TORONTO, ON – On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, Somerset-born author Alexander Paul Burton announced the release of his latest novel, The Hollow Vale. This poetic and myth-rich fantasy novel offers a new voice in the genre and is rooted in themes of exile, female strength, and the lingering magic of a world in decline.
Burton, now residing in Canada, draws inspiration from the fading echoes of Roman and post-Arthurian Britain to create a story that explores memory, myth, and landscape. Set in a land once great but now fractured, The Hollow Vale follows the journey of women and outsiders as they strive to preserve their culture in the face of decline.
The novel is not a typical tale of conquest or chosen heroes, but rather a story of resilience after the fall. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider in their own land.
“I’ve always believed that the legends of Britain didn’t end with Camelot,” Burton says. “They simply drifted west, into the mists, where ordinary people kept the fire burning. That’s what this book is about – what happens after the great stories end, and how people rebuild their lives when the old world slips away.”
Growing up near Glastonbury and the Quantocks, Burton infuses the novel with a sense of ancient magic and earth-rooted spirituality. Readers familiar with the folklore of the West Country will recognize the presence of standing stones, forgotten gods, sacred springs, and whispered legends throughout the text.
“It’s not about flashy magic,” Burton explains. “It’s about a quieter kind of power – ancestral memory, intuition, and the strength we carry from the land and from each other.”
As a queer migrant navigating personal and cultural estrangement, Burton brings a diasporic perspective to the work. He uses fantasy as a way to explore identity, grief, and renewal. “I lost a sense of home for a while,” he says. “Writing The Hollow Vale was my way of making peace with that.”
The novel is the first part of The Tharion Cycle, a larger project that includes hand-drawn maps, original music, and companion lore essays. A special hardcover edition, with gold detailing and additional artwork, is expected to be released later in 2025. Music from the world of The Hollow Vale is also available on major streaming platforms.
While the book has already garnered interest in Canada and France, Burton is especially hopeful that readers in the South West will feel a kinship with the world he has created. “This story is for those who love the old paths, who still believe in the power of place, and who know that the veil between worlds is thin,” he says.
The Hollow Vale is available in paperback, hardcover, and digital editions and can be ordered from local bookshops, Waterstones, Amazon, and global distributors such as IngramSpark. Burton encourages independent orders where possible.