#epic fantasy books

[ninesartblog]

Please Read This Series

This is completely unrelated to anything I post and I know I haven't really posted here in a hot minute (I'm gonna try again I promise). But I am two books into this trilogy and the community feels tragically tiny for it on any site I'm on. I want this book series to be incredibly popular it is so beautiful. The few posts I've seen here so far, keep it up please!

Do you like fantasy? Epic fantasy with magic? Do you like queer/LGBTQ+ characters treated naturally within a fantasy world? Do you like awesome stories about gods and wars? Please read this series.

Between Earth and Sky is a series by Rebecca Roanhorse and currently all three books are available to purchase. I will say now I am not indigenous and can't comment on the accuracy of portrayal but I find her use of indigenous north and south American and Polynesian cultural influence in her worldbuilding to be soooooo refreshing in a sea of medieval/renaissance high fantasy. Not there is anything wrong with those, but it is so nice to see someone do something new and the way she describes everything I feel like I'm there, like I'm seeing these people. Rebecca's description, characterization, and overall writing is incredible in my opinion. This was the first book I haven't been able to put down since I was devouring books in high school. I struggle to remember characters in most content I consume but I do not struggle at all with this book. Every name sticks in my head and I can always remember the details of their motivations and goals.

Mild spoilers ahead!!!!!!!

The story follows Serapio and his destiny to become a god reborn, Naranpa trying to fix the corruption of Tova's leaders, however fruitlessly, and a disgraced sailing captain named Xiala, a teek woman who ferries Serapio and falls in love with him. Despite these three being the main characters, the books pull back the curtains on others such as scheming merchant lords and a matron's son trying to do his best for his clan.

There are gods fighting for power and a political power struggle between so many groups it feels dizzying in a good way. Everyone's striving for power over the city in some way or another. There is magic and a balance of elements and it honestly reminds me of the series Avaryan Rising, specifically the first book The Hall of the Mountain King by Judith Tarr in the struggle between light and dark and the push for political power. Except it doesn't have a weird pseudo-incest subplot in the second book and has actually queer characters. (Mirain and Vadin should have gotten together and I fucking stand by this)

Regarding queer/LGBTQ+ characters: Xiala is canonically bisexual, multiple characters have very fluid sexuality and it's mentioned frequently, and there are 'non-binary' characters, specifically Iktan's gender is referred to as bayeki and xe uses xe/xir pronouns. It feels so natural and accepted within the various cultures depicted.

If this interests you, then start with Black Sun. The other two books in the trilogy, Fevered Star and Mirrored Heavens are also available both in print, ebook, and audiobook formats. I admittedly have not begun the third book yet as I just purchased it, but the first two are so good that I have faith Rebecca can round off this trilogy near-perfectly.

[erleclavet-creativewriter-artist]

At the Brockville Memorial Center today from 12-5 for a craft show. Come out and see what all us vendors have for sale.

[sjnbooks]

✨ IT’S HERE! ✨

I’d like to formally show everyone the cover for my debut novel- THE WALLS OF DELUSION!!!

The artwork is created by Nimesh Niyomal. He creates magnificent works of art - like this cover - with rich colors and dynamic scenes. It’s been super difficult to keep this one under wraps for so long because it’s so beautiful!

You can learn more by visiting www.sjnbooks.com ➡️ link can also be found in my bio ➡️

Thank you again to Nimesh for working so diligently with me to make this vision more real!

***

Growing up with small-minded townsfolk has never been easy for Rowena. Adopted at birth, she longs to discover the truth of her heritage, and hopes to join the exclusive order of warrior women: The Lion Riders!

When she and her friend get the chance to attend the summer festival at the empire’s capital, they jump at the opportunity. Along the way they become entangled in a plot to protect the most unlikely fugitives - the prince and princess of the empire’s adversary! All the while, a terrible nightmare seems to be shared by more and more minds everywhere…

[darthjess-book-reviews]

REVIEW: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Summary (Provided by Goodreads)

I long for the days before the Last Desolation. Before the Heralds abandoned us and the Knights Radiant turned against us. When there was still magic in Roshar and honor in the hearts of men.

