God of Clay

Driven to the borders of an unfamiliar forest by an ever-expanding drought, two rival brothers find their fortunes and that of their tribe entwined in a long-forgotten conflict between the old gods of the world. Clay's fervent belief in devotion to the gods does nothing to prepare him for their true natures, while Laughing Dog's self-assured insistence that his destiny is his own leads him on a very different journey. As battle lines are drawn, each brother must decide where his allegiance truly lies - a decision that will change each of them forever.

Meanwhile, Doto, the son of the sullen and wrathful forest god Kwaee sets out to capture a member of the brothers' tribe and bring them back to his father for interrogation, believing the humans to be in league with the insatiable fire god Ogya. In the process, he begins to doubt the stories he has always heard from his father about the original conflict, and the mysterious places in the heart of the forest that he was forbidden to ever visit.

God of Clay is the first novel in a three part series, and brings the three main characters through pain, loss, madness, hope, redemption, and love to the cusp of the conflict with Ogya. The second in the series is Forest Gods and the story concludes with God of Fire.

Author Ryan Campbell has had several stories and poems featured in the New Fables anthology, and has the novel "Smiley and the Hero" published by FurPlanet Productions. This is his first novel with Sofawolf Press.

Cover and interior illustrations are by Zhivago.