In a world where miscarriage is a crime, one prisoner’s fight for survival becomes a battle against an oppressive regime.
DENVER, CO, UNITED STATES, April 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Author Kelly K. Branyik announces the forthcoming release of “Shadows in Dream Stone,” a dystopian science fiction novel that blends political tension, mythic resonance, and deeply human stakes in a story centered on women’s reproductive rights, grief, and resistance.
Set in a near-future world shaped by authoritarian control and moral collapse, “Shadows in Dream Stone” follows Abaddon Ordell, a teacher, fighter, and wife condemned to a brutal prison after suffering a miscarriage, a crime under this regime. As a bisexual woman navigating power structures that seek to erase bodily autonomy and silence dissent, Abaddon must confront her own grief and rage while fighting to survive. The novel explores themes of reproductive justice, resistance, and unexpected connection, inviting readers to sit with uncomfortable questions about women’s rights, humanity, and what it means to endure.
At the heart of the story is an unexpected bond between two women—one that becomes Abaddon’s lifeline in a system designed to break her. Their connection is the emotional core of the novel, offering tenderness in a cruel world.
Best-selling author Stephanie Butland (“The Lost For Words Bookshop”), editor and mentor to Branyik, calls it, “Dystopia with a heart. I loved it.”
Written over three years, “Shadows in Dream Stone” is unapologetically sapphic, politically aware, and rooted in lived experience, drawing comparisons to themes within books like “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Chain Gang All Stars,” while forging its own mythic and speculative identity.
“This book is for all women whose stories and trauma are continuously sidelined. It’s about grief that doesn’t disappear, power that is weaponized, and survival that changes you,” Branyik said. “This story is meant to be unsettling. It’s intended to keep our eyes wide open about very real issues we continue to face in our nation and the world today.”
“Shadows in Dream Stone” is the first novel in a planned series called “Dark Stars” trilogy, with a prequel to follow.
The paperback edition will be released on May 5, 2026, with ebook versions already available. The hardcover edition follows in September 2026, and an audiobook release is scheduled for February 2027.
Branyik encourages interested readers to purchase from a local indie bookstore. “Shadows in Dream Stone” is available for pre-order at local bookstores, including Tattered Cover, Boulder Bookstore, Little District Books, Mager’s & Quinn, Politics and Prose, and all major retailers.
This novel contains themes of pregnancy loss, incarceration, misogyny, and systemic violence. Reader discretion is advised.
Events:
Branyik is hosting a TikTok LIVE book launch party on May 5, 2026, at 6:00 pm MT and a live author event at the Tattered Cover in Littleton, CO, on July 24, 2026, at 6:00 pm MT.
About the Author:
Kelly K. Branyik is an award-winning writer, painter, and photographer based in Southern Colorado. She holds a B.A. in English (Creative Writing) from Colorado State University and is the author of “It Depends: A Guide to Peace Corps.”
A Returned Peace Corps China Volunteer (2014–2016), Kelly brings a global perspective to her writing and her work running a boutique marketing agency in Southern Colorado, where she often volunteers her skills to support small businesses, entrepreneurs, and authors.
Kelly lives with her partner, DJ, and their four pets, Milo, Cooper, Zwicky, and Astro. When she’s not writing, she’s playing video games, gardening, taking long adventures, or finding new ways to help others.
For interview requests or event inquiries, please contact Write With Light Publications. To see more from this author, visit kellybranyik.com
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Kathleen Kennedy
Write With Light Publications, LLC
email us here
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