Meet the Sentinals: Tagerill

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 Tagerill. What do we know about him from the Sentinal series?

We know Tagerill is from a close family, one of four children. His older brothers are Penner and Versillion, sister Marianille, and younger brother, Birlerion. He comes from Greens, now called Greenswatch. His father is the Lord of Watch, Lord Warren, and his mother, Lady Melis.

The Descelles are an ancient family, long supporters of the Lady Leyandrii, and they protect the forests and lands known as Greens. Tagerill is a fiery red head, rumbunctious and loyal. We first meet Tagerill in Stoneford Watch, when Jerrol awakes the Stoneford Sentinals. He is overwhelmed by the loss of his family, only the company of Birlerion keeps him balanced and functioning.

Tagerill’s Sentinal name is Tagerillion, but he rarely uses it, often his name is shortened to Tage by his family and close friends. Tagerill loves his family and Greens. He steps up to protect Jerrol almost immediately, wielding his huge broadsword and his larger than life personality.

Release Date: May 5th, 2025.

Click HERE to Preorder Your Copy Today!

TAGERILL – What do we know about him?

Trailer

Tagerill Descelles

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/£2.99 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.

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Meet the Sentinals: Birlerion

If you love finding out the history and back story of a series, then it’s time to preorder Sentinals Origins | Part One.

Release Date: May 5th, 2025.

Click HERE to Preorder Your Copy Today!

BIRLERION – What do we know about him?

Trailer

It’s time to focus on the characters in the epic fantasy Sentinal series who 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.

Let’s start with Birlerion. What do we know about him from the Sentinal series?

Birlerion is the first Sentinal we meet. He has been sleeping in his sentinal tree in the gardens of the Lady’s temple. The only sentinal tree in the city of Old Vespers.

When Jerrol accidentally awakes him, Birlerion is thrown into a world that he no longer recognises. Three thousand years have passed and he is horrified to find that not only the city has changed, but the language has evolved, and his family are long dead. He is steadied by the need to protect Jerrol, the new Lady’s Captain.

But who was he?

Before he was called Birlerion, he was known as Birler. We know he came from the city streets of Vespers in the territory of Vespiri, had no ancient family name, though he calls Tagerill brother and uses his family name, Descelles. How did he become to be adopted into the Descelles family. Where did he actually come from?

Birlerion is the most mysterious of the Sentinals, it takes six books to discover who he is in the future and the part he has to play. Now’s the time to find out where he came from.

Sentinals Discovery is a novella which shows Birlerion’s reaction when he is first awoken, and is the first few chapters of Sentinals Awaken from Birlerion’s POV. If you sign up to my newsletter via www.helengarraway.com, you can download it for free along with the novella Sentinals Stirring.

Sentinals Origins in on special preorder price of $3.99/£2.99 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

Cover Reveal: Sentinals Origins | Part One

Very excited to reveal the cover for Sentinals Origins | Part One.

If you love finding out the history and back story of a series, then it’s time to preorder Sentinals Origins | Part One.

Release Date: May 5th, 2025.

Click HERE to Preorder Your Copy Today!

Wild magic is rife in the world of Remargaren and a shadowy group of dissidents have discovered how to exploit the power for their own purposes.

The goddess, Leyandrii, and her Captain, Guerlaire, must face down this new threat and protect the people from unseen dangers. As Guerlaire learns to wield his own power, three new cadets with the potential to change the world are beginning their journey to become Lady’s Rangers.

Drawn from the back streets of Vespers, a young boy is thrust into a world beyond his comprehension. Battling bigotry and violence, Birler will need to navigate the Rangers’ Academy while grappling with unexpected ties of friendship, a tantalising found family, and embrace ancient magical powers.

A heartwarming tale of friendship and family is set against a backdrop of bigotry and violence in a world where wild magic can precariously tip the balance. Birler and his new friends will have to fight their own battles, not only to earn the right to become rangers, but to help Leyandrii and Guerlaire restore the natural balance and defend their world.