In the end, not war but victory proved the greater test. Did our foes see that the harder they fought, the fiercer our resistance? Fire and hammer forge a sword; time and neglect rust it away. So we won the world, yet lost it.

Now there are four whom we watch: the surgeon, forced to forsake healing and fight in the most brutal war of our time; the assassin, who weeps as he kills; the liar, who wears her scholar's mantle over a thief's heart; and the prince, whose eyes open to the ancient past as his thirst for battle wanes. 

One of them may redeem us. One of them will destroy us.

My Review: 5/5 Stars

"Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination."

"The Way of Kings" by Brandon Sanderson is honestly one my favorite books I've ever read. This book is a bit of a slow burn, but I truly enjoyed every second of it, even the slower parts, because they are clearly building to something, even though you'll have no idea WHAT until it slaps you in the face.

Sanderson's prose is simple and clear. His writing is easy to understand and he doesn't use overly flowery language or lengthy descriptions that distracted me. And where his writing was simple, the things he was writing about were deep and complex, posing questions like: what does it mean to live? What does it mean to be a good leader? Is it okay to do something wrong to make something right? And more. And while the characters make decisions based on these questions, we are never really given an answer.

Also, if you're one of those people who tried to read this book and stopped because there was a bunch of "random stuff that didn't matter"... you stopped reading too early. Like the stuff with the spren? Trust me, it matters. If you don't have the patience for a book like this, that's fine. There are plenty of books that I've heard are incredible that I tried, then did not have the patience to finish (*cough cough* "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie). Definitely no shame in that, but also don't blame the book. There are just some books that aren't written for you, and that's fine.

Things I Loved:

1. The world - Roshar, the giant continent where "The Way of Kings" takes places, is incredibly unique. Sanderson has built his own fantasy world with its own creatures and ecosystems completely different from our own. While this might sound overwhelming, all of the details about the world are revealed over time, and the important details are repeated often enough (in different ways that do not seem repetitive) that it is easy to learn and remember.

2. The main characters - They are vibrant and are just as unique as the world itself, which makes them memorable and easily distinguishable. There are four main characters (Adolin, Dalinar, Kaladin, and Shallan) but they are supported by a beautiful cast of secondary characters that I came to love.

3. The struggles - THE STRUGGLES OF THESE CHARACTERS. I loved how Sanderson has his characters struggle, not just in their respective environments, but also in their own heads. Kaladin struggles with intense depression that comes in waves, and yet his part of the story manages not to feel depressing to the reader. And I love that he has kind of struggled with depression his entire life. I feel like you often don't see mental health problems talked about like this in fantasy, and it was very refreshing. Dalinar struggles with self doubt, Shallan struggles with guilt. And of course, Adolin struggles with the normal problems of growing up as heir to a High Prince's throne.

4. The "secondary" characters - Remember those "secondary" characters I mentioned? They are not just background people or NPCs who help move the story along. Sanderson has transformed them into actual, living breathing people, with their own incredible stories and personalities, people who could easily be main characters in their own right. Even though there are quite a few names thrown around in this book, it is done so with great care, to the point that I think even my sister (who hates books with "too many names") could read this without an issue if she really gave it a shot.

5. The philosophy - it's hard to go into this one without spoiling too much, but there's a lot of things in this book that make you want to take a good long look at our own world. Good fantasy is generally seen as escapism, but I think the best fantasy is escapism with realism hidden inside it. And "The Way of Kings" has exactly that. Even though the world of Roshar is so different from our own, humanity in any reality remains: in all its beautiful good and its terrible evil.

6. The twists - I really can't say anything about this at all without spoiling, but goddamn those twists at the end. I was literally screaming in shock and excitement and honestly a little bit of horror. When I finished the book, I proceeded to stare at the wall for about 10 minutes, trying to fully take in everything I'd just experienced. Honestly, wow. What a ride.

Things I Didn't Like:

...for a book that's literally over 1000 pages, you'd think I'd be able to come up with SOMETHING I didn't enjoy. Well, here comes the shocker. I literally can't think of anything.

