Eight Chosen Ones came before her. All of them are dead.
When a bubble of light abducts Esme, she wakes in a version of Kansas City where magic is real—and a secret war is being lost. Demonic beasts called malevolenci are invading through otherworldly rifts, and the ancient Order sworn to stop them is running out of time.
Terrifying? Sure. But it’s way more interesting than her old life.
In this Sanctuary world, werewolves from the secret Order patrol alongside the KCPD. Vampires make excellent doctors. Fairies dream of Hollywood. Elves are lawyers. Goblins run banks. Trolls are soldiers—and serve the best barbecue in town. Magic is woven into everyday life…and into a war no one else sees.
The Order summoned Esme for one reason: She’s an alterni, an alt-world version of the original Esme who fought to save them. Only alterni can wield magic powerful enough to fight the malevolenci. The problem? Eight alterni came before her. Eight are dead. And now it’s Esme’s turn to master complex magic and become the Order’s greatest weapon before the Sanctuary is destroyed.
Partnered with King Owen, the charming but broken ruler haunted by alterni he’s already lost, Esme is determined to succeed where her eight dead predecessors failed. But as malevolenci attacks escalate and the Order rushes her training, Esme realizes the truth no one wants to tell her:
She wasn’t summoned to save the Sanctuary. She was summoned to replace the last failure, and no one believes she’ll survive either.
But the Order is out of time. If Esme fails, so will the Sanctuary—and the unchecked demons will destroy everything they’ve fought to protect.
No pressure.
Meet the Characters
Meet Esme…
Esme was summoned to a Kansas City where magic is real. Where monsters tear through reality. Where everyone needs her to succeed where others died.
She doesn’t want power.
She wants to survive.
Meet Owen…
Owen is King of the Sanctuary. He smiles like nothing hurts, but every fallen alterni weighs on him. Every summoning risks another death.
Esme may be his last hope.
Or his final regret.
Meet the Paranormals of the Sanctuary…
- Werewolves patrol with the KCPD
- Vampires make excellent doctors
- Fairies dream of Hollywood
- Elves are lawyers
- Goblins run banks
- Trolls make the best barbecue in town
…and most humans have no idea.
The Secret War
They are not myths…
The malevolenci are demons born for war – each species more dangerous than the last, each forcing the Order’s soldiers to adapt or fall.
They cannot be stopped…
There’s no predicting where or when a rift will open. The only sure thing is that demons will pour into the Sanctuary. The best soldiers can do is contain them…one rift at a time.
They are learning…
Survival means learning how the monsters fight…before they learn how you think.
They cannot be hidden forever…
While soldiers fight, civilians go about their lives unaware of how close annihilation comes every night. But in a war this violent, there will come a point when hiding it becomes impossible.
What to Expect
- urban fantasy in a modern city
- found family under pressure
- snarky humor as a coping mechanism
- magic with real consequences
- a secret society losing ground in a desperate war
–Alterni begins the conflict – but it doesn’t contain it.
Across the series:
- each book builds directly on the last in one continuous story – no easy victories, only escalating stakes.
- alliances fracture
- the war intensifies
- truths emerge that change everything
About The Series
THE ALT-WORLD CHRONICLES is an urban fantasy series with magic, monsters, a supernatural war, and slow-burn romance woven into high-stakes action.
Perfect for readers who love:
– female-led stories, like Buffy meets Wynonna Earp
– hidden paranormal societies, like Grimm
– snarky humor and modern mythology, like Supernatural
The Alt-World Chronicles Reading Order:
(The Eighth can be read at any point)
The Sanctuary War Trilogy:
1- Alterni
2- Malevolenci
3- Origini
The Assassi Reckoning Trilogy:
4- The Fairy Master Capturi
5- Sirens and Assassi (coming 7/25/2026)
6- Deus Endi (coming 2027)
Reviews for Alterni
★★★★★ “Alterni is a gripping read, an engrossing fantasy that explores the proverbial struggle between the forces of good and evil, crafted with characters that readers will love. Great pacing, a dizzying climax, and a satisfying end!” — Christian Sia for Readers’ Favorite
★★★★★ “Alterni is spellbinding, the kind of book you finish reading and feel like you have just woken up from an incredible dream.” –– Romuald Dzemo for Readers’ Favorite
★★★★★ “Alterni shows magnificent world building, structure, and storytelling, all of which add to a sense of realism behind the fantasy plot. I rarely recommend books, but this is one book that gets my unquestioning recommendation to anyone looking for a good read. Alterni is filled with suspense, action, intrigue, heartbreak, magic, conflict, mystery and so much more, all while taking you on a thrilling journey of growth and change. There are a lot of subtle touches and unexpected revelations, this is a book that will not leave you wanting. It has definitely made its way into my top personal ten books for this year.” — K.J. Simmill, author of The Forgotten Legacies
OR…
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