The next book is a story that I’ve had in my head for at least a year.
However, it’s a very different undertaking than the previous books in the Barbarians of the Storm mythos. It takes place in a very unique setting, and with that, has a different tone and style than what I’ve become accustomed to writing since I first penned the original version of Dan the Destructor back in May of 2020.
This is a challenge I wanted, however, but even then, maybe I took the challenge a bit too lightly.
Some of the things I’ve come to rely on aren’t available in this story, such as the sword & sorcery/planet tropes, the buddy element, the horror side of my world, as well as having a larger, well-defined cast of characters to lean into. Still, I need to not just exist in that comfort zone. Since I have other books planned for other unique settings with familiar characters, this has really become a test to see if I can do that and find a way to make it work within the larger saga.
It doesn’t help that the real job is just exhausting the shit out of me lately, and since the real job is also a creative one, those juices often times feel depleted. Because of that, I don’t want to rush through this and release a book that I don’t feel is up to the standard that I’ve built with the four previous installments.
Despite a setting and tonal change, there will still be some magical elements worked into the story. I don’t want to say much yet in regards to that or the story itself. However, if you’re a fan of ‘80s action, primarily the Cannon Films style, this should be right up your alley.