A Modern-Classic Novel Series
East Bay, Maine has always been a small, sleepy fishing village. Seasons come and go, so do the tourists, but the town doesn't change. Here, a story about three friends begins when the doors to an old observatory are opened.
The coffee at Mel's Over Easy has been fresh since six a.m. Dock workers sit at the counter, Mrs. Maple and Ms. James share the paper over omelettes, and the bell over the door jingles every time someone walks in.
Up the hill on the west side, the observatory has been watching the harbor since before anyone can remember. Charles arrived in late July. He met Anna and Todd at Mel's. They came for coffee and stayed for everything else.
The Series
Book 1
In quiet East Bay, Charles Mandrake’s discovery of a mysterious observatory leads him, Anna Ko, and Todd Baskerville to Skelderheim—a shadowed city of iron and law. For readers seeking immersive fantasy worlds, this atmospheric, slow-burn tale masterfully builds a rich, tactile reality. It is a compelling exploration of loyalty and found family that lingers long after reading.
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Book 2
Leaving behind the comforts of Maine, Anna Ko, Charles Mandrake, and Todd Baskerville face the grueling realities of life among the Central Steppe’s nomadic tribes. For those seeking immersive fantasy, this story prioritizes tactile, daily survival and communal bonds over grand spectacle. Discover a poignant exploration of identity, displacement, and found family forged within a harsh, unforgiving landscape.
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Book 3
The Charles Mandrake arc concludes as the barriers between East Bay and Skelderheim collapse, forcing a final reckoning. Confronting their manufactured destinies, Anna, Charles, and Todd must navigate the heavy burdens of legacy. This patient, atmospheric finale prioritizes the texture of daily life, offering a profound, grounded meditation on loyalty, identity, and the meaning of home.
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Azaya is seven winters old, runs messages in Merchant’s Ward, and holds the Operator’s personal seal in her satchel. The adults around her are building something: a new city, a new time system, a new way of doing things. Azaya is in the middle of all of it.
This is Skelderheim at street level. Family dinners. Civic problems solved over coffee. A child who grew up on the docks learning what it means to have a home.
Azaya and the Streets of Skelderheim is the first book in a new Skelderheim series, a found-family story set in a city that never stops moving, told by the one person who knows every shortcut.
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A Place for Friends and Food King Crabber’s Pub sits near the bridge, one block off Main in Damariscotta. I’ve been there a couple times, most notibly with Charles and Todd before we crossed the Portal. It’s a tall brick place that you can see from the road when you come down towards the river, […]
Read MorePier Street Market sits in the commercial band just east of the split, right on the harbor. Its sandwich board props at the corner each week with produce prices written in marker that bleeds in the rain. The bell above the door is a single flat note. Inside, produce runs along the left wall, nine […]
Read MoreDockside Salvage sits at the end of Pier 9, its bay doors open to the street on delivery days. It is one of those places that decided to keep going after most of the boat work moved elsewhere, and the decision stuck. The chains and hoisting gear still hang from the ceiling beams. The concrete […]
Read MoreA Town That Feels Real East Bay, Maine is a fictional coastal town and the primary setting of the Charles Mandrake Compendium, a portal fantasy book series. If you searched for East Bay and found nothing, that’s by design. East Bay doesn’t appear on any map, but it was built to feel like it should. […]
Read MoreMel’s Over Easy It’s one of those places in a small town where people gather. In the early hours of the morning, it’s the fishing boat and dock workers along with the retirees that get up ridiculously early. The coffee here is always fresh no matter what time you stop in, and if you’re here […]
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