When I started writing Echo of the Sunstone, I thought I was writing a treasure hunt story. Three rogues find an ancient artifact, a cult wants to steal it, adventure ensues. Simple, right?
Except stories have a way of growing beyond your initial vision. What started as a plot-driven adventure became something deeper: a story about found family, about choosing to care for something bigger than yourself, and about healing both personal and cosmic wounds.
The unlikely trio
Anya, Bjorn, and Elara should not work together. A cynical thief, an exiled dwarf, and an idealistic elf? On paper, it sounds like the setup for a tired fantasy trope. But that is exactly why I wanted to dig deeper.
Anya uses cynicism as armor against a world that has never shown her kindness. But underneath the sharp wit and sharper knives, she desperately wants something to believe in.
Bjorn was cast out from his people for putting family before duty. Now he has found a new family, one he will defend just as fiercely.
Elara believes the world can be healed, even when all evidence suggests otherwise. Her optimism is not naive. It is a choice she makes every day despite the pain it costs her.
Together, they are stronger than the sum of their parts. And in a world as broken as Aerthos, that kind of bond might be the only thing powerful enough to prevent another Sundering.