The Winds and Pillars - 7 books for a brand new, epic fantasy series

The Winds and Pillars is what I call this series now.

Actually, the Winds and Pillars are made up of two series, Winds of Destiny and Pillars of the Empire. That’s because each of my characters grows up in a “House”, which is made up of four Winds (South, West, East and North), and four elemental mages, the Pillars (Moon, Sun, Sky and Earth).

In each of the books, we’ll follow a new character but some of them do meet up with others in their stories, and they will all team up in a final book where they change the world.

In addition, I’m mulling ideas for a prequel novella, and will let you know how that goes. It may have a prophecy mentioning the Winds of Destiny and the Pillars of the Empire.

For now, I give you the…

Winds and Pillars

Table of Contents

Winds and Pillars
Winds of Destiny
Pillars of the Empire

Winds of Destiny

The Winds of Destiny has four books. It starts out with South, then switches to West (who meets South), goes on with East (who meets both of them), and then finally follows North (who ends up in a place where East was earlier).

The stories continue with the next series, the Pillars of the Empire, where we will see Earth, Sky, Sun and Moon break away from the Empire and discover shocking secrets. They will all join together in the final book, Spirit Sings, and… no, not going to spoil what happens (mostly because I only know pieces of it before I write it).

South Breaks

A Lost Love. A Broken Destiny. A New Chance.

Throughout her whole life, South has given everything to the Holy Empire, her magic, her power, her children, even her beloved Moon. The only thing left to give is her life. When a rockfall kills everyone on her journey to her death except her and her guide, South is tossed back into the life that was stolen from her when she was a child – with a family only she can protect.

Torn between grief for Moon and love for her newfound family, South struggles to find a purpose for her life and powers. Just as she settles in, the Priests she escaped wreak new havoc on her family, abducting South’s niece. Rescuing the girl means sneaking back into the Empire, where discovery would result in painful death.

South Breaks is the first book of the Winds and Pillars, an epic fantasy series following the fates of eight magic users and their fight against the fanatic Priests of the Holy Empire.

When I started writing this story, I had no idea of how huge this world would get and how many people I’d find to love in it. It’s great fun.

What people say:
Steenbock weaves the details of a complex world into the simple story of one woman’s rescue from certain death, and develops a family story so engrossing you won’t be able to tear yourself away!
The opening chapter was… unusual, but I stuck with it, and soon I couldn’t stop reading. The ending came too soon and I want more tales of South’s new life! The writing is smooth, the adventure is riveting, and I found zero errors — a rarity in my experience!
(Amazon Review)

Unboxing Video (on YouTube)

Blog post: What does the symbol on the cover mean?

Live Reading By SPFBOX Author Hannah Steenbock: ‘South Breaks’ (on YouTube)

Great news! South Breaks made semi-finalist in the 2024 SPFBOX! (dedicated blog post here)

That in itself doesn’t really mean that much, just that it survived the first round and was picked as one of the five best books by the review blog it was allocated to. Even so, that makes me very happy!

Link to the SPFBOX page.

Even better, it meant I got a glowing review out of it, which is probably the best thing of the entire contest:

South Breaks Review by Vaughn RayCroft

Release Date: July 1st 2022

West Flows

West is lost in a world he doesn’t understand.

When West Whale realizes he is not willing to give his life as a Sacrifice for the Holy Empire, he discovers a set of powers he never knew he had. Fleeing the evil Priests, he seeks out the one person he knows who might help him develop his potential.

They kick him out instead.

Forced to rely on his new abilities and what little he knows of the world, West embarks on a dangerous quest to prove himself worthy. Can he avoid being noticed and captured by the Priests? Can he protect the new friends he makes?

And most of all, can he save the life of his newfound love?

West might be my favorite character in the Winds of Destiny, closely followed by East. (Don’t tell them I said that, though.)

Release Day: September 10th, 2022.

East Roars

Another Pyramid. Another Sacrifice. A furious Wind.

East is walking to his death and the Priests are pushing him. That has always spurred his anger.

