I am sorry for the delay in getting the new Summa Elvetica out the door. We had some technical errors caused by a domain transfer problem, did an extra round of errata-hunting edits to ensure a much cleaner text than before, and since the book ended up being a few more pages than anticipated, another revision of the dustjacket turned out to be required. But it is now off to the printers and should be reaching to those who preordered sometime the week after next.
We may or may not do an ebook version, as all of the stories the hardcover contains are already available in ebook format. So, if you want the complete-to-date collection of Selenoth stories, this would be your book to go with A THRONE OF BONES. Kirk redid the spine, so, although it is not part of the Arts of Dark and Light series proper, SE+ should at least look tangentially related next to them on the bookshelf.
The book is a 6×9 hardcover of 488 pages, priced at $25.99. It contains Summa Elvetica, eight other novellas, novelettes, and short stories, and a very slightly updated map.
It’s been interesting to see how people’s opinion of SE has changed a little since the publication of A THRONE OF BONES, including my own. What didn’t necessarily work all that well as a full-fledged novel in its own right actually holds up rather nicely as a part of the larger series. Even though I didn’t see it at the time, it seems Jamsco was correct to observe that it held the seeds of something bigger and better all along.
The thing that I find a little astonishing is that with the publication of SE+, the total page count of the complete Selenoth collection now exceeds that of The Lord of the Rings, 1,342 to 1,147.(1) Now, of course, that doesn’t include The Hobbit, The Simarillion, or the various lost tales. And Selenoth will never rival Middle Earth, although I do hope it will eventually come to surpass Westeros, Malazan, Randland, and the Four Lands.
(1) Knowing that someone was bound to raise the typography issue, I went ahead and tabulated the word counts. They are virtually identical at this point, with a slight edge to LOTR at 475,202 as Selenoth is presently at 471,387.
THE WARDOG’S COIN Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #145 Free in Kindle Store #10 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy #1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy > Epic #1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > War
While a book can’t actually be called a best seller when it is being given away for free, it is still satisfying to see The Wardog’s Coin reach number one in Epic Fantasy in the free Kindle store. Thank you if you were a part of making that happen, whether by downloading the book or reviewing it. One of my objectives for next year is to see either A THRONE OF BONES or Book Two in the Arts of Dark and Light series reach #1 in Epic in the Kindle Store proper. Also, if you haven’t scored a copy of Wardog yet, note that it is still free today.
And while The Last Witchking doesn’t appear to be threatening the bestseller lists – it only reached #37 in Epic on its first day out – I’m very pleased that most of those who have read it appear to find the three stories it contains to be worth reading. Given the semi-canonical and allegorical nature of “Hoblets”, the unrestrained darkness of the title novelette, and the complete lack of any action in “Opera”, I was half-expecting Selenoth fans to be disappointed in it. I should have known that those who already appreciate a relatively broad spectrum world would tend to enjoy seeing the scope of the world expanded.
Gecko asked: “what’s the recommended reading order for the first Selenoth run-through?” That’s a good question, and one which I’ve never actually considered in light of how most of the series has only been published in the last five months. But I suppose there is a considerable amount of text out there in comparison with the average series where only the first book has been published already. This is the order I suspect may be optimal for the average reader, but keep in mind that there is absolutely no authorial intent here. And, as you will note, I am very skeptical of the value of authorial intent when it comes to these matters.
A Magic Broken The Wardog’s Coin Qalabi Dawn A THRONE OF BONES Summa Elvetica Master of Cats Birth of an Order The Last Witchking Opera Vita Aeterna The Hoblets of Wiccam Fensboro
Now, I think an advanced reader who prefers epic fantasy would be best advised to begin with A THRONE OF BONES from the start, but since it is a giant novel and one that begins slowly at that, it’s probably better for most readers to begin with a few of the smaller works. I wrote the smaller works in the knowledge that many of them would be read prior to the central series; that’s why all of them are set in times prior to the events of Book I.
In answer to Gecko’s other question, “Nephew or Wardrobe?”, I can only say “Wardrobe” and declare that I am fully prepared to fight to the death anyone who would be so abysmally stupid to assert otherwise. I have staunchly resisted buying a new set of Narnia novels, even though our old paperbacks are mostly in pieces now, because I don’t want to own a set that is ordered incorrectly.
