Hi everyone,
Hard to believe April is already finished, meaning we are a third of the way through the year. I don’t know about you, but these past four months have rushed by!
We’ll start with the writing. The most significant update is that I launched a serialized fantasy novel, War of Princes, right here on Substack! There are two chapters out already, with a third coming this Friday. In case you missed it, here is a quick recap of the publishing schedule:
Chapter One was released on April 17
There will be a new chapter every Friday, with short breaks between each part (roughly 8-12 chapters)
The serial is free for all subscribers, though paid subscribers get access to chapters in advance
Click here for the intro post including the cover, blurb, map, and table of contents.
The third Athewain novel, Heir of the Dragon’s Fire has taken a bit of a backseat this month, while I worked on launching War of Princes. However, I’ve gotten back into the writing and am about 25,000 words into the first draft. I’m starting a new full-time job in a couple of weeks, which I am very excited about, but which also will leave me with much less time for writing. I’m going to try to get as far into this draft as possible during the brief window before my new work begins.
I did a lot of author signings this winter, but I’m slowing down to about one event every month or two, as I transition into the new job. In April, I visited the Indigo at the Burlington Centre. It was my first time in the store, and it was a great time. I got to meet lots of new readers, sign some new books, and even chat with someone who had already read Son of the Thunder Goddess.
Next month, I’ll be at Indigo Square One on May 31, 12-5 pm. It’s my first time doing an event there, but it’s a very busy mall, so I have high hopes for a good turnout!
Stone of Farewell by Tad Williams
This is the second book in the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series. Tad Williams is one of those authors whose name comes up fairly often in fantasy circles, but he never seems to get the same hype as other 80s and 90s authors like Robert Jordan and G.R.R Martin. It’s a shame because he is an excellent writer with literary sensibilities, deep worldbuilding, and strong characterization. You can even see how he influenced A Song of Ice and Fire, an influence Martin himself has acknowledged. For instance, in this book, Williams introduces the Thrithings-men, a nomadic horse-loving people who live in wagon communities on the plains. They’re a clear inspiration for Martin’s Dothraki, though much more believable as a people group.
Overall, Stone of Farewell was a really interesting read, and has some very strong moments, even though the book is mostly functioning as a slow burn setup for the finale, which I am looking forward to getting into soon.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
I really enjoyed this one. The writing is a little simple for my tastes, but it’s a great story and the hard science works very well. I also love how the novel centres on and celebrates the friendship between Grace and Rocky. It’s a refreshingly uncynical take on relationships in this age of grimdark entertainment.
One of my goals for 2026 has been to appear as a guest on more podcasts and YouTube channels. I listen to a lot of book-related content while driving, walking, doing dishes, etc. so it’s been really cool to start breaking into that space.
This month, I appeared on fellow fantasy author Niki Florica’s BookTube channel to talk about fantasy, self-publishing, and faith. There’s also a part 2 of this conversation that will be coming out in the near future and a separate written interview up on Niki’s blog.
My book, Son of the Thunder Goddess was reviewed over on Indie Fantasy Club. This channel is a tremendous source for finding excellent self-published fantasy amid a sea of AI-generated spam and poorly edited books. I highly recommend subscribing and watching more of the videos beyond the review of my book.
I’ll be a guest on the Public Domain Super Heroes Newsletter podcast, which will be airing later today on April 29th.
I’ve got more podcasts set up for May as well and will include links to those in the next newsletter.
I’m participating in a Kobo Plus fantasy promotion along with a bunch of SFF authors.
If you’re looking for an alternative to Kindle Unlimited, Kobo Plus is a subscription program with thousands of titles to borrow. Both of my books are enrolled in the program.
I am also participating in the Free Epic Sci-Fi & Fantasy group promotion over on BookFunnel. Check it out for a whole bunch of free reads.
And that’s it for April. As always, thanks for reading.
Andrew
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