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It’s long been my theory that you can self-promote as much as you want so long as you’re doing it in a fun way.

If you’ve never read The Aeons’ Gate series, you will have absolutely zero problem getting into The City Stained Red. There’s no infodump backstory, no lengthy exposition, nothing to keep you from enjoying the book. But old readers will still have a lot to see. I think it’s going to be fun for new and returning readers alike.

Every city has its secrets, every man has his demons.The city of Cier’Djaal has grown rich from the silk its horse-sized spiders spin. From their unimaginable wealth, the fasha ruling class built a city the likes of which legends strain to capture: spires that glitter gold in the desert sunlight, streets choked with people carrying burdens of coin and silk, a world where the differences between thieves and nobles are so small that an outsider might not even know.And where there is wealth, there is war.A radical upstart cult has risen from the slums and sewers of the city, intent on toppling its wealthy masters and spilling their gold upon the streets for the downtrodden. The ruling thieves’ guild has come to meet them with fire and blade, intent on preserving the rule of their own bloody law. Foreign armies intent on conquering the city and their opportunity to use the violence as an excuse to seize the city’s vast wealth for itself. And beneath human heels, the tribal shicts and ferocious tulwar clans seethe, waiting to strike back against the society that has trampled them underfoot.And into this, Lenk comes seeking a new life. A life where he can set his sword down and leave the violence of his adventuring life behind him.But there are whispers of something darker behind the wars, a sinister hand moving pieces across a board, intent upon ushering in a new world, free of gods, of fear, of humanity. And its gaze has just settled upon Lenk.

PUTTING THE EPIC IN EPIC FANTASYThursday 7/24, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Room 25ABCSigning to follow.

Do you think new authors should pay attention to the current backlash toward the "classic" fantasy setting and work to try to do new things or just write whatever they want even if it seems stereotypical on the surface?They absolutely should pay attention to it. At the end of the day, they need to know what their readers are thinking.Whether they choose to embrace that backlash or reject it is up to them, but authors should be informed.

The heart of civilization bleeds. Cier’Djaal, once the crowning glory of the civilized world, has gone from a city to a battlefield and a battlefield to a graveyard. Foreign armies clash relentlessly on streets laden with the bodies of innocents caught in the crossfire. Cultists and thieves wage shadow wars, tribal armies foment outside the city’s walls, and haughty aristocrats watch the world burn from on high. As his companions struggle to keep the city from destroying itself, Lenk travels to the Forbidden East in search of the demon who caused it all. But even as he pursues Khoth-Kapira, dark whispers plague his thoughts. Khoth-Kapira promises him a world free of war where Lenk can put down his sword at last. And Lenk finds it hard not to listen. When gods are deaf, demons will speak.

Sam Sykes a écrit :I have been informed that the mass market paperback of The City Stained Red has gone back for a second printing in the UK. Love ya, England!