NB: the free copies of Witchking went out to those who preordered the Summa Elvetica hardcover at 9:30 PM Mountain time. If you didn’t receive it, first check your spam traps and if you still can’t find it, let me know.
In case you haven’t delved into Selenoth yet, today would be an excellent day to do so, as in honor of the publication of The Last Witchking, Marcher Lord Hinterlands is giving away The Wardog’s Coin on Amazon today and tomorrow.
The Wardog’s Coin consists of two stories set in the epic fantasy world of A THRONE OF BONES. The title story is about a human mercenary company which finds itself in the employ of an elf king. Outnumbered and under attack from an army of orcs and goblins, the Company discovers it is no longer fighting for pay, but for survival. The second story, Qalabi Dawn, features a young tribal chieftain, Shabaka No-Tail, who seeks to find a way to unite the fractious tribes of The People before the implacable legions of the Dead God invade the desert to carry out their crusade of total extermination.
In tangentially related news, it looks as if the Arts of Dark and Light have found a second home and will be published in paperback and audiobook editions next year. I’ve been talking to several international publishers who expressed interest in the books, and have found one I believe will complement Marcher Lord very well by providing conventional bookstore distribution while permitting the near-complete creative freedom I enjoy with Hinterlands.
UPDATE: While I’m pleased that the Dread Ilk are not prone to sycophancy, this email from a reviewer concerning Witchking cracked me up, as it reminded me of something another writer said about how I have “just the worst fans”. By which I think she meant that most of you don’t hesitate to criticize when I’ve gotten something wrong or even just phone something in. The sincerity of the pity she was offering was why I didn’t bother trying to convince her that this was actually a feature, not a bug.
“Damn good. Reviewed here. To be honest, I thought your angel stories sucked, and I’m really shocked at how good your writing has got.”
People sometimes ask how it is that I’m so unfazed by criticism,(1) and conversely, not much affected by praise either. It’s probably thanks to my father. I’ll never forget the phone call I received from him not long after The War in Heaven. “Hey, I read your book! Want me to tell you what was wrong with it?”
The funny thing was that I told him, “no, not particularly” in the full knowledge that it wouldn’t even slow him down for a second.
(1) Actual criticism, you understand. Obviously, I refuse to accept the fake variety that is simply rhetorical combat by other means.
I am pleased to announce that Marcher Lord Hinterlands has released THE LAST WITCHKING, a 105-page ebook that consists of the title novelette and two short stories, all three of of which are set in Selenoth, the world of A THRONE OF BONES. It is now available from Amazon for $1.99.
The title story concerns the hidden heir to a fallen race of magicians, the infamous Witchkings, who delves deep into his father’s dark lore as he pursues vengeance against the elves and men responsible for destroying his people. The second story, “The Hoblets of Wiccam Fensboro”, is a tale of survival and the triumph of simple human decency in the face of brutality and defeat. The third story, “Opera Vita Aeterna”, tells the story of the relationship between an elven sorcerer and a monk of the Ordo Sancti Dioscuri, and how they discover that the transformational power of friendship can be the highest and most potent magic of all. The third story also features a brief appearance by one of the perspective characters from A THRONE OF BONES.
Thanks to Jartstar, who did another excellent job on the cover. We wanted to go for a different look this time, one that hinted at the broad spectrum of good and evil that is explored in the book. To celebrate the new publication, Hinterlands will be giving away THE WARDOG’S COIN for free on Amazon tomorrow and Friday.
Contrary to previous reports, the hardcover version of Summa Elvetica: A Casuistry of the Elvish Controversy & Other Stories will not be 465 pages, it should be more like 500 pages. I left out one of the stories from the manuscript upon which I did the word count. The total comes to 173k words, a bit more than half of ATOB’s 297k words. Of course, the precise page total will depend upon how Marcher Lord lays it out.
If you’re interested in preordering for a discount price of $17.99, you can do so today from Marcher Lord. Preordering ends tonight, so if you’re interested in getting one to go with your ATOB hardcover, don’t put it off. And remember, you’ll get a free ebook, The Last Witchking, which will be available from Amazon within a week or so.
As we were discussing George Martin and the aspects of his work which tend to appeal to the Left yesterday, the appearance of this review is a timely one. Lars Walker is the author of the novels that collectively make up The Erling Skjalgsson Saga, and as can be seen from his picture, is a descendant of Vikings himself. (Ladies, I believe he is single.) This no doubt made it rather painful for him to read through the scenes set in the Iles de Loup. Nevertheless, he manfully slogged through them in order to write his review of A THRONE OF BONES.
