Two of my favorite novellas that I have written, Curse of the Pirate King and Shadow of the Pirate King, were originally created to facilitate a marketing strategy to build my email newsletter list. Curse was given away free through retailers, and Shadow was offered as a gift for those who signed up for the newsletter. Both books are part of my ongoing dark fantasy series, The Ravencrest Chronicles.
Since This was implemented over two years ago, the results have been less than stellar. Many people have downloaded a copy of Curse, but a very small percentage actually signed up to get Shadow.
A result of this is that one of my books was locked behind a gate most readers seemed uninterested in opening. My primary goal is to get people to read what I’ve written, so I decided this barrier was counterproductive. Also, I have worked through most of my back catalogue over the past two years to revise all my books with fresh editing and new covers, then issue new editions. These two books have not yet had this treatment.
Thus, I’ve decided to pull Curse of the Pirate King from circulation for the time being and remove the free eBook offer from my newsletter for Shadow of the Pirate King. I have begun work on the revision process on both titles and will be re-releasing them alongside my other titles, though the particulars of release date and pricing are yet to be decided. I plan to release both novellas in paperback for the first time as well.
After escaping a life of slavery, Brego crosses the wastelands fleeing slavers and bounty hunters. Allying with an assortment of misfits, he must fight his way across the badlands to reach his people’s home in the Great Sand Sea. As he seeks to shed the iron bonds of his youth, he searches for something he has never known: a home. In the process he finds something he never expected to find: a family.
With the new release of The Pirate King Duology, some may be wondering where the best place to start with The Ravencrest Chronicles is? Where does each book fit in with the other, and what order should they be read in?
While most of the books are written to stand on their own, there are some little gems that hint at what’s to come or call back to what’s come before. With that in mind, I would like to make some suggestions.
I propose that one read the “first wave” (as I call it) in the order they were published: Seahaven, The Hunter’s Apprentice, The Giant and the Fishes, and then Tales from the Lusty Mermaid. All four of these can be found in that order in The Ravencrest Chronicles: Omnibus One.
Now, The Pirate King Duology gets into a longer story. When it comes to these two books, definitely read them in order! Curse of the Pirate King and Shadow of the Pirate King may each have their own tones and themes, but they carry a single story across the two volumes.
However, you can read these two books before or after the first wave. They’re prequels, so they serve as a great entry point to the series. At the same time, they feature some secondary characters from the first wave who get more time in the spotlight.
Still curious how they all fit into a timeline? How long before the events of Seahaven does The Pirate King Duology occur? Here’s each book with the date(s) each occurred on the local calendar. All dates are reckoned as part of the Fallen Age, counting in years after the fall of the last great empire, the Dragonspire Concordant.
Curse of the Pirate King — 1607 Shadow of the Pirate King — 1607 – 1608 The Giant and the Fishes — 1610 – 1615 Seahaven — 1625 The Hunter’s Apprentice — 1627 Tales from the Lusty Mermaid — 1628 / Varies*
*Tales from the Lusty Mermaid contains an assortment of locals myths and legends, tall tales, and fish stories. The most recent and reliable story in the book — The Sparrow’s War — occurred in 1628.
I hope both current and future fans of The Ravencrest Chronicles find this information helpful, or at least interesting. I’m looking forward to diving back into the series soon, where I’ll be moving the timeline forward a few years with The Shadow Cult Trilogy!
Don’t forget to stop by the BOOKS page to find out where to find these and all my other books.
The release date for Night Life has been set for June 12, 2020!
Pre-order packages are now available directly from Kyanite Publishing. There are three tiers all with exciting options!
Kyanite: This premium package includes two customized, signed paperback copies of Night Life, an eBook of both Night Shift (book one of the Night Trilogy) and Night Life, a bookmark, and a 12-month subscription to the Kyanite Content Hub.
Tanzanite: This is the best value and includes a customized, signed paperback copy, an eBook of both Night Shift (book one of the Night Trilogy) and Night Life, and a bookmark!
Quartzite: The most affordable option includes a signed paperback of Night Life and an eBook of Night Shift (book one of the Night Trilogy)!
When his world is torn apart, one man must learn to survive in What Once Was Home.
Jace
Cox’s life is changed when an overwhelming alien force invades the
Earth with no warning or provocation. In the years that follow, he must
not only fight to survive; but also learn what it means to be a man and
a leader. As the situation grows more dire, he realizes that his
greatest challenge isn’t the alien invaders or even his fellow man; it
is holding onto his own humanity despite living in a world gone mad.
Every step of the way, I was enthralled by Jace’s story. Every word drew me so deep into this world, that it became real to me. It’s what I want when I read a book, a movie in my head. An incredibly engaging and heart-wrenching journey. With an ending that made me sit back and repeat the word “Damn” to myself several times. Because, damn.
What Once Was Home stunningly combined the incredible speculative elements that I love about science fiction with the engaging personal stories and moving internal struggle that continues to draw me back to contemporary fiction.
