Wander West, In Shadow [Second Draft]

THIS IS AN OLD VERSION OF THE STORY. To read the latest, finalized version, click here! Cover art done by Tofuyi! BOOK 1 COMPLETED!  The war ended, but the world didn't.  For years, the lands burned in the wars of the White Queen, a sorceress and tyrant whose mad ambition brought ruin to all she touched. Now she is dead, but all that remains has been bled dry. Charred towns lie hollow, fields return to the wild, and quiet shadows settle where folk once made their homes. The gods themselves seem tired. Where humanity retreats, darkness creeps in.  Through this darkness the young wizard Martimeos walks the broken roads, following the fading trail of his brother, who marched west to fight in the Queen's War and never returned. He left behind no grave, no message, no certainty. Only rumors of what he'd done.  On his journey Martimeos must barter with demons, trade riddles with fae, and contend with the wild witch Elyse, a fellow practitioner of the Art with secrets of her own. At last the road brings him to Silverfish, a cursed village whose future has been stolen, overgrown with thorns and lies. His search will lead him to the horror at the heart of Silverfish's tragedy—and the truth behind his brother's fate.  WANDER WEST, IN SHADOW is a dark fantasy set in a world of faded kingdoms and lost history, with no litrpg elements. Magic is subtle, especially when Elyse and Martimeos first set out, and it is often better to run than it is to stand and fight.