Sentinals Banished receives The Book Revue Five Star review!

Have you read Sentinals Banished yet? The fifth book in the award winning Sentinal Series.

The Book Revue has given it a Five Star review.

Click HERE to Purchase Your Copy Today!

Editorial Book Review:

By Marcos Buttler

Right away in the opening chapter, the complex universe in which this story takes place caught me. The route of the protagonist is anything but straightforward in a society where political intrigue, power struggles, and difficult moral conundrums control. Most in this book was the author’s skill to mix the protagonist’s inner struggle with the exterior tension of the surrounds. The story seemed rich and profoundly absorbing because of the balance between intimate ties and the more broad conflict.

The author doesn’t shy away from exploring difficult themes. The notion of loyalty versus duty is a recurring thread, and it’s handled with such nuance that I found myself constantly questioning what I would do in the protagonist’s shoes. The stakes are great for the protagonist as well as for the planet they live on. The author does a great job of showing the personal cost the larger political and military decisions cause for people engaged. Sometimes I found myself really engaged in the result of their actions since the weight of every decision had actual emotional impact.

The dreary alleyways and dark corners of Old Vespers are brought to life to the point where they feel like they belong in the plot. The city is shrouded in mystery and danger, and the suspense just grew as I read. The descriptions of the surroundings and the mood around it are so realistic that they have left an indelible effect on me.

I was also impressed by how the author intertwined the personal growth of the protagonist with the growing external threats. With each chapter exposing a fresh layer of depth to the individuals and the planet they live in, it seemed like a delicate ballet between the internal and external fights. The timing was perfect; enough action had me on the tip of my seat and allowed time to develop relationships and character.

Overall, this book kept me interested from beginning to end. It’s a highly moving and thought-provoking narrative set in a dangerous and mysterious environment. If you appreciate books with complex character development and a high-stakes plot, this is the one for you.

Thank you for all your support in 2024!

Another year has passed, and it’s that time of year when you look back at what you achieved last year and plan for the next. It is still quite amazing that I have been published for four years and have 12 books published and three short stories released to Patreon/Newsletter subscribers.

I hope you downloaded the bonus free novella set in the world of the SoulMist series which I wrote as thankyou to all my newsletter subscribers. Your support makes writing so fulfilling, and your enthusiam for my characters makes me want to write more! My newsletter subscribers voted for a short story on how Felather and Adriz met.

Anyhow, back to what I achieved in 2024, and what’s in store for 2025?

I published two books, one novella and two audiobooks.

1st April: Harmony
15th April: Sentinals Across Time on Audio
30th May: DragonBound on Audio
1st July: OblivionGate
23rd December: Oathsworn, Novella 0.5 SoulMist series (Free for Newsletter subscribers)

I launched my Online shop – making it easier to buy ebook and audio direct from me!

My books won Awards!!

Sentinals Justice
- 2024 BookFest Awards: Gold Medal for Epic Fantasy
Sentinals Across Time:
- Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for Epic Fantasy
- Global Book Awards Spring 2024: Finalist/GOLD Epic Fantasy
Harmony: Global Book Awards Spring 2024: Finalist/SILVER for Dystopian Science Fiction
Sentinals Banished
- Global Book Awards Winter 2024 Finalist/GOLD medal for Epic Fantasy
- Semi-Finalist for the 2024 CIBA OZMA Book Awards for Fantasy Fiction
SoulBreather
- 2024 BookFest Awards: Gold Medal
DragonBound
- Global Book Awards Winter 2024 Finalist/Bronze

It has been a busy year, a highlight of which was seeing my BookFest Gold Medalists, Sentinals Justice and SoulBreather up in lights on the Nasdaq board in Times Square in New York. A real bucket list moment!

So what’s in store for 2025? Well I have plans for more books!

Sentinals Origins-Part I. Release date May 5th, 2025
Sentinals Origins-Part II. Release date TBC
Book One: Celestial Throne series. Release date TBC 2H25
Kickstarter: My contribution: Secret Alliance Reign of Dragons Anthology. Kickstarter go live: March 2025

Other goals:

Revitalise my Patreon and gain some supporters
More formal Marketing plan
Audio for OblivionGate
Create a Sentinals Wiki site (stretch goal!!)

