The first part of the prequel to the award winning Sentinal Series, Sentinals Origins, which launches on May 5th, 2025, and has just been awarded a Five Star review from Readers’ Favorite.
Sentinals Origins by Helen Garraway is part one of the fantasy series Sentinals. In Remargaren, unchecked wild magic threatens stability as a covert faction rises, seeking to twist its forces for their own gain. Leyandrii, a goddess charged with safeguarding the realm, and her captain, Guerlaire, confront the growing danger while Guerlaire masters new abilities. At the same time, three cadets embark on rigorous training to join the Lady’s Rangers. Among them, Birler, a boy from Vespers, faces hostility and unfamiliar challenges within the Academy. He must navigate prejudice, build trust among fellow trainees, and awaken dormant powers linked to the world’s ancient magic. As conflict escalates, Birler and his comrades must not only complete their training but also stand with Leyandrii and Guerlaire to prevent the forces of chaos from overtaking their world.


Helen Garraway’s Sentinals Origins is an excellent fantasy with a lot of moving parts, each of which melds perfectly into the origin story that the author creates for the rest of the series. Birler’s growth is really well done, as he evolves from an uncertain, impoverished young man into a competent and self-assured cadet. The intense relationship between Guerlaire and Leyandrii brings a unique sizzle, and sparks fly when Garraway allows us into the more intimate moments. The setting details are striking. I love the juxtaposition of the beauty of the temple, contrasting against the grim, impoverished reality of Harbourtown, both of which stand out as entrenched social divides. Ways of life vary, and as a reader with total wanderlust, the Terolian nomadic culture and its reliance on the sun, sand, and stars for navigation, and its reverence for family are really lovely. The Ascendants, who seek to control and corrupt, are worthy antagonists in a powerful story that makes me want to carry on. Very highly recommended.
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and also Sentinals Discovery, the first few chapters of Sentinals Awaken from Birlerion’s POV and get notified when my next books are published.
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Reviewed: April 19th, 2025 Released: January 2nd, 2025 Genre: Fantasy Murder Mystery
For a thousand years, Concordia has maintained peace between its provinces. To mark this incredible feat, the Emperor’s ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage to the sacred Goddess’s Mountain.
Aboard are the heirs of the twelve provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing. Except one: Ganymedes Piscero – class clown, slacker, and all-round disappointment.
But when a beloved heir is murdered, every one of these powerful people becomes a suspect.
Now Ganymedes – alone and vulnerable without a Blessing – must become the hero he was never born to be.
With the body-count rising, can he unmask the killer before they reach the shore? Read My Thoughts…
Are you ready to travel back three thousand years and meet the Goddess Leyandrii, her Captain, Guerlaire, and find out how the Sentinals came to be and what happened to them?
Set three thousand years prior to Sentinals Awaken, the first book in the Sentinals Series, the prequel part one delves into Leyandrii’s world before she acted to protect her people against the shadowy threat of the ascendants.
Here we get to meet Guerlaire, his friends Chryll, Anter and many more. We find out how Tagerill, Serill and Birler first meet and join them in their trials and tribulations to become a Lady’s Ranger.
Interwined is the great love story of Leyandrii and Guerlaire and how they both strive to protect the other against those who oppose them.
Part One will be available May 5th, 2025, and Part Two as soon as I can finish it, but it will be in 2025.
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and also Sentinals Discovery, the first few chapters of Sentinals Awaken from Birlerion’s POV and get notified when my next books are published.
By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator
Three full page colour artwork stretch goals are unlocked for Eileen Mueller, RM Krogman and R.M. Schultz. Do you want more? Then next up are specially commissioned artwork for Rocco Levitas and JDL Rosell.
Wow! Just wow – this is the specially commissioned artwork created by the amazing Ertaç Altinoz for Eileen Mueller’s story, “Javelina’s Dragon”.
Full Page colour art for R.M Krogman
Commissioned artist: Joe Requesa
Full Page colour art for R.M Schultz
Commissioned artist: Joe Requesa
Next stretch goal – artwork for Rocco Levitas’s story: “Downscaled”.
Can we get to $30k?? Next stretch goal – artwork for JDL Rosell’s story: “The Dying Heart of Hope”.
