“Xan van Rooyen’s Waypoint Seven is an immersive genre-bender thrumming with passion, religion and fragility in a world of politics, migration and displacement. It’s tendrilled with rites, music and dance, multi-dimensional in its casting. The sensual richness of van Rooyen’s language emboldens the obsessions in this first-person escapade across a Wayfinder’s handbook.” —Eugen Bacon, British Fantasy Award winner, Philip K. Dick Award finalist
“Waypoint Seven cuts with immersion from the first page, bleeding with tenacity and pulling the reader into a vividly painted world of sacrifice and survival. Van Rooyen’s writing resonates with culture, from the connections and delineations of Finnish mythology, with the complexities and futurisms of African storytelling, to the essential nature of chosen family in our queer communities. A fast-moving mystery exploring safety, place, the forces of communication and trust—and the true heroism of looking out for each other, Waypoint Seven is as rich as it is nimble.” —E. D. E. Bell, publisher at Atthis Arts
An orphan with a terrible secret, transgender Runo ekes out a living with his found-family in the remote city of Askeria, by scavenging magic detritus fallen through the Fray for his brutal scav-boss.
Life has always been a struggle for city strays, but as the High Priestess begins condemning those with unsanctioned magic to death, Runo knows the only way he and his crew will survive is if they leave Askeria for good. But escape doesn’t come cheap. He and his crew think their troubles are over when their scavenging leads them to an angel, intact and—unfortunately—very much alive with their own agenda.
While trying to evade his scav-boss, save his girlfriend from succumbing to the magical flesh-eating disease known as the Rust and worse, Runo’s past catches up with him even as he and his crew uncover a shocking truth that will not only rewrite the history of Askeria, but change the future of humanity forever.
This is a story about what happens when tech meets magic and the power of the love forged with the family we choose when facing impossible odds.
Pre-order now from Amazon or wherever you prefer buying books. You can also add it on Goodreads
Coming July 2024 from Mirari Press
I also just wanted to mention the novella contains potential content warnings for readers sensitive to the following: sexual assault (implied, never shown on the page); child abuse (implied, never shown on the page); violence; religious persecution; and racism (not based on real-world identities).
