A new novel set to be published later this year has been inspired by the West Country.

Isles of the Earthbound, written by E A Underwood, is an "exciting and mystical tale" following seafarers from the West Coast of Scotland who journey into the Atlantic to a land they name Tìr-ùr.

The story, set in around 500 AD, depicts the colonists' unsettling encounters with the earthbound, a race with peculiar characteristics.

The novel draws inspiration from various regions in the West Country, including the river estuaries, Dartmoor and Exmoor's moorland uplands, and the Mendip Hills caves.

Isles of the Earthbound is due to be published on September 28.

The author, E A Underwood, is based in Somerset and is keen to promote her work in the local area.

Underwood, who lives near Combe St Nicholas, has crafted her first novel while residing on a smallholding in the Blackdown Hills.

When she's not writing or tending to her farm, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, whether it's by the sea, in the woods, across the moors, or along rivers.

Her fascination with mythical lands has shaped the narrative of Isles of the Earthbound, which ponders the possibilities of our ancestors discovering such a place.

The novel also tells the story of a young woman named Fìrinn, who awaits her arranged marriage to Amrhan, a charming nobleman from a distant homeland.

Fìrinn, the only child of the leader of the settlers and his earthbound wife, becomes uncertain of her place in the world when she uncovers unsettling truths about her fiancé.

Compelled to flee, she seeks refuge with her mother’s people, setting the stage for a series of crucial choices that underscore the narrative.

Underwood's novel is not only a tale of defiance and choice but also a vivid portrayal of the natural world in its myriad forms, both joyful and terrible.