Finally put the first chapter of my book online, and this is the cover that I made. Hopefully someone finds it interesting :)

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Every 128 years, the massive volcano Kouhisi erupts, blanketing the sky in ash, and plunging the world into darkness. The year following this eruption is one of near-perpetual night and severe winter, earning it the moniker of "The Black Year".

All must prepare for this inevitability, from the smallest of tribes to the grandest of kingdoms. Yet scarcity always brings desperation. No one—human, dragon, gryphon, or otherwise—can escape the simple threats of hunger and cold.

First Chapter: Blood in the Water

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The book will follow multiple characters—dragons, gryphons, and humans—in the struggles brought on by the disaster. It is very heavily inspired by A Song of Ice and Fire (including the slow writing pace!) as well as Wings of Fire (moreso cool concepts from the fan community on how a society of dragons would look than the books themselves). It is also very heavily inspired by the history of the Byzantine Empire and its surroundings, in a period reflecting the 12th century.

Surprisingly, I have not yet been diagnosed as on the autism spectrum.

I'm realizing that I set the rating for this post as 'general', but definitely expect 'violence and mature themes' from the writing itself.