As a writer, I have so much to learn from Sanderson, and as I reader I am so excited to read everything else this genius of a man has written. So thankful that this was recommended to me (thanks Katie) and so thankful to Sanderson for writing this book that literally got my fiance (who is 26 and hasn't really read since high school) BACK into reading.

I recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy and has a little patience. I promise, it's worth it.

[booksruncom]

Fantasy Book Series: Delve into the Imaginary World

Discover iconic fantasy books! Explore famous works of the genre and dive into the world of magic.  Fantasy books take us to the realms where the impossible becomes possible. Through the series, a reader can go anywhere in time and space, travel across cupboards and kingdoms, meet fairies, dragons, and whatnot, uncover magical properties, and even new powers in themselves. Fantasy novels offer a…

[joncronshawauthor]

Top 10 Underrated Epic Fantasy Novels You Need to Read

Epic fantasy often brings to mind the titans of the genre: Tolkien, Martin, and Sanderson. However, there exists a treasure trove of lesser-known gems that deserve your attention. Here are ten underrated epic fantasy novels and series that you absolutely need to read. Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander Move over, Middle-earth. Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain series offers a rich tapestry of…

[betterbooksandthings]

"Excellent epic fantasy debuts are a glorious thing to behold. I love to see new authors on the scene make their first public attempts at crafting magical struggles or impossible quests. It is a difficult subgenre to pull off, and so it is even more impressive when they make a splash.

As a subgenre of high fantasy, epic fantasy must take place in an alternate world with fantastical (i.e., magical and/or otherworldly) elements and involve complex geopolitical plots and/or multi-step quests. Although they are not requirements of the subgenre, epic fantasy books have also come to include multiple point-of-view characters, maps, and pronunciation keys as well.

The subgenre is largely inspired by early epic poetry like Beowulf, the Illiad, or the Odyssey. These are long narrative poems that involve a hero’s journey against large threats across kingdoms, realms, or states. Taking inspiration from the fantastical epic poems, epic fantasy books have larger-than-life stakes as well.

This list of 10 excellent epic fantasy debuts dives into authors who debuted in epic fantasy recently. Many great epic fantasy books were, unfortunately, not the author’s debut and thus have been omitted from this list. I also limited the series to the last decade because I wanted to give some love to recent releases readers might have missed on the shelves. I highly recommend giving these epic fantasy debuts a go."

[jolenes-book-journey]

Faeries Don’t Lie Book 1 by TF Burke Cover Reveal

Faeries Don’t Lie Book 1 by TF Burke Cover Reveal Can Two Worlds Survive an Augury? Faeries Don’t Lie Heart of the Worlds Book 1 by TF Burke Cover by Cristina Tanase Genre: YA Epic Fantasy Can Two Worlds Survive an Augury? Releasing a Chandarion’s god-like magic into the world isn’t what sixteen-year-old Aunia, the village’s outcast, intends. She only wants to impress Mathias, a visiting…

[fairrryprose]

[BOOK TOUR] WISDOM LOST (TUMBLR RISING #2) // MICHAEL SLITER

It's my stop on the book tour for WISDOM LOST, book 2 in the epic fantasy/grimdark Pandemonium Rising series by MICHAEL SLITER today with ESCAPIST BOOK TOURS! I hosted a stop on the tour for book 1 Solace Lost a while back, so I'm pleased to be back with another tour for book 2 and to share some pretty epic art and my review for it!

Book Information:

Wisdom Lost by Mike Sliter Series: Pandemonium Rising #2 Genre: Epic Fantasy/Grimdark Intended Age Group: Adult Pages: 592 Published: 2019 Publisher: Dragyn Press (Self Published)

(see CWs/TWs below)

Book Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Pandemonium-Rising-Michael-Sliter/dp/0999802135

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/44222680

Book Blurb:

Ardia is fractured, torn apart by civil war initiated by deceit. Florens has fallen, and the rebel army of Lady Escamilla has been scattered by the Feral. Little stands in the way of the Rostanians and their ruthless rulers seizing the entire country. Amidst this rising conflict, four people seek to stem this tide. Or, to simply survive. 

