Arrian’s Lion is the story of twenty-one year old Jay Holsley, the bastard son to Arrian’s king, who feels that no matter how hard he works to better his social circumstances, he has been doomed to suffer in this life from the moment sin gave it to him. He knows himself and what he desires to be, but he does not know how to survive as himself in a world of predators and prey. He hates mornings, the abandonment of logic, and how Arrian’s social elite use their status to tear others down, but what he craves is control of his life despite these things. He is a man, but he fancies men. Yet the worst part is, his best friend is a man who fancies him. As it turns out, that’s the best part, too. Jay just needs something to push him out of his own way, and fortunately for him, fate uses his tendencies for inner conflict to oblige.

Struggling to survive among the prey of his country’s noble predators, Jay’s life is a minefield of restrained desires, recycled excuses, and lucky recoveries. Combining wit, adventure, and mystery with an exploration of complicated relationships, mental health, and life beyond coming out, Arrian’s Lion invites the reader to follow Jay’s growth through a broader historical lens.