Hi everyone,
As March comes to a close, I wanted to give you all an update on what’s been happening and let you know what to expect in the coming months.
Writing Update
First off, the writing. The twins are currently going through a sleep regression, which means a lot of crying through the night and not a lot of sleep. But, I have been making progress, dividing my writing time between two projects: Book Three of The Lays of Athewain and the first part of War of Princes.
The third Athewain novel, which I am currently calling Heir of the Dragon’s Fire, is at about 20,000 words, which should be roughly one-third of the total word count. This is only the first draft—which tend to be very rough—so I expect to go through at least another three rounds of rewriting before it’s ready for beta readers. Still, I’m optimistic about a publication date some time in 2026.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m planning to try my hand at serialization here on Substack, releasing one chapter of my medieval fantasy novel, War of Princes, every week. This is the first book I ever finished, back in 2024, but I’ve been reworking it in light of what I’ve learned since working on the Athewain series. I’ve finished drafting new material for Part I (the book will be released in five parts) and am now revising it in preparation for serialization.
Lukas Irzl, the artist who designed the covers for both Son of the Thunder Goddess and Rage of the Raven Queen has been working on the artwork for War of Princes, and I’m excited to say that it’s nearly complete! I’m really looking forward to sharing it with you all very shortly.
Author signings
I’ve had a busy few months already in 2026 with signing events, doing what I like to call the “Indigo circuit” (I mentioned why I’ve landed on this strategy in my last Substack post).
So far this year, I’ve visited stores in Cambridge, Guelph, Waterloo, Burlington, and London. The events have been great! I’ve gotten to talk to lots of cool fantasy fans, and I’m also seeing more success selling books at these events than through online ads or social media.
My plan is to do one signing every month or so for the rest of the year.
And on that note, my next event will be at Indigo — Burlington Centre on Saturday, April 18, from 12-4 pm. If you’re in the area, come by to chat and get your book(s) signed.
What I’ve Been Reading
Given the aforementioned sleep regression, it’s been hard to find time for both reading and writing, and I’ve been giving the priority to writing. Still, I am currently reading some interesting books, which I will list below and hopefully have more to say about when I’m finished.
Finished:
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
This is one of those iconic history books I’ve been meaning to read for a long time. I found it absolutely fascinating and thought-provoking. As many reviewers have pointed out, Diamond oversimplifies and generalizes many things, but that is to be expected for a book of this scope. I think it's unavoidable for books that attempt a totalizing cultural or historical theory (like Edward Said’s Orientalism or Tom Holland’s Dominion).
On another note, this is an invaluable resource for any fantasy writers/worldbuilders out there, since it discusses how seemingly little things like access to specific wild plants or whether a continent has a primarily East-West or North-South layout can have compounding effects on the development of civilization.
Currently Reading
Stone of Farewell by Tad Williams
The second book in the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. I’m really enjoying it so far and seeing how the story unfolds, often in very surprising ways.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Yes, I’m jumping on the bandwagon. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but plan to once I’m finished. It’s really compelling so far at about 1/3 of the way through. Though I am not scientific myself, I’m enjoying Weir’s grounded, “hard” approach to science fiction.
A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain by Marc Morris
Medieval Britain is among my favourite historical eras, especially the period surrounding Edward I’s reign, which I draw on extensively for much of the worldbuilding in War of Princes. I’m still near the beginning but enjoying how academic, yet engaging Morris’s writing is.
The Struggle for Mastery: The Penguin History of Britain 1066-1284 by David Carpenter
Doing a super slow read of this one, usually right before bed. It covers everything from the Norman Conquest of England to Edward I’s conquest of Wales in painstaking detail. Not a page turner by any means, but contains invaluable research information about the military, culture, and economics of the British Isles in the High Middle Ages.
Link Roundup
In case you missed it, I sent out an email earlier this month announcing the release of my short story, “The Songweaver,” free for anyone subscribed to this newsletter.
I’d also like to remind you that as a subscriber, you have access to another free short story, “The Kelpie.” Both of these stories follow the adventures of Connal, who is the primary POV character in War of Princes.
And if you like free stories (who doesn’t?), you should know that I am participating in a couple of BookFunnel promos. Click the links below to get access to a whole host of free SFF books and short stories.
Ancient Terrors, hosted by Substack’s very own Leo Vaughan
As always, thank you for reading.
Andrew
