"Swords Against Bastards" is So, So Close
...it just needs a final minor tweak and then the final round of editing commences
With nearly two weeks off and long weekends over the fourth quarter of 2022, Barbarians of the Storm, Book III - Swords Against Bastards is essentially done. I have to finish the last page or two of the short story at the end of the book, but that should take no time at all.
Beyond that, I just need to give the book another readthrough and do the last round of edits and fine tuning. Typically, this process only takes me a few days.
So, with that being said, the book’s release is happening very, very soon. Frankly, I’m f’n excited.
This ended up being a much harder book to write than I anticipated due to the epic scale of what happens in it. It is the culmination of a lot of major things I have been building towards. It also finally peels back a lot of the layers to the larger mystery about the world and the core characters’ places in it. Hopefully, the Easter eggs I’ve planted throughout the three previous books make themselves apparent here, as I connect a lot of dots.
In writing this book and letting the story steer me in surprising directions, it subverted my own expectations at times. Also, it’s emotionally heavy and as my girlfriend said, who proofed it already, “It broke my heart twice.” So, I know that it’s going to be an effective and meaningful chapter in the saga for those who have some to love some of the main characters.
A lot of things shift, allegiances are challenged, relationships are tested, and a certain someone has to rise to the occasion and become the hero they always were in their heart.
I chose Vasilia for the cover, because like Erzulyn in Book II - Atomic Beasts and Where to Kill Them, she becomes a much bigger part of the picture and has to deal with major changes to herself and her future. She’s also a focal point of the book’s short story, which picks up immediately after her tale from Eyes in All Shadows & Other Stories.
That’s all I’m going to say for now. I don’t want to spoil anything, other than giving familiar readers a taste of what’s in store.
As always, I will give the most detailed updates on this Substack, so subscribe if you haven’t. If there any delays with the editing process, I will let you know here. As for now, I hope those who have made it this far into the Barbarians of the Storm series are excited. A lot of your time invested in this series will have some major payoffs in this next book.
It’s 2023 and it’s going to be a big year! Onward and upward!