Blade of Empire Update

[merlinscribe]

As of last week, BLADE OF EMPIRE has gone through *two* editorial revisions and is now in production at Tor! This puts it on schedule for a Fall 2017 release.

I will almost certainly be turning in SCOURGE OF FATE by the end of this year, though what Tor does with it after that, and when, is anybody's guess.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Mr. Mallory I love the books both you and Ms. Lackey have created in this world. It has been my favorite since not long after When Darkness Falls was published. It takes me awhile at times to get into either a new author or even a new series by an author I already love. For the longest time To Light a Candle was my favorite book (If anyone saw that book on my shelf, they would know that it has been re-read many times. It was in horrible condition). Around 2009 or so The Outstretched Shadow became my all-time favorite book. That was too change a third time when Crown of Vengeance was published, and that one book remains my favorite to this day. Personally I think that this has the ability to become a great open world series. There are so many stories that can be told in this world. So I pray continuously that Tor would be interested in buying them (and hopefully not destroy the books while they are at it).

When I read some of your earlier post here, something that was said bothers me. I may be over thinking this, but on Jan. 4, 2017 you said that Blade of Empire and Scourge of Fate was basically one long book (cut down so hopefully more of the book will be published). On an earlier post (can’t remember where off hand) you said that Tor has only contracted you for three books. Will the rest of the story get told in Scourge of Fate? You say this book is still a trilogy. But if Blade and Scourge is one book, then wouldn’t that leave the conclusion not finished? Or will Scourge be ‘cut to fit’ like Crown? Sorry about this question but once I started to think about what you wrote, and then overthink it, I was panicking that I would never see a good finish for my favorite series to date.

Thank you for your time,
Bridgette
P.S. Any news on the Novellas you said Tor already had?

[merlinscribe]

To answer your questions in no particular order...

Tor apparently has no interest in publishing the Obsidian novellas it asked me for. Two of the three have already been posted here, and I will dig up the third one eventually and post it as well.

At the moment, I am expecting Scourge to run about 150K and end with a huge event that begins the transformation of the Elves of Vieliessar's time to the Elves Kellen knows. It is certainly nowhere near the end of the First Endarkened War. I absolutely promise I will finish the story in one venue or another: with platforms like Kickstarter and Patreon, the gatekeeper status of traditional publishing is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. In many ways, that's a good thing.

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you for you taking the time to post them. I honestly can not get enough of this world.

That does calm some of my fears that my favorite series want get finish. Now I know that it will, even if Tor is not interested, which I think they should be.

Thank you for taking the time to answer,
Bridgette

[(Anonymous)]

I ment series will not

[merlinscribe]

Thank you for taking the time to write!

[(Anonymous)]

Wait so we won't see the end of the First Endarkened War at the end of Scourge?

:((((

Or will you publish stories from the First Endarkened War later on?

[(Anonymous)]

From what I understand he has said, both here and in previous post, is that both Blade of Empire and Scourge of Fate are basically one book. He wanted more of the second book to be published and not have a repeat on what happened to Crown of Vengeance, where a lot of it was cut. In another old post he made, he said that Tor has only contracted them for three books. When I fully process what those couple of old posts said (I admit it took me a bit), I started to get worried that this series would not get finished. In theory if both Blade and Scourge are one book, Tor only contracted them for three books, and then my mind started saying only 2/3 of the series would get published.

I will admit I can worry about anything. Once I start worrying, that feeling will stay with me. So I decided to ask Mr. Mallory about it, so I can stop worrying. I was almost in tears thinking that my all-time favorite series would never see an ending.

Mr. Mallory just said that if Tor is not interested in buying/contracting them for more in this series then he may go into self-publishing. So in the end all the series will get out there for us to enjoy. The end of the First Endarkened War should be in either the book that comes after Scourge or the book after that (if he cuts the next book in two again). I know a part of this would depend on Tor. They may allow them to do more (hopefully).

Please Mr. Mallory correct me if I understand this wrong.

Hope that helped,
Bridgette

PS I was just wandering if Runcar and Vieliessar meet up in Scourge? You mentioned a while ago that they do not meet up in Blade. That the closest they were would be 3,000 miles (not sure if I remember that right).

[merlinscribe]

Oh, Rune and Vielle DEFINITELY meet up in Scourge: irresistible force, meet unmovable object.

While they are almost literally at the opposite ends of the world during Blade, I think you'll find that isn't enough to keep them from being in each others' thoughts. Though maybe not in the best way.

[(Anonymous)]

Yes! I Can't wait for them to meet. That has to be a memorable scene.

Bridgette

[merlinscribe]

::laughing::

Indeed!

[merlinscribe]

My contract requires me to turn in a book of roughly 150,000 words or 600 pages, if my math skills have not failed me. I really doubt I can finish the story of the First Endarkened War in so small a space, let alone resolve the sub-plots I have in play. It is, after all, a war that takes over 100 years to resolve. We'll see what happens.

[(Anonymous)]

Uh, I had no idea how long the First Endarkened War last. A century would be hard to put in a single book, or even a few books.

[(Anonymous)]

You did however do a good job of that in the first book.

Bridgette

PS I accidentally hit post too early for the previous reply.

[merlinscribe]

Thank you! Doing a "short" book (under 150K), it's hard to get in the character moments that bring the characters you're following to life and *also* be true and evocative about the sweep of decades and sometimes centuries. Trying to cover that much time while spending time with characters, many of whom have lives that are measured in decades, is a balancing act that I'm not sure anybody can perform to the satisfaction of readers.