Press & Media Kit
The Breath of Ash & Flame
Book 1 of The Breathwoven Saga
A novel by Thalen Runehart
A five-book epic fantasy of breath-thread magic, found family, and earned devastation. Book 1 of a saga written to be finished.
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GENRE
Adult Epic Fantasy
SERIES
The Breathwoven Saga, Book 1 of 5
RELEASE
November 2026
LENGTH
~150,000 words
PAGES
Approx. 520 (trade paperback)
AGE RATING
Adult - 16+
Synopsis
Kaelen was never meant to survive the night Willowbrook burned.
His father, dead. His mother, taken. The village that raised him, ash beneath his feet. And the sword that would not save any of them, lifted now in the hand of the man who wears his father's killing.
But a stranger finds him in the ruins. A weaver of a forgotten Order. A man who carries old magic the world has tried to bury.
And deep beneath Kaelen's grief, the Weave stirs, breath-thread and memory, rule and cost, shaped by those who would rebuild the world and those who would unmake it. Kaelen does not yet know that the magic calling to him is older than the empires that forbid it. He only knows that someone must answer.
The first book in The Breathwoven Saga, a five-book epic fantasy of breath, ash, and the family you forge when the world takes yours.
The Weave
Magic in Shikari is called the Weave. It is drawn through breath, not cast, not conjured, and shaped by emotion, form, and the rhythm of the weaver's own lungs.
Every weaver trains within one of Seven Elemental Orders (Fire, Moon, Wind, Water, Earth, Sun, Stars), each Order carrying its own discipline, its own costs, and its own relic-bond.
The Weave has rules, and the rules have teeth. Force it, and it forces back. Break it, and something on the other side notices. Forget it, and the world forgets you.
Positioning
“Sanderson's depth of magic system, Rothfuss's literary prose, and it will be finished.”
For readers of
The Stormlight Archive
Brandon Sanderson
The Name of the Wind
Patrick Rothfuss
The Wheel of Time
Robert Jordan
About the Author
Thalen Runehart is the author of The Breathwoven Saga, an adult epic fantasy series in the tradition of The Wheel of Time, The Stormlight Archive, and The Name of the Wind. Writing from Melbourne, Australia, he crafts worlds built from breath-thread magic, a system where every act of weaving has rules, costs, and consequences, and tells them in prose intended to be slowed down, re-read, and sat with.
- His debut novel, The Breath of Ash & Flame, is the first of five planned books in the saga. He writes for readers who loved The Way of Kings and did not know what to read next; for readers still waiting for Doors of Stone; and for anyone who wants epic fantasy that respects both their patience and their heart.
- Thalen began work on The Breathwoven Saga in early 2025 and is committed to completing all five planned volumes. Book 1 arrives November 2026.
Download Individual Assets
Individual files for easy use in reviews, podcast notes, and articles. All files open in a new tab.
Recommended
Complete Press Kit (Dropbox)
The full media kit in one folder. Cover art, sigil, map, press release, and extended preview, all together.
Hi-Res Cover (3000 × 4500)
Full-resolution cover art for print publications and large-format features.
Available in the Dropbox press kit
Web-Ready Cover
Optimised JPG cover for blogs, podcast notes, and online reviews.
World of Shikari Sigil (PNG, transparent)
Brand mark for use alongside reviews and podcast thumbnails.
Map of the Known World
Reference map of the continent and major realms featured in the saga.
Available in the Dropbox press kit
Press Release (PDF)
One-page announcement with key dates, contacts, and positioning.
Available in the Dropbox press kit
Preview, Prologue & Chapter One (PDF)
Free reader preview, including the prologue and opening chapter of Book 1.
ARC Programme
A limited number of Advance Review Copies of The Breath of Ash & Flame are made available to qualified reviewers, podcast hosts, booksellers, and journalists in the months before release.
ARCs are distributed digitally (PDF / ePub) and, for a smaller cohort, in a finished print edition. Please include a link to a recent review, episode, or article so we can confirm fit and match the right reviewers to the right format.
Early Reader Praise
Reviewer quotations will be added as ARC feedback comes in ahead of the November 2026 release.
“Reviewer quote to be added following ARC distribution in 2026.”
“Reviewer quote to be added following ARC distribution in 2026.”
“Reviewer quote to be added following ARC distribution in 2026.”
“Reviewer quote to be added following ARC distribution in 2026.”
Press & Media Contact
For all press enquiries, please use the ARC request form above or write to the address below.
General Press
Interviews, features, general enquiries.
marketing [at]
worldofshikari.com
Review Copies
ARC requests, cover art, supporting assets.
marketing [at]
worldofshikari.com
Podcasts & Events
Guest appearances, panels, readings.
marketing [at]
worldofshikari.com