The Rift Wars - current WIP

Caden was never going to take the Doorish throne but he did not expect that an even bigger one was his to claim. Found in a river as a baby by the Queen, Caden is raised as a soldier. Framed for the murder of his adopted father, the King, Caden is condemned to the desert prison city in Nainari. Ruled by giants and criminals, Nainari is a death sentence.

Before he is exiled, the King’s sordid and enigmatic advisor Rinzen makes a deal with him. If Caden can infiltrate the Rain Rifts that surround Nainari and free the Numen Wraiths, then Rinzen will bring Caden home with his honor restored.
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However, Caden learns in Nainari that not all magic is lost and it is a city which is not quite the cesspool of felonious people he grew up believing. His blood right could be the key to freeing an entire people. Caden spars with giant gladiators and beasts to stay alive but it is Seyira who truly keeps him that way. She unlocks his magic but as an amplifier of power she cannot touch Caden without catastrophic results.  
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Aided by an old Gryphon and allies he thinks are his friends, Caden will try to lead Nainari to their freedom. In doing so he could become a slave to a darker shadow and destroy the only home he knows. He will also discover the dangerous heritage of his own. Some magic should stay lost. 

Below are some images I complied to get a sense of my story. I like to call it Blood Diamond meets Spartacus in a Lord of the Rings world =)  

RIP Andy Whitfield, always in our hearts. He is the Caden of the story and Todd J Lasance is the Daemyn or Wolf of Dorim.