Literary Titan Honors Crown Prince: Book One of New Blood with the Gold Book Award

West Jordan, Uta. — Literary Titan has presented Crown Prince: Book One of New Blood with a Literary Titan Gold Book Award, celebrating its exceptional craft, originality, and contribution to contemporary fantasy literature.

The Literary Titan Book Awards spotlight authors whose work demonstrates outstanding storytelling, innovative ideas, and meticulous world-building. Literary Titan evaluates books, selecting only those that exhibit superior writing quality, compelling characters, and engaging narrative structure.

The organization’s highest distinction, the Literary Titan Gold Book Award, is presented to works — fiction and nonfiction alike — that showcase exemplary writing and original content. These books stand out for their fresh themes, elegant prose, and the thoughtful development of unique characters or subjects. Literary Titan’s mission is to celebrate authors who elevate the literary landscape and enrich readers’ imaginations.

According to Literary Titan, “Crown Prince is an epic fantasy that opens with a siege, a royal birth, and a man burdened by prophecy. One of the book’s best ideas is captured in Natharr’s own words: ‘Most often, I See paths, not destinations.’ That line gets at the whole shape of the novel. After the violent collapse of the old order, it turns into something more intimate: a survival story, a guardianship story, and eventually a family story. Natharr, Darshelle, and the infant Vikari spend so much time together that the book earns its emotional weight scene by scene. There’s tenderness in the roughness. Natharr can be curt, stubborn, and unintentionally funny, which keeps him from feeling like a stock heroic figure. Darshelle gives the book warmth ... their dynamic keeps the story human even when the setting gets mythic. The world-building is ... not just there for decoration ... with olde gods, bloodlines, political memory, and a living sense of history, [in] the primal forest ... the tone shifts into something stranger and more enchanted. The woodfolk, the Atomie Ulla, the ancient symbols, and the odd beauty of daily life in hiding all give the novel a distinct texture. I especially liked that the fantasy elements feel tied to culture and belief. Even when Natharr is doing something as absurdly practical as putting a baby in a saddlebag pouch, the book still feels rooted in its own world. [L]ater ... [it] becomes a story about what happens to a kingdom when its moral center is gone.”

Kilpack said, “To be recognized by Literary Titan is pretty incredible. So much goes into creating a novel, let alone a series. Having someone recognize it just makes it feel worthwhile. Saying it’s gratifying just isn’t enough.”

Crown Prince follows Natharr, the Guardian of Maarihk, one of a long line of protectors dating back to the Firstborn Age, before the Aa Conquest. Natharr's is an ancient role, rooted in his Firstblood, giving him Sight to see what is yet to be. He adheres to his sacred duties even in the centuries since the Firstborn were forced to the brink of extinction by the Aa. Natharr still stands guard over all men, Aa or Firstborn, Seeing what will come to pass, deciding what is unavoidable and what is not. He spends decades planning how to save the life of the newborn Crown Prince Vikari so he may one day reclaim the throne of the land where Mankind was created, back in the time when the Olde Gods still walked. Readers can receive Chapter 1 free on the author’s Web site.

Kilpack’s broader body of work continues to gain momentum. His nine published titles — including six in the New Blood Saga, two in the Battle Calm Cycle, and the sci‑fi novella Pale Face — have now accumulated 68 international awards and honors. Pale Face is currently in movie development.

Kilpack has published nine novels to date, six in the epic fantasy New Blood Saga (Crown Prince, Order of Light, Demon Seed, Rilari, Vengeance Borne, and Usurper’s Might), two in the dystopian military science fiction ttrilogy Battle Calm Cycle (Battle Calm and Battle Calm: Omega Message), and the science-fiction novella, Pale Face, which is currently in movie development, and book seven in the New Blood Saga, Dark Guard, is coming soon!

Clay Vermulm of the Sinister Soup podcast praised Kilpack’s craftsmanship: “Kilpack delivers a stunning blow to the belief that Indie‑Fantasy is worth any less than its salt.”

About Kilpack

Kilpack is an award-winning author specializing in epic fantasy and military science fiction, renowned for emotionally intense storytelling and richly detailed mythic worlds. His New Blood Saga, Native American sci-fi novella Pale Face, and Battle Calm Cycle trilogy have earned 69 international awards, including honors such as Book of the Year and International Impact Book Award. Kilpack’s writing features vivid world-building, complex characters, and explorations of duty, fate, and sacrifice. His work blends mythic depth with military sci-fi action, appealing to readers who crave emotional resonance and thrilling narratives. His professional background as a college professor, writing coach, and editor enriches his storytelling. His background in journalism, philosophy, and communication, as well as experience in screenwriting and professional media, contributes to the cinematic quality of his work. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Westminster University, where he double-majored in communication and philosophy while completing the Honors Program. He later earned a Master of Professional Communication with a writing emphasis. As a high-performing athlete, he qualified to represent the USA in Greco-Roman wrestling. He is happily married to his high-school sweetheart and helped raise five children and five step-children. For more information go to www.Kilpack.net.

About the Literary Titan

There is a story out there for everyone. Even if we never meet, we are connected by the stories we tell. We can share worlds, believe in characters, and dream about stories that only exist in our minds. The Literary Titan provides unbiased, informative, and engaging book reviews that help authors and readers make that connection. Literary Titan is an organization of professional editors, writers, and professors passionate about the written word. We review fiction and non-fiction books in different genres, conduct author interviews, and recognize talented authors with our monthly Literary Titan Book Award. We are privileged to work with so many creative authors around the world and help them promote their work. For more information go to www.LiteraryTitan.com.