The Knightpunk Code

by Kory Shen

  I pursed my lips. "All three are about a day's ride from Evercrown. And all three happened at the same time?"

  Kuri nodded. "Thereabouts."

  I didn't like it. The timing and locations were too similar to be a mere coincidence.

  "Where should we go first?" Genna asked.

  I didn't know anything about dead men or twelve-foot tall giants. Knights gone bad? Yeah, that was something I knew a little bit about.

  "Mira!" I called. "Open up. Playtime's over. We have a knight to catch."

  End of The Knightpunk Code

  The Knightpunk Code is a prequel origin story for a comic book style superhero in a high fantasy setting. If you enjoyed the story, please consider taking a few seconds to leave a review on Amazon. Amazon has been getting pickier about who can leave reviews, so it makes an even bigger difference now if you can support an author that way.

  To receive exclusive content, updates on book releases, discounts, and other relevant news, please sign up for my mailing list at https://www.koryshen.com/kuripowder

  I always wanted to write a slice-of-life story, but that's probably one of the hardest genres to tackle. Well, I tried one for the Knightpunk crew. If you sign up for my mailing list using the link above, as thanks you'll receive a short story called Kuri Powder that highlights one episode of Jakson and his girls living together in their new home. It's a less serious style than this novel and has a bit more fanservice for those of you who are always requesting that. (You know who you are!)

  Afterword

  I wrote this story by accident. I was playing around with a comic book-high fantasy mashup, mainly because I love comic book style superheroes. But then the superhero needed an origin story, and I ended up writing The Knightpunk Code instead. The Knightpunk Code is really a prequel, and I'm not sure if I will continue the prequel storyline first or jump right to the main story. Let me know if you have a preference!

  This is the first story I tried to make a little more balanced. My other books so far are more exaggerated, caricatures if you will. That's not bad. I'd rather something be too spicy than too bland. It reminds me of the first time I started cooking, I would throw tons of chili pepper into everything. That's how I survived my first year of living on my own. As I got the basics down, I tested more balanced flavors. Same idea. For The Knightpunk Code, I also wanted to write a longer, more cozy story than my previous books.

  The plot line of a bastard son to the king isn't new, and the most popular recent incarnation is in Game of Thrones. But the relationship between Ned Stark and Jon Snow wasn't really explored, even in the books, since Ned died so early (oops, spoiler if you didn't know). The real genesis for my plot line was from an older variant of the bastard son story. I've always been a little disappointed with Luke's response to Vader. I love the original trilogies and wouldn't change anything about them. Still, it bugged me that Vader had directly or indirectly murdered Luke's adoptive parents and spiritual father, yet when Vader revealed his paternity, Luke so readily forgave him. I know it's really Anakin's arc, but if I wanted to see what a different response looked like, I could write it myself. So I did.

  I hope you enjoyed the story. If you have preferences for what book comes next or requests for story styles and so on, feel free to leave a message on my website or shoot me an email.

  Thanks for reading!

  About the author

  I'm a long-time fan of fantasy, anime, and video games with a special interest in the growing genres of LitRPG and GameLit. In 2018, I left an unsatisfying industry and started writing fiction novels to see if I could reach people in my own way. Whether you're tired, hurting, or just searching for the next good tale, I hope my stories can make you smile and forget your worries for a little while longer. Thanks for reading my work, and I sincerely hope that you had fun!

  Books by Kory Shen

  The Knightpunk Code

  Beastmasters

  Beastmaster: Symbiosis (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J686ZDH)

  Beastmaster: Omnicide (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VCL2SGQ)

  The Dark Genome

  Red Light Hero (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LF9ZNVY)