Dean Kinne's debut novel, The Scourge of Godspear, introduces the reader to the island of Vidrey where gigantic trees called godspears, grow. It is here we meet Ralm, heir to the office of overseer. The responsibilities of overseer are vast, encompassing roles of mediator, organizer and leader, all of which Ralm wants nothing to do with. He's content with idling his days in the forests surrounding his island village. Unfortunately, his father Brun, was deposed of his position as overseer and as his only child, Ralm must assume the burdensome title. On Vidrey, grow magnificent trees called Godspears. Their heights reach the heavens and their trunks are broader than the homes dotting Vidrey's landscape. The people of the island harvest one godspear each year, trading its lumber with the distant land of Azazura. But when the godspears succumb to a wicked infestation and their numbers dwindle, it is up to Ralm, reluctant overseer of the island community, to journey to the distant continent and seek help in finding a cure, but when he reaches the mainland, Ralm discovers Azazura is imperiled in a different way. And the godspears are at the heart of it.