A wild mix of steampunk, dieselpunk, sci-fi, and other genres is coming to bookshelves this fall. The author is running a Kickstarter campaign to fund professional-grade editing for the novel. In the meantime, four short stories from this world are already available on Amazon and Google Play Books.

St. John's, Canada June 20, 2025 --(PR.com)-- A richly imagined world of floating islands, zeppelins, and ancient secrets is coming to bookshelves this September. Heavy Sky, the first novel in the Stories of Azoria series, is now live on Kickstarter, where its author is seeking support to fund professional editing and launch the book independently.

Originally imagined as a game, Azoria’s world proved too ambitious to develop at the time. But the idea lived on. After years of sketches, notes, and daydreams, the creator turned to writing to bring the vision to life – resulting in a novel that blends steampunk, dieselpunk, and sci-fi with deep worldbuilding and an ensemble of compelling characters.

“It started as a game concept – too big to build. But the idea stuck with me, and I knew I had to tell the story another way.” - Alex O. Harb

Azoria is a vertically layered planet where tribal eagle riders navigate sacred wind currents in the Heights, steam-powered kingdoms clash in the middle altitudes, and an orbital expedition from the Federation monitors the planet from afar. Their lives revolve around a mysterious blue mineral known by many names – heartstone, Rational Element, azurium – which grants anti-gravity properties but decays over time.

In Heavy Sky, a series of events – from a decaying home islet to a devastating aerial attack and a political crisis aboard a starship – pull characters from across these layers into a chain of revelations that challenge their understanding of the world.

The novel is accompanied by four standalone short stories, already available on Amazon and Google Play Books, which explore earlier eras and side characters:

- Resonance of Silence: a wry story of adaptation in a society built around silence.

- The Plan of Darkness: a dark tale of ambition and a voice that changes everything.

- Reader of the Wind: a bittersweet coming-of-age story set in the eagle-rider tribes.

- Rational Element: the story of Azoria’s first settlers and the dream that shaped their future.

The Kickstarter campaign includes digital, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook editions, along with stretch goals like a collector’s box and illustrated extras.

Without a publisher or agent, the author is using Kickstarter to connect directly with readers and fund professional editing for the 120,000-word novel. The campaign will also help produce a short story collection and optional hardcover editions.

In addition, 20% of all funds will be donated to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

With more than 15 years of experience in game development, the author, known under pen name Alex O. Harb, brings an eye for immersive world design and character-driven storytelling to fiction. Heavy Sky is their debut novel and the first entry in a planned four-book cycle set in the world of Azoria.

Kickstarter Campaign:
www.kickstarter.com/projects/alexharb/heavy-sky/

Author's page on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/author/alexharb

Contact Information:
Alex O. Harb
(347) 796-0225
Contact via Email
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alexharb/heavy-sky/

Read the full story here: https://www.pr.com/press-release/941375

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