NIGHTSTRIDER

Book One of the Nightstrider Series

Coming September 17th, 2024 from Orbit Books US

Cover of Nightstrider by Sophia Slade. It features an illustration of a woman (Wren) with a long black braid, light brown skin, and pointed ears wearing a leather fighting suit looking at the viewer, her huge black-feathered wings spread behind her. She crosses two dark blades in front of a red moon. Behind her is a mirror-image of two castles, one in purple tones and one in bluish-green. The title text is in large white font. A blurb from Ava Reid is above the title.

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Goodreads

To stop a vicious demon’s conquest, nightmares and humans will band together in book one of a heart-stopping new dark fantasy series.

Wren is a a deadly manifestation of the frightening dreams of humans. She is forever bound to the insidious Para Warwick, the only night creature who can cross the boundary between the dream and waking realms. When she fails to retrieve information on a weapon that could finally end Warwick’s reign and is severely punished, she makes a snap decision to aid the growing rebellion in finding it. Here, she meets Alaric, another nightmare hell-bent on atoning for his sins. Though wildly suspicious of one another, they form a tentative pact to take down Warwick once and for all.

The waking world is no better off. Prince Caine Fallon, Warwick's ignorant human son, prepares to wed Ila Enevoldson, the young queen from a neighboring kingdom. But Ila is more than she She is a weaver, a protector of the ancient Boundary that separates the realms, and she has lost a precious weapon entrusted to her. She will do anything to retrieve it, including agreeing to an engagement with the son of her sworn enemy. When Caine catches Ila opening a portal to the dream realm and follows her through, he finds himself in a universe stranger than he could have imagined, where his father is more monstrous than he could have fathomed. Their destinies collide with those of the two lethal nightmares, and they are forced to band together to stop the vicious dictator—and prevent the very fabric of reality from unravelling.

From TikTok sensation Sophia Slade (@theneonvulture), a stunning new voice in epic fantasy, comes this dark, romantic tale about a world split in two and the four misguided souls who must come together save it, for fans of Holly Black and Hannah Whitten.

About the author

Sophia Slade has been writing since she was still losing her baby teeth. As a teenager, she amassed an impressive 35 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards including two National Gold Medals and an American Voices and Visions award. During her undergraduate studies at New York University, she independently published six books under her given name (Sophia Elaine Hanson) including a young adult steampunk trilogy and three volumes of poetry. Her seventh book, a dark nightmare fantasy called Nightstrider, was launched via Kickstarter in 2022. Its unprecedented grassroots success caught the attention of Orbit Books, who picked up the series in 2023.

Sophia is a rather feral fan of twenty one pilots, a lover of pigeons and frogs, and the personality hire for her D&D crew. She is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, a spoonie, and an advocate. She lives in the Midwest with her lovely husband and their two cats, Matcha and Mothman. She is represented by Bethany Weaver of Weaver Literary Agency.

GALLERY

Painting of Wren and Alaric, two of the main characters from Nightstrider. They are fighting back-to-back. Wren has a long black braid, pointed ears, and brown skin. Her eyes are fully black. She wields two knives and has a vicious smile on her face. Alaric is dressed in brown leather armor and holds two bolts of black energy. He has dark hair, horns, and tan skin. His eyes are also fully black. Behind them are two moons, one red and one purple.

Painting of Ila and Caine, two of the main characters from Nightstrider. Caine is kissing Ila's hand. She looks uncertain. Ila has white hair in a crown braid, very pale skin, and light blue eyes. She wears all white and silver. Her clothes are inspired by Sámi gákti. Caine has dark hair and fair skin and wears a royal-looking outfit with a fur cape. The background is snowy.

Photo of Sophia in a black dress with ruffle sleeves holding a paperback of Nightstrider

Photo of Sophia hugging her husband in a long hallway with white stone floor and walls. She is grinning ear to ear and he is hugging her back.

