The Obsidian Druid

Armoria is a city ruled by fear, where practicing unauthorized magic can lead to imprisonment and the powerful High Lord Dewer maintains an unforgiving grip on those beneath him. Beyond its borders, an ancient danger has awakened, threatening a world already divided by violence, prejudice, and long-standing rivalries.

Three terrifying creatures known as the tumari have escaped from an underwater prison, leaving devastation across distant lands. Their attacks have shattered communities and claimed countless lives, but the circumstances surrounding their release remain a mystery. Dewer possesses knowledge about these creatures that could explain the catastrophe, yet he has concealed the truth for more than a century.

Among those seeking justice is Gwin, an Asrai survivor whose extraordinary connection to lunar magic gives her the ability to wield deadly cold. Haunted by the destruction of her homeland and the murder of her family, she enters Armoria with a dangerous objective: gather enough support to confront the powerful figure responsible for her suffering.

Her search brings her into contact with Vanth, an accomplished warrior serving among the city’s elite Salt Swords. Fiercely devoted to Dewer, the ruler who once rescued her from poverty, Vanth has built her identity around loyalty and military discipline. But her growing awareness of forbidden magical abilities threatens everything she believes about herself and the authority she serves.

Gwin recognizes the potential of Vanth’s hidden powers, even as their opposing loyalties make cooperation nearly impossible. With magic strictly controlled and suspicion spreading throughout Armoria, an alliance between them could have deadly consequences.

As ancient secrets emerge and dangerous forces move across the land, both women face choices that could transform their lives and alter the future of their world.

The Obsidian Druid begins The Age of Aikana series, an expansive dark fantasy featuring forbidden magic, political intrigue, supernatural creatures, conflicting loyalties, and a world approaching a devastating reckoning.

Caroline Barnard-Smith is an award-winning British author whose fiction spans fantasy, horror, and science fiction. Her storytelling explores imaginative worlds, supernatural dangers, and the darker possibilities of speculative fiction.

In addition to writing novels, Barnard-Smith has contributed short fiction to publications including Aurealis and Future Britains. Her creative interests range from large-scale fantasy adventures involving complex magical societies to horror stories inspired by classic genre traditions.

She continues to work across multiple fictional projects, including an epic fantasy trilogy and a collection of horror novellas influenced by earlier styles of the genre.

Barnard-Smith lives with her family in Devon, England, a region known for its dramatic countryside and rural landscapes. Their household also includes an orange cat with a decidedly independent personality.