Eighteen amazing authors came together and wrote eighteen dragon themed short stories. From Epic fantasy, LitRPG to dark fantasy or noblebright, there is a story for everyone.
Reign of Dragons blends some of the most beloved self-published fantasy authors with top-tier digital artists to bring you a first-class reading experience centered around dragons.
Venture into luxurious epic fantasy, where master crafters of dragons give you an epic blast of illustrations and short stories from diverse perspectives. Ranging from warm-hearted lessons to rip-roaring action, this anthology will remind you why you fell in love with the epic fantasy genre in the first place.
Get ready to satisfy your thirst to forget the present and experience breathless thrill, gut-wrenching emotion, and gritty adventure—just how a flight on dragonback should be.
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and also Sentinals Discovery, the first few chapters of Sentinals Awaken from Birlerion’s POV and get notified when my next books are published.
By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator
Starts: Saturday April 12th, 2025 at 12 midday BST Closes: Saturday May 3rd, 2025 midnight BST Winner announced midday BST May 4th, 2025 Open Internationally, One winner, Over 18 only
Join me as I celebrate the forthcoming launch of Sentinals Origins Part One with many of my friends in the writing community. Thank you to these generous authors for donating one of their books to the grand prize. Enter the launch giveaway by following the authors on social media or by signing up to their newsletter. The more authors you follow, the more entries you recieve.
One randomly drawn reader will win a signed paperback of Sentinals Origins and SIXTEEN amazing fantasy ebooks.
Are you ready to travel back three thousand years and meet the Goddess Leyandrii, her Captain, Guerlaire, and find out how the Sentinals came to be and what happened to them?
Set three thousand years prior to Sentinals Awaken, the first book in the Sentinals Series, the prequel part one delves into Leyandrii’s world before she acted to protect her people against the shadowy threat of the ascendants.
Here we get to meet Guerlaire, his friends Chryll, Anter and many more. We find out how Tagerill, Serill and Birler first meet and join them in their trials and tribulations to become a Lady’s Ranger.
Interwined is the great love story of Leyandrii and Guerlaire and how they both strive to protect the other against those who oppose them.
Part One will be available May 5th, 2025, and Part Two as soon as I can finish it, but it will be in 2025.
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and also Sentinals Discovery, the first few chapters of Sentinals Awaken from Birlerion’s POV and get notified when my next books are published.
By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator
Author ofthe Theo series, the Riders of Jade and Fire series, and contributing author to the Reign of Dragons anthology.
I am very pleased to welcome Melanie Ansley to my blog to talk about her writing process and the Reign of Dragons Anthology kickstarter.
Helen: Welcome, Melanie. I’m excited to talk to you about your wonderful books and your contribution to the Reign of Dragons anthology. I love your cover for your first book in the Theo series, tell us a little about your books.
Melanie: My first series is called “Book of Theo”, and is set in a world where reading and writing are forbidden. One rabbit with the taboo ability to read and write decides to challenge the empire that is trying to enslave animal kind. It’s “Redwall” meets “Lord of the Rings”, basically!
Helen: Sounds amazing, and your second series is set in the same world as your contribution to the Reign of Dragons anthology, “Day of the Blood Dragon”.
Melanie: The book “Dragon Class” takes place in the Tang dynasty, so roughly 1000 years after the events in “Day of the Blood Dragon”. It’s a story of a thief who steals a dragon egg, then finds herself catapulted into the Dragon Class, the empire’s most elite force. Like many dragon stories, it’s really about the bond between dragon and human, so I knew the cover needed to convey these two characters—as well as the unique setting!
Helen: Tell us about your contribution to the Reign of Dragons anthology.
Melanie: My story “Day of the Blood Dragon” came about from a question: what if the First Emperor of China united the kingdoms only because he had the help of dragons? I’ve loved history and fantasy for as long as I can remember, and the first emperor of China is both a fascinating and repugnant figure to me. In this story, his sorceress Lu’sha sets out on a quest to convince the queen of the dragons to support his cause, but neither she nor her king realize the price they will have to pay. I had such fun writing this and I’d love to turn it into a tie-in series.
Helen: How did you become involved in the Reign of Dragons anthology?
