When it's cold outside, best to curl up in front of the fire with a good book, a mug of hot chocolate, and a nice blanket. At least, that's what I tell myself as I chase two crazed toddlers around our ever-chaotic house. Someday, someday...
Nevertheless, from the crannies of the day and night, The Bonds of Stone has emerged, continuing the adventure that began in The Price of Peace. You'll find it here and there in the usual editions. Audio for this series is coming, though if you want it available in your ears right now, both Amazon and Google have it in their digital voice programs.
Speaking of audio releases, Jay and Khai are keeping up their narrating work. Starshot and The Farthest Star are both out in audio now, either for purchase or, if you have a Spotify account, available for listening there. Expect to see the rest of those coming later this spring and through the summer.
As for the rest of this newsletter, you're going to see it split into a few sections, both because it's fun and because I'd like to write about things that aren't just my books. Maybe you'll find it fun, maybe you'll ignore it, or maybe you'll swing by the Facebook or YouTube page and drop a comment telling me what I ought to read or watch next. I'm listening, and, as ever, thanks for reading!
What I'm Working On:
First and foremost, The Dance of Gods is up for pre-order, releasing in late March. I'm currently wrapping up the first draft and initial edits. From there, it's copy-editing, formatting, and all the usual jazz that goes into getting a book ready for release. Books six and seven in The Seven Isles will follow, wrapping the series (though not the world - plenty more stories to tell therein).
What I'm Watching:
For All Mankind: Season 3 - Apple TV+
This alternate history drama tracks a world where the Soviet Union landed first on the Moon, creating a world where the space race never ended. The writers here have great fun constructing a new version of history, and the space action, science, and personalities known and unknown on display are fascinating to watch.
If there's a downside here, it's that the soapier aspects sometimes get the best of the show, threatening to drag For All Mankind into melodrama territory. Thankfully, there's always something spectacular around the corner to keep things rocketing along. If you've any interest in rockets, compelling hard science fiction, and NASA's glory days, it's worth checking this one out.
What I'm Reading:
Memories of Ice: Book Three in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson.
An epic fantasy series that's hard to describe, the Malazan Book of the Fallen is an incredibly imaginative proper noun assault. Dense, often beautiful, and populated with great characters, I'm really enjoying this series, which I've never read before. If there's a downside, it's the sheer number of names, places, and made-up words. The amount of work that needs doing as the reader just to understand who's what, what's where, and when's who is a burden that absolutely would not be worth it if the writing itself wasn't so fantastic.
I picked up the whole collection in a recent Humble Bundle and plan on, at least for now, going on through from start to finish in a single shot. I'm feeling if I don't, I'm simply going to forget names, events, and other crucial details in a story that certainly won't, as I'm getting the feeling this narrative is a giant web linking together in ways I can't begin to suspect yet.
That's it for this week - as ever, you can find me through the Contact Form on the Black Key Books website, on my YouTube Channel, or the Black Key Books Facebook page.
Stay warm out there, and happy reading!
~Adam
