The Wild Heir

The Wild Heir is an approximately 80,000-word character-driven fantasy novel set on the island of Olliday, a land split between two regions, Easter and Wester, and long isolated from the greater empire of Echelon across the sea. The story follows Faela, a quiet teenage builder from a small village in the eastern forests. She has never left her region, knows nothing of the royal courts, and is unaware that her own family carries political weight. Early in the novel, Faela leaves her village to recruit builders before her region falls into complete disrepair. Along the path through the forest, she encounters a mythical creature she calls Toadcat, who follows her and becomes her companion.

At a forest encampment called the Fork, midway across the island, Faela meets Nolan, a boy from the western fishing towns. She also encounters Lyra, a princess traveling with the royal caravan. Lyra takes a quick interest in Faela, and Faela is invited to join the group traveling to the Wester palace. After meeting Queen Mereth, Faela soon realizes that everything she knows may be a lie. She is brought before King Alaric for a secret meeting. He reveals that he and Elen, Faela’s mother, are siblings who defected from Echelon twenty years earlier. They were separated during a battle on Olliday. Elen was taken in by villagers in the east, while her brother rose to power in Wester, marrying into the royal family. Faela is their shared legacy.

Eventually, Faela is imprisoned. It turns out her sister, Tala, uncovered the truth and wrote to the king, hoping to elevate their family's status. But her letter was intercepted by Mereth, who views the revelation as a threat. Mereth orchestrates Faela’s capture and forces her into court life under strict surveillance. When Elen and the rest of Faela’s family are brought to the palace, the full truth of the queen’s rage is revealed: Elen and Alaric are the long-lost heirs to the Echelon throne. Mereth executes Elen in front of Faela in a calculated act of revenge and political control.

After a period of grief and isolation, Faela regains her composure and begins to understand her value. Mereth announces plans to bring her to Echelon to meet Queen Maribel—Faela’s grandmother—and use her lineage to secure peace. Faela agrees to go, but only on her own terms. She negotiates the safety of her family and refuses to act as Mereth’s puppet. She begins planning how to navigate Echelon’s court with autonomy. Princess Lyra is named regent in Mereth’s absence. Tala is left behind to face the consequences of her actions, and Sylas, a Wester prince with shifting loyalties, remains a threat.

In the final chapters, Faela and Mereth travel back to the Fork and then to the northern ports. When Echelon soldiers unexpectedly storm the port, Faela is imprisoned again—this time alongside Mereth and Sir Stellan, the queen’s chief advisor. Nolan reappears as a soldier in the Echelon ranks. Stellan reveals that Olliday is not just remote but a hidden refuge. Many of its inhabitants, including Faela’s mother and uncle, were Echelon defectors. Stellan himself came with them two decades ago and returned to Wester to protect them from within. The treaty dividing Easter and Wester was part of a long-standing effort to keep the island neutral and free.

The novel ends as their boat departs for Echelon, with Faela fully aware of her legacy. And finally ready to decide what kind of heir she wants to be.