A Touch of the Arcane
Published Electronically in 2022
Published in Print in 2024
Six fantastical short stories rife with magic in the hands of heroes, villains, and those unlucky mundane few perceived as wielding it. An overbearing god, violently-ambitious plague doctor, and unfortunate djinn are only the beginning. Experience monstrous shapeshifters, vengeful occultists, and concerningly-clever generals in a variety of locales – 1600’s London, secluded hamlets, forest cottages, and more.
Content Warnings: implied abuse, mentions of alcohol use, descriptions of blood and gore, murder, torture, and violence.
The Harrows: Harbinger (Book One)
Published in February 2020
Born into a feared royal family, and a bastard son of the infamous and immortal Harrowlord, Willem Harrow has proudly limped his way through the halls of the Hiltkeep his entire life. Within polished stones that more resemble a giant’s broadsword than a true keep, lies are the building blocks of discussion… and ancient history bleeds into the present in more ways than Willem could imagine. This secrecy extends to the most pondered mystery that the Hiltkeep houses: the Harrowlord’s motivation for famously, and on every birthday without fail, challenging his 21-year-old sons to a brief but deadly duel.
Despite his unwavering respect for the Harrow name, Willem has ever been at odds with his father. However, it seems that may change when he’s entrusted with a special task: rooting out and beheading a traitor whose ideals he secretly embodies. But Willem’s desperate plans could easily crumble around him even as he questions the very history he was taught; at the precipice of his understanding, an ancient evil lingers, eager to flourish once more…
“Harbinger is a refreshingly unique entry in the fantasy genre… [it] perfectly portrays the inner struggles Willem faces as he balances pride for his lineage with the will to survive.”
– Indies Today (★★★★★)
Author C. F. Bellairs 