Most anyone who starts reading Throne of Bones will realize that it’s very much the same sort of thing as George R. R. Martin’s Song of Fire and Ice books, and Vox makes no denial of this. But he’s trying to do the same sort of thing in a very different way, which for me makes all the difference….
I enjoyed it immensely. Vox Day isn’t the prose stylist George R. R. Martin is, but he’s not bad. On the plus side we have a complicated, complex story with interesting and sympathetic, fully rounded characters. There are few out-and-out villains – everybody is doing what they think right. And unlike Martin’s stories, the fact that someone is virtuous and noble does not guarantee them a painful and ignominious death. In terms of pure story, Vox Day’s book is much more rewarding. And Christianity is treated not only with respect, but as a true part of the cosmos. Much recommended.
Walker is entirely correct to say that ATOB is very much the same sort of thing as AGOT. It was intended that way from the start. However, I did not write Arts of Dark and Light to imitate A Song of Ice and Fire, but rather, to create a fantasy epic of similar scope that not only improves upon Martin’s series in terms of characterization, intellectual depth, and storytelling, but also demonstrates the way in which the utilization of a more traditional and historically coherent perspective can permit a less-talented writer to create works capable of surpassing the well-written, but empty, soulless literary edifices constructed by the betrayers of the fantasy tradition created by George MacDonald and so firmly established by JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis.
Contra the superficial assumptions of those who look only at the rhyming names and the similar heft of the two books, A THRONE OF BONES is not an imitation of A GAME OF THRONES. To the extent that it is relevant to compare the two books, it would be considerably more accurate to describe it as literary criticism in action. I find it a little ironic that while people often ask critics if they can do any better, on the rare occasion one actually attempts to do so, one is accused of wishing to imitate the object of criticism.
This book contains two short stories, “Wardog’s Coin” and “Qalabi Dawn”. It’s well worth buying as an ebook. Spoilers ahead, so just buy it if you trust me.
Overall, the story was great and stayed with me. The wargaming bones of the battle make it stick in memory with lucid clarity. The elven combat was awesome, the relative combat strengths of the various troops was clear, the warrior morale of the humans was realistic and rousing….
There is only one word for Qalabi Dawn – epic. This is Vox at his greatest. Writing alien demon-cat characters. What does this say about him? Figure it out for yourself.
I understand what he is saying about the order of the two stories, and perhaps he’s right, but my thought was that as the title piece, The Wardog’s Coin was akin to the A-side of a single and therefore had to be first. Also, I guessed that Qalabi Dawn would tend to come off as a little out there, so I figured it would be wise to put the more accessible story first.
I personally tend to like Qalabi better, but I’m not surprised that many, if not most of the readers see it otherwise. And I’m pleased that the perspective of the demonspawn comes across as a distinctly alien one, as that was my goal from the start.
With regards to what Koanic describes as a cliche, I should probably mention that it is a tribute to another author I happen to hold in some regard. If you haven’t noticed, all of my books end that way.
It has been interesting to see the diversity of reaction to the two stories that make up THE WARDOG’S COIN. One of the ebook’s first reviewers preferred the title story to its accompaniment, and he had some questions, particularly about “Qalabi Dawn”, that I think I can address without any spoilers:
The first story was so good that even the debatable defects of the second made the book merit 5 stars. And at least half the defects of the second may simply be in the intrinsic difficulty of creating understanding of something so radically different. Still: are these cat people merely different tribes? Or different species? I was reading some as tiger-people for quite a while, rather than lion-people. My bad reading? But ignore that; it’s trivial.
I admit I wondered more… you’ve got a Sergent who is pretty rough and tumble. And yet he uses the word “insomnia”? Is this Vox’s voice leaking through the character? Or are you hinting he’s a lot smarter than the average bear? Similarly, the Capitaine is almost too poncily polished. Intended? I assume so, and the diplomatic interaction with the Elven King + battlefield is interesting and beautifully done.
