Ashen Rider

A Dusk and Dawn Novel by James D. Mills

PANDEMONIUM AWAITS.

When her mother is claimed by Death a second time, Kateryna is forced to abandon her afterlife and descend into Pandemonium—a shattered underworld shaped by pain, memory, and buried sin. To save her mother’s soul, she must join forces with her estranged father, whose devotion to a fallen goddess set this all in motion. Hunted by Morgana, the Goddess Corrupted and her chosen griffin-riders, Kateryna must journey through the shadows and confront the reality of her own dark past—because in Pandemonium, death is only the beginning.

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After her father's blind devotion to a fallen goddess leads to her mother's second death, Kateryna is forced to abandon the stability of her tortured afterlife and decend into Pandemonium—a fractured, hellish world where the dead are not allowed to rest.

To reclaim her mother's soul, Kateryna must join forces with the last person she trusts: her estranged, fanatical father. Together, they navigate turgid seas, haunted fields, and dive into the heart of a city ruled by the Demon King to escape the ever present gaze of Morgana, the Goddess Corrupted who no longer cares for the balance of life and death.

Pandemonium is not like the mortal world—it reflects the pain they carry and the sins they've buried; the consequences of the choices they made in life. As Kateryna's journey spirals deeper into shadows, she'll have to confront not only the horrors of hell, but the truth of her own past.

Fans of Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen and N.K. Jemisin's The Broken Earth Trilogy, will love this gripping tale. ASHEN RIDER is a dark and mythical meditation on perseverance, fractured family, and the cost of redemption in a world where death is only the beginning.

For Readers

The Old Empire of Kaldea. As she stands in the one-hundred and thirty years after Arrival.

Illustrated by Eden Louisa, my wonderful wife and creative partner.

Pandemonium. The Realm of the Tormented Dead.

Illustrated by Anastasia Patton.

Supporting Documents

The Inspirations Behind Ashen Rider

The Characters of Ashen Rider

Discussion Questions for Book Clubs

Set the Mood

Originally, the plan was to preface every section with a quote from the songs that inspired the tone of the book. If you know anything about copyright, that's a big no-no. Instead, you can listen to the following songs to understand how Rock, R&B, and Folk songs shape the world of Dusk and Dawn.

The Scarlet Chair: "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers (1971)
Part One: "Riders on the Storm" by the Doors (1971)
Part Two: "A Horse with No Name" by America (1971)
Part Three: "A World So Full of Love" by Roger Miller (1970)
Part Four: "Prairie Fire" by Mary Robbins (1960)
Part Five: "Cleanse Me" by O'Brother (2011)

Details and Metadata

ISBN (Paperback): 979-8-9923135-8-1

ISBN (Hardcover): 979-8-9923135-9-8

Page count: 196

Size: 5.5" x 8.5"

Genre: Epic Fantasy, Mythological Fantasy

BISAC Categories: FIC009070 FICTION/Fantasy/Dark Fantasy; FIC009020 FICTION/Fantasy/Epic; FIC009120 FICTION / Fantasy / Dragons & Mythical Creatures

Tropes: psychological, multiple POVs, family, redemption, wizards, mythological creatures, dragons, griffin, pegasus, angels, goddesses,