About the author

Felix Caruso – Where it all began

Back in primary school I was already writing my own stories and reading them out to the class – that is where my passion for storytelling began. Fantasy always gripped me most: I spent hours lost in the worlds of authors like Christopher Paolini, and Eragon finally made me want to write a novel of my own.

Professionally, I work in business informatics, and I also studied political science for a few semesters – but writing has remained my great passion. With my debut novel I want to take you into a unique, captivating world.

Milestones

  • 1 title in progress
  • 12+ copies sold
  • 1+ languages translated
An old wooden desk with an open notebook and fountain pen in front of a paned window, a garden in the morning light outside

My writing philosophy

Creating meaningful stories

For me, writing is about more than inventing stories. It is about forging stories that give hope and inspiration. Every book is a journey – a journey of discovery and emotion.

  • Complex characters

    People who feel so familiar, it is as if you had always known them.

  • Real emotions

    Stories that touch the heart and linger long after.

  • Captivating worlds

    Settings that pull you in completely and never let go.

My path

From my first book to my own novel

  1. Age five

    An early reader

    I started reading books at the age of five – and was a regular at the local library.

  2. Primary school

    First stories

    In my first years at school I was already writing short stories and was allowed to read them out to the class.

  3. Youth · 2020

    Growing up

    As technology developed rapidly, the smartphone replaced books for much of my youth. Still, in 2020 I started writing my first novel.

    “What began as a mere pastime on a cold November day took on a life of its own and got me through many an exam period.”

    From the acknowledgements
  4. University

    University

    Four semesters of political science, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Business Informatics.

  5. Work

    Online shop manager

    Today I work as an online shop manager, looking after the tag manager, writing HTML snippets and managing the analytics.

  6. 2026

    Publishing my first novel

    In 2026 I finished my first novel – and in the summer of the same year “Liam – Der Malträger von Aveltuna” was published.

From my writing desk

From first draft to finished sentence

No sentence is finished the first time round. Here are a few passages from the first chapters – the way I first wrote them, and the way they read after revision.

The book in numbers

  • 5 years of work
  • 117,000 words (roughly)
  • 2 prologues
  • 47 chapters

Before and after

  1. First draft

    “The sun had now almost completely disappeared behind the treetops, bathing the whole village in a warm golden yellow. Everything sparkled and shone in the golden light.”

    Revised

    “The sun had now almost completely disappeared behind the treetops, bathing the whole village in a warm golden yellow. The murky windowpanes of the huts gleamed in the fading light.”

    Why: Gold twice in two sentences, and “everything sparkled” shows nothing in particular. The murky panes you can actually picture.

  2. First draft

    “With the long shadows the forest cast, it had already shrouded the fields on the other side of the village in darkness.”

    Revised

    “With the long shadows they cast, [the trees] had already shrouded the fields at the edge of the forest in darkness.”

    Why: If the forest’s shadow reaches beyond the village, the village lies in darkness too. Yet a moment later it glows golden yellow.

  3. First draft

    “He knew the same old sayings and warnings all too well.”

    Revised

    “He had long since learned the sayings and warnings by heart.”

    Why: “All too well” had already appeared in the same paragraph. Now the sentence is shorter and says more.

Translated from the German original – the changes were made in German.

Book cover of “Liam – Der Malträger von Aveltuna”

The journey continues

Liam – Der Malträger von Aveltuna

“Liam bears the mark. He just doesn’t know it yet.”