Local author releases first novel

By Courtney Bachar

A local author with a life-long passion for writing has released her first book.

Kim Fedyk says she started writing her novel, Birthright: The Crystal Throne, 11 years ago.

“It took me a very long time to finish writing it, but in that time, life was changing,” she explains, noting she got a job, had a child, and stopped writing for a few years.

However, during the pandemic, Fedyk says she had a lot of extra time on her hands.

“I had this novel that was almost finished and I thought, why don’t I just finish it?” she says.

“And that’s exactly what I did.”

Birthright: The Crystal Throne was self-published in February 2021, which is the first in her forthcoming fantasy trilogy series.

The story follows Arleth, a 17-year-old slave in a backwater world, whose life takes a sudden turn when the legendary king of Oherra comes to Tocarra.

Suddenly, she finds herself being chased by assassins, sought out by spies, and smack dab in the middle of a decades-long war. Arleth must decide who she can trust and fast, evade a fate worse than death, and discover a birthright she has never known.

Fedyk says she enjoyed the entire process from writing to creating the cover and publishing, however, she says the most rewarding part was when she received her first review that wasn’t from a friend or family member.

“They gave me my first good review and that was really rewarding because I knew that what I was doing was worth something and that it was a good story,” she says, adding she’s already started writing the next one.

Birthright: The Crystal Throne can be found on amazon.ca.