Novels
The Annals of Tessian, Book 2:
The Culling of Souls
Riots and panic have gripped the Crux…
Off and away in the churning waters of the Verdant Sea, the crew of the Vauras give thanks to the Ancients for the approaching sails of a passing ship. Yet Sea Rat and the others soon deem the horrors of Hakaan preferable to the scourging of their would-be saviors, for not all ships that sail the seas make berth in friendly ports. Though the whips of their new masters raise fear and welts, those who were found on the flotsam keep an eye upon the waves, wary of what lurks below…
The arrival of the Vychians triggered a cascade of terror for weeks. Thousands are missing or dead, but life goes on. Fei finds herself alone like so many others, thrust into her mother’s position when a surprise visit illuminates possibilities the likes of which she had ever dreamed. As the chaos in the streets subsides, Damien and the other Pentarchs seek to grasp their new life with an army at their gates, one which seeks to rule. But a boon soon arrives: Thena, the Northern Pentarch, has returned from her long period of mourning with her fellow Dwarves in Highhearth…
Far to the south, Tesador has begun his the long road to destiny, learning to be the man he must become if he is to rebirth the Empire of Kai’loth. But he cannot do it alone. Those who came with him to Firefall aid Tesador not just in his lessons of history and governance, but in the trials of love, loss, and life itself, for one of their own must leave the company and return west to Tol’thuran if they are to aid in the Patient’s long preparations for the eventual war with the Crux…
The Annals of Tessian, Book 1:
When the world was young, there were the Ancients: primordial beings who shaped the land and bore all life. From the most powerful Ancient came the Imperial Dynasty of Kai’loth, tasked by their creator to govern the realms of Tesseris. For countless generations they ruled justly and peacefully.
Then they defied Him.
Thousands of years after their Sundering, the empire’s story is barely remembered as a legend. The lands of Tesseris are now united only by the Crux, a city-state whose corruption is publicly known and secretly reviled. Yet the Crux’s rulers have their own problems. Pirates plague the Verdant Sea, unleashing terror and chaos in their wake. Meanwhile the ancient sands of the Barrens begin to stir, a sign of something far more ancient…and deadly…than any pirate.
Yet some see the chaos and corruption as a chance. Whispers spread of a lost heir to the old empire. A select few seek to help a young hopeful whose bloodline could alter the world, but others hope death, not destiny, will find the child first.
“An immersive fantasy epic uniting magical
creatures and humans in a quest to restore an ancient
empire.”“[Nelson] expertly sets the stage for future stories
– Booklife Reviews, Publishers Weekly –
and reveals just enough about each character to pique
the interest of readers who enjoy intricate narratives
and immersive worldbuilding-and the heroic quest at
the novel’s heart proves an inviting way to transport
readers through an abundance of extraordinary
settings. This elaborate meld of fable and fantasy
entertains and surprises.”
Short stories
“THE JOURNAL OF DR. RUDY J. GLEEMEN”
Written after a lengthy Lovecraft binge, this short story received Honorable Mention in 2016’s L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest. It’s very much an exercise in consequentialism that was originally intended as a full length novel, which it may end up being one of these days.