I never wanted to have to delay my books. As a reader, I hate it when a book I’ve been looking forwards to gets delayed.
But then this is this year. I’ve now been hit by Covid for the second time. The first time, in April, was pretty bad and I ended up losing a couple of month’s work from it, and everything since then has been much slowed down. Now I’ve got it again, and it’s hitting me hard again. I know recovery is going to be slow.
Last time, I pushed through and got SHADOW OF A DEAD GOD out on time, despite the Covid, but it wasn’t a good idea. This time, I need to take it more easily.
So. My short story collection, AT THE GATES AND OTHER STORIES, which was scheduled to come out on December 3rd, 2020, will now be coming out on January 2nd, 2021. I’m really sorry to those who’ve pre-ordered it and will now have to wait longer. But I want it to be right, not a rushed job.
The sequel to SHADOW OF A DEAD GOD, NECTAR FOR THE GOD, was pencilled in for May 2021, and if I suddenly hit full health again tomorrow, that would still be happening, despite the illnesses, but I know from experience that that won’t happen. It is going to take me months to get back to health. So, NECTAR FOR THE GOD will now be coming out in the second half of 2021. I can’t say exactly when, because I don’t know exactly how long it’ll take me to recover.
I really hate having to do this, but I hope everyone will understand, and the books will appear eventually.
As I’ve mentioned before (and, hell, will probably mention again, because cool things are cool), SHADOW OF A DEAD GOD is a finalist for the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) this year. There are ten books in the finals, and they are a pretty diverse bunch. There’s probably something there for everyone. Here’s a nice flowchart graphic to help you pick which one to read!
I have been negligent in failing to mention here in this blog that my fantasy novel, SHADOW OF A DEAD GOD, reached the finals of the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) competition. The competition started with 300 self-published fantasy novels and is now down to the best 10 for the finals.
The winner won’t be announced until next year, but I am really excited and happy to have reached the finals.
Here’s what the judges from Fantasy Faction said about SHADOW OF A DEAD GOD:
“Our judges were completely hooked by this page-turner of a mystery, set in a well-drawn world with fully fleshed characters. The characters especially won rave reviews. Supporting characters captured our affection; Mennik’s snarky humor and good heart won us over completely. It’s also a polished, well-balanced read, with plenty of humor to leaven the grisly murders, and all the tension and surprises one could wish for in a mystery. All in all, we loved rooting for Mennik through each twist and turn.”
Some absolutely amazing books have come out of the finals of this competition over the last five years, and whatever place SHADOW OF A DEAD GOD ends up taking, I am ecstatic to have got this far. Thanks are due to Mark Lawrence (the organiser and founder of the competition) and all the blogs and reviewers that judge it.
Those of you who take an interest in self-published fantasy novels might well be aware of the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off, a competition to find the best self-published fantasy novels. It’s now in its sixth year, and every year it highlights the cream of self-published fantasy. It’s run by author Mark Lawrence in association with ten book review blogs, and it winnows down 300 entries to 10 finalists and, eventually, one winner.
If you don’t follow self-published novels, you’re probably in the same place as I was a few years ago, knowing that there must be some great self-published novels out there, maybe even having come across a few through recommendations, but not knowing how to find the best ones from among the, honestly, crap.
Self-publishing has come on a lot in the last five or so years. It has become more professional and higher quality, and the best self-published books are every bit as good as best traditionally-published books. But the problem of finding those books has remained the same. Until I came across this competition, I had concluded that I just wasn’t going to reliably find good self-published books.
Here are some of the great books that I’ve discovered from finalists in the SPFBO competition:
Check some of them out. They really are worth your time. And there are many others. Here’s the full list of finalists and winners (scroll down that page). I’ve got plenty on my TBR, just waiting for me to get them, books like Alicia Wanstall-Burke’s Blood of Heirs, Virginia McClain’s Blade’s Edge, and Barbara Kloss’s Gods of Men.
