Shadows of Destiny
Book 1: Secrets in the Dreamscape
Limited availability. New edition coming in 2026—some details may change.
In a city where light and legacy intertwine, one prince must uncover the truth of who he is—before the shadows consume him.
Lucas Bennett was born into grandeur in Lumina City, heir to a kingdom of art, music, and peace. But when rebellion shatters his world, leaving him orphaned under a distant uncle's watch, his gilded cage begins to crack. Years later, adrift in a world that no longer feels like home, Lucas craves freedom—and finds it in two unexpected friends and a mysterious woman who haunts his dreams. But when storms blur reality and illusion, he's thrust into a dangerous journey spanning mountains, dreams, and city-states on the edge of upheaval.
As powers awaken and secrets unravel, Lucas must choose: embrace the path carved by fate—or forge his own. Shadows of Destiny is a sweeping tale of friendship, identity, and the hidden strength it takes to claim your future when destiny has other plans.
Love isn't weakness because it's easy. It's strength because it's difficult. The connections we choose to maintain through hardship, the growth that comes from facing challenges together—that's what makes life meaningful.
Joe Kovalck Jr
Shadows of Destiny
Behind the Story
Shadows of Destiny was my first published book, a dream years in the making. I’ve always wanted to write an LGBTQ+ space opera romance that blends sweeping adventure with something more intimate: the search for meaning, identity, and belonging. At its heart, this story is about a young man trying to find where he fits in a world that’s always told him who he should be. It’s about the courage to ask, “Who am I really?” and to keep chasing that answer—even when the path is unclear.
Science fiction has always been one of my favorite genres. There’s something magical about stretching reality just enough to explore big ideas in a new light. Lumina City, Astrid, Max, and Lucas’s journey, all of it is rooted in the kind of sci-fi I’ve loved growing up: layered, character-driven, and emotionally resonant.
The storyline was also shaped, in many ways, by different chapters of my own life—moments of uncertainty, transformation, and unexpected connection. Writing this book helped me reflect on those journeys, both the quiet and the turbulent ones, and turn them into something hopeful.
I never expected the first story I’d share with the world to be this story—but now I can’t imagine it any other way.
