The First Glimpse (Curiosities of the Eldritch) - Softcover

Bussard, K.W.

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798998967801

Publisher: K.W. Bussard, 2025

Synopsis

Oh hello, dear customer... The shop has chosen you.

When young Corin stumbles into a shop that shouldn’t exist—tucked in a forgotten alley of Arden’s Wake—he’s seeking an escape from grief, from nightmares, from the ghost of a dream he once held dear. What he finds instead is a relic: a bookmark that doesn’t mark pages, but portals.

Drawn into a vast, timeless library that bends reality itself, Corin must face riddles, memories, and challenges crafted from the threads of fate itself. Each step forces him to confront what he fears most—not monsters, but truth.

The First Glimpse is the debut novella in the Curiosities of the Eldritch series—a dark fantasy journey for fans of shadowed magic, mysterious artifacts, and stories that whisper long after the final page. If you crave supernatural intrigue with emotional depth and eerie wonder, your invitation has arrived.

The shop is open. Will you uncover what you seek… or something you never expected?



Three 5-star ratings on Goodreads since release.

E. Solofoni wrote: "...such wonderful poetic prose that I was entranced the whole way through this novella. A wonderful tale on finding your resolve and the courage to persevere through the hardships and uncertainties of life. The story has real heart, and I thoroughly enjoyed it."

About this title

About the Author

K.W. Bussard has been a lifelong fan of fantasy novels. Whether it's immersive storytelling, the rich worlds of tabletop, live-action, or computer role-playing games, the lore and struggles of characters are an essential part. Kevin channels his love of these immersive realms for decades into blending epic adventure with relatable human struggles.
He resides in Texas. Drawing inspiration from gaming, reading, and dreaming about what lore lies beyond the next quest.

From the Back Cover

Step through the doorway that wasn't there yesterday...
Ah, you've found your way to my shop... how curious. You're not the first to stumble in from the rain, nor will you be the last to leave changed.
Take young Corin Raldekaln, for instance. A cartographer by trade, though more lost than he'd admit. Grief can do that to a man, or dwarf. He came in looking for something, an escape from his nightmares. Instead, he found my shop. And a relic tied to places best left undisturbed.
What happened next was not my doing, mind you. The Athenaeum sees and knows more than I ever could. It tested him, as it tests all who enter. Past against present... Memory against truth. Somewhere in that sacred library of stories and shadows... he glimpsed something far greater.
But do not worry. You won't be tested. Not yet.
This is merely The First Glimpse.

Edition details

• Publisher: K.W. Bussard
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798998967801
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 84