
Some things in this world defy
everything we've been taught.
We dismiss them as fiction or fantasy
because it's easier—more comfortable—to accept.
But we know better.
When these occurrences happen too often,
they can't be mere coincidence.
To some, fate is an inevitable event,
shaped by the impossible.
To others, it's an unforgiving force—
dark and inescapable.
We try to bury our fear of it, hoping to forget,
to strip it of power.
But no matter how hard we try…
it creeps back to the surface.
The shadows follow us… plaguing, devouring…
Until our minds begin to rot.
There's a fine line between coincidence and fate...
Between good and evil...
Stray too far and you become what you fear the most.
​
They never asked for destiny to call their names... but it did.
​
And there's no escaping their fates.

THE BEGINNING
ONE BY ONE, THEY WERE PULLED TOGETHER...
NOT BY CHANCE, BUT BY DESIGN
THE CREW WAS FORMED, AND THEIR FATE WAS SEALED


DARK FANTASY | HISTORICAL FANTASY | SUPERNATURAL HORROR

2025 Literary Titan Gold Book Award
New Apple Awards
Pinnacle Book Achievement Award: Best in Fiction
Readers' Favorite Bronze Award
When the war ends… a battle older than time will begin.
From multi-award-winning author J.C. Brennan comes a new edition of the A Fine Line series, starting with Book 1: The Beginning—a dark fantasy epic where history bleeds into myth, and survival demands a descent into the abyss.
May 1864
The Battle of Pickett’s Mill
__________________________________
Union soldier William T. Healthaway should have died in the mud, his body lost among the thousands littering Georgia’s blood-soaked earth. But fate... or something far darker... intervenes.
Rescued by a healer with uncanny gifts and his clairvoyant wife, William is thrust into a world where the veil between the living and the otherworldly grows thin.
In the war’s aftermath, he becomes the catalyst that binds an unlikely Crew—each drawn by unseen forces toward a fateful destiny, their paths shaped by whispers from powers unknown, guiding them toward a purpose they cannot yet understand.
The shadows stir.
The hour is late.
What secrets lie buried in their past?
What awaits them in the gathering dark?
And what price must they pay for a destiny they can’t escape?
Meet William and the Crew.
Your journey into the unknown begins now.
Blending the visceral grit of historical fiction with the creeping dread of gothic horror, J.C. Brennan's A Fine Line Series is a masterclass in dark fantasy. For fans of The Terror and Between Two Fires, this epic saga weaves brotherhood, fate, and eldritch horror into a story as enduring as it is unforgettable.

THE AWAKENING
THEY DIDN'T ASK FOR DESTINY TO CALL THEIR NAMES...
BUT IT DID, AND NOW THEY CAN'T ESCAPE THEIR FATES


DARK FANTASY | SUPERNATURAL HORROR
They didn't ask for Destiny to call their names... but it did.
Something stirs within them...
Something Ancient. Something Powerful.
And there's no escaping their fates.
William T. Healthaway and his Crew have returned home, desperate to leave the horrors of war behind. But the world they once knew is gone. Strange occurrences plague their lives—whispers in the dark, visions of the future and the ancient past, and glimpses of the forces waiting for them.
As each Crew member awakens to otherworldly abilities, they are forced to confront a truth they cannot escape… their survival was no accident.
A Mover. A Healer. A Protector. A Seer. A Mindwalker. A Sentinel. Shapeshifters.
Their abilities come with a dire warning—they must resist temptation and wield their powers only for good. To falter is to risk becoming one of the Damned, lost to the very evil they were meant to stand against.
Together, the Crew must unravel the mythos surrounding them and uncover the true purpose of their powers.
Who—or what—has chosen them?
Why have they awakened now?
What are their roles in this ancient war?
The shadows are rising.
The hour of reckoning draws near.
A Fine Line is a harrowing tale of brotherhood, destiny, and the ancient evils that refuse to stay buried. With richly drawn characters, chilling mythos, and a world where every decision carries a price, this dark fantasy saga will ensnare readers in its shadows—compelling them to unravel its secrets and leaving them desperate to discover how it all ends.
*** NOTE: This series is not meant to be read as standalones. Book 2 continues directly from Book 1 and must be read in order to fully appreciate the timeline of events, character developments, and the unfolding mysteries at the heart of the story.
