First armed with a career in the United States Air Force that saw him wander the globe, then one in Education that has culminated in a Doctorate in Education, and an insatiable desire for the questions “why” and “what if…,” Derek Smith somehow ended up a teacher who writes fantasy. Raised on Tolkien, superheroes, and stories where ordinary people do extraordinary things, had always thought of ideas for novels, but as happens with mental stressors on American Veterans, he found it difficult to focus his efforts on setting down to write a novel—until a tabletop adventure with his Wife Brittany, their sons Hiccup and Hank, and his wife’s sister Brie that went wildly off-script.

The dice rolled, the characters refused to behave, and before long, they had escaped the table entirely and demanded a world of their own. When not teaching, worldbuilding, or arguing with fictional characters, Derek can usually be found chasing the next good story and reminding everyone that imagination is a true survival skill. I have ensnared some of the most incredible people to help me along the way with writing this book and series. Never fail to be kind.