As I suspect many readers are beginning to understand, I’m not inclined to explain or portray things that the perspective characters don’t know or simply wouldn’t tend to think about. Just as it is said that fish don’t think about water, a Chiu chieftain is not inclined to think about the structure of his society when he has no reason to do so. That doesn’t mean the structure doesn’t exist, or that I’m not willing to discuss it, only that there are an amount of worldbuilding details that are never going to appear in any one story or novel. Selenoth is not as grand and finely detailed a structure as Middle Earth, but it is larger in scope and scale than many fictional universes, including Westeros/Essos.
In answer to the question about the catpeople, the Simba are lion people, the Duma are leopard people, and the Chiu are cheetah people. (This is confusing for Swahili speakers, as Chiu means leopard, but I figured that English was the primary concern.) All of the Khatuuli are descendants of Baasia; they are quite literally demonspawn. The three primary varieties of People are further divided into tribes with one dominant male, and they are further divided in that some of them, their elite, tend to be mchawe, or shapechangers, with three different shapes, mwana, mnyama, and the common sehumu form. Their priestly caste, the Neheb-Kau, are all shapechangers who have abandoned their tribes and given their allegience to the priesthood. And I’m pleased that the overall sense of the demonspawn is striking at least some readers as radically different; while I am opposed to reinventing wheels, (orcs, elves, dwarves, etc), I hope it is clear that this is not due to any dearth of imagination or creative capacity.
The story of the origins of the demonspawn are told in a novella entitled “The Last Witchking”, which will be published in the forthcoming Summa Elvetica hardcover.
I think it is naturally difficult to write characters of very different intelligence than the author possesses. Mediocre authors tend to make every perspective character into an idealized version of themselves; one always knows with whom a bad author identifies because there is that one character who is interminably witty and always verbally bests every other character with the perfect quip, obscure citation, or Bible verse. Some authors make me suspect that the dialogue in their books is chiefly a vehicle for retroactively winning every past verbal altercation in which they belatedly thought of a killer riposte long after it was over.
That being said, the sergent is intelligent, he simply isn’t educated. I’m not sure “insomnia” qualifies as an overly educated word, but I have no doubt there are numerous such slippages with regards to the sergent’s inner monologue. The capitaine, on the other hand, comes from an aristocratic family that has seen better days; his backstory would make for an interesting novella in its own right. But despite their observable differences, he and the sergent genuinely like and respect each other, which is important because the story revolves around their complicity. In some ways, The Wardog’s Coin is a very dark story, although I don’t know how many readers will see it in that light.
Since the events of TWC take place before ATOB, it is unlikely I will bring either of them back in the main series. However, there is one character who will certainly appear in Book Two, and as a full perspective character, no less. And don’t forget, if you haven’t picked up A MAGIC BROKEN yet, it is still free on Amazon today.
UPDATE: TWC debuted in Amazon’s Top 10 in the War category, which I have to say was rather unexpected. I consider it to be Epic Fantasy myself, but I can see where it might qualify, especially if one is going to count books like World War Z. It’s also #3 in Hot New War Fiction, behind Neal Stephenson’s third book in the Mongoliad, which I very much hope is better than the disappointing first one.
I am pleased to announce that Hinterlands has released THE WARDOG’S COIN, an 85-page ebook that consists of the title novella and a novelette, both of which are set in Selenoth, the world of A THRONE OF BONES. It is available on Amazon for $1.99.
The title story is about a human mercenary company which finds itself in the employ of an elf king. Outnumbered and under attack from an army of orcs and goblins, the Company discovers it is no longer fighting for pay, but for survival in an alien land. The second story, Qalabi Dawn, features a young tribal chieftain, Shabaka No-Tail, who seeks to find a way to unite the fractious tribes of The People before the implacable legions of the Dead God invade the desert to carry out their crusade of total extermination. In both stories, the borders of the world of Selenoth as it is known to the reader are expanded to some small extent.
Thanks to Jartstar, who did an excellent job on the cover. Look very closely at the coin; the level of detail there is remarkable. Thanks also to the four proofreaders; this ebook should be considerably cleaner from the get-go than its predecessors. Also, to celebrate the new publication, Hinterlands is giving away A Magic Broken for free on Amazon today.
We may or may not do an ebook version, as all of the stories the hardcover contains are already available in ebook format. So, if you want the complete-to-date collection of Selenoth stories, this would be your book to go with A THRONE OF BONES. Kirk redid the spine, so, although it is not part of the Arts of Dark and Light series proper, SE+ should at least look tangentially related next to them on the bookshelf.
