Lowell native LeAnn Kelley closes the final chapter on her fantasy trilogy — just in time for spooky-season reading.
As autumn settles across West Michigan and readers begin reaching for stories filled with magic, mystery and creatures lurking beyond the ordinary world, local author LeAnn Kelley has perfect timing.
The Lowell native recently completed Horizons, the third and final installment in her fantasy trilogy, The Tales of Iryvalya. The series follows Nyrieve — often called Naive — a young heroine raised in a fairy orphanage who discovers she is actually descended from two rival elven bloodlines locked in a centuries-old conflict. A prophecy foretells that a child born from both factions will one day end the war and restore peace to the realm.
It’s a story packed with enchanted forests, magical creatures, ancient secrets and, in the trilogy’s finale, the return of dragons long believed extinct.
For Kelley, the journey to creating Iryvalya began much earlier than the books themselves.
“The first time I started writing was second grade,” she said during a recent interview. After winning a district writing contest that included both storytelling and illustrations, she became convinced she would someday be an author.
Life, however, had other plans.
For years, Kelley started projects only to abandon them a few chapters in. It wasn’t until an idea arrived unexpectedly while sitting in a theater that she found the story she couldn’t let go.
That spark became Bloodlines, the first book in the trilogy.
The premise centers on Nyrieve, who was given up by her parents after being born with a mysterious mark connected to prophecy. Raised among fairies, she grows up believing she is one herself. As the story unfolds, she discovers not only her true heritage but her place in a much larger conflict.
Kelley immersed herself in building the world around her heroine. Iryvalya features its own geography, cultures and mythology. The realm has two suns. Elves bear markings connected to their destinies. Hair colors shift throughout their lives. The author’s website even includes maps, glossaries and pronunciation guides for the original words she created.
“I like the big world that doesn’t have to abide by real-world constraints,” Kelley said.
Fantasy wasn’t always her genre of choice. Growing up, she read authors including J.R.R. Tolkien, Laurel K. Hamilton, Susan Kay and Mario Puzo. Much of her earlier writing focused on paranormal themes rather than epic fantasy.
But as she developed Iryvalya, she found herself continually surprised by where the story led.
“I don’t have an idea of how it’s supposed to go,” she said. “Just a rough idea.”
The result is a trilogy that appeals to a surprisingly broad audience.
Kelley originally envisioned the books as young adult fiction, but readers have ranged from middle-school students to retirees. She recalls meeting one reader at Grand Rapids Comic Con who followed the series through multiple installments and appreciated the intelligence of the characters.
While the books feature romance, Kelley intentionally kept the content family-friendly.
“I wanted my kids to be able to read them and not be like, ‘Eww, Mom,'” she said.
That emphasis on accessibility reflects Kelley’s own relationship with books.
Growing up in rural Michigan, reading became both entertainment and escape. She describes herself as someone who often lived in her imagination, creating stories while exploring the woods around her home. As an adult, she learned she had ADHD and came to better understand why reading and writing had always held such a powerful pull.
The themes woven through Nyrieve’s journey mirror some of Kelley’s own experiences.
At its heart, the trilogy is about identity: discovering who you are, understanding where you come from and learning how those truths can positively affect the people around you.
Those ideas took shape during a period of transition in Kelley’s own life. She moved from Michigan to Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2009, later spent time in Florida and eventually returned to her home state. She holds a psychology degree from Central New Mexico University and balances writing with family life and running her independent publishing company, LeAnn Kelley Enterprises.
Like many independent authors, Kelley faced years of rejection and unanswered queries while seeking literary representation. Rather than shelving the project, she and her husband saved money, launched an LLC and built the series through grassroots efforts.
Today, all three books are available in print and e-book formats, with Bloodlines also available as an audiobook narrated by Rosie Cusak. The trilogy can be found at Schuler Books and through major online retailers.
Kelley’s confidence as an author has grown alongside her readership.
For years, encouragement came primarily from family and friends. Then convention attendees started asking when the next book would arrive.
“After the last comic con, people came and asked me for my third book,” Kelley said.
That validation helped convince her that the stories resonated beyond her immediate circle.
Now that Horizons has completed Nyrieve’s arc, Kelley isn’t quite finished with Iryvalya. Her next project is a companion compendium featuring expanded lore, character histories and commissioned artwork exploring creatures such as dragons and gargoyles.
Some fans have even suggested adapting the setting into a tabletop role-playing campaign.
For Kelley, that’s part of the reward of creating a fully realized fantasy world: watching readers want to spend more time there.
And in a season when dragons, prophecies, magical forests and ancient rivalries feel especially at home on a bedside table, West Michigan readers may find that Iryvalya offers exactly the kind of escape autumn was made for.
The Trilogy at a Glance
The Tales of Iryvalya: Bloodlines
An orphan raised among fairies discovers she is the subject of an ancient prophecy.
The Tales of Iryvalya: Crossroads
Nyrieve’s search for truth deepens as alliances shift and the fate of the realm hangs in the balance.
The Tales of Iryvalya: Horizons
The trilogy concludes with dragons emerging from the shadows as Nyrieve seeks to unite a divided world and expose centuries of deception.
Follow LeAnn on social media here:
- Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/leannkelley
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LeAnnKelleyOfficial
- TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@leannkelley
