The epic fantasy novel begins a five-book saga supported by five prequels, pitting shared knowledge against the authority of immortal kings.
With The Orphan of Hollowmere, author Justin Pulliam kicks off The Crownless Age, an ambitious new epic fantasy series that spans five core novels plus five companion prequels. The debut installment follows a protagonist whose memories of a past existence may be the key to rescuing a famine-stricken settlement—but also put him squarely in the crosshairs of the undying monarchs who rule the land.
In the world of Veyra, Lucian Vale dies at age twenty-eight, leaving behind material wealth but little of lasting value. He is reborn as Eiran, an orphan in the village of Hollowmere, which sits under the dominion of four immortal kings. Eiran retains flashes of his previous life—recollections of machines, markets, sanitation systems, and the errors he made the first time around. These memories offer practical, life-saving solutions to hunger, yet wielding them could place the very people he aims to protect in grave danger.
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Within this new realm, Eiran comes to understand that magic is not a rigid set of sacred decrees but a living Current—something that can be observed, tested, and passed along to others. As his experiments begin to reshape Hollowmere’s prospects, royal collectors move in, forcing him to reckon with the price of defying established power.
“I wanted to write a fantasy story in which knowledge could be as disruptive as magic, and where saving people did not automatically give someone the right to rule them,” said Pulliam.
That core tension runs through the novel’s deeper themes of redemption, duty, and the legitimacy of inherited authority. Eiran’s second chance at life offers him a rare opportunity to make different choices, but every decision reverberates through a community already teetering on the brink.
Pulliam has designed The Crownless Age as more than a standalone adventure. Its interconnected storylines unfold against a backdrop of political maneuvering, buried histories, and characters whose actions echo far beyond their own circumstances. The five prequels enrich that foundation, offering readers alternate vantage points on the saga’s sprawling narrative.
Blending magical discovery with political scheming and character-driven stakes, The Orphan of Hollowmere is aimed at readers who crave immersive world-building, morally complex figures, and narrative surprises. At its core, it asks what people do when confronted by power, hardship, and the prospect of real change.
ABOUT JUSTIN PULLIAM
Justin Pulliam is the author of The Orphan of Hollowmere: Book One of The Crownless Age. The series marks the culmination of roughly fifteen years of creative work, weaving together a vast fantasy universe, interlocking plots, and a sustained inquiry into power, accountability, and personal growth.
Readers can explore more about Pulliam, the series, and its expanding world through the official website.
Official website: https://www.thecrownlessage.com
Available now.
Get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HN3F9YGD
For review copies, interview requests, or additional information, please contact:
Justin Pulliam
BrightKey PR
media@brightkeypr.com
Why it matters: In a genre often dominated by chosen ones and magical bloodlines, Pulliam’s series centers a different kind of hero—one whose power comes from memory, curiosity, and the willingness to share what he knows. That premise speaks to contemporary anxieties about information, control, and who gets to decide what knowledge is safe to spread.