Fenrir, also called the Bull, Coldbreaker, Dukeslayer, and sometimes bastard, has the worst kind of luck. Instead of being dead, pierced by a dozen swords, he finds himself under the control of the most horrible person he knows: his father. And an unwelcome family reunion is made more unpleasant as clandestine and legitimate powers vie for the rule of Rostane. 

Meanwhile, Hafgan Iwan breaks an oath to himself—that he would never return home. The hallowed Wasmer city of Hackeneth is not welcoming, particularly as a new god has usurped the old ways. Hafgan is torn between the world he once knew and the one he has created for himself. 

Leading the exhausted and haphazard remnants of a rebel army, Lady Emma Breen seeks allies across the border, in the crumbling city of Farrow’s Hold. But when faith clashes with politics, can a faithless former handmaiden hold them all together? 

And Merigold Hinter travels across oceans to the fabled Agricorinor with a wish and a warning. The wish? That she may understand her powers and take revenge. The warning? The Feral are coming, and they will tear out the throat of the world.

My review:

4/5 stars

This book picks up right where Solace Lost (book 1) ends off, and is so much more expansive of the world and the characters and the magic, with the stakes ramped up and more personal, more action and immersiveness. We again follow the different characters -- the jaded Fenrir, the mage Merigold, the warrior Hafgan, the army commander Emma -- each on their own journeys through the story, which start to converge as the story progresses, and we have them more fleshed out, getting to learn more of their backstories. New characters are introduced, old ones re-introduced, and the world is getting more expansive as we move beyond the borders of Ardia, and we learn more about its lore.

Merigold, the mage

Ingla, the Blue Adder

The story is told in chapters from the different characters' POVs interspersed with these 'interlogues' which delve more into world's mythological lore from the mouth of a goddess herself, and are a nice refreshing addition to the storytelling from book 1!

I was thrilled to be learning more about each character, and especially the magic, which we were introduced to in book 1 with Merigold and her tenuous but growing grasp of it, with Merigold learning how to harness her power to reach greater and greater potentials, and how the magic works, and other (intriguing!) mages are introduced too. There is more action, more blood, more everything, and I think that's what makes this a great, exciting, immersive sequel of a book!

Author Bio and Information:

Michael Sliter was born in the deep wilds of Cleveland, Ohio, where he fought off at least two siblings for scraps of pizza. His bedroom, growing up, was a monument to fantasy, containing a stack of worn and well-read books, a medieval Lego civilization spanning half the room, and a very real sword circa World War II.

Though always fascinated with the written word, Michael ended up with only a minor in writing, instead majoring in Psychology (Hiram College, OH). He later went on to complete his M.S. and Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology (Bowling Green State University, OH)—overall spending a larger portion of his life than strictly necessary in school. Following, Michael was a psych professor for a time, and then moved into the real world to help organizations hire the right people.

He attempted to write some childish fantasy novels in the past, all abandoned as derivative refuse. It wasn’t until his daughter was born that Michael decided to begin writing in earnest, and he published Solace Lost, the first book in the Pandemonium Rising series. Since, Wisdom Lost (Book 2) and Valley of the Free (novella in the same world) have been published.

Today, you can find Michael back in the Cleveland area, where he lives with his wife, daughter, and two dogs. They are quite tolerant of his writing, reading, video game, and racquetball habits.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeSliter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormichaelsliter Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17838702.Michael_Sliter

Content/Trigger Warnings:

Shown on Page (things clearly told to the reader): 

Ableism

Abusive relationship

Ageism

Alcoholism

Amputation

Animal violence/death

Blood (gore)

Bodies/corpses

Body horror

Bones (animal/human)

Bullying

Child abuse

Childbirth

Classism

Death/dying

Death penalty

Decapitation

Domestic abuse (emotional, physical, sexual, verbal)

Drinking (heavy)

Drug use

Fatphobia

Forced captivity

Graphic sex

Hospitalization

Hostages

Kidnapping

Medical procedures

Murder

Murder (attempted)

Needles

Poisoning

Pregnancy

Prostitution

PTSD

Racism

Rape (attempted)

Serious injury

Sexism

Sexual abuse

Skeletons

Skulls

Slavery

Slurs

Smoking

Swearing

Torture (sexual)

Violence

Vomit

Warfare

Weapons

Alluded to (things only mentioned in passing or hinted at):

None

Want more content? Check out other stops on the tour below:

[obsob]

happy and proud!!

