C. James Leone

Crucible of Dust - Epic Steampunk Fiction. Explore a unique fantasy setting with science fiction elements.

Hammond Flynn escaped the destruction of his home a broken man. Once, he was a knight of the Order of the Penitent Blade, but when the barrier between the physical and spiritual worlds collapsed over the Order's land, a tidal wave of destruction enveloped everything Flynn knew. He fled that day, never looking back. As a refugee in the city of Wightgate, Flynn struggles to forget the mind-shattering horror of what he experienced, his memories buried amidst the dust of the dead.

But others still remember. A powerful criminal syndicate sees the opportunity to unearth the Order’s secrets from its still cooling corpse. When the ruthless crime lord, Yahn Christof, kidnaps Flynn, events are set in motion that will force the former knight to return to the place he has done everything to escape. The ghosts of his memories aren’t all that will haunt him, for something terrible anticipates his return. A crucible of dust awaits Flynn, and it will either destroy, or remake him.

Crucible of Dust is a 17,500 word steampunk novella.

The Clockwork Ascendancy series begins with three novellas that introduce the world of Lethe and its characters, a unique steampunk setting that blends fantasy and science fiction elements. Crucible of Dust is the first book in the series.