When I decided to self-publish Shadow of a Dead God, the sixth edition of this competition was just about to start, so I entered. I think the competition does a great job at finding fantastic books. I have no idea if I’ll make it to the finals — undoubtedly ever year some great books don’t even get that far. Arguably the most egregious example is the magnificent Senlin Ascends, by Josiah Bancroft which fell at the first round and which I think many people since have agreed is an exceptionally good book. But there are always more than 10 deserving books each year, and not every one of them can be a finalist. Even if my book falls by the wayside early on, I am really enjoying being part of the community of writers and judges taking part in this. Even this early on in this year’s competition, I’ve come across some really good books.
You can follow along in the competition in the Facebook group, or if you don’t like Facebook, you can keep an eye on the progress of entries on the official competition webpage.
“Fast-paced, quick-witted, deftly plotted and as well-thought-out as it is well-written. Highly recommended.”
– Juliet E. McKenna, Author of The Tales of Einarinn and The Green Man’s Heir
“Recommended for readers of The Lies of Locke Lamora and anyone who loves fantasy mystery starring a delightfully reluctant, unlikely, foul-mouthed and golden-hearted hero.”
– Katrina Middelburg, Read. Ruminate. Write.
Well, it’s been a while, but I have a new full-length book coming out. This is my first novel-length fantasy book for adults and it’s out on May 28th, 2020. In other words, less than a month!
What’s it about? Read on and find out…
Shadow of a Dead God
Agatos, the White City. Wealthy, diverse, rich in history, and lousy with the power of dead gods.
It was only supposed to be one little job – a simple curse-breaking for Mennik Thorn to pay back a favor to his oldest friend. But then it all blew up in his face. Now he’s been framed for a murder he didn’t commit.
So how is a second-rate mage, broke, traumatized, and with a habit of annoying the wrong people supposed to prove his innocence when everyone believes he’s guilty?
Mennik only has one choice: to throw himself back into the corrupt world of the city’s high mages, a world he fled years ago. Faced by supernatural beasts, the mage-killing Ash Guard, and a ruthless, unknown adversary, it’s going to take every trick Mennik can summon just to keep him and his friend alive.
But a new, dark power in rising in Agatos, and all that stands in its way is one damaged mage…
How would I describe this book? Suppose you took Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files or Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London and put them in an epic fantasy world full of gods, mages, and monsters. Then you might have Shadow of a Dead God.
In between blowing bubbles with the boys (who are off school for the Easter break) and cutting the hedge at last (gardening is not my strong suit), I’ve been thinking about the sense of place in fantasy writing.
The reason I’ve been thinking about it is that I recently read the third book in an epic fantasy trilogy. I’d read the first two about six months before, but when I opened the third one, I didn’t recognise any of the locations. I had to go back and start searching through the first two books to figure out where all these places were and what their significance was.
Now, part of this is my fault. I tend to read late at night when I’m tired and I’m sure my brain doesn’t remember everything that goes into it. Hell, even when I’m at my most awake and alert, my brain is a colander with giant holes. But it’s also true that the real sense of place for a reader is kind of lacking in many fantasy novels. Part of it is because the names are often generically fantasy and so aren’t that easy to remember or distinguish. Part of it is because there’s nothing particularly memorable about the places.
I’m not going to say what the trilogy I was reading was, because there are many other wonderful things about the series and I don’t want to pick on one author in particular, but I’m sure you can think of books that are much the same.
It made me realise that one of the things George RR Martin does superbly well is give a sense of place. The last time I read any of the A Song of Ice and Fire books was when A Dance With Dragons came out in 2011. Yet I have no problem remembering the locations in the books. Ask any fan, and they’ll easily distinguish Winterfell from Kings Landing, Slavers Bay from Riverrun, Harrenhall from The Eyrie, The Wall from Sunspear. And so on.
There are literally hundreds of named locations in Martin’s series, and dozens which are major locations. But every one is readily distinguishable from the others. This is because all the locations are iconic in some way and their names tend to give hints as to what the location is. You’re not going to mix up Dragonstone and the Summer Isles, even if the books never visit the Summer Isles.
