Department of English

Summer’s Dawn is a fantasy novella set in the fictional world of Lothrium, which is modeled after Late Medieval England. The novel follows the protagonist, Quinten Wesker, a wine merchant from a once prominent house whose fortunes have so diminished that now their greatest asset is a single rickety wagon, which Quinten uses to travel through the bandit ridden forest of Hilgard. With him are two escorts: Draven, a quiet, yet fierce guard hailing from the icy northern tip of Lothrium, called the Frost; and Percy, a fiery youth sent by Quinten’s potential business partner at the Alwyn Estate. But along the way, Draven proves himself to be a dark force that threatens Quinten’s life. Summer’s Dawn is a low fantasy novella, as it takes place in an ordinary world where magical forces are minimal–yet they do intrude at times, often to disastrous results. The novella explores the themes of heroism and redemption in the face of overwhelming adversity, as they are navigated by a psychologically atypical protagonist.