Zirian Chronicles Series

Quin's job is to step through Doors—portals that can take a person to thousands of new and interesting places throughout the universe—to find out where they lead. His job should be interesting. But Quin is bored. He does the same thing day in and day out, with little to excite or interest him. So, while he knows it's not the wisest choice, he takes up illegal gambling in his free time, just to spice up his life a bit.   But one evening, there's an explosion at the gambling establishment, and Quin is forced to flee to avoid getting caught. Unfortunately, the owner, Nash, decides he's still due the money Quin owes, and offers him a deal: if Quin will find out what's through three Doors he "acquired," then Quin's debt will be wiped clean. As a form of accountability, Nash sends along his daughter, Jo, to keep an eye on Quin. And as the two explore three strange Doors, Quin finds out that, like himself, Jo too is unhappy with her life and looking for an escape.   But there might just be something they can do to help each other.   This prequel to the Zirian Chronicles series is set several decades prior to book 1, Sundered Sky. Content warnings can be found on the copyright page.

Quin Black spends most of his time on the Outer Rim of Ziri, the donut-shaped planet he calls home. His role in the military is to step through Doors, portals leading to locations all over the universe, for a variety of reasons ranging from diplomatic work, to rescue missions, to trade, and more. But after he is called back home unexpectedly for undisclosed reasons, he is shocked to find out that it has nothing to do with his job. Rather, it's personal: his own father, a highly decorated planetary scientist, has disappeared. And behind him, he's left something strange and potentially deadly: a brand-new type of Door, never before seen. And it seems to somehow be connected to every other Door in existence.   Quin's closest friend, a brilliant scientist and mathematician named John, quickly discovers that the existence of this new Door could have disastrous consequences for everyone everywhere. And the fastest way to solve the problem? Find Quin's father.   While Quin is happy to work within the system, John has no such compunctions. He leaps through the new Door, and when Quin tries to stop him, he gets dragged along for the ride.   Together, they much traverse new worlds, searching far and wide for Quin's father, with the hope of preventing a catastrophe that could end lives and entire civilizations across the universe.   This portal fiction novel is the first in the Zirian Chronicles series. Content warnings can be found on the copyright page.

Something strange is going on in Pomegranate City. People are whispering about the "end times," protesting in the streets, and suggesting that recent events are connected to something called, "The Clock of Legend." This is the backdrop to the surprising death of the city's leader, Administrative Chair Aderick.   Quin Black, an influential military-government liaison, and John, a top scientist and mathematician, are pulled in to help with the investigation of Chair Aderick's death, and quickly discover that something much more sinister is going on—and have to consider that the Clock of Legend might not be just a legend.   Meanwhile, Auvek Oliphant has just shown up for an internship at his uncle's bookstore—only to discover his uncle is unprepared, unwelcoming, and incompetent at best. So when his uncle is arrested for drunken and disorderly behavior, it's a bit of a relief. Perhaps he can bring some respectability back to this business, which has been in the family for generations.   But it turns out, it's not that simple, between the sudden appearances of a local gang leader in the store, a robot monkey, a curious reporter searching for a good story, and a secret Door hidden inside the establishment which leads to a room filled with mysterious ancient texts. Not to mention Bronwyn, a woman who comes into the shop shortly after Auvek's arrival, looking for books about the secrets of the Clock of Legend, and with a very odd tale about being stalked by her aunt's butler.   Yes, something strange is going on—but it's going to take a lot of digging and a little luck to figure out precisely what.   This portal fiction novel is the second in the Zirian Chronicles series. Content warnings can be found on the copyright page.

Kaia loves her new job at the Globe—sorta. She's been tasked with an important responsibility, figuring out if there's a solution to the logistical nightmare caused by the new polylocus Door. But really, this responsibility should belong to John, her supervisor, if only he weren't sick.   As his health worsens, more and more responsibility falls onto Kaia's shoulders, until one day, a giant, elephant-like creature crashes into her office, and she decides it's too much. She starts asking anyone—everyone—for help, until her request finally makes it up to Doctor Bey, the head of the Globe Center.   But when governmental oversight agent, Axel Vance, finds out how much trouble the Door has been causing, he gives them a 24-hour period to fix it, or else. Kaia finds herself in the most difficult quandary yet: John has disappeared, the Globe is in crisis, and Kaia is tasked to fix it.   With the help of the intimidating Peacekeeper Quin Black and the kindly Dr. Winkler, Kaia races to find a solution, no matter what challenges stand in her way. But will she be able to solve the problem in only a single day?   This portal fiction novel is the fourth in the Zirian Chronicles series. Content warnings can be found on the copyright page.