Melanie: Firstly, the co-host of this anthology, Jasmine Young, pitched it so well I couldn’t refuse. She is so fun to work with, and she’s an experienced Kickstarter organizer. It was also such an amazing line up of talent, and I’ve never been in an anthology so I immediately said yes.Â
Helen: It is a wonderful anthology to be involved in, and each stretch goal we achieve will help make this book even more beautiful, which is so exciting. We’ve just got the draft art copy of the colour dust jacket which will also be gold foiled! Isn’t it gorgeous?
When writing your stories, do you prefer to write heroes or villains?
Melanie: I enjoy writing villains, because I’m fascinated by what makes them tick, what makes the darkest act you and I can imagine seem justifiable, maybe even morally superior, to someone else. Because no one believes they are evil, they just have a very different–and sometimes deeply buried–moral compass.
Helen: That is so true and characters that readers can relate to, whose motives although morally grey, are understandable, hook the reader even more. Do you plan out your books or do you let your story go where it will.
Melanie: I feel like pantser or planner is a spectrum rather than an “either/or”, and I think this is something I had to figure out by myself—it’s very personal, like how much salt or pepper you like in your food. I also do things a little “backwards”—I do an outline, write the thing, and then break it down chapter by chapter into an excel sheet to see what’s not working and why. Efficient? Probably not, but I get there in the end.
Helen: I think everyone should write in the way that works for them and everyone is different. Do you have any favourite authors?
Melanie: I love Peter S Beagle and Lian Hearn. Their writing is so exquisite I feel like I’ve been on some magical ship after reading their work. Plus one of the best things about this anthology “Reign of Dragons” has been discovering some of my new favourite indie authors!
Helen: There are so manay amazing authors, and every story shines on its own merits. I can’t wait to hear what our readers think. Do you have anything random you’d like to share about yourself?
Melanie: I’ve always wanted to learn to play the ukelele.
Helen: I hope you do! Thank you for joining me today, Melanie. It’s been lovely chatting to you. Just to finish, do you have any advice for aspiring authors.
Melanie: It’s not writing advice by one particular person, but as a film producer I often brushed up against the attitude of “no one wants to watch your movie”. It sounds terribly discouraging, but I found that embracing it was very freeing. When I first started publishing, I suffered the common paralysis of worrying whether my work was good enough. But then “no one wants to read your book” is like the advice to “dance like no one’s watching”—it frees you. And being good enough also becomes a moot point, because really at the end of the day, I would write even if no one read my work. This took away the pressure while also forcing me to examine my book: WHY would someone want to read it? I try to answer that question for everything I write, and I think that helps me with story, focus, and marketing.
Who are the authors in the Anthology?
About the Anthology
Reign of Dragons: An Illustrated Anthology blends some of the most beloved self-published fantasy authors with top-tier artists to bring you a first-class reading experience centered around dragons.
Venture into luxurious epic fantasy, where master crafters of dragons give you an epic blast of short stories and illustrations from a rich cross section of the fantasy genre. From romances to rip-roaring battles to LitRPG adventures, think of this anthology as your next first-class experience.
We invite you to treat yourself to this delicious charcuterie board of talent—with every story centered around dragons!
Melanie is an award-winning author and filmmaker of Chinese descent, now based in Australia. Over her 20 years of film producing, she has been lucky enough to work on award winning feature films and also written for some Oscar winning producers.
Her first novel, “Theo and the Forbidden Language”, won Best YA at the 2018 IndieReader Discovery Awards, and its origin story “The Lost Child of Willago” is currently being developed into a video game. Her latest series, “Riders of Jade & Fire,” is an action-packed dragonrider academy tale set during Empress Wu’s Tang China, and perfect for fans of “Eragon” or “Temeraire”. When she’s not writing and filmmaking, Melanie is raising two children (which involves lots of magic and luck). You can find her at www.melanieansley.com
If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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And the sprayed edges are funded. They are so pretty. I can’t wait to see them in real life!! Thank you to everyone who backed our kickstarter, you did it!
Next goal is colour artwork for one of our authors, Eileen Mueller’s Javelina’s Dragon.
Javelina’s Dragon is a Riders of Fire Dragon Masters side story about a character one of Eileen’s readers helped create. When Javelina, a circus acrobat, meets Xarian, the dragon rider sent to investigate her ex-lover’s murder, Javelina’s life is turned upside-down—and not just on the trapeze.
Eighteen amazing authors came together and wrote eighteen dragon themed short stories. From Epic, to LitRPG to noblebright, there is a story for everyone.