Compelling characters, fast-moving plot, and a world you can sink into—you really cannot ask for more from any story. Even if science fiction and alien invasions aren’t your things, this is a book you do NOT want to miss out on. Jace’s journey is one that I think will touch many readers and bring them back again and again.
— Crystal Kirkham on Goodreads. 5 stars.
Bass’s story is engaging and delves into human emotions, joy, pain, and loss. The story grabbed me from the beginning to the very heartwarming end. Bass is an excellent story spinner and his descriptive writing drew me into this bleak world. What can I say? It is terrific and I highly recommend this book. I look forward to reading more of B.K.’s books in the future. A five-star treat.
Today was the official awards ceremony from World Anvil for their annual World Ember event (see my article on this here.) My own work in the challenge was in the short-lists for seven different categories, and I placed in four of them! I’d like to share the results here, along with links to the articles so you can head over and take a look.
(You do not have to be a member of World Anvil to view the content, but membership is free if you think you’d be interested in using the service! Affordable Guild Memberships provide additional benefits, as well! I’m a proud Guild Member!)
Settlement
The settlement template on World Anvil is used for creating anything from a small village to a bustling city, or even a planetary colony!
My article about the city of Northampton won first place in the Settlement category! This is part of my Istaria setting – being developed for an upcoming epic fantasy series called The Faewylde War.
The city of Northampton is the capitol of the Duchy of Northampton and one of four major cities in the Kingdom of Brisland. Of the four, Northampton is the youngest. At the time of the Unification, it was actually the smallest as well. Currently, the city stands with a population of around 15,000 – made up mostly of peasant craftsmen – above average for a city of its stature.
The Organization template on World Anvil can be used for anything from a family to a governmental structure. I have used this quite a bit for kingdoms and religious organizations.
My article describing the Kingdom of Brisland was awarded second place in the Organization category. This is also part of Istaria, and a key part of The Faewylde War.
Brisland is a mostly agrarian kingdom that lies on the southern coast in the east of Istaria. It is bordered by Remaria to the West, Teugoras to the East, and Argastilan to the North. Protected to the north and west by mountain ranges and thick forests, Brisland enjoys a geographic isolation despite sharing its borders with three other nations.
My K.O.B.O.L.D. article took second place in the Vehicle category. This is part of a DieselPunk project that I am co-authoring with Enkelli Arn Robertson, and will soon be presented in an anthology of short stories and novelettes called Tales From the Breach.
The Ko.B.O.L.D. (Korvonium-powered Battle Ordinance Load Distribution) series of Powered Armour was developed at the Peren City Institute of technology in response to the creation of the Operator Guided Robotic Engine (O.G.R.E.) by the Tannenholtz Empire. The KOBOLD armor consists of a core exoskeleton powered by a Sky Crystal-enhanced diesel engine.
This article detailing sleeper ships – or interstellar ships where the crew and passengers are put into hibernation during a long journey – took second place in the Technology category.
To avoid the problems of having a crew spending fifteen years or more on a ship – which include psychological repercussions, needs for habitation space, and systems for renewable supplies of food and water – systems of chemically induced hibernation were developed. With these methods, the crew might pass the years as if one were passing an afternoon with a short nap. Naturally, the process and physical results were much more dramatic than this entails; but the passage of felt as instantaneous as this analogy implies.
My article about the Bravani placed third in the Ethnicity category. This is another part of the Istaria project, to be featured in The Faewylde War series.
The Bravani are a nomadic people who live deep in the forests of Remaria. Their history is older than the Principality itself, and they lay claim to being the original inhabitants of the region. They live a simple life, travelling the forests and occassionally trading with those who live in the Remarian coastal plains.
Again, I would like to thank the team over at World Anvil for creating an amazing platform for the community to develop and share their worldbuilding. There is also a thriving Discord community, a YouTube channel, and weekly Twitch streams in addition to the website itself. World Anvil really is an amazing community on top of being an amazing creative platform. I highly recommend it to any worldbuilder, and even those who are just organizing thoughts for an upcoming RPG campaign or writing project. You may be surprised how much your imagination is sparked just by dipping your foot into the waters.
I’m sorry to say that this week’s article in our series of genre studies is going to be delayed. Most likely, I will wait until next Saturday to publish this so that I can spend the time to ensure that it is done well.
My sister-in-law had a baby Thursday, so I’ve been spending a lot of time in the hospital. I haven’t had the required time in the studio to complete my research on the subject and organize the article.
I look forward to getting this done, but family needs must come first! Thank you for your continued involvement and understanding. We will have more new content very soon!
The Wet Ink Project is a new collaborative writer’s community looking to showcase both new and established authors. I have been honored with an invitation to be a guest contributor, and have posted a work of short fiction. This features Gareth and Miles from The Ravencrest Chronicles.
We discuss applying the concepts of sociology to fantasy world-building. Come take a look! Don’t forget to like and subscribe. Jesper has a lot of amazing and informative videos on his channel about world-building and developing aspects of your fantasy writing in general. This channel is a wonderful resource for any new or experienced fantasy author. Even for those who do not write, it is informative and entertaining!
B.K. Bass, Author and Editor 