@dawbooks
DAW BooksGet ready to go on an adventure with HERO ADJACENT by debut author Alexis Veenendaal! This life-affirming and humorous fantasy is perfect for fans of TJ Klune, Travis Baldree, and Terry Pratchett. Art direction & Design by Jenna Stempel-Lobell Illustration by Ture Ekroos Preorder now. Available 5/11/27. ... A reluctant wizard. A chinchilla(ish) sidekick. A busboy with the voice of an angel and the fingers of a pickpocket. Of course they’ll save the world! If only they could figure out what to fight, and where… When the Chosen One rejects your call, you might need to choose…another one. After years of drudgery, Athragast the wizard is ready to retire, but the world needs saving in under two weeks, and when the Prince rejects his big “destiny” speech, he isn’t left with many options. A thieving busboy, an armadillo-chinchilla type thing that goes peep, and some troubled sellswords might be the best he can scrounge up on a budget. Then Athie’s furry familiar steals the wrong warlock’s cigar, and things get a whole lot worse. The Runes of Destiny are flung across the land, and Athie must get them back in time to figure out where the world-ending battle is taking place. The crew must séance with druids, party with goblins, and charm rhyming gargoyles right out of their couplets. Along the way, Athie might just learn what it means to be a hero—at any age. This whimsical, witty hug of a book is calling all lovers of fantasy, found family, crackling fires, and cozy socks. Stand up and face your destiny. Think of the children! Be a hero, or at least, be hero adjacent. #DAWBooks #CozyFantasy #AlexisVeenendaal
On the profile · Aug 31, 2026