Watch this space for some Author spotlights and more information about each author’s story. Get to know the authors and find a new fantasy series to read today.
Author Interview: Jasmine Young. Co-organiser of the Reign of Dragons Kickstarter and author of the Realm Breaker series.
Reign of Dragons blends some of the most beloved self-published fantasy authors with top-tier digital artists to bring you a first-class reading experience centered around dragons.
Venture into luxurious epic fantasy, where master crafters of dragons give you an epic blast of illustrations and short stories from diverse perspectives. Ranging from warm-hearted lessons to rip-roaring action, this anthology will remind you why you fell in love with the epic fantasy genre in the first place.
Get ready to satisfy your thirst to forget the present and experience breathless thrill, gut-wrenching emotion, and gritty adventure—just how a flight on dragonback should be.
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and also Sentinals Discovery, the first few chapters of Sentinals Awaken from Birlerion’s POV and get notified when my next books are published.
By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator
Reviewed: April 3rd, 2024 Released: December 26th, 2018 Genre: Epic Fantasy
What if the job you took to stay alive might be what kills you?
Kade knows what it is to suffer. He knows what it’s like to lose everything and everyone around him.
His job in a Stormer Unit guarantees not just his survival in the decimated country of Azetaria, but his sister Meg’s.
Even if it means facing the Numachi warriors baying for his blood, he’ll do what it takes to keep her safe.
Hadley is alone and surviving the only way she knows how. By hiding where predators won’t find her and scavenging enough just to keep her alive.
When desperation drives Hadley to search for her missing brother, she mistakenly accepts the offer of recruitment into the Stormer’s camp, only to be partnered with Kade and sent as a scout into Numachi territory.
The intimidating young Stormer may just know where her brother has gone. But can they stay alive long enough to find him? Read My Thoughts…
Reviewed: March 28th, 2025 Released: April 25th, 2022 Genre: Fantasy – Coming of Age
A broken man finds a new life teaching magic. But can he keep it? As a washed-up and forgotten sorcerer, Aldric’s only goal in life is to get drunk enough to forget his tragic past. That is, until his friends coerce him into a teaching position at one of the most prestigious magic academies in the world. Now he’s saddled with the responsibility of teaching four new pupils, all of whom wonder who this brilliant yet unorthodox man truly is.
But Aldric’s past demons aren’t gone. They’ve only been lying in wait. As wars, rulers and politics of the past all begin to catch up with him, Aldric’s newfound place to belong is threatened by the very things he’s been trying to escape.
It’s time for Aldric to finally confront his history. And learn some new lessons himself. Read My Thoughts…
It’s time to find out more about the characters in the epic fantasy Sentinal series. Who do you want to know more about?
Going back three thousand years means we get a chance to delve into who the Sentinals really are, where they came from, and how they became Sentinals in the first place.
The Sentinals were not always silver-eyed, with distinctive names and appearance, representing the absent Lady Leyandrii. They were ordinary people with hopes and dreams.
Up next is Serillion What do we know about him from the Sentinal series?
Serillion is one of five Sentinals woken in Greens Watch. Blond-haired and slender, Serillion hails from Marchwood. He is close friends with Birlerion and Tagerill. They first met at the Rangers Academy and graduated together. Quiet and bookish, Serillion loves to research and was often found in the Chapterhouse. He helped Guerlaire with catologuing his finds. He is horrified by the loss of the original Chapterhouse and all of Guerlaire’s records and samples.
Find out where he came from and how he met Tagerill and Birler in Sentinal Origins.
Sentinals Origins is the first part of the prequel to the award winning epic fantasy Sentinals series. We go back three thousand years and meet Lady Leyandrii and her captain, Guerlaire, and find out how Birlerion, Serillion and Tagerill first met.
If you love finding out the history and back story of a series, then it’s time to preorder Sentinals Origins | Part One.
Sentinals Origins in on special preorder price of $3.99/ÂŁ2.99 until launch date when it will revert to $6.99. So grab your copy now. Preorder now
Book cover designed by Jeff Brown Graphics
Character art generated by Canva AI
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and also Sentinals Discovery, the first few chapters of Sentinals Awaken from Birlerion’s POV and get notified when my next books are published.
By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator)
Helen Garraway 