The Boys of Marmello

Jack Sterling is a boy with a fractured mind, haunted by "phantom memories" of a world made of glass and silence. Alongside him are his brothers in all but blood: Tavros, a massive beastfolk looking for a fight he can finally win; Kenlil, an elven technician who sees the world in gears and runes; and Philip, a displaced prince looking for a home that no longer exists. When the "Winter of War" arrives, they volunteer for the Republic’s military, seeking a purpose. Instead, they find themselves "funneled"—caught in the gears of a cold, bureaucratic machine and dropped into the 98th Airborne. Led by the enigmatic and ruthless Major Stanley, the 98th isn't a place for heroes; it’s a place for those expected to die behind enemy lines. As the world’s magic bleeds dry and the Grendheich Empire’s iron-treaded war machines roll forward, the "Boys of Marmello" must trade their innocence for survival. From the soot-filled bars of their hometown to the terrifying height of a high-altitude zeppelin drop, they will learn that the Republic doesn't care about their names—only the ground they take. In a war fueled by dying stones and ancient secrets, they only have two things they can trust: the rifles in their hands and the men standing next to them.