The Blue Beacon

Two hundred years have passed since the disappearance of humanity and the dawn of interspecies communication. The cities and towns of the Pacific Northwest are now resettled by the Cascadian Alliance, a coalition formed to protect the flourishing of all mammal life. Outside of the brief and bloody Avian Wars, a prosperous peace endures.

But a new conflict is arising, as predators in the wilderness regions yearn for a revival of the Old Way, when the strong ate the weak. While Old Way antagonism builds, hunted mammals migrate to settled regions in droves, and a long peace leaves the Alliance vulnerable to threat.

Meanwhile, deep in the Siskiyou forests, war arrives early…

The Blue Beaconis the first novel inThe Cascadia Chronicles, a fantasy series set in the post-human ruins of the Pacific Northwest.

Eola Lightstripe is a young badger on a journey to Bridge City with four companions. She and two rangers named Arrick and Bajo––a marten and raccoon, respectively––are tasked with protecting an enigmatic flying squirrel named Ophir who is sworn to an oath of silence. What Eola doesn't know is they are being hunted, and the consequences of their quest will change Cascadia forever.

The Blue Beaconis an action-adventure novel for fans of legendary animal fiction likeRedwall,Wildwood,The Rats of NIMH, or theWarriorsseries. Set in the post-human ruins of the Pacific Northwest, the heroes traverse real world locations re-imagined in the wake of the disappearance of humans. Like theRedwallbooks, luxuriant food descriptions and heart-thumping action are hallmarks.

The full Blue Beacon novel will is available atCascadiaChronicles.com.I'm posting this story on Royal Road partly to find a new audience for this story, and partly to honor a friend of mine, Matador, whose "Monster Menu" and "Psycho Duel" became hits in the last year. Matador passed away last month. He was a compatriot in words since 2004, and I hope to honor him by sharing this story with a community he cherished.