Starsun Defiance

Seventeen-year-old Ahriee, born with the mark of the great bear, feels an instinctive bond with all the Guardian Protector animals of Starstone Isle. Tradition states she must partner with Haakon on Midsummer's Eve. Fate dictates they will live out their lives together. She witnesses his hunger for killing the sacred Guardian Protectors when the revered great white stag meets its demise. Ahriee refuses the decree that has shaped her entire life.

Defiance comes with only days to change her mind or face a lifetime in exile.

Ahriee follows the spirit shadow of the great bear, seeking escape as Haakon, whose charm hides a dangerous need for control, hunts her across the island. She flees to an area where the legendary bridge appears only in whispered stories. It materializes before her, and she meets Kyle, a boy her age, searching for his missing grandfather.

Although forbidden to cross The Bridge, she leaves her island home with Kyle and discovers a new world that exists yet remains veiled from Starstone Isle. She greets the modern Pacific Northwest coast, bright, vast, and full of possibilities.
Ahriee considers a life shaped by choice and not tradition. But her promise of betrothal looms when Haakon finds her on the mainland.

Conflicted, Ahriee yearns for loved ones and fears The Bridge may disappear. To reshape her future, she must heed the great bear's message, engaging in a journey of courage and defiance.

Perfect for readers who love:
• Runaway heroines
• Forbidden bridges and hidden worlds
• Animal‑bond magic
• Ancient myths woven into modern settings
• High‑stakes choices and fierce self-determination

Rooted in stars, sun, and moon lore, and the mythic power of the Guardian Protector animals, Starsun Defiance is a 73,000-word YA fantasy about courage, identity, and the strength it takes to defy the destiny others choose for you, and to make your own life's path despite the consequences.