Grand Challenge – Book 1: Strength (Tales of Isarine)

Grand Challenge – Book 1: Strength (Tales of Isarine)

Having grown up under the oppressive racism of Aleksaria, Ana of Marshe has dragged her way through the gears and cogs of a machine that was meant to crush her. Against all odds, she’s made it to the Aleksanne Academy, with her eyes set on the coveted King’s Circle–in hopes of leading the Kingdom to a brighter future. But as her dream manifests into reality, the carefully crafted illusions of Aleksaria vanish, revealing sinister and strange machinations that lurk beneath. The truths she once clung to unravel like a ribbon. Her world begins to fray and fall apart. As the lines between enemies and allies blur, how will Ana make sense of the Kingdom she swore to save? When both sides are wrong, what is the right thing to do? A story of conviction, faith, and the quiet ruin of ideals—set within the fractured Kingdom of Aleksaria. GPT Free: No AI is used in the writing or art of this novel. set is a PNW-based queer author obsessed with storytelling. She's been writing character-driven fiction centered around the themes of love and despair since middle school, but didn't seriously pursue writing until after finishing her graduate degree in Cognitive Psychology in 2021. With heavy inspirations from fantasy video games such as the Final Fantasy series, as well as narrative-focused games like Gone Home, set prides herself on her unique style of literary storytelling, featuring fast-paced movement, clean exposition, and naturalistic dialogue. Set in the hostile fantasy world of Isarine, Osea is her debut novel, released in summer of 2024. Unless stated otherwise, every piece of writing, music, or art is created by set, without the use of AI.