Grimbriar, book 3 of the Swordspeaker Saga, is now available!
A star is born. Well, a morningstar, to be precise.
The epic fantasy saga of living weapons and the special swordspeakers who alone can wield them continues in with this latest novel. And this is one massive, world-spanning, epic story.
The tale begins with Kion, Tiryn, and Zinder in search of Vayd Mokán, the leader of the haukmar invasion. But all the while another hope stirs in the back of their minds. What of the other glaives they found on Tinesplitter Isle? Are there other swordspeakers who will be called to join them?
The purpose of art and beauty
People read for different reasons.
I’m sure many who see the beautiful covers and read the book description will see these as adventure stories with epic battles and world-altering events. For some the relationships and growth of the characters and the unique journeys they follow will be what they are drawn to. For others it will be the siren call of discovering new worlds.
As a writer, though, what I am most proud of and most invested in are the themes of the book. These seldom get emphasized, but I believe they are the difference between stories we simply read for enjoyment and those that stay with us long after the last page is turned.
For just as the point of a sunset is not simply to mark the end of the day or even to provide beauty to the world (though it is both of those things) but to evoke wonder and awe at the Creator who has fashioned it, so these stories paint a much larger picture than the mere unfolding of the plot or the exploration of the characters and settings.
The book’s theme
One of the characters in this books states that, “The world is a perpetual surprise to those who have the honesty to see it as it is.“
There are many themes in this book: redemption, perseverance, being true even when others prove false, and many more. But the most important for me is summed up in that quote.
So much suffering in life comes from our inability or unwillingness to see things as they are. And with that comes acceptance. Not a stoic, clenched-jaw set against the raging storm sort of acceptance, but a true embrace of the world as it is.
This sort of sight is the only hope for real change. For if you do not start off with the willingness to honestly admit how the world is, you will never be able to act in a way to help improve it. You will always be chasing shadows and bandaging the wind, however well intentioned you may be.
That is what the characters on this journey learn in this novel. And it’s a truth a desperately need to preach to myself.
For ultimately, the unwillingness to see and accept things as they are represents the triumph of self-centeredness and a rejection of God, the one who has allow the circumstances we rail against.
The world is a perpetual surprise to those who have the honesty to see it as it is.
A good story
Every imaginative story, as C.S. Lewis described in his essay on why he chose to write fairy stories, comes about as an agreement between two sources: The Author and the Man.
The Author has the inspiration and the desire to create the story, but the Man must balance that inspiration against all other factors. Schedule, health, family, finances, career goals, and personal values and morals all come into play.
You don’t spend the hundreds of hours required to write a long book like this unless you believe it is a good thing to do. A thing better than all of the dozen other things you could have done with that time.
I can honestly say that Grimbriar was a good thing to write. The Man in me approves of what the Author sought to bring forth. So many things came out through the writing process that made this the most ambitious, most epic, and most challenging story I have ever written.
I hope that you choose to read it as well and find it a good thing to have spent your time on. I hope that through it you will be encouraged to see the world honestly, to embrace the truth, and to be inspired to take that knowledge and make the world better, starting with the one person you can truly change: you.
Because sunsets are more than just sunsets. And this is more than just an adventure story.
Get a copy during launch week
I truly believe in this series and hope to reach as many readers as possible with it.
For most books, launch week is the most important week of a book’s life.
That is the time when it will have the most visibility in the stores where it is sold and in the wider media.
You may or may not be aware, but the Swordspeaker Saga is a relatively unknown series. If you have enjoyed the first two books and wish to see the series continue and grow please buy a copy this week.
If you really want to help the book then, in addition to picking up a copy, please leave a review.
Both of those things would really help to make this book a success and to help this series continue.
Crazy contest
Before I sign off, here’s a wild idea.
Have you ever wanted to own your own enchanted blade?
I did. It’s one of the things that inspired me to write this series.
So here’s what we’re going to do.
If the book manages to get a “best-seller” banner in its category on Amazon at any point before the end of the year I will make a 3D printed version of Truesilver and run another contest to give it away.
How does that sound?
Even if that doesn’t happen, we’re also running a giveaway for your chance to win a free print copy.
Thank you for your interest and support of this grand writing adventure. I hope you’re as excited to read this book as I am to get it out to the world.
Be brave. Keep swinging.
Do something heroic.
I’ll see you between the pages.
