The Crystal Shore, Book 1 of The Tempered Soul Series

Killian O’Shea has spent twenty-seven years perfecting two things: his smile and his swagger. As a charlatan carving his living from card tables on the rugged coast of Vermor, he’s built a life that suits him well, so long as he doesn’t think about the people he’s lost, or the role he played in their deaths.

Then Ren Thorncliffe scurries into his life, neurotic and spectacularly out of his depth. Ren’s father is all he has, and he’s dying. The only cure is an artefact locked inside a temple on an island that most seafarers swear doesn’t exist. According to Ren’s father, Killian is the only person who can retrieve it. With redemption for his past and the small matter of the Thorncliffe family fortune on offer, Killian can’t say no.

Their only hope is the formidable pirate queen Lily Rothbone, the one person alive who knows exactly how to get under Killian’s skin. With her crew of rogues and a map to the unknown, they set sail.

When the island’s temple proves impenetrable, Killian is left with one option: to descend the Demon’s Drop, a monstrous circular waterfall in the open ocean and find the key. Only one person has ever survived the fall. For Killian, that’s practically a recommendation.

Cover illustration by Thea Magerand

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Awards & Highlights

First place in Epic Fantasy, and first place in Magic, Myths and Legends in the Spring 2023 Book Fest awards.

Praise for The Crystal Shore, Book 1 of The Tempered Soul Series

Adult but fun, humorous but with great emotional maturity, this tale will take you on a journey, not just through a richly described fantasy world, but also through the thoughts and emotions of the characters therein, in such a skilful and evocative way, that it whisks you away from the humdrum of this life into another, in a most excellent way.

Tommy Sea

De-Lancey’s writing weaves together emotional depth, beautifully descriptive language, and razor-sharp wit that makes the characters and environment really stand out as something special.

Megalodon

De-Lancey’s world was brought to life through her fascinating descriptions, world building, and backstory, all of which were weaved seamlessly into the story without being clunky or jarring.

Renee Elson

You are taken on a whirlwind of an adventure with this crew and are exposed to wonderful characters, magic, and unknown worlds. This is but book one in a multi-part series and I anxiously await the next installment so I can fall back into this amazing world.

Brittany Howell

This book has so much going for it, action, adventure, a little will they/won’t they romantic tension, decent world building, characters that you get to know gradually who actually evolve with the story, by the end they felt like old friends.

Adrienne McC

I couldn’t put this book down and now I’m impatiently waiting for the next! Certainly worth reading and I wish I could give more than 5 stars.

Alexandra