AWAKEN THE DARK
WHERE HISTORY ENDS, THE DARKNESS BEGINS.
BEFORE JERUSALEM, THERE WAS JEBUS
An ancient city. A kingdom on the edge of war. And a darkness that has waited centuries to awaken.
Long before Jerusalem became the City of David, it was Jebus—a fortified Canaanite stronghold standing between kingdoms, cultures, and gods.
Within its walls, an ancient royal family struggles to preserve a kingdom surrounded by enemies. Beyond them, Israel is rising under King Saul, the Philistines are tightening their grip on the land, and a young shepherd named David is moving toward a destiny that will change history.
But the wars of men are only part of the story.
Older powers are stirring. Gods remembered in whispers, beings hidden behind ancient legends, and forces that have watched humanity for generations are beginning to move again. As the struggle for Jebus draws closer, the boundary between history and mythology begins to disappear.
And caught within it all are men and women who must decide whom they will trust, what they are willing to sacrifice—and whether the darkness approaching Jebus is something that can be defeated at all.
HISTORY REMEMBERS THE KINGS.
LEGEND REMEMBERS THE MONSTERS.
The world of Awaken The Dark is built upon the history, cultures, conflicts, and beliefs of the ancient Near East—then asks what might have existed beyond the edges of the historical record.
THE WORLD BEHIND THE STORY
Canaan, c. 1000 BC — a land divided among kingdoms, tribes, city-states, and ancient enemies. At its center stands Jebus, unconquered and waiting.
BUT HISTORY DOESN’T TELL THE WHOLE STORY
To the peoples of the ancient Near East, gods, spirits, omens, and unseen powers were not stories confined to myth. They were part of the world around them.
What if they were right?
Some of the oldest fears were not about gods at all.
In the world of Awake The Dark, darkness sometimes wears a human face.
CAUGHT BETWEEN KINGDOMS AND GODS
Kings fight for thrones. Armies fight for kingdoms. But the fate of Jebus will ultimately rest with people who never chose to stand at the center of either.
Princes and servants. Warriors and outcasts. Friends, enemies, and unlikely allies—each carrying loyalties, secrets, and choices that will shape what comes next.
History records the fall of kingdoms. It rarely remembers the people who lived inside them.
A KINGDOM ON THE EDGE
Jebus has endured for centuries, protected by steep valleys, formidable walls, and a citadel its people believe cannot be taken. But the world beyond those walls is changing.
To the west, the Philistines command powerful cities and armies. In the highlands, the tribes of Israel are becoming a kingdom under Saul. And somewhere beyond the walls of Jebus, a young shepherd named David is moving toward a destiny that will one day bring him to its gates.
The people of Jebus do not know what history has waiting for them. The reader knows that the city will not remain Jebus forever.
THE PEOPLE OF JEBUS
Kings and servants. Warriors and children. Each carries a story of Jebus—and each will have a part to play in its fate.
BAALDIR
A prince of Jebus who would rather explore the world beyond the palace than be confined by the expectations of royal blood. At fourteen, Baaldir is already discovering that being born into power does not mean having control over your own destiny.
NATHAN
Baaldir’s closest friend and constant companion, Nathan possesses neither royal blood nor a place among the powerful. But courage has little to do with birth, and the choices of an ordinary boy may prove just as important as those of kings.
ASTARTE
To Lox, Astarte belongs to the past—a woman he loved, lost, and has never truly left behind. Her memory follows him across the years, bound to questions of love, grief, and choices that can no longer be undone. Whether the stories surrounding her ended with her death is something only time will reveal.
BENEATH THE HISTORY, SOMETHING WAITS
Beyond the wars of kings and the ambitions of men, older forces are beginning to move. Powers remembered as gods, monsters, spirits, and angels have watched humanity for generations—and some have their own designs upon the world.
In Awaken The Dark, the oldest myths may contain the most dangerous truths.
STEP INTO THE VALLEY OF SHADOWS
The walls of Jebus still stand. Its people still believe their city is safe. And the forces gathering beyond—and beneath—those walls have only begun to reveal themselves.
The story begins with Awaken The Dark.
The Valley of Shadows 