Cover for Nightstrider by Sophia Slade (see alt text in "Nightstrider" section for description)

Character art of the main characters of Nightstrider. From left to right: Caine, Ila, Wren, and Alaric (see images #2 and #4 for character descriptions)

Photo of Sophia holding a paperback of Nightstrider looking down at it happily

Cartoon, chibi-like art of Ila on a light blue background

Cover for Valkyrie, Sophia's book of poetry that is still in print. It is black and white with a dagger with a moth on it in the center. The text is white.

Portrait of Wren from Nightstrider (see image #2 for description of Wren)

Photo of Sophia's now out-of-print YA fantasy series the Vinyl Trilogy. The books, which have black spines, are stacked on a wooden table with a lantern behind them and some plants. The titles are "Vinyl", "Radio," and "Siren."

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is Nightstrider adult fantasy or YA fantasy?

The Orbit edition of Nightstrider is adult fantasy. The self-published edition hovered in a strange limbo between "upper YA" and new adult.

I read the indie edition of Nightstrider. Do I need to read the Orbit edition to understand book two?

Though my publisher would I am sure prefer I say it is a necessity, but the truth is you can probably get by reading book two without reading the Orbit edition of Nightstrider if you read the indie version. That said, I highly recommend you read the Orbit edition. While the bones of the story are all the same, I have added and expanded multiple scenes, expanded the lore, aged up the main characters, polished the prose and dialogue, and deleted several scenes that will alter the way the sequel plays out.

What happened to your other books?

I independently published six books under my given name (Sophia Elaine Hanson) before Nightstrider got picked up. This included a dystopian steampunk YA series called the Vinyl Trilogy and three collections of poetry, hummingbird, soul like thunder, and Valkyrie. All but Valkyrie are now out of print. I am deeply proud of my first six books, but I wrote and published them between 19 and 22. I have grown considerably as a writer since, and I wanted a fresh start!

What are the trigger warnings for Nightstrider?

Strong fantasy violence, attempted sexual assault (non-graphic, but distressing), murder, torture (graphic), xenophobia, emotional and physical abuse, toxic romantic relationship (F/F), violent death of a child (described in some detail, but not gratuitous), misogyny, discussions of imperial violence, forced engagement, suicidal ideation, grief, and mild consensual sexual content (F/F). If you have any specific triggers you do not see mentioned, feel free to DM me on Instagram and I will try to answer!

Is Nightstrider the first in a series?

Yes! Four books are planned. The sequel, Veilweaver, is slotted for release in 2025.

Is Nightstrider a romance?

Nightstrider is more fantasy than romance, but there is definitely romance in it. The main romances will play a greater role as the series progresses.

Is Nightstrider F/F?

One of the four main characters, Wren, is bisexual and has both M and F love interests. However, the central romances in the book are both M/F. If you're here from the reader tags on Goodreads...they're incorrect and I'm unable to change them.

Are you working on any other projects?

Yes! I have a standalone gothic fantasy horror in the works and many other projects coming down the pipeline.

Events

9/17/24: Nightstrider Release Day

9/19/24: r/fantasy ama

9/21/24: Launch Event and Book Signing

Jordan Creek Barnes and Noble, 1:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.

10/6/24: Book Signing

HEA Book Boutique, 1:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.

10/12/24: Book Signing

Moon Palace Books, 12:00 P.M. - 1:30 P.M.
MASKS REQUIRED

10/17/24 - 10/20/24: NYCC - attending unofficially

I'll be wandering around NYCC (possibly in cosplay, possibly not) and hanging around the Orbit booth. If you find me, I'll have prints and book plates!

Contact

I am represented by Bethany Weaver at Weaver Literary Agency. For official inquiries, please contact Bethany at weaverliteraryagency@gmail.com

I am active on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter where my handle is @theneonvulture. I am always open to getting DMs on Instagram, but I may not respond immediately.

I am not open to blurb requests at this time, but will be in the future.

Good somnia!