When the Head Priestess applies even more force, East’s anger kindles into a roaring storm. Blind with fury, he jumps off the pyramid and tumbles into a new life full of challenges.

Soon enough, East finds out that treachery and deceit rule the world even outside the Empire. Will he survive loss and betrayal? Will he let his anger consume him?

Release Day: November 10th, 2022

I love this guy. He’s strong and yet, what people do to him almost breaks him. Only someone supporting him in secret enables him to survive…

North Shatters

North Deer won’t fight her destiny. But someone else will.

Every Wind dies on top of their pyramid when they turn twenty-five, and North is no exception. She embraces her duty to give her life for the good of the Empire. So why is a Priest spiriting her away in the middle of the night?

Out in the icy lands beyond North Wall, North and Varden struggle to survive. Soon, North falls in love with the handsome, green-eyed Priest who has risked his life for her, even as she sees his gruesome death in a shattering vision.

How can North even go on without Varden?

Release Day: February 12th, 2023

Pillars of the Empire

Now we finally meet the Pillars – and they all start in the same place, the Sacred Square. Each of them escapes in their very own way – as fits their personality. They end up all over the continent, as well, sometimes meeting with characters we already know.

Slowly, they weave a net among each other, until they become a House, in a sense. A group used to working in a team, with all powers represented. And then… well. You’ll have to read the series to find out.

Earth Splits

A dangerous secret. A desperate love. A terrible fate.

Earth Bear is a Pillar, wielding magical power, destined to be sacrificed for the greater good. She has a secret she’s keeping, protecting an enemy of the Empire from afar. In the night before her ritual death, he intervenes.

Too shocked to resist, Earth allows him to handle their escape. However, guilt about leaving her House to die and breaking her promise to her lover Sky poisons Earth’s heart.

With the Empire’s army pursuing them into the Northlands, can Earth come to her senses before they all die?

“Earth Splits” continues the riveting fantasy series Winds of Destiny, returning to established places and bringing back favorite characters.

Release Day: October 6th, 2023

Sky Falls

A daring escape. An unlikely ally. A wicked betrayal.

When the day of his sacrifice draws near, Sky Falcon has nothing left to lose. Daring the wrath of the Priests, he escapes through a clever application of his magic, taking the love of his life with him.

Together, they hatch a desperate and daring plan: After escaping the Holy Empire through different routes, they vow to reunite near Jungle Fortress in the south.

On his own, Sky makes an unfortunate mistake which leads him down the road to doom. Can he escape once more or will he find himself bound on top of a Pyramid, after all?

“Sky Falls” takes you on yet another intense and fast-paced ride through the world of the Winds and Pillars, with familiar characters lending a hand.

Sky is another sweet guy, curious, caring, and definitely in possession of a scientific mind. He was so much fun to write!

Release Day: February 2nd, 2024

Sun Burns

A power out of control. A Pillar in the hands of a Priestess. A deadly desert burning with heat.

Sun Snake’s life is coming to its sacrificial end. His best friend is already gone, and he’s ready to join Moon in death. When his Power goes rogue as the knives come out, Sun literally falls into a new life fraught with danger.

Scared and lonely, Sun struggles to control the fire that bursts from his fingers at the worst moments. He has a single ally, the Priestess who fell with him – if only he could trust her. Desperate to get out of the Holy Empire, Sun allows Laisal to guide him as they sneak across the mountains to the east. Soon they end up being hunted by Houses, driven into a vast desert, towards certain doom.

Can Sun cheat death a second time?

“Sun Burns” explores a part of the continent no other Wind or Pillar has seen yet, in a tale filled with action, magic and desperate acts.

Release Day: July 12th, 2024

There are two more books to write for the Winds and Pillars, and they will be about Moon (Moon Rises), plus one final book (Spirit Sings) that will conclude the story. Of course, the Pillars will also meet with the characters from the Winds of Destiny.

I pretty much know what needs to happen – but writing always brings its own surprises. I also cannot wait to get to know these people, this is always the best part of writing a new story.