One thing I love about doing riddles is how it builds self-confidence in 99% of students while deflating the egos of the few braggarts who think they are the sharpest arrow in the quiver. Not only do they teach creative, outside-the-box thinking but humility too – and that Mastery is hard-earned.
(I am sure my previous students can guess what would prompt me to write such a post. Something a tad extreme – for riddles – and certainly a good story/lesson.)
"Many disturbing and wondrous tales come out of the
Archipelago of Cynnahu, none the least those relating to its ancient
inhabitants the Dragonkin. Yet even the Last King could not see all
ends, for another force beyond the compass had claimed one of his own
and no land, even one as self-contained as Cynnahu, may remain so
forever. This harrowing tale, one that even the Loremasters possess only
fragments of, proves such. This is the story of Kami and Leal."
The sequel to my The Dragonkin Legacy series, Mages' Legacy is a very different story. Once of
consequences, duty, war, and love; and the beginning of a very special
plan of mine that connects to my also upcoming (eventually) Sisters of the Desert. Mages' Legacy, however, has only one round of edits left, so should actually be published within the year (I hope).
I hope you like the cover. It is, as ever, a fine product of GetCovers plus some adjustments made by my mostly humble self.
"The past is never truly dead. While much of the past and its history
are often written by the victors – ancient relics, forgotten cities, and
hidden legacies often find a way of unveiling themselves as the sands
of time blow away little by little. Sometimes by looking to the past and
learning from those who came before, a person or group of people can
gain insight and foresight to face challenges that can change the course
of an entire civilization.
Immediately readers are thrust into a world of magic, war, and
visceral imagery. The world-building the author utilized in this omnibus
was phenomenal, making each and every chapter and setting feel rich
with history and the characters alive on the page. The author expertly
weaves mystery and suspense into the story to make the world feel richer
and more alluring, with each chapter unveiling a new aspect of the land
of Cynnahu’s political power structure and the ways in which the mages
use magic, making this world feel both fantastic and wondrous and yet
incredibly dangerous as the Snake-Folk and their connection to the
ancient Dragonkin are unveiled.
Fans of high-fantasy based storytelling and epic fantasy novels with a
coming-of-age infusion will love this omnibus. The character-driven
narrative was incredibly strong, from the father and son dynamic that
delves into questions of legacy and living up to it between Myrriden and
Emrys, to the dangerous and emotional path of vengeance that drives
Sakura after losing her family and her entire people in the first bloody
conflict of the series. The exploration of grief and how it motivates
people in the wake of great tragedy was a great way to add more depth to
her character arc and engage in a more grounded aspect of such a
powerfully magical narrative. A story filled with twists and turns, epic
world building full of history that feels ancient as the reader devours
the book, and a memorable prose in the author’s writing style that
really makes the reader feel rooted in the world made this blend of
politics, war, and fantasy a must-read."
Monday, September 29, 2025
There is news on the wind. Emphasis on the plural.
"If you want to write anything that works, you have to go with the grain of your talent, not against it. If your talent is inert and sullen in the face of business or politics...but takes fire at the thought of ghosts and vampires and witches and demons then feed the flames, feed the flames." - Sir Philip Pullman
I have started The Legion of Flame, book two of Anthony Ryan's The Draconis Memoria trilogy.
The
White has awoken. It is logical, perhaps, that after centuries of human
Blood-blessed drinking the blood of drakes to build vast realms that
drakes would want to return the favor. Yet the White builds nothing,
only Spoils and destroys, warping living minds and flesh even as the
flames and spears of its winged cousins and Spoiled slaves burn and
kill. No longer a legend, now the White is real and many – and
determined to incinerate the world of humans.
So
here's hoping the vision-prophesy Clay ironically got from the White's
blood can lead to a means of destroying it, and that Lizanne has similar
luck behind Corvantine lines. Regardless, I think the Imperial and Corporate Age is about to come to a fiery conclusion.
At long last, a new Fire Emblem in the recently announced Fortune's Weave!
As the Crest Stones, Heroes Relics, but mostly Sothis herself makes fairly clear, we are back in Fódlan. With Sothis' age indicating we are either in the distant past or a future so far flung that the events of Three Houses and, seemingly, even the nations of that era are ancient history. Hence the current debate is simply whether Fortune's Weave will be a sequel or a prequel, with my money being on the former. But what I find most interesting, and tantalizing, is a common theme I see in the Youtube comments. Let me share a few:
"The Divine Sothis will grace us with another 5 years of Three Houses discourse."
"Crazy how the discourse for 3 houses lasted longer than the actual war in 3 houses."
"4 more years of 3h discourse!!"
"YOU'LL NEVER ESCAPE IT! THREE HOUSES DISCOURSE IS ETERNAL!!!"
Pretty much. Three Houses being as filled with grief,
trauma, and world-shaking choices as it was, the Fire Emblem fandom has
been hotly debating the ethics of the characters and choices ever since.
For myself, twice Ifought beside
Edelgard von Hresvelg and the rest of the Black Eagle Strike Force so
as to build a world where none need ever again hide from the sun because
they know too much, were a failed pawn, or have abilities that
"threaten stability". A place where a Shadow Library of banned books
need not exist underground or dance to the tune of a Church built on
deliberately told lies. Twice I left Fódlan united and free from an
antiquated class system under Edelgard's meritocracy, with Those Who
Slither In The Dark and the Immaculate One dead. As Edelgard famously said, "When humanity stands strong and people reach out for each other... there's no need for gods." Thus do I declare that, sequel or prequel, come what may, I will gladly and proudly fight again to achieve the world she envisioned.