ABOUT JEREMIAH K. SWARTZELL
Jeremiah K. Swartzell is the author of Awaken the Dark, the first novel in The Shadow of Death Trilogy.
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
A lifelong fascination with history, mythology, and the ancient world eventually led him to a question: What might have existed in the spaces history left unexplained?
Growing up studying the Bible, Jeremiah was fascinated not only by its familiar stories, but by the world surrounding them—a world of ancient kingdoms, forgotten cities, warring peoples, giants, prophets, gods, and supernatural beings. His later interest in Norse and other ancient mythologies added another layer to that fascination.
The Shadow of Death Trilogy grew from bringing those worlds together.
Set against the historical landscape of the ancient Near East, Awaken the Dark explores the period surrounding the rise of David and his conquest of the Canaanite stronghold of Jebus—the city that would become Jerusalem. Historical and biblical events form the framework, while mythology and dark fantasy inhabit the places the surviving accounts leave silent.
BEYOND THE PAGE
Jeremiah was born and raised in the Midwest and has lived in New England, Upstate New York, and Georgia. Outside of writing, his creative interests include music, gardening, and carpentry.
Awaken the Dark was published in May 2025 and is the first installment of The Shadow of Death Trilogy.
The Valley of Shadows 