Vern's path to balance has barely begun: eight fundamentals shape the world, and he's only scratched the surface of the first . . .

After surviving the explosive end of the steamscript relay station and reuniting with his sister only to lose her again, Vern decides to join the Vigil of Duskfall—a group of observers dedicated to fighting against the horrors that have descended on their city. He's willing to fight for their cause if it means he gains the knowledge and direction required to carve out a new balance. But while others follow a path laid out by their ancestors, he must trailblaze his own, analyzing what has worked for others and considering how he can retrofit that for himself.

Finding himself in an unfamiliar district, surrounded by new mentors and friends, Vern seeks the true answer to what exactly observation is and what the axioms are that govern it. But strange forces and foes stand in his way: the godlike might of old blood, a girl who wants to paint him, a subjectively eroded entity that terrorizes the entire district, a goddess that yearns for his gaze, and a council of high-shade observers who seek to create a society of hyper-surveillance. The path to balance isn't straightforward, but Vern will uncover and wield secrets powerful enough to command even the supreme observer of the planet.

Combining action, mystery, and psychological horror, Shades of Perception is a unique mind-bending series perfect for fans of The Lord of the Mysteries, Bloodborne, and Attack on Titan.

The second volume of this steampunk fantasy series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!