The Shadow
of the Veil

The fates of all hang lightly in the balance.

Enter the Series

The Books

Cover of The Shadow of the Veil by Conlan James Foster: a castle and village on a cliff above the sea

The Shadow of the Veil

Book One of The Shadow of the Veil

The epic fantasy series, The Shadow of the Veil, begins with its eponymous first entry, The Shadow of the Veil, where the continent of Okenesia and its surrounding Wild Isles provide the landscape for endless adventures.

The story follows the tales of Carter and Ryan, a pair of innocent companions who encounter a dangerous necromancer in the comfort of their home, of Julius and Lucas, a budding knight and the greatest swordsman in all the land, of Elena, a foreigner in her own home with questions that beget anything rather than answers, of Emilia, a mastermind of diplomacy whose rise is both meteoric and calculated, and of Elias, a misanthrope who prefers the company of trees and ghosts in the far reaches of the north.

See as the vast intricacies of famous exploits and political turmoil unfolds across the variety of duchies that compose Okenesia, and join the brutality of the ensuing conflict.

The fates of all hang lightly in the balance.

Read Sample Chapters
Cover of The Phantom by the Sea by Conlan James Foster: a snowy castle town and harbor

The Phantom by the Sea: The Lost Art of Chivalry

Book Two of The Shadow of the Veil, Part One

Chaos envelops the Harshlands following the events of The Shadow of the Veil.

Ranging parties from Borigrad press into the deep forest in search of their prey to little avail as the frozen ground and might of winter beat them back.

Follow the next part in The Shadow of the Veil in The Phantom by the Sea, as new faces offer their eyes into a world awash in the unsettling quiet before the storm.

Uneasy alliances, clashes of swords, and the undying forces of magic both benevolent and malevolent mold the adventures yet to come.

The fates of all hang lightly in the balance.

Read Sample Chapters
Cover of The Phantom by the Sea, Wool Dark as Coal, by Conlan James Foster: a sunlit castle and harbor with teal anchor banners

The Phantom by the Sea: Wool Dark as Coal

Book Two of The Shadow of the Veil, Part Two

Secrets abound in Sea March following the Events of The Phantom by the Sea Parts One and Two, The Lost Art of Chivalry.

Forces from Brewshire move to assault the Heronian redoubt known as Scorel Manor in the far east of Bluemourne, where the rebel lord Bastardheart awaits them.

Follow the next part in The Shadow of the Veil in the Phantom by the Sea Parts Three and Four, Wool Dark as Coal.

Uneasy alliances, clashes of swords, and the undying forces of magic both benevolent and malevolent mold the adventures yet to come.

The fates of all hang lightly in the balance.

Read Sample Chapters
Coming Soon

The War of the Pines

Book Three of The Shadow of the Veil

The adventure continues as warring factions rip apart the Harshlands and threaten to engulf the entire continent in war.

The Maps

Hand-drawn map of the continent of Okenesia and the Wild Isles, showing the Glacial Frontier in the north, the duchies, rivers, mountains and forests, and the islands of Pelagia and Caspian.
Okenesia and the Wild Isles. Select a marked place for a closer map.

Regional Maps

About the Author

My name is Conlan James Foster, and owing to a lifelong love of fantasy and all things knights and castles, I began working on The Shadow of the Veil in 2018. The first novel, in its current iteration, was completed in 2025. The second novel, The Phantom by the Sea, was written from 2023 to 2026. Work began on the third novel, The War of the Pines, in 2026.

Influences for my work include, first and foremost, medieval history, chivalric orders of days past, and Arthurian legend. Other works of media, novel series including A Song of Ice and Fire and The Once and Future King, and video games like The Elder Scrolls franchise, have also had a pronounced influence on my love for the fantasy genre, and I have taken great inspiration from the many franchises I love.

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Sample Chapters