Book excerpt: In the frozen streets of Halmstadt, Vidar—a disgraced young scribe—finds himself cast out, with no allies and nowhere left to turn. Forced into the city’s impoverished depths, where desperation runs as deep as hunger, Vidar experiences a bleak existence. Then, everything changes in a single, desperate moment when he taps into the forbidden power of a rune. This one act sets off a chain of events that might alter his fate forever. Rune work is the realm of the guild. Only trained rune scribes know their secrets, and for anyone else, using them is a death sentence. What power do such laws hold over a man with nothing left to lose? When an ancient beast from legend spreads its wings and rains fire over the city, Vidar realizes that his forbidden discovery may be the key to saving Halmstadt. With only the knowledge he’s scraped together and an unbreakable determination, he must master the runes and unlock their power to bring the city back from the edge of ruin. Can Vidar uncover the truth behind the runes and forge his own destiny, or will he become just another forgotten name in Halmstadt’s bloody history? Runes of Discovery weaves thrilling magic, unexpected revelations, and a pulse-pounding journey, perfect for readers craving epic battles, rich mysteries, and a hero who risks it all.