{"product_id":"the-first-tearing-christopher-j-steely-9798994580103","title":"The First Tearing","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen Ashe collapses in their parents' driveway, gasping for breath as their body tears itself apart, they have no idea they've just been claimed by something ancient. Something with teeth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarked by Gaia, Ashe is thrust into a hidden world of Lycans. Werewolf protectors who have defended nature for centuries. Under the guidance of Pines, a weathered elder with secrets of his own, Ashe joins a newly-formed pack in Huntsville, Alabama: Cole, a musician whose songs carry strange power; Grace, a predator learning to leash her hunger; Renae, a woman with a soldier's discipline; and Ryan, still finding his footing between two worlds.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBut the moment the pack comes together, something else takes notice. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDum-Prot Land Development, cloaked in polished PR and \"sustainable\" branding, is already poisoning the land and watching those who answer its call. What looks like corporate greed is only the surface of something far older. Something ancient and rotting beneath Huntsville's soil. Something that can twist both flesh and spirit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs Ashe struggles to control powers they never asked for while being hunted for who they are. And when one of their own is taken, Ashe will discover just how far they're willing to go, and how much of themselves they're willing to lose, to bring everyone home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe First Tearing is the first book in The Wildlands Cycle, an urban fantasy series in the Witherbound World, exploring the costs of power, the weight of protection, and the bonds that hold us together when the world falls apart. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Christopher J. Steely\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798994580103\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Witherbound Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/14\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 272\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.81lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.61d","brand":"Christopher J. Steely","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48852718059775,"sku":"9798994580103","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-first-tearing-christopher-j-steely-9798994580103","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}