The Grand Illusion
I’ve just turned in the third book about Alyiakal, entitled Sub-Majer’s Challenge, which is scheduled for release in February of 2026. I know. It seems like Tor/Macmillan takes longer and longer to put out my books, but that’s not something under my control, and it’s partly dictated by the requirements set forth by Amazon and B&N. I just do my best to write the books.
Contrarian, the third book in “The Grand Illusion” will out in mid-August, and From the Forest, the first book about Alyiakal, will be out in February of 2024; so there’s only six months between those two.
I’m of the opinion that Tor are not being honest with you. I am a fan of several authors and many of them can produce three books or more in a year. I’m not calling them liars but it seems to me they have an agenda that benefits them and not you or your readers.
I would ask what are those authors’ literary topics or genres? Also Fantasy?
If children no longer read (and children now being 5 – 40 years) then perhaps the older people who do read non-fiction may find no time for fantasy. There is so much fantasy in what’s labeled ‘non-fiction’.
Another factor for Amazon and B&N may be their use of AI; telling the machine what result they want and the machine supplying it.
Life is complex.
Fantasy/SciFi. My day job is history education mainly to do with Scotland and Canada.
Really looking forward to it. The wait makes it sweeter, I guess. 🙂
This is great news. Something to look forward to for the next 3 years.
Based on what has been said here and elsewhere Amazon wants to ensure everything is prepared for the pipe line. They want a final edited version far enough in advance so that no “supply chain” issues cost them extra. They don’t like telling people that something will be late especially because it causes people to cancel thier purchase.
I am sure the other issue is significant padding of the timelines – an employee says we need to have the books in the warehouse a week before it ships. Then thier manager says to be safe it should be two weeks. The senior manager says to be safe it should be a month. The director says to be safe it should be two months and the VP says to be safe it should be 4 months.
It would be really good if they could get the books into the warehouse before they are written so they don’t have to worry about the author delaying the book with rewrites or other unnecessary activities.
I HAVE ENJOYED THE RECLUSE BOOKS OVER THE YEARS, AND LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE. I AM NOW ENJOYING THE CONRAIAN (SPELL) BOOKS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT ONE. YOUR STAND ALONE BOOKS ARE AS INTERESTING AS THE SERIES. ILOOK FORWARD TO FOLLOWING YOUR ENDEAVORS AS LONG AS I CAN!
Are there going to be more books in The Grand Illusion series? I’ve just finished Contrarian, and it felt to me like it could continue.
I’m working on a possible additional book in the The Grand Illusion series, but regardless how I proceed, I won’t be writing an immediate sequel to Contrarian because not too much interesting is likely to happen for the next few years in the lives of Stefan and Avraal.
I felt the Contrarian was only half a story. Surely there must be more to their career ,
There is, but much of it wouldn’t make a particularly exciting book. By the end of the year, Stefan will be the official chair of the Security Committee, where he’ll remain for at least several years. Perhaps in five years, he’ll be Premier. Given all he’s done, and could do to opponents, it will be another decade before there’s another major crisis.
Inventing disasters that don’t flow from the events and culture to sell more books just isn’t my style.