Friday Fantasy 9-19-25
Top o’ the morning all, and I hope this finds you doing well. Life’s been keeping me well and occupied lately, but it’s been pretty great. The transition to the school year has meant I’ve been diving back into work, and there’s been a ton to catch up on. Outside of work, I’m pretty excited because I’m about to be an uncle for the first time (likely within the next few weeks), and I’m really looking forward to it.
I don’t have any huge announcements today, but I do have a question I hope you’ll answer and a new free short story to read at the end. Thanks for reading!
Small Updates and a Question
Most of my time lately has been spent wrestling the conclusion of the Fallen Swords series into submission, and it’s been a bit of a challenge. I fully expected the book to run a lean 60-70k when I started, but I think it will end up much closer to 100k by the time all is said and done. The good news is that I’m still on track to have the book released either by the end of November or beginning of December, which I’m happy about. I’m sure I’ll be talking more about it in the coming weeks, as it’s the next big release, but for now, it’s simply coming along well.
As I begin gearing up for the next series, though, I have a question for you, and it’s fairly open-ended. I’ve asked a variety of this question a few years ago, but the number of people reading this has increased substantially since then. I think it’s worth asking again, both because it helps me think about what I should be writing, but also because I’m always looking for an excuse to talk about books.
So, my question is this: What are you looking for, most, when you dive into a new novel?
My answer has changed over the past few years. I’ve become more interested in high-quality prose over the years, and I’m looking for works that stir my emotions. This year I’ve discovered both Janny Wurts and Giles Kristian, and both have made me a very happy reader.
But I’d also love to hear your thoughts! If you’re reading this in your email, simply reply. If you’re on the blog, post a comment. It may take me a bit, but I do promise to get back to everyone who answers. Thanks in advance - I’m genuinely curious what people will say.
Deeply Rooted
This week’s free short story is “Deeply Rooted,” which is a couple of years old at this point. I actually wrote it side by side with “Roots of Silence,” which was the short story I shared a few weeks ago. I can’t remember anymore which order I wrote the stories in, but the same prompt for an anthology led me in two very different directions. Only one qualified for a horror/suspense anthology, though. This one is more about betrayal and forgiveness.
I’ll link to it below, but I’ll also leave “Roots of Silence” up for another week or so, so if you’re interested, you can read them side by side and see how they came from the same idea.
As always, thanks for being here!
Ryan