Callum the Demon Hunter

Before Blake Michaelson became the next great weapon in an ancient war, the Helsing Council lost another Michael-born hunter. His name was Callum Reeve. For nine years, Callum has served as one of the Council's deadliest operatives, wielding the supernatural strength, sharpened senses, and angel-marked blood of a descendant of the Archangel Michael. But none of his training prepares him for the disappearance of Aoife Kearney, the Mentor who taught him how to survive and the woman he was never supposed to love. When Aoife vanishes while investigating vampire activity along the Irish borderlands, Callum defies direct orders and follows her trail to the ruins of an ancient monastery, where he discovers that she has been transformed into one of the Chalyth—the very creatures he was born to destroy. Waiting beside her is Ashuriel, an ancient vampire who claims that something far worse than death is approaching. Prophecies are awakening, sacred seals are beginning to fail, and Mattan, the first true vampire, is preparing to turn hunger itself into a weapon of apocalypse. Ashuriel offers Callum an impossible choice: remain human and fight beside a Helsing Council already crippled by secrecy and hesitation, or surrender the life he knows to gain the power necessary to face what is coming. Torn between duty, love, and the terrifying possibility that his enemies may be telling the truth, Callum must decide how much of himself he is willing to sacrifice to save a world that may already be falling. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Texas, seventeen-year-old Blake Michaelson has no idea that the darkness has begun learning his name. Blending vampire horror, forbidden romance, angelic bloodlines, tragic choices, and supernatural action, Callum the Demon Hunter is a dark young adult prequel to The Helsing Chronicles: Blake the Demon Hunter. This is not the story of how a hero wins. It is the story of how one is lost.

Jacob Aldridge is an independent fantasy and speculative fiction author known for creating emotionally driven epic narratives that center LGBTQ+ protagonists within high-stakes worlds of magic, politics, and divine conflict. His work blends classic epic fantasy structures with modern themes of identity, grief, resilience, and chosen family.Aldridge is the creator of The Chronicles of Ethenor, a multi-volume fantasy romance saga featuring queer emperors, soldiers, and gods whose personal relationships are inseparable from the fate of their world. His writing is recognized for its cinematic scope, character-focused storytelling, and unapologetic inclusion, positioning queer love not as a subplot but as a central force in shaping history, power, and redemption.Drawing from a background in psychology and criminology, Aldridge brings a grounded understanding of trauma, morality, and human behavior to his characters, exploring how love and loss influence leadership, violence, and forgiveness. His stories appeal to readers seeking epic fantasy with emotional depth, political intrigue, and meaningful representation.