The Fire in the Gem
A land of faith and magic is a dangerous place for a schoolgirl from Earth.
Sixteen-year-old Coral Blakely shouldn’t even be there. A freak event during a medical exam sends her into a world where superstition forbids science and slavery replaces respect.
Trapped in a dystopian Dark Age, Coral’s life hangs from the fickle hands of a silver-tongued tomb robber and a drug-crazed minstrel who harbours her own shameful secret. Caught in a power struggle that’s tearing the realm apart, their survival depends on restoring lost knowledge — as recalled by a cancer-stricken schoolgirl. But first, they need to learn to trust each other.

About the Book
Goddess of Broken Dreams — Book One
The Fire in the Gem blends dark fantasy and speculative science in this tale of courage in adversity and
the fragile power of knowledge. Coral’s battle is not only with her sickness, but to preserve the memory of
a world lost to myth.
“Thrown into a perilous power struggle between faith and magic, they can only save themselves by restoring lost knowledge — as recalled by a cancer-stricken schoolgirl.”
It’s a gripping, thought-provoking debut that asks what happens when cultures succumb to baser instincts
— and whether one girl’s memories can reignite the torch of reason.
Begin your journey here
Where Faith and Magic Collide
Download the first three chapters of The Fire in the Gem free and discover how Coral’s journey begins.
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J Michael Howell
welcomes you to a world where science has taken a wrong turn. Goddess of Broken Dreams is a trilogy that romps through the misuse of technology and the perils of dogma and misinformation.
Michael’s varied career in engineering injects plausibility into a fantasy inspired by English history and the pleasures of living in a village on the beautiful Suffolk coast.
Want to hear more from J. Michael Howell? Read insights and updates on the Author’s Blog.

Unputdownable Future Fantasy
“I love it when I find a book so compelling it takes me away completely from my everyday life. Much like the story’s heroine, Coral, I found myself transported to a vividly imagined and richly detailed land almost entirely unlike my own, yet with unsettling flashes of familiarity. Unlike her, I didn’t want to leave!”
Lucy Ingram – Amazon Review
The Adventure Awaits
Available in Paperback and Ebook
“Even in the darkest age, knowledge is the light that endures.”
– J Michael Howell

