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Thalon was born to fight. A warrior, a selkie, a daughter of the Dread One herself. For years, she’s trained for the Dusk Trials—a brutal competition that could be her one chance to leave behind a life of grueling labor and earn a place aboard one of the legendary Duskingr airships. But the Trials are only the beginning.
Victory does not come clean. The game is rigged, the sponsors corrupt, and the selkie way of life is slipping through the cracks. Worse, her own body is beginning to betray her, and no amount of training has prepared her for what comes next.
Nothing in this world bends easily. The odds are stacked against her, and the path ahead is nothing but locked doors and closed fists. But Thalon has never let anyone—man, woman, or god—decide her fate.
The ice moves for no one—but it’s never met Thalon.
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About Arlo Z. Graves
Arlo “Zven” Graves (they/them) grew up in rural California mountains surrounded by nature and all the magic it contains. They’re lucky enough to live in their childhood community, in a once-abandoned cabin.
Zven lives with a condition called mixed connective tissue disease; think a cousin of lupus. After a particularly bad flare-up in 2020, Zven realized how much they wanted to see chronic illness represented in the fantasy adventure stories they loved reading, to see characters find purpose and fulfillment, even without a magical cure.
Zven has a degree in creative writing from the University of California Santa Cruz. Their short nonfiction, Gerald: a Memoir, won the Stories That Need to be Told 2023 grand prize, and their debut novella, Black Rose, is out from Graveside Press.
Published by Quills and Cosmos Press
At Quills and Cosmos Press, we believe that everyone deserves to see themselves as the hero of the story. Founded with the goal of bringing diverse voices to the forefront of science fiction and fantasy, we publish captivating, character-driven stories by women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized creators.
We aren’t here to reinvent the wheel—but we are here to make sure everyone has a place at the table. Our books champion adventure, resilience, and found family, blending classic speculative storytelling with fresh, inclusive perspectives.
With our first independent release, The Ice Moves for No One, we’re taking a bold step forward. This is just the beginning of a bigger vision: a publishing house that uplifts new voices, celebrates diverse storytelling, and brings incredible worlds to life.
By backing this Kickstarter, you’re not just getting an amazing book—you’re supporting a publishing company that is building the future of sci-fi and fantasy one story at a time.