Official Website of Fantasy-Adventure Author
(and creator of gaelS Rule World-Builder)
James Raquepau

3-D front cover for Blades of Destiny by James Raquepau

Lann Dàn - Blades of Destiny: Revised Edition | Dàn Cycle One

The arrival of a brutal band of pre-Viking Norse raiders entwines the Mother Goddess of Celtic Ireland in a desperate bid to rid her island of the invaders turned settlers. Danu and her fellow Tuatha Gods draw Breanna Ban Morna, a Gaelic warrior with blood from both sides, into a quest to find the missing Lann Dàn, one of three pieces of magic needed to remove the Norse leader and his ilk from their land. See the video trailer here:
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Lia Dàn - Stone of Destiny | Dàn Cycle Two

Ćroí Dàn claims Breanna Ban Morna as Erin’s Hero after freeing her chief but failing to slay her Norse father. The Heart of Destiny leads her Hero to seek out Lia Dàn while evading the Dreadlord’s pursuit. Having acquired the Stone of Destiny, Breanna must wield the magic of the Triple Dàns to remove her father and his ilk from her land, a feat that will warp the Emerald Island’s fabric of time—and likely claim Breanna’s soul!
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Ćroí Dàn - Heart Of Destiny | Dàn Cycle Three

With memories of Breanna Ban Morna’s previous life as a Gaelic and Norse half-breed, a new destiny drives Erin’s Hero, where she seeks the Tuatha All-Father to discover what she has become. Having wielded the magic of the Triple Dàns, she must learn to walk Erin’s Cycle of Time and transform herself into the Tuatha Goddess of Time, to be the one who saves all Gaels and Celts from ruin at the hands of powerful Christian-driven dynasties like the Romans and Britons!
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Laoch Dàn – Warriors of Destiny | Dàn Cycle Four

In Laoch Dàn – Warriors of Destiny, Dàn Cycle Four, Breanna Ban Morna leads her band of warriors and druids across time to ensure Gaels Rule! But where should they start? Maybe in Egypt, before they fell to Rome? Maybe with early Christianity, where they ensure a different path is followed to allow the Gaels and Celtics control their destiny?
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Leannáin Dàn – Lovers of Destiny | Dàn Cycle Five

Lovers of Destiny is just a dream at this point, but is planned to be a collection of personal stories about Breanna and Eoin as they lead their Band of warriors and druids through time.
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Line art image of the Sun God Lugh

About James

I grew up on a small lake in the upper Midwest of the USA and explored the nature surrounding me, with miles of trails, rivers and creeks branching out from my family home on that lake. I could travel across my lake, slip into a tributary creek or river, and go up or down it for hours with my small boat and its little outboard motor. My trusted dog sometimes joined me, standing at the prow like a warrior sentinel. Other times, he would rather sleep in the comfort of his home.

He was often fickle like that,sometimes deciding he needed a “Canadian Walkabout” in the neighborhoods around the lake and getting into trouble. Our family is of a long line of Quebecers,where the women of our line applied such a euphemism to describe their men who would go roaming about the land in search of adventure. Anyway, I remember the little rascal fondly.

Like many at the time of my youth, I experimented with some forbidden things, things that quickly grew old. Esoteric matters caught my attention for a time, and I found a young lady whohad similar thoughts about reincarnation and karma. As I pursued college and tried my hand at fine arts, I found my left hand was not so good at the fine part. With that same lady, we married, and I fell into the technology sector to make a living. Then, I switched my major from fine arts to English - Creative Writing.

After a failed first attempt at writing a set of great fantasy novels, work, raising a family, and life took over my time. Writing faded as a priority. Yet it resurfaced years later with a Gaelic adventure based in Celtic Ireland that started as a dream - literally. We traveled across the pond to see that land, and their people captured my heart and imagination.

That was when I wrote the first edition of Stone of Destiny and self-published it. Thw version was frankly not very good. As we moved from the Upper Midwest to the Great Northwest to keeping working in the tech sector, the Irish still held my heart. After twenty years, I took up the notion to rewrite that first effort, I realized not only was the prose not good, the story was rushed. Thus Destiny Cycle was born and one book became three books! And, now, most likely four books.

After getting the first two novels in the cycle edited, I launched them as the First Edition. Then with more feedback, I found a (fantasic) new editor, and Blades of Destiny Revised Edition has now been released! Stone of Destiny of Destiny Revised Edition will follow in the coming weeks.

In the process of this rewriting and expanding the storyline, the Gaels seeped deep into my psyche. Being a quarter Scottish of Clan Fergusson (see the picture of me in my colors above), the Gaels became my people; their history, legends, and mythologies became mine; the Celts of Europe, where the Gaels originated, became mine; the druids and their gods became mine; and the injustices inflicted on my people be came a vision.

What if the Gaels of Ireland could change the history of the world by changing the Isle of Erin’s timeline? And Britain's, starting with Rome’s first-century invasion?

It would take a Hero and the Tuatha Gods who backed her to make that happen.  Welcome to Dàn Cycle (aka Destiny Cycle)!

I hope you enjoy reading this adventure as much as I did writing it. It is where Gaels Rule!

Destiny Cycle Reviews

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Review on Reedsy Discover & Goodreads

Destiny
Cycle
One  

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Review on Reedsy Discover & Goodreads

Destiny
Cycle
Two

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Review on Goodreads

Destiny
Cycle
Three
(coming
this summer)

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Events

Planned Book Signing Events - Comming this Summer

Latest news

Lann Dàn – Blades of Destiny | Dàn Cycle One - Trailer Video!

Lann Dàn - Blades of Destiny: Dàn Cycle One Book Trailer
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Lann Dàn – Blades of Destiny | Dàn Cycle One - Revised Edition Released!

Lann Dàn – Blades of Destiny | Dàn Cycle One - Revised Edition Released!
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Lann Dàn – Blades of Destiny Revised Edition Update

Lann Dàn – Blades of Destiny Revised Edition Update
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Do you want to get news updates about what's happening in Destiny Cycle world? I plan to create a newsletter for occasional updates, advanced storyline directions, and fan-only content (no spam, I promise).

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Note: For more information on the Tuatha pantheon and their Gaels, there are many online sources, such as Wikipedia, to explore the mythical and historical settings of Ireland that authors have used over the years to engage in fantasy world-building. Likewise, in Britain, with Arthurian myths and legends, as well as Celtic and Roman ones. If you have questions about how I came up with aspects of the world in which Destiny Cycle takes place, get in touch via this page.