It all started with a reading assignment.

Years ago, in the mist-shrouded past of 2012, I was given an epic Greek poem to read for a college class. It was called Digenes Akritas, and it followed the exploits of a half-Greek, half-Arab border lord during the Arab-Byzantine wars of the 7th-11th centuries. Like every student, I read what I needed to and moved on, but the poem’s premise stuck with me. The Greek writers had chosen an unlikely hero for their epic: a young man of mixed blood, the son of one of their enemies.

The uniqueness and nuance of Digenes‘ premise inspired me to write The Two-Blood Lion, a story that seeks to explore two of the most enduring and complex facets of the human experience, love and war. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

-Nick