Publisher's Synopsis
**Note from The Author Written 4/15/2021**Hey, I'm not really happy with this book. Do I regret writing it? No. All three of the Foreteller books were personal writing experiments that I thought were good enough to be self-published. There are aspects of the series that I really do enjoy and will continue utilizing for my future projects; however, these were written from 8th grade to my last year in High School. Ignoring the typos and structural problems, there are other issues with the books. In particular, I'm not happy with some of the representations in the novels. Let me get this out of the way: Trans people are valid. I have so much respect and love for the trans community and all of the struggles that they go through on a daily basis. As a fourteen-year-old, I had very limited experience with trans people, but I was interested in writing a character who was transgender. Jasmine was this attempt. My intentions were to make a quirky side character who would swoon after Erebus and he would be weirded out by her over-affectionate personality and her persistence. The issue is that Jasmine leans into some harmful stereotypes of transwomen: Erebus being overly grossed out by her is one. Additionally, her being trans is constantly mentioned for no plot reason. Erebus straight-up deadnames her at one point. It was at the third book, that I realized that this was an issue and I wanted to rectify it by having Erebus and Jasmine talk about her experiences. At that point, it was too late. I intended to make an interesting, fun character but ended up making another exhibit in the "poor representation" museum. For that, I apologize. I should have read more about trans people and their experiences before trying to write one. Going forward, I want to make a concerted effort in creating better representation. Writing Jasmine has taught me the importance of understanding my own biases and learning where I am most ignorant. I don't want anyone to think they're excluded from reading my novels or being a part of the community around my work just because of a character I wrote when I was fourteen. There are other reasons I'm not proud of these books like the confused messaging of the Paladin Order and how Erebus comes off as an enlightened centrist, but Jasmine felt the most important to talk about to me. Start with my most recent work. These are some of my youngest work and it shows. Thank you for your understanding and I hope some misguided writing in the past doesn't make you resent me in the present. Best Wishes, Thomas. - Synopsis - "Erebus Contendra, twenty-first in a long line of Foretellers who have the ability to see into the future, waits at the doorstep of his enemy. The Paladin Order, however, welcome him in as a guest of the Campus Maximus. Erebus now must learn of this new world he has been whisked away to, and all the while must try to fulfill his role as the Foreteller. He also must worry about his newest prophecy that tells of a mysterious, eldritch book that he must find. The pressure weighs heavy on his shoulders. Will he prevail through it all or buckle under the weight of this immense responsibility? "