October. The magic time of year when the world seems a bit fuzzy around the edges, as if something might be hanging out in the dark corner of your room, or the whispers coming from passersby might actually be a spell destined to draw you into some grand adventure.
My current adventure is playing dad to two toddlers, both of whom betwitch and befuddle me in equal measure with their cuteness and their crazies. Wild days lead to wild nights, and if sometimes I wonder how I'm hanging on, more often I wonder how I lived so long without these goofballs in my life.
That said, it's nice to have other worlds to run away to. Ones where the adversaries aren't bedtimes but beasts, not mealtimes but monsters. It's in those places I get to really play, and below you'll find the stories, in all sorts of formats, that've sprung out over the last few months, eager to draw you in with a mug of hot apple cider, a warm fire, and falling leaves outside.
Happy Fall, and thanks, as ever, for reading.
The Seven Isles Continues with The Wrath of Rivers
The northern waters hold dark secrets, ones Wax needs to uncover if he's going to get one step closer to the Wound and its throne. Before such lofty ideas can be set in motion, though, Wax and his guardians have to find a ride upriver, a task made harder thanks to cowardly captains and murderous fiends. Sly eyes and quick feet grab an unexpected opportunity to travel, but Wax soon finds their chosen vessel might have more danger than the rivers themselves.
After surviving the Dark Below, Maena and Svarde are on the wrong wagon, heading straight to the Pits and gladiator justice. Whether they live or die will be up to more than their skills with a blade and an axe, as the enemies they'll face might very well be their own friends.
Across the isles, meanwhile, the fiends grow stronger. Cities burn and desperation feeds a growing turmoil. Time is running out, for Wax and his quest, or Svarde and his promised slaughter. Even if they succeed, will there be anything left to save?
The Wrath of Rivers continues the fantasy saga started with The Price of Peace, an action adventure tale brimming with vibrant characters, lush locales, and a story you've never seen before. Dive into the Seven Isles, and find yourself lost in a world as fun as it is ferocious.
If you're wanting an excuse to dive into this one, you can now get The Price of Peace in ebook form (and audio via Google Play) for free, so what're you waiting for?
Book four in this series should be coming out this holiday season, so you won't have long to wait either!
The Wild Nines get sucked into another madcap adventure in Trick Moon
(Yes, I know, this came out a few months back, but I've been lazy on the newsletter writing, so here's the notification if you missed it!)
Find the Alissa, stop the war. Sounds easy, but nobody knows where Alissa is, save some grubby scum intent on ruining Davin’s well-deserved R&R.
Dealing with criminals is messy business, and the Nines find themselves pulled into a spiraling disaster when Eden gets wind of their work. Pursued by a vengeful captain and his frigate, while trying to solve Alissa’s disappearance, the Nines dash towards Earth. Whether they’ll arrive intact or in pieces is an open question, one that’ll be answered with a healthy dose of shooting, shields, and sarcasm.
Trick Moon continues the slick space opera of the Wild Nines series, where quick trigger fingers and slow burn mysteries collide. Hitch a ride on the Whiskey Jumper and hang on, because it’s going to be fun.
Other Odds and Ends
- The Black Key Books YouTube channel, where I experiment with titles in various audio formats, continues apace. While you'll have to contend with ads, you can find a whole lot of stories there for your listening pleasure.
- I've started a Substack - essentially a blogging/story-hosting platform - where you can find most of my stuff in text and audio, including classic sci-fi shorts. It's early days, but if you prefer stories chapter-by-chapter, it'll be a spot to peek at or subscribe to! This site and this newsletter will remain new release focused to spare your inboxes.
- If you're into board games at all, check out Noble Knight's Gaming Hall, where I write weekly pieces covering different titles for your tabletop. Just a thing I do for fun because, well, games are fun. So, you know, stop on by.
That's about it right now - I'm scribing away on the Seven Isles, which ought to be a seven book series by the time the story wraps up (though expect more in its big world). After that, we'll see where the muse meanders, but I'm itching to get back to more sci-fi, and maybe finish up that Wild Nines sequel . . .
Anyway, have a fantastic Fall, and I'll see you again around the holidays!
Thanks for reading!
~A.R. Knight
