Welcome to the Pattern: Start Reading the Firebound Saga (Book 1 Free)
Experience a sensory-rich 10th-century pagan world where clinical logic meets ancient folklore. Start your journey here.
Welcome to the Firebound Circle, my friend.
The fire is built low and wide, fed with birch and resin. You are standing on ground still warm from the day, barefoot and welcomed. You have entered the circle.
This saga has lived in my mind for a very long time, and it is deeply personal. For years, I’ve operated in the high-stakes, hyper-analytical world of technology, studying cultures and exploring what makes us human. But underneath that professional lens, I am a neurodivergent person, a woman and a parent who has spent a lifetime processing the world in complex, intense, and often overwhelming patterns.
I wrote the Firebound Saga because I wanted to step completely away from the polished Hollywood-veneer of the pre-Christian/pagan viking era, and build a visceral, sensory-rich world rooted in deep anthropological research.
But more than that, I wrote it to explore a question close to my own heart: How would a female neurodivergent mind survive, heal, and find its power in the 10th century?
Through the eyes of my protagonist, Linde, you will experience a deeply raw, authentic female viewpoint in the 10th century world.
Linde is a witch-physician with high-functioning ASD. In modern terms, her “Internal Encyclopedia,” her moments of intense internal analysis, and her sensory struggles are entirely my own. In her world every detail carries weight. The scent of lavender and mountain water meets the copper tang of a surgeon’s blade, and the silent, snow-drenched pines of the Baltic give way to the salt-crusted marshes of the Vistula.
While there is an epic, slow-burn romance at the center of this story, this is fundamentally an exploration of a woman’s complete ecosystem of survival, healing and growth. It is a story about the fierce, quiet heat of a mother protecting her hearth, the complex family dynamics and aspects of ancient parenthood, and the vital, life-force saving friendships and tribal loyalties that keep us tethered when the world tries to shatter us.
Linde must bridge the gap between her analytical medical training and her exploration of an ancestral power of the Raganė. It is a tactile awakening that demands everything from her mind, her body, and her bond to her life partner, family and friends.
A Note on Intimacy and Content Trigger Warnings: Because this series explores the absolute reclamation of the self, female health, and trauma recovery, the intimacy in these books is tactile, intense, and unabashedly adult. The erotic elements are not ornamental, and are a direct representation of the body and soul connection. In this world, physical intimacy is a space where characters don’t just share skin, but absorb each other’s grief, guilt, and strength to stay whole.
The 10th-century pagan world was also a brutal and unforgiving environment. To maintain the anthropological authenticity of this era, the narrative deals with heavy themes. Please note that the saga contains depictions and themes of warfare and battlefield violence, pregnancy loss and child loss, and historical realities of human trafficking.
If you prefer to skip adult content or find these specific themes distressing, consider this your gentle warning before stepping deeper into the circle.
A few things to know before the dew falls:
The Research: While this is a work of historical fiction and romance, the medical practices and the “tactile reality” of the era are rooted in exhaustive anthropological and historical research. From the Kupolė Circle (some of Europe’s last pagan rituals) to the use of yarrow and birch, I wanted the world to feel as raw and real as possible.
The Free Substack Reading Schedule: To welcome you fully into the pattern, Book One: Emerald to Steel is completely free to read right here on Substack. I will be releasing new chapters daily.
Continuing the Journey: If you fall in love with Linde’s story and want to binge the rest of the epic, the adventure continues immediately across digital, print, and upcoming audiobooks:
Book 1: Emerald to Steel (Read free daily below, or grab it instantly on Amazon Kindle)
Book 2: Salt and Gold (Available now on Amazon Kindle)
Book 3: Blood And Birch (Coming Soon)
Book 4: Amber And Ash (Coming Soon)
There are those who follow the old gods, and those who follow the new. Linde follows the truth hidden in the marrow.
Thank you for stepping into the light, sharing this space, and joining me on this deeply personal journey. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments as we go. Your feedback is what breathes life into these characters and keeps the fire in this circle burning.
The fire is lit and waiting. Step into the pattern below.
— V.L. Nilsson