The Crystal Shore
Killian O’Shea is a charlatan who masks his painful past with a smirk and a shrug. One night, the neurotic Ren Thorncliffe walks into his life and changes it forever. Ren’s father is dying, and the only thing that can save him is an enchanted artefact hidden on an uncharted island. According to Ren, Killian is the only person who can find it, and he’s willing to pay handsomely for his services. Killian agrees to help, seeing it as a way to make amends for his past by saving a life to pay for the two he lost.
Killian seeks out untouchable pirate captain Lily Rothbone for convenient transportation and inconvenient feelings. They share a turbulent history, but as long as they can keep from bickering about it, the mission should be easy. She will become rich, and he will put the ghosts of his past to rest by doing something good for once in his life.
After discovering the artefact locked away, Killian’s only choice is to throw himself into a hole in the ocean, known as the Demon’s Drop, to find the key. He awakes alone and in another world where he’s forced to prove his worth to a mysterious race by completing increasingly dangerous tasks. Failure will guarantee Ren’s father’s death and Killian’s too. A lonely death without redemption.
Cover illustration by Thea Magerand