Of Stardust and Ruin

A Young Adult Fantasy of First Love, Forbidden Magic, and the Making of a Villain

Before a villain is made, darkness is born.

In the enchanting realm of the Kallos, magic is sacred, balanced, and woven into every living thing. Seventeen-year-old Diya is a gifted healer whose heart belongs to the natural world, her training, and the dream of earning a coveted place in Avalon. But as her final year begins, her focus is shaken by Matthew, a powerful fairy from Earth whose charm, strength, and restless ambition draw her into a love as pure as it is fragile.

Matthew believes he is destined to protect the realms. When he is lured into Skotadi, a darker world where magic is raw, dangerous, and driven by power, he begins training under a mysterious mentor who promises to unlock his true potential. But every secret choice pulls him further from the balance of the Kallos—and closer to the fate he never imagined for himself.

As Diya’s healing magic grows brighter, Matthew’s power becomes harder to control. Bound by forbidden blood magic and haunted by the threat of the Soulless, he must decide how far he is willing to go to save the worlds he loves. But love, loyalty, and destiny do not always lead to light.

Steeped in magical realms, coming-of-age romance, betrayal, and the fragile line between hero and villain, Of Stardust and Ruin is a dual-perspective young adult fantasy prequel to The Kallos Trilogy. It can be read as a standalone story or as a companion for readers who want to discover how one boy’s desire to protect everything he loved became the beginning of ruin.

Start reading Of Stardust and Ruin and enter the world of the Kallos, where love is powerful, magic has a cost, and destiny is written in the stars.

Excerpt from the book

It was the bottom of the ninth with two outs, and the other team’s star player was up to bat. They had two runners on base, and we were up by one run. I took my place on the mound, rubbing my finger along the stitches of the ball so familiar in my hand, and glanced to the stands. My twin sister, Maggie, and my parents were sitting on the edges of their seats—as if I’d let the other team win the final game of our summer season. My final game ever. I sent Mom a smirk, and she clasped her hands together with an encouraging nod.

“Let’s go, son!” Dad called beside her. I looked to Maggie, but her gaze was on Jack, her boyfriend, otherwise known as our team’s best shortstop. She really was smitten with him.

I turned my eyes toward home plate, took a deep breath, and released the first pitch. Curveball. Strike one.

The other side grumbled then cheered louder, their dugout standing and rattling the clanging fence. Our side remained still, as if every fan was holding their breath.

Second pitch. Drop ball. He didn’t stand a chance. Strike two.

My team cheered, becoming antsy and fidgeting in anticipation of my next pitch. Should I throw an obvious ball just to break up the strikes? The batter spit on the ground, eyes glaring at me, and my lip curled. Nah.

Final pitch. Fastball with all the power I could muster, barreling over one hundred miles per hour. My catcher tossed his glove off, shaking his hand, and the crowd went deathly quiet.

“Strike three! You’re out!” the umpire yelled.

The stands erupted in roaring cheers, and my teammates ran to tackle me on the field. What a perfect final season.

“Why do you have to go to boarding school?” my friend Tyler asked as we cleaned out the dugout. “It’s senior year. We need you on our school team.”

“You’ll be fine without me,” I said. “You already have scholarship offers from multiple colleges. You’re set.” In fact, several of our players were being recruited by some of the top baseball programs in the country. I would have been one of them, but I had bigger plans. Plans none of my nonmagic friends on Earth could understand.

“Whatever. Your parents are lame.” He shook his head. I laughed. My parents were the best, but I guess my friends had to blame someone for my leaving. “Coming for pizza?”

“Not tonight,” I responded. “I have to get home.” Maggie and I left for the Kallos tomorrow, and we always spent our last night together with our parents. I waved goodbye and jumped in my pickup, rolling down the windows to take in the scent of freshly cut grass and field dirt. The scents of my childhood.