Category: The Winds of Desolation

Finishing up The Unknown Sea soon

I’ve been making good progress on The Unknown Sea, and now expect to finish it before the end of June—which surprises me, because before I passed the 2/3rds mark on the rough human draft, the numbers simply didn’t add up. But they do now, so I think there’s a very good chance I’ll have the final draft finished by the end of next week, and ready to send off to my editor. Here is where everything is currently at:

  • Final polished draft: 47%
  • Revised human draft: 54%
  • Rough human draft: 67%
  • Final AI draft: 84%

I’ve written enough books to notice this pattern: that whenever I’m between the 35% and 65% marks, it feels like the book is taking longer than it should to write. The numbers don’t just add up, and every day, it feels like I’m falling further behind. But then, around the 2/3rds mark, things turn around, and suddenly I’m in a sprint to the finish, with everything falling into place quite nicely. Which just goes to show you that the way to climb a mountain is to take one step at a time, and the way to eat an elephant is to do it one bite at a time.

We’ve got a lot going on this next week, with family in town, but I think I can carve out enough time to make good progress on this book. Which means I need to get to work now, but I’l leave you with this flash sale I’m currently running on the Sea Mage Cycle, exclusive to my online store. For the next week, Omnibus I is available for just $4.99. That’s four books for the price of one, in the same series as The Unknown Sea. Check it out!

This omnibus edition contains the first four books of the Sea Mage Cycle:

RESCUER’S REWARD
All Jason ever wanted was to sail the Azure Sea as a merchant ship’s captain. But money problems have him up to his eyeballs in debt, and if he doesn’t return to port with the gold, his dreams will be dashed forever. So when the princess of a far-off kingdom is kidnapped by pirates en route to her wedding, Jason merrily takes up the chase, staking his future on the reward for her safe return.

THE WIDOW’S CHILD
Elara left everything behind to raise her magically gifted daughter in the isolated safety of a lonely homestead. But they can’t stay hidden forever, and it’s only a matter of time before evil men find them and seek to exploit her daughter’s gifts. To find someone to help her, Elara must open her heart, even if it means risking everything she has sacrificed and worked for.

THE WINDS OF DESOLATION
All Alex ever wanted was to be a sea mage like his father. But though he is gifted with magic, the wind and the waves refuse to answer his call. So when a storm shipwrecks his crew on the barren shores of the Lands of Desolation, Alex must unravel the dark mysteries of this forsaken land, discovering its connection with his own latent powers. But will Alex master the magic within him before the curse upon the land consumes them all?

THE CALL OF THE TIDE
After dropping out of the King’s Fleet, Samuel didn’t think he would amount to much. But when an ancient and secretive cult comes after him, he learns that his particular kind of magic set him apart. An ancient artifact known as the Tidecaller’s Amulet is the key to unlocking a great evil, and Samuel is one of only a few people who can use it—or destroy it. With the help of a flamboyant privateer captain, he sets out to find the ancient artifact before it—or he—falls into the wrong hands.

The Sea Mage Cycle: Omnibus 1 $9.99 $4.99

Healing a Cursed Land in The Winds of Desolation

Fantasy often asks what heroes will risk to save their people, but it also asks a deeper question: what does it take to heal a world that has already been broken? In The Winds of Desolation, the land itself bears the scars of ancient wrongdoing. The story follows characters who must confront the past, not merely to survive its consequences, but to restore what was lost.

Where the Idea Came From

The idea behind this story grew from a fascination with how places carry history. Some landscapes seem peaceful and alive, while others feel haunted by the memory of what happened there long ago. That contrast led to a simple “what if”: what if a land could be wounded by the choices of those who once ruled it, and what if healing it required courage from a new generation willing to face that past instead of fleeing from it?

