– An Upcoming Novel by Wytemi –
In all of Dalefell there is no Light Except what a Lantern can Emit
In Dalefell, a frozen purgatory realm, a child Phoenix and his winged companion Azure must navigate a storm-ridden realm of endless, black oceans and sparse, icy isles in an impossible effort to find a way out. Their faith is tested. Trust is broken. And the freeze doesn’t stop.
This novel is inspired by the works of “To Build a Fire” by Jack London, and “Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket.
Genres:
YA 12- 15 Dark Literary Fantasy (according to my beta readers)
This is a finished draft and I am actively seeking out publishing agents to reach the widest audience available. If your an agent or interested in beta reading, reach out to me via my contact page.
You can read: Chapter i, Descension, here 🔽 (Show/Hide)
Query Synopsis 🔽 (Show/Hide)
Dalefell, an endless, pitch-black, abyss so abounded by darkness that nothing but the sparse sounds of course, cold gales eerily string the frigid air. The vacancy filled with nothing seen by natural sight. In all of Dalefell there is no light except what a lantern can emit. A child with black wings tears through the void, tunneling a narrow, lit spotlight through the clouds into a black abyss. His name is Phoenix; his exterior feathers are as dark as twilight, but his undercoat ignites crimson sparks that illuminates the void like torchlight. As this bird-like, angelic creature crashes into a dark snow surface, the realm’s curse tears his wings from his back and manifests them into another persona by the name of Azure.
Guided only by a wanderer named Daeth who offers cryptic counsel before disappearing into the void — Phoenix and Azure navigate the frozen isles of Dalefell in search of one goal: find a way out. But the journey seems impossible in a realm where lanterns are the sole light and a monster known only as the Eyeless God rages unseen. They sail a fragile boat through the black void, challenging psychological turmoil, bodily horrors, and violence. Isle after isle, they experience pain beyond imagination — trauma, mutilation, frigid cold, drowning, and storms of all kinds. Phoenix and Azure argue, bicker, murmur amongst each other.
Climax:
Together, they prepare for the confrontation with Heolstor himself. But when this moment finally arrives, Phoenix realizes there is no way out but up. Heolstor offers an ultimatum he can’t refuse: Join him, and Heolstor will rise Phoenix and Azure through his army of the damned as he ascends them through a hole in the sky. Phoenix accepts, but Azure refuses. After a tense battle during the morbid ascent of hastily-following spirits, Phoenix and Azure fight each other senseless and they crash back down to Dalefell in a fiery meteorstorm. Azure freezes permanently; lost forever. Phoenix loses his wings.
Ending:
The story ends with Phoenix and Segar — a father figure discovered along their tragic journey — wandering Dalefell with cracked lanterns through snow-covered paths in search of another way out. Despite all that has happened to them, they continue to believe that there is a dawn awaiting to rise from this pitch-black darkness.
– Commissioned Concept Art –
Discord User: malemiceli#8697
Sometime between 2018 and 2020, I connected with a fellow artist through a Discord community channel. We arranged a small set of character sketches, including an early design for Heolstor and several other concepts. While other concepts did not survive into the current draft, Heolstor’s sketch did. To me, that alone makes it significant. I have changed every single aspect including my main protagonist and yet somehow, Heolstor is the oldest surviving character design in the project’s history, and it has endured through nearly thirty complete overhaul drafts. In a project that has reinvented itself so many times, the fact that this single image has stayed constant is truly special. I lost contact with the artist sometime around the Pandemic, but I hope that if the project ever reaches a wider audience, it will find its way back to them, and that I can only hope to offer the proper credit they’re owed.
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Ashley Gariety
The visual language of the Mortal Angel was shaped by Ashley Gariety, a BYU-Idaho student whom I was introduced to by a friend of a friend of a sibling. After years of struggling to articulate what the concept should look like, Ashley simply understood it. Her draft and concept sketches continue to be the benchmark of what Across the Dales is and what the people of the Dales are to relatively look like. Unfortunately, the commissioned work was never completed — circumstances on both sides prevented it from reaching a finished state. If I could ever resume contact somehow-someway, I’d like to see that work finished.
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Artist David Raymond Weber
David Raymond Weber was my roommate in the fall of 2018, during a college semester at a Virginia college. He started sketching for one of the earliest rough drafts when Across the Dales was just a rough, early screenplay concept. Years later, When my debut came out in December 2023, I had reached back out to him asking for filler art. We’re still in contact today.
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Artist / Voice Actress Holly Lyons
Holly Lyons assisted with filler sketches for the 2023 debut, but her real contribution came through voice acting. She’s the voice of both Phoenix and Azure, and she remains the heart of the character that shapes how I go about writing the story. To this day I remain in touch and if the novel were to ever find its way into an audio drama, bringing the paring: Holly Lyons for Phoenix/Azure and Max Nielsen as Segar back on to the project would be the first thing I’d want to do.
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Eran Fowler (special note)
I have not yet commissioned Eran Fowler, but I feel inclined to include him nonetheless. While the Canadian digital artist has not provided me with any professional work, one particular piece he made has quite literally shaped the setting of Dalefell. His digital art for the novel Frostarc, commissioned by Arthur McMahon, perfectly encapsulates the kind of world I am trying to evoke, with the only difference being that my setting is pitch black. I have informed Eran of my inspiration and asked him if I could use his image for a Tundra music piece, and he agreed. I kept Eran Fowler on my mind for years while I continue to prepare financially to someday afford an artist of his caliber. You can check out his profile at the link below:
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– Music Production Senior Project Debut –
Storyboard Based on the 2023 draft 14
Original Soundtrack Playlist
