Coming November 12, 2026!
Back Not by Sword on Kickstarter! – August 28-September 25
Description
Homeworld under siege.
Family ripped apart.
Is Milo the champion his people have prayed for?
Milo thought being chosen by a prophet would make him a hero. Instead, it’s isolated him and curdled his older brothers’ jealousy into hatred. If he can hold on for one more season, he’ll leave the pasture behind to study music on Ahino Station.
But when war visits his homeworld and tears his family apart, Milo is summoned to appear before the capricious King Gera. At Hilltop Palace, Milo finds unlikely friends, a royal crush, and more dangers than he bargained for.
The forces that besiege Hilltop boast a deadly champion, and glory awaits anyone with enough courage and faith to answer his challenge and survive.
Why Read Not by Sword?
Not by Sword is a space opera adaptation of the story of King David. You may recognize familiar characters and events, but you’ll also be surprised at the wild twists and turns of the biblical narrative and how they play out in space. If you’ve ever read the Bible and thought, “You know what this needs? Spaceships and aliens!” then Not by Sword might be your next favorite novel.
What to Expect
- Unlikely chosen one
- Flawed king
- Political intrigue
- Deep world-building
- Shepherd boy hopelessly in love with a princess
- Religious conflict
- Overcoming trauma
- Epic duels
- Starfighters
- Explosions and/or implosions
- Super cool high-tech power armor
- Telepathic space cows
What Readers Are Saying
“Not by Sword is everything I could want in a science fiction novel. As I read, I found myself wanting to know each character more and keep exploring A. E. Henry’s world. I’m already craving more of Milo’s story!”
Hannah B., Beta Reader
“Reads like C. S. Lewis meets Frank Herbert!”
Shane H., ARC Reader
“A brilliant fusion of the mystical and the scientific…a distinctive flavor that will captivate readers who love stories like Star Wars or Dune.”
Tammy Salyer, author of Contract of Defiance
A. E. Henry 