Return to Astera...
Thislen is seeing things
A month of torment at the hands of Lord Soren Bestant and his friends has Thislen haunted by the ghosts of his worst failures. Determined to outlast his captors and protect Aften, Tamsa, and the Nattfolk, Thislen must rely on the whispers of the dead.
Mila has changed.
She’s not afraid of the Night Council and she’s not afraid to fight. Her goals are simple. One, rescue Thislen from Ship Artaith and get her best friend back. Two, work with him to break the curse once and for all. All they need to do is find the vial. If only everyone would listen!
Aften lost everything.
His sister betrayed him, the man he loves died, and he’s useless. What options are there for the son of a Councilman who can’t do anything right? He’s always wanted to be free, but after a month of captivity, he’s realizing freedom might not look like what he thought.
Who they were and who they are clashes with everyone around them, creating new alliances and new enemies. Everything is a mess, and it gets worse once they reunite. The pressures of family and friends threaten their plans, and the clash of wills might tear them all apart. One thing remains clear, however: they must break the curse. They’re running out of time — and options. The Vaim are acting strange. The trio has a growing suspicion that someone has figured out the island’s secret and is testing the nighttime defenses of Astera…but who?
October K Santerelli is an author, LGBTQ+ sensitivity reader, and international speaker and presenter who calls Denver, Colorado ‘home.’ His works span several genres, including fantasy, historic romance, and science fiction. He writes for multiple age groups, having in the past written for young adult and adult audiences. Santerelli has written in multiple formats, creating everything from novels, novellas, and short stories to comic scripts and video game pitches.
His career began with training the dog of a best-selling author, and led through one networking opportunity after another until he was introduced to award-winning author David Brin. His first published novel was STORM’S EYE, in Brin’s Out of Time universe. It was his first science fiction piece.
His second work, CITY OF DAY, released in February 2023 and was the first book of his debut fantasy trilogy, the Nightfall series. Though it was the first tale in the world of Astera, it will not be the last.
You can learn more about October on his About page.
Customer Reviews
I love [City of Day]! It was such a unique world and I couldn't stop thinking about it. As soon as I finished the story I was ready for the sequel! The tone is very reminiscent of Howl's Moving Castle, both the book and the movie, and Stardust. October K Santerelli jumped onto my must-buy list with this.
I initially thought [City of Day] was going to be a story about surviving a city infested with murderous creatures that only stalk the night. What I got to read instead was an adventure where two richly developed protagonists scrambled their way through a society of daytime life while waiting for the inevitable dusk and its monstrous perils. Well worth your time!
[City of Day] starts off fast and keeps you hanging on until the end. The worldbuilding is fantastic, and the backstories are giving in little drops of relevant bites rather than info dumping all at once, which helps keep the story moving forward. Overall, great book and I can’t wait to see what happens in book 2!
[Book of the Witch's Son] is a gem in coming of age fantasy!
This book is a collection of novellas about Jeth during different times in a longer-than-average life. He's highly relatable - especially if you've ever had those moments where you questioned where you belonged. October K Santerelli is always welcome on my shelf!
What can I say? [City of Day] hit every marker I wanted in a read. Imaginative, well-developed, creative, superbly written, and it took me on an adventure I'm not soon to forget. I HIGHLY recommend you read this. You will not regret it one bit because as I said, from the first page, you will go on a journey that will make you want to return again and again.
I flew through [City of Day]!
It's a multilayered tale about a cursed city, the secrets those in power kill and die to protect, and the unlikely heroes fighting to right the wrongs of the past. I can still see, feel, and smell Astera, and the vaim, the malicious spirits who control the city at night, will haunt the shadows of your mind long after you close the book.