Another author who gives a wonderful sense of place in a much smaller setting is Ben Aaronovitch in his Rivers of London series. All of these books are set in and around London, but even for those of us who only occasionally visit the touristy bits of the city, he gives an amazing feeling for even the most out-of-the-way location. He does this through series of anecdotes about each location and its history, accompanied by ironic commentary on them which gives a sharp fix on each. The locations may be more mundane, suburban, even, at times, but they are every bit as vivid as the wilder, more spectacular locations of Martin’s world.
In case you missed it on my social media, I am giving away 10 e-ARCs of the upcoming anthology, The Underwater Ballroom Society, via my newsletter on 31st March.
Would you rather dance beneath the waves or hide your smuggled magic there? Welcome to a world of sparkling adult fantasy and science fiction stories edited by Stephanie Burgis and Tiffany Trent and featuring underwater ballrooms of one sort or another, from a 1930s ballroom to a Martian hotel to a grand rock ‘n roll ball held in the heart of Faery itself.
“From the first page, I knew I was in good hands. This is my kind of fantasy – magic, adventure, and gorgeous writing. The Underwater Ballroom Society is the kind of fantasy that got me into reading fantasy.”
– Patrice Sarath, Author of The Sisters Mederos
Stories in this anthology
Ysabeau S. Wilce, “The Queen of Life”
Y.S. Lee, “Twelve Sisters”
Iona Datt Sharma, “Penhallow Amid Passing Things”
Tiffany Trent, “Mermaids, Singing”
Jenny Moss, “A Brand New Thing”
Cassandra Khaw, “Four Revelations from the Rusalka Ball”
Stephanie Burgis, “Spellswept”
Laura Anne Gilman, “The River Always Wins”
Shveta Thakrar, “The Amethyst Deceiver”
Patrick Samphire, “A Spy in the Deep”
“This anthology is an excellent collection of stories and all of them are well worth your time.”
It’s publication day for THE EMPEROR OF MARS. It’s also the day that SECRETS OF THE DRAGON TOMB comes out in paperback, in case you’ve been waiting for a cheaper version.
Publication day is always super busy, and I haven’t done nearly everything I meant to, but I did go out with the boys, eight-year-old MrD and four-year-old MrX, to a cafe and then a bookstore, so who can say fairer than that? To be honest, I’d happily do that every day…
If you haven’t read SECRETS OF THE DRAGON TOMB already, THE EMPEROR OF MARS will work on its own, but I do think you’d have more fun if you read SECRETS first.
While you’re here, here’s a (spoiler-free) extract from Chapter Three of THE EMPEROR OF MARS. Enjoy!
THE EMPEROR OF MARS extract
In two days, the museum was opening a new gallery stuffed full of the amazing artifacts we’d found in our dragon tomb.
We pushed our way through the heavy, iron-studded door, and deafening noise immediately washed over us.
“Look out!” Putty shouted.
I ducked just in time as something swooped by, almost taking my head off.
The entrance hall was in chaos. For a moment, I thought the museum had been attacked. But it was almost worse: Dozens of junior curators were rushing around the lobby in panic, shouting and waving, while a cluster of automatic servants strained to carry a large, elaborate artifact toward a nearby gallery. One of the curators had even put on a pair of pneumatic wings and was flapping around, out of control, almost crashing into the other curators, the artifact, the walls, and us. The automatic servants wobbled, the curators shouted contradictory instructions, and any moment the whole thing was going to end in disaster.
“Hey!” Putty shouted. “That’s our artifact! You’d better not drop it!”
I’d never quite figured out what the artifact was supposed to be. It was made of hundreds of brass balls, each the size of Putty’s fist, all connected together with thin brass rods. We’d found it in the dragon tomb when we’d been taking shelter from Sir Titus. Before I’d had a chance to look at it, he’d smashed it to bits with his excavator. The museum had spent the last few months restoring it, but I still didn’t know what it was, and no one else seemed to, either. It looked a bit like a man crouching, ready to jump up. Or maybe like a bowl of noodles tipped over a sculpture made of marbles.
“Look,” Putty said. “There’s Dr. Guzman. Why don’t you ask him about Rothan Gal?”
I eyed the small, dust-smeared junior-under- curator standing on the far side of the lobby. “Why don’t you ask him?”
“He’s awfully boring. You deal with boring better than I do.”