Kaia has won the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to intern at the Globe Center under the tutelage of John, one of the most brilliant scientists and mathematicians in the world. But the moment she sets foot inside the building, she realizes it won't be easy. John has his fingers in nearly every project, and plans to drag her along with him.   To top off her first day, a group of thieves infiltrates the building, seeking to steal a specific Door—a portal that can travel somewhere else in the universe—and John, Kaia, and Clyde, the newest security officer at the Globe, end up smack dab in the middle of the chaos.   Meanwhile, on the other side of the universe, Holland, Admiral of a Zirian colony fleet traveling to a newly discovered planet, has just woken up from stasis to discover that her brother is dead, as are many of the colonists who were traveling with her, and her fleet is infected by a very odd digital virus.   Somehow, Holland has to get her fleet back on track, while at the same time, Kaia and John have to manage the chaos back home.   And the consequences of failure could mean the end of Holland's fleet, and possibly the end of their entire civilization.   This portal fiction novel is the third in the Zirian Chronicles series. Content warnings can be found on the copyright page.

Edna Oliphant's job relies on leads. A client is missing a ring? They hire her to find it. They've lost their dog? Edna is on the case. Her job as a Finder usually centers on the mundane, but every so often something extremely interesting will land in her lap.   Like an ancient map that supposedly leads nowhere.   When Edna's brother Lance drags her to the underground bar, BloodAxe, she is roped into playing a dangerous and illegal game of White Rabbit in exchange for a lead. She comes in second place, which gets her access to an old map supposedly leading to the lost world of Yuva.   It doesn't take much digging before Edna finds herself embroiled in a family feud fight dating back generations, with her arch rival actively seeking to prevent her from succeeding. With the help of her brother, Lance, and Quin Black from the Globe, Edna sets out to discover the meaning of this ancient map, and perhaps even find the lost world herself.   Meanwhile, John wants nothing to do with anything. Except sleep. If he could only fall asleep and stay asleep, then maybe when he woke up, things would be better. Maybe he would find his life interesting again. Maybe he would want to see his friends again. Maybe…   But in an effort to avoid his responsibilities and potentially find a good place to nap, John flees through the polylocus Door in his office and finds himself lost in a strange new world, captive to an unfamiliar species of bird-like alien who are in the middle of a civil war, and uncertain of if he'll ever make it home.   This portal fiction novel is the fifth book in the Zirian Chronicles series. Content warnings can be found on the copyright page.

An unbearably cold winter. A broken Door. Hundreds of tribesmen missing, scattered across the universe. Her community is broken, dying, and there's nothing Magret can do about it. And as if all that weren't enough, Magret then discovers that with her birthday drawing near, she alone must make a decision: she must choose between her mother's tribe and her father's--both of whom were exiled the same day she was born. Accompanied by an elder from the community she grew up in, she travels miles north to meet with the leader of the Kalt tribe, and discovers that sometimes the simplest choice is not the right choice. This short story is set parallel to Singular Cipher, book 4 of the Zirian Chronicles.

Planets at war. People displaced. Ten thousand refugees. And they only have one place to go. They have arrived at the planet Path and set up camp on the outskirts of the main city. Moke has been here from the beginning. He doesn't mind all the new arrivals—he just wants everyone to be safe. Except that fire after fire has begun to alight throughout the makeshift neighborhoods. They know it's arson—but who is responsible? And why are they doing it?  The firebug must be stopped, but there is only so much Moke can do on his own. So, when the mayor, Meriym, makes him Fire Chief, he must use all of his wits and knowledge of the town to stop the deadly fires rushing through his beloved city. And the answer comes from the place he least expects. This short story is set parallel to Singular Cipher, book 4 of the Zirian Chronicles.