Utah Wrestler and Coach Releases Book Five in Award-Winning New Blood Saga

West Jordan, Uta. — W.D. Kilpack III, a native of West Jordan, Uta., has his fifth fantasy novel, Vengeance Borne: Book Five of New Blood, being published on Amazon.com on Nov. 27, 2024. This is the fifth in the award-winning New Blood Saga, which also includes Rilari: Book Four of New Blood, Demon Seed: Book Three of New Blood, Order of Light: Book Two of New Blood and Crown Prince: Book One of New Blood, receiving 22 book awards between them.

Vengeance Borne is the fifth of the eight-book New Blood Saga, which centers around Natharr, the Guardian of Maarihk; Nathan (Vikari), the crown prince of Maarihk; and Ellis the Elder, who has been alive since the Gods walked. In book five, the past and present collide, forcing Natharr and the rest of the Rilari to struggle with the consequences of their absence, past choices, and the power of the Usurper’s vizier left unchecked for far too long. The strain proves too much for some, requiring hard decisions to prepare for a dark future racing toward the Guardian of Maarihk, Ellis the Elder, and the Knights of Ril. All that two generations of Guardians have planned from what their Sight revealed is on the brink of failure. They split their forces to race against time, gambling that thinner numbers will endure on diverging paths toward victory. Meanwhile, Nathan fights to deal with great loss and a change of course in his life in the Maarihk Empire as it plants new seeds yearning for a single goal: vengeance.

The rest of the New Blood series, in order, consists of Usurper's Might, Dark Guard and Guardian. "They're all written, and have gone through the bedtime-story stage, where I read them to my wife, but are still going through the editing stages," Kilpack said. Rilari was published in February 2023, Demon Seed was published in December 2021, Order of Light in December 2020 and Crown Prince in June 2019. Among the 22 book awards earned are the International Impact Book Award, the International Firebird Book Award, The BookFest Award, and both Editor's Choice and Top Pick on BooksShelf. He has also published two science-fiction novels, Pale Face, and Battle Calm.

"For as long as I can remember, I've been writing and telling stories," Kilpack said. "Before I learned how to write, I would draw pictures of space ships, then act out the battles, drawing in the laser blasts and explosions after erasing parts of the ships that were blown away by enemies. I've blown up the U.S.S. Enterprise 10,000 times." After learning to write, he had his first poem published at the age of 9 and he was first hired to write professionally at 15.

Kilpack is an award-winning and critically acclaimed internationally published writer, with works appearing in print, online, radio and television. In addition to previously noted awards, he received Honorable Mention from L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest for his novella, Pale Face, which is also in movie development. He has been editor and/or publisher of 19 news and literary publications, both online and in print. He received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Westminster University. As an undergrad, he double-majored in communication and philosophy, while completing the Honors Program. As a graduate student, he earned a master of professional communication with a writing emphasis. He was also a high-performing athlete, qualifying for international competition in Greco-Roman wrestling.

For 25 years, he was a communication professor and a nationally recognized wrestling coach. He is an accomplished cook and has cooked nearly every type of food on a grill. He is happily married to his high-school sweetheart and is father to five children, as well as helping to raise five step-children. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he continues to live, consult and educate. For more information.

Praise for Rilari

Jose F. Nodar, author of Books, Pens & Larceny (South Wales, AUS): "Rilari [is] an emotional odyssey that will leave you breathless. Buckle up for a story that throws you headfirst into the world of the Rilari, where humanity’s fate rests on the shoulders of a courageous, yet relatable, leader – Natharr, Guardian of Maarihk and Knight-Marshal of the Knights of Ril (a.k.a the Rilari). Kilpack masterfully crafts Natharr as a hero brimming with both strength and vulnerability."

RedHeadedBookLover.com: "Rilari thrilled, shocked, and entertained me from the very first page! Utterly brilliant! An incredible story full of action and adventure ... with beloved characters [that] must overcome and fight in a world of turmoil! Rilari is a magnificent story full of many exciting moments. Readers will be kept on edge. They will feel compelled to keep reading. That is the sheer beauty of this novel! W.D. Kilpack III effortlessly took me on a thrilling journey, kept me intrigued as well as entertained. It is the kind of book that is impossible to put down, and when I had to, I longed for it!"

Praise for Demon Seed

RedHeadedBookLover.com: Demon Seed is "thrilling and fast-paced ... [a] brilliant tale that is poignant, sensational, and captivating ... where the stakes are as high as ever and the story will enthrall, captivate and excite ... full of twists that will keep you on edge from beginning to end! Demon Seed is an incredibly suspenseful novel ... a wonderful fantasy tale that will keep you hooked!"

Usman, host of Bards and Books YouTube channel (British Columbia, Canada): "The New Blood Saga continues to capture readers with interesting character and plot developments enriched with nuance and authenticity. I have come to deeply appreciate the detailed prose that is both immersive and does not overextend its welcome. With each instalment, Kilpack takes you on an intimate journey with these characters that twist and turn in such surprising ways. I can’t help but continue to see where things will go!"

Praise for Order of Light

Usman, host of Bards and Books YouTube channel (British Columbia, Canada): "The more I read, the more I realize that no other epic fantasy story has procured my full investment like the New Blood Saga! The world-building expands [in Order of Light], new characters are introduced and the scope of things to come is greatly built upon with extra heaps of shocks and twists. At this rate, Kilpack is well on his way to writing one of the greatest epic fantasy tales of all time! The prose is magnificent and captivating with a healthy dose of description and character beats. Fans of Wheel of Time will find everything they love — and more! — but tweaked to perfection."

BooksShelf.com: "Order of Light by W.D. Kilpack III is a fabulous book. It is magical and captivating. I was immersed in the story from the beginning till the end. The characters and the plot were both so well-written that [it] made me feel I was with them. A wonderful novel that I enjoyed 100% and recommend to all. "

Praise for Crown Prince

K.C. Finn, USA Today best-selling author: "An atmospheric and immersive journey into a richly crafted fantasy world, balancing a strong character-led adventure with a wider web of plots, setting up a highly complex and enjoyable fantasy saga to follow. There’s a clear flair for character, dialogue, and attitude from the start, with Natharr's intense presence affecting all who encounter him and making for some really dynamic clashes. The weightiness of his responsibilities and the depth of the world-building immediately gripped my attention and, as the story unfolded, the way the characters’ attitudes and actions were shaped by the realism of the worldbuilding was totally compelling. This book delivers on every promise of pulse-pounding adventure!"

Clay Vermulm, Host of Sinister Soup Podcast: "Kilpack delivers a stunning blow to the belief that Indie-Fantasy is worth any less that its salt. Crown Prince is a well-crafted epic with unique plot mechanisms, well-developed and believable characters, and a world grounded in the visceral and the real. I could not recommend this series any higher!"

Tom Mock, author of The Long Nights: "I've been won over by Crown Prince! The world is deeply conceived. The prose is well crafted. The solemn, almost-inhuman Guardian/seer standing guard during a deadly siege as the young queen gives birth makes for a hell of a great start! That weightiness to his character was a key point of interest to me that comes across right from the opening pages, plunging right into the thick of it for a wonderful change of pace. Crown Prince is intriguing, grand, strange, and shadowed by ill-omens. It is Shakespearean."