Helm of Shadows

By Estella Braman

Fear taught her how to survive. Healing will teach her how to live.

Erilys was raised in the ancient elvish village of Coenthalas, where devotion was demanded, silence was survival, and fear wore the mask of protection. Under the rule of Maizreth-who twisted faith into control-her people learned to obey without question. Erilys learned something else entirely: how to endure.

When a single night shatters what remains of her safety, Erilys flees the only world she has ever known alongside Ratvista, the quiet guardian who refused to let her be claimed by fear again. Far from Coenthalas, in the city of Lysandra, she is given a choice she was never offered before-to keep surviving, or to begin healing.

As buried magic stirs and long-silenced truths surface, Erilys must confront what was taken from her, what still binds her, and what freedom truly costs. But Maizreth's shadow has not loosened its grip, and devotion built on terror does not release its hold easily.

Helm of Shadows is a character-driven fantasy novella about recovery after trauma, devotion twisted into fear, and the quiet courage it takes to choose oneself. Told with restraint and emotional depth, it offers a complete, intimate story for readers who value atmosphere, reflection, and meaning over excess.

This is not an epic conquest.

It is a story of becoming.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GLN723WR
• ISBN13: 9798245363950
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 181 Pages
• Weight: 0.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.5" x 5.3"