The Outcasts Series

One cannot become a dragon to slay a dragon. Marcus is a prisoner of the Dark Lord and Gwen has vanished into thin air, leaving Octavia, Alexia, Quintus, and Hector to desperately search for both of them. Darkness descends like a curtain for Synthyya has passed from the world, Clovis is intent on fulfilling her last requests, and Julia is trapped on a perilous voyage. Winter’s cold hand seemingly grasps the Realm, but the promise of spring whispers a message of hope to those who listen. As the adventure continues, some secrets will be revealed, and others will remain untold for "the truth is a sharp and prickly thing." In the 3rd book of the Outcasts series, Chuck Abdella's imaginary fantasy world has never seemed more familiar because we recognize his heroes' monsters as our own.

“Sunrise and sunset may appear the same at first glance, but to be wise, you must be able to tell whether you're at the beginning or the end.” With their enemy ascendant, the Outcasts find themselves questioning whether the world is even worth saving. But what if magic could dwell in unexpected places? Or be wielded by unexpected creatures? In a story filled with page-turning suspense and non-stop action, Chuck Abdella brings a satisfying close to his series with contemporary themes woven into the fabric of an exotic fantasy world. There is beauty in the struggle, even if it’s hopeless. And no matter what forces may be arrayed against us, the power of friendship endures. For beneath an ocean of darkness, there is always a flicker of hope.

The only ones who can fix a broken world are those who have been broken by that world. A shadowy threat has emerged in a realm populated by serious wizards, pious elves, passionate humans, and hedonistic morphs. Several outcasts have been brought together—by fate or by design?—for what they believe to be an epic struggle against that shadowy threat. Yet if they are expecting a straightforward quest to slay some Dark Lord and bring peace to the world, the outcasts are disabused of that notion when a wise voice warns them, "It's not that kind of story." But what kind of story is it? Are these broken beings on an epic quest, or is someone guiding their mission under the aegis of a tired and traditional story? And is this "someone" benevolent or sinister? As the outcasts seek to mend their broken pasts, navigate the perils of love, and perhaps save the known world, we are left to wonder how much of the story is a lie and how much truth has been baked in to make the meal palatable. While "The Outcasts" pays homage to traditional fantasy archetypes, it also seeks to undermine most of them. In a story laced with ancient and medieval scenery, you will find yourself dizzy with the plot twists of this exciting debut fantasy novel. Book I, “The Lies of Autumn” introduces the half-Wizard Marcus and his dear friend Quintus, who find themselves unexpectedly in the company of enslaved Elf siblings Griffin and Gwendolyn, the disgraced Human soldier Octavia, and a Morph named Alexia who possesses abilities which have not been seen in 1,000 years or more. These disparate creatures must navigate love and jealousy, friendship and selfishness, as well as the unspeakable tragedies which haunt each one of their pasts in a quest to save an indifferent world. As Octavia notes, “It sounds like one of those epic tales of old, but it sure doesn’t feel like one.” Expect fantasy with a twist, as well as equal helpings of romance and action.

“Lie enough and you risk losing the truth entirely.” As the Outcasts continue their quest to save the fractured world, both the deceptions and the dangers will grow for the Wizards, Humans, Elf, and Morph. They must journey to the Darkest Forests of the Morphs to find another piece of an enchanted weapon and evidence begins to emerge that life, like a good story, is never what it seems. The broken misfits find themselves caught between the belligerents in the bitter war, the shadowy Custodes, and the one they persist in calling “the Dark Lord.” Through it all, Marcus, Quintus, Octavia, Gwen, Synthyya, and Alexia must discern what is truth and what is a lie told to advance a story. Yet as Synthyya notes, “truth is a sticky thing like honey, but never as sweet.” New friends will join the fellowship, old friends may die as prophesied, and the Outcasts’ pasts continue to entangle their present. But even in the darkest forests, one must look for the light. Sometimes those darkest forests are invisible, and other times they are within as much as without. In another excitement-packed novel, Chuck Abdella picks up where he left off in Book I: “The Lies of Autumn” by weaving a story for us with multi-layered characters, tangled relationships, and an unfolding mystery on every page where “one never knows what will happen until it happens.”