Dark, Character-Driven Fiction
I like villains. Not the cartoon kind — not mustache-twirling egomaniacs with cheesy motives — but people who live in the grey and make choices they can justify to themselves. I’m interested in what drives them, what shaped them. Heroes are easy. What holds my attention are flawed characters navigating a realistic, messy world that isn’t divided into good and evil. People make decisions, and those decisions place them into roles: protagonist, antagonist, survivor, threat. That doesn’t make them virtuous or damned.
My stories live in that space. Not chaos for its own sake, but something more dangerous: honesty. Stories that hold up a mirror, asking us to examine our biases — who we forgive, who we condemn, and what we’re willing to overlook. That’s where honesty lives.
My debut novel, The Burning of Saint-Gilles, is a gothic, character-driven retelling of Dracula’s origin that uses vampiric mythology to explore love, faith, and the corruption of power. It inverts the familiar roles of holy figure and villain, and offers a darkly romantic story that reflects on what it means to be a monster.
Alongside original work, I write fan fiction set in radically different worlds, including Baldur’s Gate 3 and Better Call Saul/Breaking Bad. These stories are built around moral tension and characters who are complex, genuine, and relateable.
In my stories, I treat human behavior with the respect it deserves — even when it’s ugly. That doesn’t mean my stories reject happy endings — they often have happy endings (because I'm also a romantic). The difference is that happiness isn’t a reward for virtue, but the result of agency: what people choose, what they risk, and what they’re willing to live with.
Grimoire of the Grove
A BALDUR'S GATE FANTASY
This retelling of Baldur’s Gate 3 keeps the same faces and places you know, while lingering on the moments I wanted more of: relationships that are messy, nuanced, and human; deeper interactions with the people of Faerûn; and more realistic reactions to the events of the game.
Follow Fiodhan as he makes new friends, finds new family, and finds love in the most unexpected place. Together, Fiodhan and his companions fight to save themselves from a fate worse than death — battling monsters, ghosts, devils, and demons along the way.
Rewrite the Stars
THE SALAMANCA SOLUTION
Lalo Salamanca didn’t die when he was supposed to.
Rewrite the Stars is a dark, noir-tinged romance that throws canon off the rails. When Lalo Salamanca waltzes into her life — uninvited and infuriatingly magnetic — Clara is forced to confront the lies she has built her life around. Before she fully understands the cost, she finds herself in a truck headed for Michoacán to meet Don Eladio Vuente, carrying information that alters Lalo’s fate and diverts him from the death waiting for him in Gus Fring’s lab.
There are two sides to every story.
Long before his fateful encounter with Jonathan Harker, the figure history remembers as Count Dracula was known simply as Dragomir. Today, his name is known around the world, his story recorded as one of the world’s most famous legends.
But legend is not the same as truth.
Journey back in time to the Middle Ages, known to historians today as the Dark Ages — a time that has been mysteriously erased from history. What we know today as legend was once based in truth — a truth so shocking that it was wiped from the history books.
When Dragomir uncovers a conspiracy operating within Saint-Gilles Abbey, he executes those responsible and burns the institution to the ground. What happens next will set him on a path that leaves an imprint on the world so large it gave rise to a legend. In a tale of romance, conspiracy, and treason, the lines between friend and foe become blurred, leaving Dragomir and his allies with only their instincts to guide them through a world of seduction and deception
History knows Dracula as a monster.
This is the story before the monster.
Rian's writing transcends genres and creates worlds that feel real.
Beta Reader reviews for The Burning of Saint-Gilles
Put aside everything you think you know about Dracula and get ready for a whole new experience. This book is about family, love, friendship and surprising alliances. As in all things, politics, religion and survival play their part. The concepts of good guys and bad guys get turned on their head while at the same time making room for everyone no matter who they are or what their life choices are.
This book has you at hello, never lets go and leaves you yearning for more. The world building is rich and complex and the imagery is vivid. I didn't want to put it down and didn't want it to end. The author has a refreshing perspective and look forward to what comes next!
- Christine L.
I was captivated within the first pages by Rian's strong sense of atmosphere. I could smell the tanneries and smithies like I was really there.
- Matt H.
The blending of dark romance, historically accurate details, and a brand new take on Dracula is something I’ve never seen before. I’m not sure how Rian was able to write something that’s brand new and timeless at the same time, but that’s exactly what this story is.
- Mikaela O.
Rian's characters feel real to me, and the world feels like a real place. When I think about it, I sometimes forget it’s a story.
- M.
At first, I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy this book (it's not my preferred genre) but I was immediately struck by the author's ability to create immersive settings, complete with vivid smells and sounds that transported me to Medieval Europe.
I was drawn into the world they created and I fell in love with the cast of characters, who all felt like real people. The gristly, dark opening quickly gave way to a captivating adventure and ended with the most beautful love story I've ever seen. By the end, I was hiding in the bathroom in the middle of the night, desperate to finish the final chapters.
- Myrna L.
I liked the way love was presented in this book—all-inclusive and a good description of how or why love for others was so felt. The way Rian writes gives excellent imaging and description. In fact, I was initially a little put off by the graphic gore—this is not my usual genre—however it was obviously well written because I could picture the details well. I was invested in this story and how it all came together.
- Jen H.
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