FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saskatoon, SK — When their 10-year anniversary trip was cancelled, F. David Schultz and Audra Balion didn’t kick back. Instead, they created a world together. In just two weeks, Schultz wrote 45,000 words and Balion began illustrating. Now, five years later, they’ve released an epic, fully illustrated fantasy novel.
Their novel, Crown of Horns, is set in a world Balion originally developed for her graphic novel Flight Nineteen and draws heavily from her Ukrainian heritage. Homages to Ukrainian culture appear throughout the architecture, clothing, and character design. The story’s themes also echo Ukraine’s history. Balion calls it “a story of resilience in honour of Ukraine’s struggles.”
Crown of Horns is a political fantasy—1984 meets The Witcher. It follows a refugee seeking to unite a nation fractured by war and long-held prejudice. In the fight for unity, peacekeeping turns violent, art becomes propaganda, and altruism veers into authoritarianism.
When war broke out in Ukraine, the couple knew they wanted to give back. They committed to donating proceeds from every book sold to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation’s Aid for Artists project. “The importance of art in the face of tyranny is at the very core of the book,” Schultz explains.
The book is available online and in bookstores, including Barnes & Noble, Indigo, and Amazon. Though released globally, the creators were committed to supporting local business; Schultz notes that it was important to print the book locally in Saskatoon.
A special launch event is set for May 14 at Amazing Stories Comics in Saskatoon. The store—known for its support of local creators—will host a signing from 3–6 p.m., followed by a talk with the author and artist from 6:30–8 p.m.
“Amazing Stories is so proud to have been included in the creative process of this book,” says Jody Cason, Events Coordinator at Amazing Stories Comics. “Crown of Horns reminds us that art is precious, and that we all benefit by fostering its growth.”
Schultz is eager to share insights from the writing process and the feedback they’ve received. “There’s a moment in the story where the balance of power changes for the worse,” he says. “I’ve asked a lot of readers what they think the moment is—where things go horribly wrong—and everyone gives a different answer. Everyone has a different threshold.”
Crown of Horns is an intense, timely story that asks: how far can one go before good intentions become tyranny?
Press Contacts:
F. David Schultz
Phone: Available on request
Email: [email protected]
Audra Balion
Phone: 306-241-1811
Email: [email protected]
Website: audra.balion.ca
Images
High resolution images are available upon request.