Three Crossers return to the Homelands with tales of the Wild run amok.

Three children are scarred by the Wild, outside and in.

Three families are thrown together and must choose: Give up all they have known and flee to the locks? Or face the Test and, perhaps, the Wild itself?

Thrum is a classic fantasy novel set in The Lands, where an elemental force - the Wild - responds to art of all sorts, and particularly to music. The cultures of The Lands have developed strong, deep creative traditions. They have a particular reverence for those skilled in music, but as in many stories, with great power comes great responsibility.

Though they are protected by the river Thrum, the Homelanders send their best across the river to the Crosslands, where they are expected to undergo the Test that proves their ability to keep the Wild in check. Those who make this journey are called Bridge-crossers, or simply Crossers.

The story starts with three Crossers coming home, only to see the Wild break loose, forcing people from their homes. Three families are forced from their homes and into direct confrontation with the Wild and the Crosslands. They must decide between travelling to the safety of the Locks, giving up the lives they have known, or taking the Test and facing the Wild themselves.

Thrum is largely born out of my experience with the Irish musical tradition that runs deep in Newfoundland, where I was raised. These songs often feature simple themes and melodies that are suited to performance by those without a lot of training or expensive instruments, but they absolutely blossom when performers who’ve dedicated their lives to music put their own personal spin on them. It’s pretty magical.

Thrum is the first in what I hope will be a series of books about the Lands and the people who inhabit them. It introduces the main characters that will tie the series together as well as the forces that drive them towards their destinies, and tells how they find themselves forced into the roles of heroes.

This book has been uploaded as an entry to the Geek and Sundry Fantasy Novel contest (https://www.inkshares.com/contests/geek-and-sundry-fantasy-contest). Your preorders will help me not just towards publication of the book but also to become part of the Geek and Sundry collection here on Inkshares, which would be an amazing honour and seems likely to bring enough attention that I can keep working on the rest of the series.