Wes Al-Dhaher

For everyone who ordered print copies of Brotherhood of the Wolf (Issues#1 and #2): thanks so much for your patience. Books are finishing up at the press now and heading into fulfillment. Most readers can expect their copies to arrive in early January. Appreciate you all being part of this world.

Muslim fiction usually collapses into two camps: preachy moralism or total nihilism. But we deserve a third lane: stories that face the darkness honestly without surrendering to it. This is the world I’m building, inshaAllah.

Most Muslims struggle with their deen not because they lack knowledge (although that is certainly a big factor, if Muslim Twitter is any indication!), but because they're fighting an enemy they can't see. It's kind of like a Japanese horror movie. But instead of ghostly women with long black hair, it's your habits.

A thousand Muslims are arguing whether anime is haram. Not one has asked why does a show about ninja friendships hit harder than 90% of what gets published today?

"Did I stop liking anime or is everything trash now?" Yes (tee hee) The medium changed (more volume, less risk). You changed (you're not 14 anymore). The error is thinking you have to like everything "objectively good." Quality ≠ taste. Respect your compass & move on without guilt, habibi

Liked Redwall but want something darker? The Builders: A grizzled mouse captain rounds up his scattered crew for one last revenge job. They smoke, they kill, they've got PTSD. I loved the character writing. I loved the banter. I loved how distinct each mercenary feels (my favorite was Bonsoir, the "French" stoat). If that's your thing, you'll also like Brotherhood of the Wolf: https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/

Tahsin fled the Battle of Varna. Koja saw him do it. Now they're hunting child-eating Fae through Ottoman Serbia while Tahsin tries not to piss himself. Both men are in their 30s and 40s. Neither wanted to be here.

Tahsin spent the entire ambush loading his gun. By the time he was ready to fire, Koja had split two skulls and Cem had killed the other two. The last Wallachian threw down his sword and begged for mercy. Cem ran him through anyway. Tahsin finally pulled the trigger. Shot the corpse in the back. "I told you I'd get him." How did they end up in this mess? Read from the beginning: https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/

Tahsin's motto: Never stand out. He doesn't say it aloud. That would make him stand out. He survived Varna by not standing out. Now he's been given a mission. A dangerous one. Because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The quartermaster: "Heard you cut King Wadislav's head off." Tahsin: "Something like that."

"The bite marks were too small to be a wolf. Dozens of them. They looked like the bites of a child." (Quote from "False Light" novella) Brotherhood of the Wolf: A Janissary sent to collect taxes in 1440s Serbia. A "wolf" that isn't a wolf. Missing children. And companions who might be more dangerous than whatever's hunting in the woods. 66 pages of full-color horror + 30k novella: https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/

Femcel posting online: A “REAL MAN does X, Y, Z” Femcel’s nightstand reading:👇

Most of the fashionable newcomers in fantasy storytelling chase the first spark, then move on, birds-of-passage. It is not unusual for them to launch one dazzling volume and lose heart by book two. What a hollow, dangerous way to build worlds. I have no stomach for working with these restless dreamers. By contrast, the pros finish what they begin. Readers praise Divine Cities and the Green Bone Saga for holding their power from start to finish, and still argue over Malazan’s rough openers or Discworld’s final fade. That debate reminds us that lasting quality is earned. We sign for completion. We budget for endings first. I hope that this endurance is good for the artists. I know it is good for the house. Click here bio to see how good:https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/

He pulled a cord (Chainsaw Man). Another built a domain (Jujutsu Kaisen). One just breathed (Demon Slayer)! Each manga became a billion-dollar story. Why? Because people don’t buy fantasy. They buy visible progress, such as a "ritual" they can see, copy, repeat. The moral: it pays a storyteller to be practical and unorthodox. Brotherhood of the Wolf's magic system is similar to 2 of the manga I referenced above: https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/

Issue #2 has cleared the coloring stage and is now in the hands of our letterer. A letterer, by the way, is a typographic artist responsible for both the page design and the flow of every spoken line. His lettering and layout pass wraps by Halloween (not intentional!) . Once approved, it’s straight to print and shipping. Our editorial pass taught us something essential: because our dialogue is written in a more literary, bande dessinée style, some subtle beats needed clearer framing. We’re adding a few lines of dialogue to make sure that every reader, regardless of how finely tuned their eye for nuance, can follow the emotional and thematic turns of the story. This lettering phase ensures that, inshAllah Issue #3 is already 100 percent inked (cover included) and color work continues soon. Even though we’re ahead of schedule, we’ll hold release until readers have time to experience Issues #1 and #2 together. After that, expect a new issue every three months. If you haven’t picked up the Issues #1 & #2 Bundle, now is the perfect time. The sales page is live, orders are open, and every Collector's Bundle includes False Light, our 30,000-word digital novella that lands instantly in your inbox upon purchase. Beta readers keep comparing our visual tone to Berserk and Darkest Dungeon (the video game). We didn’t plan the Darkest Dungeon camparison, but we’re honored by it. The world of Brotherhood of the Wolf was built for those who love love love dark fantasy. Here's a splash page from Issue#3 to give you an idea. You can order Issues #1 & 2 now: https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/

What I’m building and why I’m here I’m an independent publisher making speculative fiction with a clear aim: work that respects the reader’s time and rewards re-reading. Current project is Brotherhood of the Wolf, dark fantasy a graphic-novel series. A reader you may know here (nprofile1qqswpysavy8wv4fednavdjvs0d4dz8e6rh09wuqzncfgfek2url8h4g4l3zwv shared it and asked me to post on Nostr. That’s why I’m joining this network now. If interested, read the sales page: talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/ If you’ve read these first book in the series, tell me what worked and what didn’t. Your notes shape what I make next.