Start of the Storm: Trails of Transcendence Volume I
Author: M.A. McComas
Genre: General Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery Fantasy
Published: March 5th, 2020
Publisher: Transcendent Publishing House
Pages: 520 
For the first time in æons the future looks bright for the unification of the fractured and segregated continent of Transcendence. Lethelas, prince of the elves, questions the veracity of his people's historical records and shakes off the xenophobia of his father. Down in Qaagire, Corguul, the youngest son of an orc chieftain, dreams not of slaughter and endless warfare, but instead of traveling the world, meeting the menagerie of peoples who inhabit it. And King Bræman of the dwarves sits his throne in Resonate Hall, aching to develop trade partnerships that will allow his people to showcase their labors across the land. But the unexpected, storm-blown arrival of High Commander Terrin Korsing and his fleet of humans threatens to jeopardize any hopes of unity. Eræn, however, the Ranger charged with the care of the continent of Transcendence and all its peoples, will not have it! He may be the only one with a chance to bring them all together despite their determination to wipe each other out. And with a larger, darker storm looming to the south, intent on sweeping them all from the face of Transcendence, will he bring them together in time? For generations the fantasy genre has been populated by a landscape of unique, carefully built worlds--worlds full of mythic and magical races. And in these worlds, humans are often presented as the newcomers, the younger race in a land they did not inherit. Authors often allude to a time æons past when humans first made their way to these lands, but readers are left pondering what that time looked like. What events brought the humans here? How did the races already inhabiting the land respond? What heroes and legends rose up out of the æther as a result? Start of the Storm is the first volume of a two-volume story in which readers are finally given this tale.


M.A. McComas grew up in Western Pennsylvania and went to school for teaching. However, his real passion has always been for stories. He started reading before he began Kindergarten, completed his first chapter book, "The Great Dog Disaster" by Denise Pomeraning, in the first grade, and has never been without a book in his hands since. It wasn't until a seventh grade field trip to see "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien, however, that he first discovered the fantasy genre. He read a smattering of fantasy series in high school, but didn't truly fall in love with the genre until he read the "Sword of Truth" series by Terry Goodkind in college. There likely isn't an author he's read who hasn't had an influence on his writing, but several have had a larger impact than others. The worlds crafted by Christopher Paolini (Alagaësia) and J.R.R. Tolkien (Middle Earth) heavily influenced his creation of the world of Stonorial in his "Trials of Transcendence" series. And while innumerable authors have no doubt helped shape his style and voice, it was the writing of Steven Erikson that taught him how to use the perspectives of many characters to craft scenes and build emotional ties between the characters and their readers. His first book, "Start of the Storm: Trials of Transcendence Volume I" was released in March 2020 and he is currently hard at work on Volume II. Follow him on Goodreads or on Facebook at Transcendent Publishing House and on Twitter @TranscendentPH and watch for special behind the scenes looks and sneak previews in the coming months.