The RIVAS’ WATCH Series
11.4.26
May 2027
By Any Other Name
11.17.26
Fantasy/Mystery
How Far Must A City Fall Before The Villain Steps In To Save It?
Averett "Brack" Brackthorn isn't welcome in Scarlinett. He may not have been officially exiled, but the city blames him for all the misfortune they've collected since the war, as he was the only one left standing after a dangerous ritual flattened a mountain and annihilated an entire army.
A ritual to Rivas, the God of Justice, to whom Brack is the last remaining follower.
After a year of isolation he finds himself compelled to return, only to find that crime and corruption have flourished in his absence. Scarlinett's guards appear to be turning a blind eye to certain crimes, and when they refuse to look into a suspicious series of house fires that has a widow screaming murder, Brack takes on the investigation himself.
Despite his villainous reputation and an appearance ravaged by scars, he manages to rally a party of outcasts willing to help uncover the truth. An anxious librarian, shifty twin sisters, and a discerning elven traveller band together to catch a murderer and end up uncovering an even greater conspiracy. Someone needs to restore justice to this fallen city, and that duty seems destined to fall to Brack.
After all, he was the one who called for Justice in the first place.
The Scorched Guard
by Elliot Hale
Fantasy/Mystery
Their quest for justice has only just begun, and there’s already another murder that needs solving.
As twins, Ren and Ridley often get mistaken for each other. This time, it goes too far. When a man is found dead in an alley, his furious brother claims Ren is to blame, as she had fought with and threatened him the night before - except Ren has never even met the guy. When the guards arrest her, her sister Ridley and the rest of the party must prove Ren’s innocence by catching the real culprit.
Ren gathers intel from her criminal cell mates while confronting her questionable reputation with the city guard. Brack hunts for answers while trying to stay hidden from the people of Scarlinett who still fear him. Illian and Tan use their vast arcane knowledge to outsmart suspects and gather clues, and Ridley fights for her sister’s innocence while baring the bruises from the fight that got her arrested in the first place.
Their investigation will bring them more answers about what exactly plagues Scarlinett’s judicial system, who they can and cannot trust, and how far people are willing to go to keep things secret — but will they discover enough to get Ren out of jail before her past catches up with her?
The Guilty Twin
by Elliot Hale
A Dystopian Novella
Eden exists, it has to, and its name is Rose.
The most persuasive reason we'd decided to travel with Rowe was how impressive his gun was.
Grant and I had been surviving by the skin of our teeth in the city. Infection spread quickly in such a populated place, and everything went to shit so fast. When Rowe offered us a chance to get out of here, it seemed like our best hope at finding some place better.
There's rumor of a settlement on the other side of the forest, closer to the mountains and tucked away somewhere secret. Rowe thinks he can find it. If it's true, if it's really there and not just a dream the living still cling to, then maybe trusting this stranger to lead us through miles of deep woods will be worth it.
If there is even an ounce of luck left in this decaying world, let it lead us to the Rose Garden.