New Novel: Vespertine Blue
I have finally published the sequel to Not James. Lo, what glory! Here is the blurb:
The king is dead, the country is on the brink of a class war, and the one responsible wants nothing to do with it.
Longstanding vituperative relations between the magically talented and untalented come to a head when magicians stage a pseudo-coup. Vespertine, a reclusive magician distinguished for her development of alchemy, heads the new oligarchical regime going by the name of The Concilium. She plans to reconcile the broiling enmity for both magicians and non-magicians with the prospect of equal opportunity—by any means necessary.
Following the murder of his twin brother the king, Not James must navigate a governmental reckoning that superficially seeks to expiate historic wrongs while secretly carrying out a sordid ploy to unify nations through interminable force. His plan is simple: run away. In his absence, relations between friends and enemies shift around the rise of new governance, and the unlikely truce between a thief, a teen magician, a former official, and a half-giant may serve to clinch peace from the jaws of a disastrous rebellion and reign of coercion.
It is available in eBook and paperback on Amazon, as well as on Apple, Vivlio, Smashwords, Tolino, Everand, Baker & Taylor, Palace Marketplace, BorrowBox, Odilo, Fable, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble! And thus the second of three installments is complete. As for the third? Well, that’ll be coming around eventually. For now, it’s on the back burner (as they say). “What’s on the front burner?” you ask. Weh-heh-hehll, would you believe it if I told you it’s another fantasy story? I’m guessing you would, because I have no reason to lie about it. But wait, keep your shirt on, because this stove is equipped with two front burners! In addition to that fantasy story (which I’ll be editing), there is another fantasy story I am in the process of drafting. To briefly describe what each are about, the former is modeled after an isekai anime and the latter is modeled after a buddy cop movie.
Now, back to this here book Vespertine Blue. It’s my first go at a series, and it’s interesting if not treacherous to make sure details are consistent with its predecessor as well as supportive of what’s to come. I liken it to The Empire Strikes Back, but I won’t say anymore on how. I also won’t say anymore on the story, ‘cause it’s meant to be read! I wanted to talk a smidge more about my thoughts on professional reviews, as I didn’t get any for this story while I got a few for my previous novels. My reasons for not getting more are due to it being an unnecessary expense. I appreciate the alleged rigor of the reviews I’ve gotten, but, beyond getting a feel for how my story lands with someone whose fingers are on the pulse of modern publishing, I don’t find them worthwhile. It’s also said that such reviews increase sales, but I’ve found that to be negligible. I’ve found the quantity of reviews to be more worthwhile (this is not to say that other reviews lack quality).
Aside from a business perspective, I also don’t think professional reviews are great in the long-term. The ones I did get I think were valuable, as I gained insight into the minds of professionals (and I gained feedback), but that value is no longer around for subsequent reviews. Again, these are my thoughts and opinions, and in my opinion professional reviews don’t hold long-term value. This is also from the perspective of someone self-publishing, so I could possibly see professional reviews doing more for people getting traditionally published (i.e., giving a competitive edge to those already blessed with great marketing).
Anyway, it’s a new book! Yay!
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