So plenty to keep me busy outside of the day job!

2024 was a busy year, lots of writing, though I was distracted by work as it was quite a tumultous year as the company I work for was acquired and so we’ve had lots of changes, but a year full of opportunity all the same. I am very excited for 2025 and the new opportunities it will bring. I look forward to sharing the results with you throughout the year. Once again – Thank you for all your support, I hope you stay with me as we continue this amazing journey.

And the Winner is…

…Kimberley

Congratulations to Kimberley for winning the Sentinals Birthday Book Bonanza Giveaway!

Kimberley wins a signed copy of the first and last book in the Sentinal series and lots of bookish swag! I will be in contact shortly to arrange for your bookish prize to be posted off to you.

Signed paperback of Sentinals Awaken
Signed Paperback of Sentinals Destiny
Sentinal Totebag
Stickers
postcards
Bookmarks

Looking for a complete epic fantasy series, immersing you in a magical world filled with myth, legend and engaging charcters? Then the Sentinal series is for you.

Sentinals Awaken – Book One

When a long-forgotten threat starts to reemerge, one man stands as the last defense against darkness…

Jerrol Haven serves his king without question. When he finds evidence of corruption and is attacked, the loyal soldier’s mind spins after his touch of a sacred tree awakens the dormant spirit of a three-thousand-year-old protector. But he fears he has failed after the crown prince accuses him of treason and orders his execution…

Fleeing the city, Jerrol is stunned when the goddess appears to him, appoints him captain of her warriors, and charges him with a quest to find artifacts that can save the realm. And as he runs into danger and more betrayals, the steadfast hero discovers a rare gift that may be the world’s only hope…

Can Jerrol rally the forces of good to stop a rising evil?

Sentinals Awaken is the first book in the Sentinal epic fantasy series. If you love endearing characters, immersive world-building, and gritty conflict, then you’ll love Helen Garraway’s award-winning tale.

Sentinals Destiny – Book Six

THE EPIC CONCLUSION TO THE SENTINAL SERIES

Birlerion’s leave of absence is up and it’s time for him to return to work. Before he has time to sit behind his desk, or discover the source of the brooding threat that is hovering over him, he is sent off to Terolia to negotiate with the Families for a bride. The succession must be protected and it’s time for King Anders to marry.

As he travels through the deserts, he realises that it is the Veil that is hunting him, and it wants his blood. But no one will listen to his concerns about the Veil. The healers believe he is struggling to adjust after his recent traumas. Their arguments are persuasive and overrule saner minds.

Betrayed by those he loves, driven by an oath invoked by the king, and with only Jaredion and Leyarille to protect him, Birlerion goes on the run across Vespiri, Terolia and into the islands of Birtoli, the home of the Oath. If he doesn’t discover a way to stop the Veil from killing him, it will not only be his life that is lost, it will be all of Remargaren that is destroyed.

Book six of the Sentinals Series, Sentinals Destiny, is the final book in the saga of Remargaren, a vibrant, ancient world of high fantasy suffused with magic and adventure.

Want to know more and follow my journey? Then make sure you sign up to my newsletter below.

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.

Happy Birthday to Sentinals Awaken and Sentinals Destiny

My debut novel Sentinals Awaken was published four years ago today, and the final book in the series, Sentinals Destiny was published one year ago, both released on October 11th. It seemed right to close the series on the same day it started.

So Happy Fourth Birthday to Sentinals Awaken and Happy First birthday to Sentinals Destiny.

Join me as we celebrate these bookish milestones!

Enter the draw, no purchase necessary, but if you want to know more about my books, please do sign up to my newsletter, or follow me on social media. More places you follow me, more entries you get!

Enter Sentinals Birthday Bonanza draw

Enter the draw for a chance to win a signed copy of the first and last book in the Sentinal series and lots of bookish swag!

