drop a comment if you’re interested. I’m also happy to swap thoughts on indie publishing or world-building.
James Dreadful never wanted to steal anything. He just wanted to escape. But when Qadira—a sharp-tongued spy with firestealer magic—pulls him into a plot to steal a forbidden painting, their secret meetings raise suspicion. To cover their tracks, they fake a romance. And Drool, the brutal ogre-king who holds James captive, finds their courtship so tender he makes it the crown jewel of his royal entertainment.
By day, James teaches the ogre to read philosophy and war. By night, he and Qadira hunt a weapon that could destroy empires. But the deeper James falls into Drool's cause—and Qadira's arms—the more he questions who the real villains are.
Book 3 drops October 31st, and I’m offering free ARCs to readers who enjoy dark fantasy with streetwise texture and myth-soaked grit. DM me or drop a comment if you’re interested. I’m also happy to swap thoughts on indie publishing or world-building.