Uruk

The first in a series inspired by ancient Mesopotamia, following a small band of misfits on an epic, dangerous journey to realize their dream, their establishment of Uruk, the first city.Ki, a member of a nomadic tribe, has figured out how to plant seeds to grow food and invented a dart-thrower, a new weapon that can kill from a distance. Labeled a witch, her sister is the only person who appreciates her genius. That is until Magog, a vicious warrior tribe, attacks, killing her entire family and enslaving her people. The Magog leader discovers Ki’s talent and takes her prisoner, wanting to exploit her knowledge for his own gains. Ki manages to escape down the river, but Jakka, the insecure and cruel son of the Magog leader, relentlessly pursues her, seeking to redeem himself to his father. Ta has been exiled from his tribe with other unwanted members, his hand cut off for stealing food. When he steals again and is cast out of the small group, he fears he will die alone. Luck comes in the form of a man, woman, and her baby who have fled their tribe to be free of its rules. Hopeful for a new start and more freedom, they are headed toward the Euphrates River and invite Ta to join them. They discover Ki stranded during a storm, and Ta risks himself to save her. The misfits dare to dream of a new tribe that lives by a revolutionary new code, where everyone has a voice and the elderly and disabled are protected, not left to die. But Jakka is coming for them, and they'll need to pool all their talents to stop the Magog from advancing their reign of terror over the region.

James Zwerneman studied creative writing at Johns Hopkins University and earned his MFA in Fiction from UC Irvine. Upon graduation, he won the Henfield Award, a cash prize given to just five of the top MFA students in the nation. He also published his first story in One Story. Zwerneman is a high school teacher of literature, civics, and film and lives in Naples, Florida. Uruk is his adult debut.