Fictions by Aj

Books

Stories for the strange, the hopeful, and the wonderfully lost.

I write fantasy about people who don't quite fit the world they've been given, and the strange, beautiful things that can happen when they stop trying to.

Some stories are about finding yourself.

Some are about finding your people.

Some are about discovering that the monster in the story may have been the one telling it all along.

And some stories are just waiting for you to open the door.

Come find a story that takes you back home!

Cover of The Sycamore: Welcome to Paradox by Aj Castelletto

The Sycamore

Welcome to Paradox

Welcome, Children of Spark and Story.

Plucked from their lives and dropped into a world beyond reality, four souls enter Paradox, a sentient realm of impossible landscapes, strange magic, and a Sycamore at the heart of it all.

Reverie, Philo, Enora, and Skopa arrive from four fractured worlds carrying fears, truths, and pieces of themselves they have yet to understand.

Paradox will show them.

Here, magic responds to emotion. Landscapes twist with truth. Soul sparks awaken through healing, wonder, joy, and rage. Friendships form. Powers rise. And the parts of themselves they have spent their lives refusing to face become impossible to ignore.

But Paradox is not their enemy.

It doesn't decide who they should become. It doesn't demand they change.

It only reveals what is already there.

The Sycamore is my cosmic fantasy about identity, transformation, friendship, fear, and the terrifying freedom of becoming yourself.

Because every soul who enters Paradox is given the same thing:

A choice.

Transform into all they are meant to be

Or be destroyed by what they refuse to face

The magic of Paradox doesn't reward. It reveals, and not every soul is ready to be seen.

This is the book I spent years dramatically naming out loud until I finally had to get it out of my head and onto paper.

Enter Paradox →

Available on Amazon

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Cover of The Archive of the Unfound: Soft as Dream, Sharp as Magic by Aj Castelletto

The Archive of the Unfound: Soft as Dream, Sharp as Magic

Book 1

A magical shop. Lost things returned. An Archive that has never failed… until now.

Deep in the woods, inside a giant stump, sits The Forget Me Knot, a magical shop where all lost things find their way home.

Missing keys. Forgotten memories. Buried truths.

Sometimes even lost pieces of the heart.

Muse is a witch and keeper of the mysterious Archive hidden inside the shop. At her side is Lark, her best friend, dream courier, enthusiastic snack provider, and reliable source of absolute chaos.

Together, they return the things the world has misplaced.

Until something starts going wrong.

Magic is leaking through the cracks. Dreams are becoming dangerous. Memories aren't behaving the way memories should.

And then there's the stranger.

Charming. Mysterious. No past.

Excellent eyebrows.

He may be the key to everything.

Or the beginning of something much worse.

As Muse and Lark are pulled deeper into the mystery, they'll encounter impossible magic, fractured dreams, buried truths, and an Archive that may be hiding more than either of them realizes.

Soft as Dream, Sharp as Magic is the first book in The Archive of the Unfound, my cozy comedic fantasy series filled with magical mysteries, absurd humor, found family, friendship, dreamlike worlds, and the kind of chaos that probably could have been avoided if everyone involved had made better decisions.

But then there wouldn't be much of a story, would there?

Enter the Archive →

Available on Amazon

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Cover of The Archive of the Unfound: Favors, Fangs, & Feral Fluff by Aj Castelletto

The Archive of the Unfound: Favors, Fangs, & Feral Fluff

Book 2

Lark, Muse, and Hallow have barely recovered from their last impossible adventure when an old debt comes knocking.

Unfortunately, that knock belongs to Scorchfist.

To settle what is owed, the three of them are sent far from the familiar halls of the Archive and toward the Vault of Signature, a home for every contract, promise, and agreement ever made.

Their task sounds simple enough: journey to the Vault of Signature, help a cyclops warlord find his missing moon-bitten jackalopes, and settle their debt.

Of course, nothing involving Lark, Muse, and Hallow is ever simple.

As rumors of a golden serpent lurking in the shadows spread through town, the jackalopes keep disappearing. And every answer they uncover somehow leads to even stranger questions.

Between questionable plans, magical mishaps, and an unreasonable amount of chaos, the three must unravel the truth before more creatures vanish.

But in a world full of monsters, magic, and mysteries, sometimes the most dangerous thing isn't what you find…

but the assumptions you hold as truth.

Favors, Fangs, & Feral Fluff is the second book in The Archive of the Unfound, my cozy comedic fantasy series full of magical mysteries, friendship, found family, absurd humor, and the chaos they harness.

Come back to the Archive for another adventure and discover the ridiculous things that happen when a witch, a fairy, and a prince try their best.

Preorder The Archive Book 2 →

Preorder on Amazon

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Cover of Rewoven by Aj Castelletto

Rewoven

What if she refused that fate?

Medusa's fate is well known: a tale spun from tragedy and betrayal. But what if she refused that fate?

I wrote Rewoven as a fierce feminist reimagining of Greek mythology, where the familiar names remain, but their stories are no longer the ones you remember.

The gods have ruled unchecked for too long. Their power is absolute, their choices unquestioned, and the consequences are carried by everyone but themselves.

Until someone decides enough is enough.

Medusa will stand for those who have been silenced. She will fight for those crushed beneath the weight of power. The gods demand she accept the fate chosen for her.

She will choose her own.

This is a story of vengeance, resilience, power, and rebellion. I wanted to take the world of Greek mythology and ask what can happen when someone refuses their fate.

The gods believe they know how this story ends.

They're wrong.

Will you stand with her?

Discover Rewoven →

Available on Amazon

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Cover of Cat & Rat by Aj Castelletto

Cat & Rat

A heartwarming children’s picture book about being different, finding belonging, and discovering friendship in unexpected places.

Cat was born a little different. While her siblings have two ears, she has three. And while they quickly find families of their own, Cat is left wondering whether there's a place where she belongs, too.

Then an unexpected act of kindness changes everything.

I wrote Cat & Rat as a sweet, illustrated story about embracing what makes us unique and finding love and acceptance without having to change who we are.

Through Cat's journey, young readers discover that being different doesn't make someone less deserving of friendship, family, or a place to call home. Sometimes, the people who understand us best are the ones we least expect.

With themes of kindness, inclusion, self-acceptance, friendship, and belonging, Cat & Rat is a heartfelt read for children learning to celebrate differences in themselves and others.

Meet Cat & Rat →

Available on Amazon

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Which story is yours?

Looking for somewhere to start?

Four worlds.

One author.

Fantasy doesn't have to mean one thing.

It can be epic. It can be strange. It can be funny. It can be tender. It can be dark.

And sometimes, it can be all of those things at once.

That's what I love about it.

Find your next story.

Meet Aj →

FAQ

What have you written?

I've written Cat & Rat; The Archive of the Unfound: Soft as Dream, Sharp as Magic; The Archive of the Unfound: Favors, Fangs, & Feral Fluff; Rewoven; and The Sycamore: Welcome to Paradox. The Archive Book 2 is Aj-stated for September 22, 2026.

Is The Archive of the Unfound a series?

Yes. The Archive of the Unfound: Soft as Dream, Sharp as Magic is Book 1, and The Archive of the Unfound: Favors, Fangs, & Feral Fluff is Book 2, Aj-stated for September 22, 2026. Further volumes are TBD. It's a series, not a fixed trilogy.

What is Cat & Rat about?

It's a heartwarming children's picture book about a three-eared kitten, being different, and finding belonging and friendship in unexpected places.