Signed paperback of Sentinals Awaken
Signed Paperback of Sentinals Destiny
Sentinal Totebag
Stickers
postcards
Bookmarks

Looking for a complete epic fantasy series, immersing you in a magical world filled with myth, legend and engaging charcters? Then the Sentinal series is for you.

Sentinals Awaken – Book One

When a long-forgotten threat starts to reemerge, one man stands as the last defense against darkness…

Can Jerrol rally the forces of good to stop a rising evil?

Sentinals Destiny – Book Six

Book six of the Sentinals Series, Sentinals Destiny, is the final book in the saga of Remargaren, a vibrant, ancient world of high fantasy suffused with magic and adventure.

Want to know more and follow my journey? Then make sure you sign up to my newsletter below.

Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.

Sentinals Banished makes the 2024 CIBA OZMA Book Awards for Fantasy Fiction Short List

I am so excited to share that Sentinals Banished, the fifth book in the epic fantasy Sentinal Series has made it through to the Short list for the 2024 Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA) OZMA Book Awards for Fantasy Fiction!

The Ozma Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Fantasy Fiction. The Ozma Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards discovers the best books in the Ozma Awards featuring magic, the supernatural, imaginary worlds, fantastical creatures, legendary beasts, mythical beings, or inventions of fancy that author imaginations dream up without a basis in science as we know it. Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Dragons, Unicorns, Steampunk, Dieselpunk, Gaslight Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, or other out-of-this-world fiction. These books have advanced to the Long List in the 2024 CIBAs OZMA division.

Sentinal Banished has moved forward in the first look rounds from the 2024 OZMA Book Awards long list to the SHORT LIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2024 Ozma Semi-Finalists List. FINALISTS will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC25.

Sentinals Banished is the fifth book in the saga of Remargaren, a vibrant, ancient world of high fantasy suffused with magic and adventure.

Sentinals Banished is set seventeen years after the fourth book, Sentinals Across Time.

Sentinal Birlerion has watched from the shadows for so long he doesn’t know how to stop. Always there when the Lady’s Captain needed him. He did what was necessary to keep those he loved from harm.

When the king banishes the Lady’s Captain, Jerrol Haven, from Vespiri and disbands the Sentinal guard, the Sentinals are at a loss, some bitter, some eager to retire, all angry at the king’s decision.

Birlerion moves to Old Vespers to watch over Jerrol’s daughter as she begins her journey to become a King’s Ranger.

Old Vespers is in turmoil, the king unpredictable, and the Sentinals are unwelcome. Unexplained deaths are occurring, and bodies begin to appear in the city streets. As Birlerion continues his search for the place he can call home, he has to step out of the shadows as he is drawn into a tangled web of deceit and lies. He must hunt down those responsible and clear the Sentinals name before anyone else goes missing.

Want to know more and follow my journey? Then make sure you sign up to my newsletter below.

Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.

Celebrating World Book Day!

I wish every day was World Book Day!! I suppose if we want it to be we could make it so. After all who doesn’t love curling up with a good book, a favourite beverage of choice and plenty of snacks.

Then we get to spend hours chatting about our favourite books, authors, characters, quotes, sayings, worlds, the list is endless.

I think that is what so wonderful about books, it draws like-minded people together, it grows communities, it gives people an outlet to express their frustration at a plot point, a character’s behaviour or when an author doesn’t write it how we want them to, and time to express our sheer love and enjoyment when they do!

Image: Canva

Do you have auto buy authors? I do. When I fall in love with the characters or a world, and I love the way an author writes, then I want more. I devour everything they have written. I love Space Opera, and one of my favourite authors is in fact a duo, Steve Miller and Sharon Lee. They have created an intricate universe full of amazing characters and complex cultures, and their way of writing is very distinctive as a result. If you’ve read them, I’m happy to chat about them! Who’s your favourite character? My favourite’s change every time they introduce new people, because they are all so engaging, though Pricilla Mendoza and Shan yos’Galan were the first characters I met and loved, so I guess they are my ultimate favourites. I can’t wait for their next book which is focussed on the Master Trader. Yes! she says, with a fist pump.

