About us

Highwater International Publishing House was established to publish the Antoric Adventures and THUNDERFIRE book series. Although the publisher does not have a physical location, it is a registered entity in its operating country and manages its own ISBN entries. Please note that not all publications may have an active ISBN associated with them, depending on the platform.

Scope of work

The Antoric Adventures and THUNDERFIRE book series aim to establish a completely independent and original fictional world that transcends traditional genre boundaries, drawing inspiration from a diverse array of sources.

The original philosophy behind this work was to identify common genre conventions - not to confine the narrative within those limits, but to encourage the creation of something new. This approach has faced criticism from those who argue that only genre-specific books adhering to conventions are marketable. However, we believe that true creativity fundamentally involves breaking existing rules.

One thing is certain: the THUNDERFIRE books are not just another medieval English fantasy story nor a Tolkienesque imitation. They feature no elves or dwarfs, and the naming conventions are original and non-Germanic.

Significant emphasis has been placed on readability and accessibility, ensuring that the works are approachable for the average reader. Thus, difficult and foreign terms and titles have been minimized and used only for effect, and elements such as unimportant worldbuilding, info-dumping, and scene insertion solely for exploration of the world have been eliminated.

The core principle of my storytelling is to build everything around the central plot, rather than the other way around. Many elements of Antoria are never mentioned in the main story, as worldbuilding has been treated as a brainstorming exercise rather than a way to generate filler content.

Consequently, it can be challenging to summarize this world in a single sentence relative to other fictional universes. Inspiration has been drawn from the entirety of human history and culture, focusing on continuity errors and the plausibility of the world rather than strict historical or cultural accuracy. Elements from Mesopotamia, the Chinese and Indian empires, Abrahamic religions, Roman and Greek republics and empires, Japanese philosophy, and timeless themes are all incorporated.

Several original creatures have been created, namely saginairs, stormbirds and leathereans.

The geology of Antoria also diverges from our world, both in climate and geological features. The twin-star system creates unique seasonal patterns that affect the planet as a whole, rather than following a clear north-south climate spheres. Additionally, the continents of Antoria are arranged differently, resulting in a unique and complex interplay of cultural birth and conflict that does not adhere to our world.