About the Author

Z. L. Coffman writes stories for anyone who ever dreamed of becoming more than what the world allowed.

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana and now living in Sacramento, California, he grew up spinning bedtime tales with his grandmother—usually about magical creatures, wandering kids, and far-off places that always felt strangely close. That same love of myth and meaning led him through classics like The Hobbit, The Last Unicorn, and Dragonriders of Pern, all of which quietly shaped the foundation of The Aethyrguard.

The idea of the Aethyrguard—a sacred order of mystic knights bound to powerful creatures from beyond—lived in his mind for years. It was personal loss that finally rewrote his course and pushed him to say yes to the story. Instead of waiting for “one day,” he chose day one.

As a storyteller, Coffman is verbose, descriptive, and grounded. Years of running tabletop games taught him how to breathe life into characters, improvise tension, and build worlds that feel lived in. He writes from instinct, following the pull of character and letting the story shape itself as it comes.

When he is not writing, he is a full-time professional, a university student, a devoted partner, and a long-time Dungeon Master with two dogs and a tendency to overcommit (but make it work). Somehow, it all finds its place.

Coffman believes stories should leave readers changed—richer, not just entertained. And if they’re lucky, maybe they’ll find a kindred soul in the pages.

Fun Facts

He has been telling stories for over two decades—as a writer, a Dungeon Master, and an over-caffeinated narrator for friends, family, and houseplants. (They rarely appreciate the effort.)
He plans everything, then ignores half of it. Like any good DM, he creates outlines, but once the characters start speaking, he listens and follows where they lead.
He quotes movies, shows, and songs at the worst possible times. The upside? He can usually nail the voice.
His houseplants are a full-time emotional investment. He checks on them more than he checks his email. Whether they survive out of affection or fear is still unclear.
His love for fantasy started with his brother. They imagined epic journeys with bonded creatures long before he knew what a “story arc” was. The Aethyrguard is, in many ways, for him.
He lives for underdog stories. Give him a broken hero, a lost cause, and a reason worth fighting for—and he’s all in.
He writes like a method actor. Once he sits down, he isn’t the author—he’s inside the world, following the pulse of the scene as if it’s happening in real time.
If you crossed Pokémon, Dragonriders of Pern, and Attack on Titan, you’d get something dangerously close to the inside of his brain.

“There are two sides to every story and the truth is somewhere in the middle.”
— his grandmother