It brings me great joy when I hear my readers say the same of my books, characters, worlds or the way I write. There is no greater compliment to an author to be told you are a reader’s auto buy! Even the thought of it just makes me smile, because those readers get me and my worlds. We are on the same wavelength. We are our own book community.

I hope you spend this World Book day finding new authors to love, new worlds to escape into, and maybe a few like-minded folks who love the same books you do. Happy Reading!

***

It is with great sadness that I write these words. One of my favourite authors died since I wrote this blog. Steve Miller passed away suddenly on February 20th, and having been a Patreon follower of Steve and Sharon for many years, you get to know them vicariously through the shenanigans of their home and author life, and although you may never have met them, they are there. As a result it is all the more shocking when suddenly they are not. My heartfelt sympathies go out to Sharon, as we mourn the loss of such a wonderful man, partner and author.

If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series. Or try my standalone Dystopian Science Fantasy, Harmony. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.

Thank you for all your support in 2023!

It’s that time of year when you look back at what you achieved last year and plan for the new year.

But before I do that I just want to say thank you to everyone who has read my books and left a rating/review. Your support makes writing so fulfilling, and your enthusiam for my characters makes me want to write more! I hope you signed up to my newsletter (If you haven’t scroll down!) and downloaded the bonus novella I wrote in the world of Remargaren as my Christmas gift to you.

I also want to thank the kind person who gifted me a subscription for my annual website fees. I am so happy you enjoy the content I post to my blog and on my website and I am thrilled that you chose to support my writing journey. I don’t know who you are, but I thank you so very much for your support.

If anyone is interested in supporting my writing efforts, I do have a Patreon, which is limping along without any subscribers, so I haven’t been posting much lately, but once someone subscribes, and peeks at all the content I posted last year, I will be much more active in 2024, I promise! Patreon levels start from £2 per month, so you can choose how much you donate.

Anyhow, back to what I achieved in 2023, and what’s in store for 2024?

I published four books! Yes four!! and two novellas and one audiobook.

23rd January: SoulBreather
23rd February: Sentinals Banished
7th June: Men of Magic and Myth (MM Anthology- Novella: Familiar Troubles)
10th June: SoulBreather-Audiobook
15th June: DragonBound
11th October: Sentinals Destiny
23rd December: Sentinals and Guardians, Novella 2.5 (Free for Newsletter subscribers)

My books won Awards!!

Sentinals Justice: Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal – Epic Fantasy
Sentinals Justice: Global Book Awards: Gold Medal – Sword and Sorcery
SoulBreather: Global Book Award Silver Medal – Fantays Myth & Legend
SoulBreather: Readers’ Favorite Finalist Medal– Fantasy/Sci-Fi
SoulBreather: Readers’ Favorite Five star Review
Sentinals Across Time: Finalist for the 2022 CIBA OZMA Book Awards for Fantasy Fiction
Sentinals Across Time: Readers’ Favorite Five star Review

It has been a busy year, a highlight of which was going to Miami to be presented with the Gold medal for Sentinals Justice.

So what’s in store for 2024? Well I have plans for four more books!

A standalone dystopian fantasy. Cover reveal to follow soon! Planned release Spring 2024
OblivonGate – Book three of the SoulMist series. On preorder. Planned release date July 1, 2024.
Sentinals prequel-Part I. Release date TBC
Sentinals Prequel-Part II. Release date TBC

Other goals:

I am planning out a new epic fantasy series.
Online shop on website – make it easier to buy signed paperback and audio direct from me!
Create a Booktok store
Develop plan to crack wide sales
Audio for Dragonbound

So plenty to keep me busy outside of the day job!

2024 is a year full of opportunity and a lot more writing. I look forward to sharing the results with you throughout the year. Once again – Thank you for all your support, I hope you stay with me as we continue this amazing journey.

If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. 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.