The Second Stranger

In the first book of this epic fantasy, a guilt-stricken young man must enter a magical world and master forbidden skills to save his troubled brother.

Ever since his parents died in a car accident, Erik has been working three dead-end jobs to provide for himself and his rebellious younger brother, Noah. Drowning in his own guilt over the unexpected tragedy, he has no time to try to understand Noah or keep him out of trouble. But all bets are off when his little brother flees through a mysterious portal and Erik is swept in after him and reborn into a new world in a teenage boy's body.

His reluctant host, Fern, is a voidblood—a human incapable of magic in the country of Stylos, where the majority of the population is made up of powerful mages. Now, to escape a life of slavery and have any hope of finding Noah, Erik and Fern must enroll in the Academy of Ash, a brutal mercenary school where voidblood students are trained in the disciplines of weaponry, technology, and combat tactics. Their lessons are preparing them to fight back against those that oppress them, but challenges await at every turn.

As Erik and Fern strike a necessary truce to hide the fact that they're a heretical Twinsoul—two individuals crammed into one body—they're constantly tested by the Academy's unorthodox methods and duplicitous teachers. All the while, Erik's learning that mystical strength may not be so out of reach. Through a powerful blood infusion, he and his classmates acquire ferocious powers, allowing them to traverse the deadly floors of the pillar that looms above the Academy.

Further troubles arise when outside forces threaten to tear down the Academy's walls. A group of Royal Mages is intent on seizing both the school and the pillar to exploit the secrets within, and they'll shatter any barriers that stand in their way. Backed into a corner, Erik, Fern, and their fellow classmates must make a last desperate stand. With their very freedom on the line, they'll need to break every rule to come out on top, but even Erik may not survive the most shattering betrayal of all . . .

The first volume of the hit fantasy series—with more than 150,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Tropes include: magical academy, stranger in a strange world, secret identity, fight to survive, and unlikely hero.