From Ruined Gods to Rising Beasts: Wicked Ink Welcomes J. W. P. Lawrence’s Epic Dark Fantasy Series, Men, Monsters, and How to Kill Them
Wicked Ink Publishing is thrilled to welcome J. W. P. Lawrence to our group of fearless storytellers with his breathtaking debut novel, The Beasts of Kavanar. The first volume in a sweeping new epic dark fantasy series titled Men, Monsters, and How to Kill Them.
Set in a realm scorched by divine warfare and teetering on the edge of unraveling, The Beasts of Kavanar invites readers into the haunted world of Kavanar, where the heavens have shattered, the Old Gods lie in ruins, and reality itself has begun to rot. The planes of existence have merged. Nightmares slip freely between dimensions. And what’s left of civilization cowers in the shadow of the beasts that now roam the land.
At the center of this story stands Torig, a once-revered warrior now quietly living in the countryside, bearing the immortal scars of his father’s unholy experiments. Torig hasn’t aged. He hasn’t changed. And the world refuses to let him rest. When ancient monsters stir and long-buried enemies return, he must once again pick up the blade, confronting not only the horrors clawing through Kavanar’s rifts, but the monstrous truth of what he’s become.
A tale of enduring scars, monstrous legacies, and the thin, bloody line between man and god, The Beasts of Kavanar is a harrowing journey into the heart of a broken world, where survival is a curse, divinity is a lie, and not all heroes deserve redemption.
Behind this unforgettable series is debut author J. W. P. Lawrence, a storyteller whose roots run deep in the forests of Ontario. Raised among the untamed wilderness of his parents’ campground, J. W. P. Lawrence’s earliest adventures were shaped by days spent roaming the woods and nights warmed by the glow of campfire stories told by his father. It was there he began to imagine worlds where swords clashed, monsters lurked, and destinies were forged.
Years later, spurred by the encouragement of his wife, Joven channeled his lifelong love for fantasy, folklore, and immersive storytelling into writing. A longtime fan of role-playing games, board games, and expansive fictional universes, J. W. P. Lawrence brings a deep emotional weight and imaginative scope to his writing, infusing The Beasts of Kavanar with the soul of classic fantasy and the relentless grit of modern dark fiction.
When he’s not working at the hospital or wandering woodland paths (often assessing the sword-worthiness of nearby sticks), J. W. P. Lawrence finds solace at home, accompanied by his feline companions and a mind always brimming with lore. Though he grew up surrounded by dogs, he’s proudly a cat person, perhaps a fitting preference for an author who builds dark, introspective worlds with silent power.
J. W. P. Lawrence made his publishing debut with the short story “The Deliverance” in Write Wrong or Otherwise 2025, introducing readers to his poignant, atmospheric style. But The Beasts Of Kavanar marks the true beginning of a literary journey that promises myth, and menace in equal measure.
The war ended in fire. The monsters rose from its ashes.
The world of Kavanar bears the scorched scars of a war that shattered the heavens. The Old Gods are dead, the planes have merged, and reality itself has begun to unravel. Where once there were boundaries, now there are rifts—tears through which nightmares slip.
Torig, once a warrior who stood against death and watched his closest friends ascend to become Savior Gods, now lives in the countryside, clinging to a life of peace he knows he doesn’t deserve, and won’t be allowed to keep. Time has passed, but Torig has not changed. Not a wrinkle. Not a breath closer to death. His father’s dark experiments left a deeper mark than he ever imagined.
When ancient beasts stir and forgotten enemies return, Torig is thrust back into the heart of a world that refuses to let him rest. Joined by the few allies he has left, and unexpected companions drawn by fate, Torig must confront not only the horrors that haunt Kavanar’s nights, but the truth of what he’s become.
The Beasts of Kavanar is a sweeping tale of enduring scars, monstrous legacies, and the thin, bloody line between man and god.
