COLUMBIA, Md. - Marylandian -- Author Danon Skye has released When Stone Awakens, Book One of Soul of Atholaria, an epic fantasy that begins with a simple mystery: a towering stone being named Rocky awakens with no understanding of what he is—or why the world itself seems to respond to his presence.

Stone shifts around him. Distance does not always behave as it should. Ancient forces begin to stir. As Rocky searches for answers, others begin to see him as something very different: a threat, a weapon, or a source of power waiting to be controlled.

Rocky's journey carries readers across Atholaria, a world born from catastrophe and shaped by peoples, cultures, and histories of its own. He is joined by an unlikely group of companions whose differences are often as important as the dangers they face. Their growing friendships bring humor and humanity to a story increasingly shaped by prophecy, ancient secrets, and forces that reach far beyond Rocky himself.

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"I wanted Rocky to feel genuinely different from the heroes I had encountered through a lifetime of reading fantasy. He begins without a history he understands, without a place where he belongs, and without even knowing what he is supposed to become. The questions surrounding him gave me a way to explore identity, free will, friendship, and what happens when others decide what your power should mean," Skye said.

While Rocky stands at the center of When Stone Awakens, Atholaria is populated by characters readers can connect with for different reasons. Warriors, inventors, wanderers, ancient peoples, and reluctant companions each bring their own histories, flaws, strengths, and motivations to the larger story.

One of the novel's most personal characters is Fizbit, a brilliant and mischievous inventor developed through a creative collaboration between Skye and his daughter. Her influence helped shape Fizbit's restless curiosity, unpredictability, and humor, making the character particularly meaningful to the author.

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"I realized I wasn't just writing a standalone tale; I was constructing a sprawling new world with endless storytelling possibilities."

When Stone Awakens is the first novel in the Soul of Atholaria series. It is available now in hardcover, paperback, eBook, and audiobook formats.

Learn more about When Stone Awakens, explore Atholaria, and find purchase options at danonskye.com.

About Danon Skye:
Danon Skye is a lifelong fantasy reader and storyteller whose fascination with immersive worlds, unlikely heroes, enduring friendships, ancient mysteries, and ordinary people discovering extraordinary purpose led to the creation of Atholaria. When Stone Awakens is his debut novel and Book One of Soul of Atholaria.