✷(print shop)✷

[wordsmithic]

unpopular opinion but with the new tide of Greek mythology stories and retellings, Greek Cultural Sensitivity Readings are absolutely necessary. We are in 2024, with thousands of fics and retellings out there!! How is this not a thing yet?? There's vast improvement one can achieve by working professionally on their text with a Greek. I've seen it so many times!!

Also, duh, I'm offering the service BUT I want you to know that the situation with the inaccuracies of SERIOUS works is so dire that initially I didn't even do it for money. As a writer I just wanted to... fix things, to set a new standard for writers and the industry that sells us the most heavily Americanized pop-culture material and passes it as "authentic vibes of Greek mythology". (And of course there were writers who wanted to do right by their story and they had reached out to me. So kudos to them as well!)

Okay, but why does Cultural Sensitivity Reading make a vast difference and it's not just smoke and mirrors?

As a Greek, I am tired of well-meaning writers and authors butchering very basic elements of my culture. It's not their fault exactly, since they were raised in another culture with a different perspective. And nobody clued them in on how different Greek culture is from theirs, so writers sometimes assume that their culture is the default and they project that into ancient Greece. (Even published professionals like Madeline Miller have written "UK or US in antiquity" (with a very colonialist flavor) instead of writing "Ancient Greece". (Looking at you, Circe!)

Even writers who researched a lot before coming to me still had a lot of misinformation or wrong information in their text, easily verifiable by the average Greek. Again, not their fault. They can only access certain information, which does not include Greek scholarly work and scientific articles that DO offer valuable context.

Translation, accuracy, and meaning: If you ever wondered what a word means or how to pronounce it, here's your chance! There are Greeks like me who are knowledgeable and have a keen interest in antiquity and they will be able to read and compare ancient texts, and dive deeper into the work of Greek scholars regarding those texts.

If you want to create new words, you can do that as well! (It doesn't always work, but we can try. Greek is a really rich language and has a word about everything) If you use existing words, I can help you separate reality from fantasy in the context of your story.

(Do not assume we Greeks are ignorant of our heritage, or that we don't know how to research! Our archaeology sector is huge and archaeological museums are closer to most of us than your local Target is to you)

I guarantee there are things you never thought about Greece and the Mediterranean - from the ancient to the modern era. Sprinkling elements like phrases, types of interactions, customs, songs, instruments, dances, etc , into your text will make your text absolutely rich in culture.

Names matter!!! The genders of the names matter, diminutives matter (If I see one more "Perse" for Persephone I will claw my eyes out along with a few thousand Greeks), naming traditions matter!!! In many cases you should not even use a diminutive!!

You will be able to write about a foreign culture easily! Because of the continuity of Greek culture, you can even write a few more recent Greek elements to fill in the gaps. I can make sure they are not mismatched, and they will complement your ancient setting. I have observed a few things I didn't know we had since antiquity, but they make sense because our land has certain characteristics.

Non-Greek writers often miss the whole context of Greek culture! Do you know how Greek respect towards deities and parents looks like? What tones we use when we talk to our elders? When to use honorific plural - if your setting is more modernized?

Oh, and please let's avoid caricatures when describing Greeks?? (even fantasy Greeks) There can be heavy exotisation and odd descriptions of Greeks, as if we are another species. Even in published works. For many western writers it's difficult to catch, unfortunately.

The whole process is actually way easier than you think. You send me a text, I make notes and then we have some discussion on your vision.

It's always okay to seek guidance from the locals! You are not "guilty" when you admit you don't know! How can you know if you don't ask?? You can't imagine what relief and "πάλι καλά!!!" I read/see from other Greeks when I tell them another foreigner is using me for cultural sensitivity? Greeks want you to seek help and will NOT shame you for it!

(On the contrary, you have no idea how many eye-rolls Greeks do when they see a blatantly wrong thing in a story... Which has happened pretty often for many years now. Can we do better as an industry?? Please???)