How Healing a Cursed Land Shapes the Story

In The Winds of Desolation, the curse hanging over the land is not just a magical obstacle. It is the result of ancient decisions that reshaped the world and left lasting consequences behind. The storms, the strange magic, and the dangers the characters face are all symptoms of something deeper—a broken balance between power, responsibility, and the land itself.

This idea drives the choices the characters must make. Some want to escape the cursed region and leave its mysteries behind. Others believe the only path forward is to confront the past and repair what was damaged. As alliances form and secrets emerge, the question becomes clear: is the desolation inevitable, or can courage and sacrifice restore life to a place that seems beyond saving?

What Healing a Cursed Land Says About Us

Stories about cursed lands resonate because they echo a truth about human life: our choices shape the world we leave behind. Just as the characters in the story inherit the consequences of earlier generations, people in the real world often find themselves living with the results of decisions they did not personally make. The hope at the heart of this theme is that broken things—whether landscapes, communities, or relationships—are not beyond healing if someone is willing to take responsibility and begin the work of restoration.

Why This Theme Matters to Me

One of the ideas that kept returning to me while writing this story is that the world is never truly static. Every generation inherits something—sometimes something beautiful, sometimes something damaged. I wanted to explore what it means to step into that inheritance with humility and courage, and to believe that even a wounded land can be made whole again if people refuse to abandon it.

Where to Get the Book

Related Posts and Pages

Explore the series index for The Sea Mage Cycle.

Return to the book page for The Winds of Desolation.

Is The Winds of Desolation for You?

The Winds of Desolation is a survival fantasy adventure about a small band of travelers stranded in a cursed land where the wilderness itself seems determined to destroy them. Shipwrecked far from civilization and hunted by enemies who control the fate of the land, they must rely on courage, magic, and loyalty to survive. The result is a tense journey across a dangerous landscape where every decision matters.

What Kind of Reader Will Love This Book?

f you love…

  • fantasy survival stories about characters stranded in hostile lands
  • classic quest adventures with magic, ancient prophecies, and cursed places
  • small groups of companions relying on loyalty, courage, and cleverness to survive
  • wilderness journeys across strange and dangerous landscapes
  • character-driven fantasy with teamwork, sacrifice, and high stakes

…then The Winds of Desolation is probably your kind of story.

What You’ll Find Inside

The Winds of Desolation follows Alex, a young sea mage who survives a deadly storm only to find himself stranded with his companions in the infamous Lands of Desolation—a cursed wilderness where few who enter ever return. With their captain dead, their supplies nearly gone, and their most powerful ally mysteriously incapacitated, the group must cross hostile territory while evading enemies who seek to control the land’s ancient magic. The story blends tense survival, exploration, and magical intrigue, creating a fast-moving adventure that feels both gritty and hopeful.

What Makes It Different

Fans of classic quest fantasy will recognize familiar elements—dangerous landscapes, powerful magic, and a group of companions working together to overcome impossible odds. But The Winds of Desolation leans heavily into the survival aspect of the journey. Instead of a large army or powerful kingdom, the story focuses on a handful of characters struggling to survive in a cursed wilderness while unraveling the mysteries behind it. The result is a fantasy adventure where the landscape itself becomes one of the story’s most dangerous characters.

What You Won’t Find

This is not grimdark fantasy built around cynicism or relentless brutality. While the story contains danger and loss, it ultimately focuses on courage, friendship, and perseverance. Readers looking for heavy political intrigue or court drama may also find that the story keeps its attention firmly on adventure, exploration, and survival.

Why I Think You Might Love It

I’ve always been fascinated by stories where ordinary people are forced into extraordinary situations and must rely on each other to survive. The heart of this book is that kind of journey: a small group of companions facing fear, uncertainty, and impossible odds while trying to do the right thing. Stories like this remind me that courage doesn’t come from power or destiny—it comes from choosing, again and again, to stand by the people who need you.

Where to Get the Book

Related Posts and Pages

Explore the series index for The Sea Mage Cycle.

Return to the book page for The Winds of Desolation.