Young writer’s dark fantasy novel released
Mason Kukwa of Midvale has written his first full-length novel at just 16 years old. “The King of Desolation” began as a short story composed two years ago, and Kukwa is already at work on a follow-up, with more to come.
“It’s really a dark fantasy mixed with a little romance,” Kukwa said. “It’s the first of a planned series of four books.”
“The King of Desolation” tells the story of a teenage boy whose family is killed, but a remembered promise from childhood helps the young man recover and go on to become king and gain immortality. The protagonist seeks revenge while building alliances with other kingdoms and powerful people. He seeks marriage to a princess from a rival clan, solidifying power and fulfilling the childhood promise.
Kukwa said the novel should appeal to anyone who likes a good dark tale. “There’s violence and darkness there,” he said.
The online description speaks of a young king seeking to reclaim his birthright in an epic adventure. The book runs to about 250 pages.
The idea for the book series came simply enough. Two years ago Kukwa found a cure for boredom in getting words on paper. He began with a short story about immortality, which he felt turned out well enough to expand into a larger saga. Writing in spare moments between school work and part-time jobs, he at last came up with something he told his parents he planned to publish.
“My parents were very supportive. My mom actually didn’t read it until it was in print. She decided she wanted to wait until it was official, and she was the first to buy a copy,” Kukwa said.
Through work on “The King of Desolation,” Kukwa encountered the wall most writers struggle against. “The hardest part about the process was getting past writer’s block. I wanted to start right in with the next book in the series, and I’m there now, just kind of stuck. It takes a lot to just sit down and write,” he said.
Kukwa takes inspiration from another author, George R.R. Martin. “I started reading ‘A Song of Ice and Fire,’ and that kind of sparked ideas for characters and their traits. Other than that, all of my characters are based on people I’ve met and know in real life. It turned out to be a good way to flesh out the people in the story,” he said.
One would assume a young author who plans a series of four fantasy novels also would plan to make a career of writing, but that is not Kukwa’s plan.
“I actually don’t want to do this for a living. It started as a hobby, and I really never expected to publish anything,” he said.
Kukwa plans to work as a wildlife officer and start a rehabilitation center for animals. “I’ll keep writing for sure. It will probably always be a side hustle,” he said.
Kukwa also found the process to be therapeutic, bringing him a sense of calm as the stories and characters come to life on the page.
The paperback is available at Amazon.com for $15.99, and Kukwa has been pleased with sales so far. “The King of Desolation” was independently published on Feb. 9 this year and has passed 20 copies sold. An online version also is available.
