BY: O.R. Sykora

Where does a story come from, and how do its roots grow? There may be as many answers to this question as there are writers in the world. Perhaps there’s a different answer for every story ever written.

Years ago, while the plot for Son of the Mountain King was still stewing in my mind, I attended a weekly adult Sunday School class taught by a wise, wizened saint of the Lord. The topic at the time was the book of Revelation, one of the teacher’s favorite subjects. As we sat week after week, gobbling up the insights and applications, the main concept for a follow-up book began to grow. Book 2 would be about Revelation.

Wrath of the Mountain King is written as a triangular narrative. Three characters who nod to three key people in Revelation—the Apostle John and the two Witnesses—tell a fantasy version of the Revelation events as they play out in the land of the Mountain King. Specifically, I took inspiration from one theory about the two Witnesses for my story: that they are Elijah and Moses. Using this idea, I wove elements from events in Moses’ life and Elijah’s life into the events of Revelation. My main characters, Anna, Raven, and Jenna, follow paths that reflect the service roles of these biblical people. Anna’s work alludes to the reluctant yet powerful Moses. Raven, who in the first book called to mind the work of John the Baptist, continues in a role that echoes with the unbending Elijah strain. And Jenna, who was a scribe introduced near the end of the first book, comes into her own with inspiration from the tasks of the Apostle John.

But as interesting as it was to explore the work of these characters, the central question I asked (and strove to answer as best I could) was this: What is Jesus’ role as Savior in the events of Revelation? How does the Cross of Christ intersect with the holy wrath of God?

The answer rests in His perfect love, and that is where the heart of my story lay, where it grew. My prayer is that Wrath of the Mountain King would speak of this heart, that the love of God would shine clearly even in the midst of judgment. As the characters learn in this allegorical fantasy, people have not been left without a lifeline. God loves us so much that He suffered His Own wrath in our place.

And in my mind, that is a story worth telling.

Wrath of the Mountain King

"The world is poisoned. The cleansing is coming. And three women hold the key to salvation— or ruin." The castle of Marah lies in ruins, its people enslaved by invaders or shackled by fear. When a fissure of white fire encircles the Mountain King' s land, scribe-scout Jenna returns with a warning: time is running out. At the base of the mountain, the humble Kadosh hut offers a final chance— cleansing for those who dare to seek it, mercy for those who repent, and the water of life for any who will come.
But the call must go out. Raven, a Watchman bound by duty, and Anna, a servant haunted by love and loss, descend into the valley to deliver the King' s message: Choose Kadosh or face the wrath to come. Their journey takes them through charred roads and whispering pines, into courts where a ruthless queen tightens her grip, and before a king who must choose redemption or destruction.
As the white fire burns brighter against the midnight sky, the three women fight to fulfill their charge. Jenna, broken but resolute, stands beside her king for one last task. Anna faces the sacrifice that could heal or shatter her heart. And Raven must decide whether she will trust the Master who sent her or allow the shadows of betrayal to prevail.
A faith-forward allegory of judgment, mercy, and the promise of redemption. Perfect for fans of:
Morgan L. Busse, Patrick W. Carr, and Jill Williamson. This epic Christian fantasy weaves courageous women, prophetic warnings, and the unshakable truth that providence turns even wrath into joy.

Now Available at these places and more:

---

Amazon Book Preview

---

---

---