
Synopsis
Aurelia is the only child of the head of the noble House Marszalek, and has spent most of her eighteen years locked in her bedroom from sundown to sunup, hiding a beastly secret to protect her father’s reputation. Kasper dutifully leads the band of thieves known as Shadow’s Bastion–alleged to be the most vicious criminals in the city of Skala, thanks to a collection of rumors and half-truths spread by the Shadows themselves to keep people looking in the wrong direction.
A jewel heist gone awry puts Kasper and his team at the mercy of the young head of House Zuraw, Tytus, who coerces him into participating in a staged kidnapping scheme to help him win Aurelia’s hand in marriage. Auri, however, sees this as a perfect opportunity to escape her father’s clutches and live life on her own terms, leaving Kasper stuck striking ill-advised bargains with a lonely dragon, a mob boss’s son, and Aurelia herself to fulfill his end of the deal with Tytus and get the rest of his crew back unharmed.
In a realm haunted by incomprehensible gods and monsters, with Auri’s previously well-kept secret complicating matters, the thief and the noble have to learn to trust each other–and fast–if either of them are going to get what they want.
The hard part is figuring out exactly what that is.
———————–
Shadow‘s Fate is an upper YA/new adult romantic fantasy novel, and is the first book in Shadow’s Bastion trilogy. Available everywhere e-books are sold and in paperback via Amazon as of March 4, 2025!
FEATURES:
- Approximately 88,000 words
- Third person, dual POV storytelling (with a third POV here and there)
- Slavic myth and monsters
- Robin Hood cosplaying as the Grim Reaper
- Part-time PR manager, part-time comic relief sidekick
- Shapeshifting beast girl who is way too chill about getting kidnapped
- (Sym)Pathetic villain
- Nonbinary dragon with a personality halfway between a housecat and third grader
- Catgirl and her magic-sniffing rat
- A very good doggo
Characters

Kasper
Age 19 - He/Him
The Spectre.
Full Design & Expression Sheet
Kasper takes his position as leader of Shadow’s Bastion very seriously, and he'll do anything to protect his team–including pushing them away to take on the risk himself. After having to sacrifice his own morals and turn to thievery to survive the streets of Skala, he has little patience for the nobles who flaunt their wealth while so many starve, and makes it a point to redistribute most of what he steals from them to the city’s less fortunate populace. A somewhat prickly exterior and dry wit mask a gentle, if anxious, soul who cares deeply for others, and wants nothing more than to ensure the safety of his friends.

Aurelia
Age 18 - She/Her
The Beast.
Full Design & Expression Sheet
As the only child of the Burgave of Skala, Aurelia was born into the stifling expectations of a high-ranking noblewoman. Unlike her peers, however, she’s spent every night since childhood locked in her room, hiding a beastly transformation. For years, her father has drilled into her that if she’s seen after dark, it will bring her house to ruin and likely result in her grisly demise at the hands of an angry mob–and as it turns out, it’s difficult to make friends when you’re always mysteriously disappearing at dusk. With a penchant for archery and horseback riding, Auri craves freedom and the chance to choose her own fate…and maybe to meet a dragon.

Emil
Age 18 - He/Him
The Scholar.
Full Design & Expression Sheet
One part pickpocket, one part PR manager, Emil always has an ear to the ground and can tell you which rumors floating around Skala are worth believing–after all, he started most of them. The Shadows owe most of their wicked reputation to his clever marketing and misdirection, and when he’s not fleecing people and leading the guards astray, he’s firing off witty remarks custom made to irritate his teammates. The one thing he keeps quiet is his past, though his bookish nature and prodigious affinity for languages hint at scholarship.

Tytus
Age 20 - He/Him
The Suitor.
Full Design & Expression Sheet
Having taken ownership of the illustrious House Zuraw much younger than anyone anticipated, Tytus lives in the shadow of his late father, fighting to live up to the expectations that come with his family name. Being forced to grow up far faster than his peers has left him caught in a lonely place between boy and man, and he constantly finds himself having to consider how much of his humanity he’s willing to sacrifice to earn the respect of the other noble houses. He’s determined to marry his childhood friend, Aurelia, though it’s hard to tell whether it’s for feelings or status.

Vavel
Age ?? - They/Them
The Hoarder.
Full Design & Expression Sheet
An apex predator the size of a house with a personality halfway between a housecat and a third grader, Vavel can go from endearing to vicious in an instant. An inability to breathe fire, a dragon’s greatest weapon, has made them an outcast amongst their kind, subject to constant assaults for their territory. In the past, they sought companionship with humans only to be betrayed, and have resorted to spending their time alone–until a girl who isn’t quite human comes along.

Mora
Age 19 - She/Her
The Cat Burgler.

Bellow
Age 23 - He/Him
The Illusionist.

Luka
Age 21 - They/Them
The Healer.

Draven
Age 19 - He/Him
The Ex-Teammate.

Wrona
Age ?? - He/Him
The Canine Companion.