Chrysalis

Written by Rei Elle Maelstrom
Cover Art by Arielle Payne, aka Rad Radish Studio
Copyright © Arielle N Payne / Rei Elle Maelstrom, Jan 2023, all Knightingale Universe related content Copyright © Arielle N Payne / Rei Elle Maelstrom, Jan 2013

*** Edition Two in the works (with new canon), Please be patient with me c:

(See "News & Updates" for more info)

(Printed Paperback will be exclusive at Barnes & Noble)

Elevator Talk...

Drama! Danger! Nightmares! Banter and comfort. Reunions! Romance? A realm where magic and science coexist. And a group of loveable weirdos who have been through rough times but learn to support one another. Drum roll, please...

Welcome to Chrysalis~

The first in a series, Chrysalis takes the reader on a science fantasy adventure, taking place in the magical realm of Ielora. Two of Ielora’s territories have been at war for some time—Yuneira-Su and Asteria. We meet our main characters in Asteria, learning how war and related tragedies have shaped their lives. Delving into these loveable characters’ psyche, follow the group as they balance their mental strife alongside a journey that turns out to be more complicated than they originally planned.

Thanks for your interest! It means the world. :)

Chrysalis is a novel series, presently being worked on by author Rei Elle Maelstrom. I am currently working on the audio book. If you would like to volunteer for the vocal work, to gain experience/ media to add to your personal portfolio, reach out via one of the social links. Please contact us if you would like to help. All "beta testers" will be referred to on a gratitude page on all published books for purchase.The purpose of this site is to casually advertise Maelstrom's newly published novel "Chrysalis". If you have questions or comments, please see the social media links at the top of this site page for contact methods.This is a work of fiction. All content in this book and other related works created by the author, including but not limited to: the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents, etc... are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.Chrysalis was fully created, written, and is owned by author Rei Elle Maelstrom (aka Arielle Payne). Please also be aware of possible triggers in the series. Trigger warnings include: brief mention of alcohol, mention of suicidal ideation/ attempt, use of curse words, violence/ mention of blood/ injury, reference to sexual assault and PTSD, loss of loved one, mental pain/ disorders...

Hey, you! (^○°)マ

I’d like to officially announce my soon to be released book, Chrysalis, the Knightingale Edition.A few of you may remember I technically already published Chrysalis, but it was incomplete, not yet what it was meant to be. I had published it with a ‘f*ck it’ sort of mentality. My health had been growing worse for years, I felt I was running out of time, and I thought, “If I don’t do this now, I’ll never do it.” However, after publishing, I wasn’t happy with it.I’ve been fighting, I’ve always been fighting to survive. Though, I think I’ve finally begun to glimpse the possibility of living. I never expected to make it to the point where I am now, where I’ve made progress in some ways. In other ways, my health has grown worse, but at least I’ve managed to finally start to feel like myself again. And with this, I’ve been able to properly connect Chrysalis into the Knightingale Universe as it was always meant to be.The Knightingale Universe is the story universe where all my books connect, books I’ve been noodling with and writing for almost two decades now. And finally, this version of Chrysalis is clicking into place.I’ve come to accept that I’ll never feel it’s perfect, and there will always be small changes I’ll think of. But, at least now I can publish something I recognize as a piece of myself and of the Knightingale Universe. I’ve plenty more ideas, and the main story is only just beginning in this book, but the first of this series is finally ready for a proper release!I still have some work to do: a final edit, some small formatting, and finishing up the new cover art. So, stay tuned! ~***If you're curious about the exact changes I've made, here are some details without spoiling: new canon, better writing, additional characters, additional chapters, more lore, etc.

About the Author, Rei Elle Maelstrom

Heya, readers! I wonder how many of you will read this part… Hmm…
Anywho! Hi, I’m Arielle, or as my book says, Rei Elle Maelstrom.I’ve loved writing for as long as I can remember. Before I could write sentences, I would draw stories through pictures.As I started writing stories through words, most of these fell flat after a few chapters. From about age ten to young teenager, I tried my hand at the classics: murder mystery, dragon fantasy adventure, vampires, ghosts and afterlife. I’ve dabbled in poetry as well, and loosely song writing.Growing up without any lasting or close connections, stories were how I worked through and communicated my emotions. It provided a safe space for me, much like music and fine art did. Through writing, singing/ music, and various mediums of fine art, I could understand myself, and hopefully reach others as well.However, it wasn’t until age 16, that I started my first finished novel, Knightingale. Over the years I edited this book on and off. As a nerd, it was difficult to make much time for it, considering I was dedicated to my medical/ scientific art studies in highschool and university. Life was also a persistently unforgiving obstacle, with unsafe/ traumatic living situations since childhood, sad finances, a cocktail of mental illnesses, etc. I navigated this mostly alone, which has led me to often relate to the antagonist-adjacent characters in media, but that’s a story for another time.As I grew older, Knightingale’s MC-kun Liam grew with me. This led to me rewriting and editing the story quite a bit. It wasn’t until my mid to early twenties, that I decided Knightingale was as complete as it could be, without changing the storyline too much. Book I was complete, and the several branching stories were planned and partially drafted. But, with the conflicting ideas of teenage me and twenty-something year old me, the series was dizzying to work on.Thus, began the year or two long consistent writer’s block. The light that eventually helped me find my way through was Chrysalis. This series took pieces of the unfinished stories/ ideas I thought up over the past several years, and mixed them together with a new narrative. Chrysalis was officially born! It felt right, and poured out of me faster and more naturally than any of my previous book attempts. And, here we are!I write not only for myself, but for these characters and stories to reach you, to help you feel a little less alone or less misunderstood.You are not alone. I know it may feel that way, but trust me, those around you see you, more fondly than you would think. You make the world a little brighter, just by existing, by being you. Thank you, truly.