The Dark Mage

Unearthly darkness swirled at the bases of the trees. Bending to her
indrawn breath, shadows crept up the surrounding trees, black tendrils
grazing rough bark. They whispered an unknown language, calling her
towards the Void, the realm of the dead. Misty shadow-wisps touched her
bare feet like fingers of ice, encouraging her retreat into her woolen cloak.
The grip of death gentled, a caress across her cheekbones from blackened
corpse-fingers of darkness. The shadows brushed her cheeks and dark
blonde hair, slipping silently over her
shoulders to embrace her.
Ren'wyn has long heard the whispers of the dead. Trapped in an arranged
marriage to a cruel lord-and secretly bound to forbidden magic-she walks
a dangerous line between obedience and defiance. The ancient magics of her
world still flicker beneath imperial rule, and her gift is feared most of all. Her only
fleeting escape from increasing isolation is in the realm of the dead, where the shades
call her by name.
When a chance at freedom comes, she flees into a fractured land on the brink
of rebellion. Magic is stirring, calling to those with power over strength, earth,
foresight-and death. As Ren'wyn encounters other gifted outcasts and a battlescarred
soldier with secrets of his own, she must decide who she dares to trust. Her
magic could destroy her-or become the key to restoring a world that has forgotten
what it means to be free.

Erin Vander Stelt is a botanist, wife, and mother who writes
fantasy and romance rooted in resilience and wonder. Drawing
inspiration from her love of plants, slow-burn love stories, and
the quiet strength that grows through struggle, she crafts worlds
where magic and healing go hand in hand. Erin invites readers
to lose themselves in journeys filled with heart, hope, and the
courage to begin again.