You can send me a personal message to share your story, or ask what this whole cultural sensitivity thing is all about, or ask about what I have done so far and how I can help. But for the love of all that's good, don't let your story be another "generic greek myth retelling"! And don't let others sell you their generic greek myth retellings!!

[erleclavet-creativewriter-artist]

Over 86,900 words long. I'm very proud of accomplishing that as well as having three books self-published.

[freyadragonlord]

I was like 90% sure this was Fukuchi already because of the face scar and the body shape but then i recalled why that mask was so familiar...

Motherfuckers...........

[sjnbooks]

🎼📚WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT📚🎼

🦁Many around the world applied to the songwriting challenge, but there could be only one winner.

🎉I am pleased to announce that Anthony “Mute” Sloan is the winner of ‘The Walls of Delusion’ Fan Event!

💎Their rendition will be considered the canon and official version of the in-book song, “Spellbound,” the sheet music of which will be featured within the appendix of my novel!

🌒Thank you to everyone who took part! It was a joy to listen to all of your creative works, and I hope you join again on my future events and giveaways!

➡️Be sure to grab your preorder on Amazon now so you can play the book’s music and find out which character sings it! 👀

✨Congratulations once again, Anthony!

[mfelewzi]

Eöl tries to kill Maeglin. Art by Giovanni Calore

Then Eöl looked into the eyes of King Turgon, and he was not daunted, but stood long without word or movement while a still silence fell upon the hall; and Aredhel was afraid, knowing that he was perilous. Suddenly, swift as serpent, he seized a javelin that he held hid beneath his cloak and cast it at Maeglin, crying:

'The second choice I take and for my son also! You shall not hold what is mine!'

But Aredhel sprang before the dart, and it smote her in the shoulder; and Eöl was overborne by many and set in bonds, and led away, while others tended Aredhel. But Maeglin looking upon his father was silent.

Original link: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/5sTpdrz3k56iikkJ/

#Tolkien #Silmarillion #Art

[sarahreesbrennan]

Thank you for writing Long Live Evil.

I'm no cancer survivor, so I haven't been through the horror that that must've been, congratulations to enduring and surviving, and my sincere condolences that you had to go through it.

But I am chronically ill (cystic fibrosis, genetic defect) and have so far lived for 5 years longer than my prognosis allowed. My health's been good and stabile for a long time now, but I remember times where I couldn't walk alone, had a 18/6 nasal cannula and a 24-hour IV drip instead of school or a future.

Now I'm working at university, an archaeologist, chipping away at writing stories for years and years, and incredibly glad and privileged to see the world. All this to say that seeing how hurt Rae was in the beginning (and again throughout the story, while also never truly forgetting her true roots and motives) and how she grew around it like a gnarled tree, was like catharsis for me. Having miraculously given a second chance, no matter how hard the fight to keep it will be; I haven't ever read any story talking about this in a way that made me feel seen and understood like this. Thank you also lots and lots for taking the time to mention Rae's appreciation for Rahela's curves — it's been the same for me, since I've managed to get out of the underweight-trap. It means a lot to me, and I guess to many others in similar situations, including you of course. Thank you for sharing this with us, it must've been hard to touch on a deeply personal experience like this in writing that's simultaneously removed from oneself through fiction (at least that's what I'm imagining).

Thank you, and I wish you nothing but the best, health, and lots of good days to come. Deeply curious to see how Rae's story will continue!

Thank you so much for this.

I am so glad you are alive. Thank you for that, too - for living on even when you couldn’t see a way forward and everything was helpless despair.

I haven’t been through what you’ve been through, either, but it’s a privilege to have shared adjoining experiences trapped in darkness, and to share gladness and the wide world with you now. I’m so sorry it happened, and so happy you have archaeology and stories, and the world has you.

I will be totally honest and say it has been hard sharing Long Live Evil with the world, and I’m so grateful to you for knowing that, and for sending this message because you knew. This book is highly personal to me, but it’s also meant to be a wild celebration of messiness, escapism, and finding humour in art and darkness. And that means to some it’s just a joke, and in the words of Joanna Russ, ‘she’s not really an artist and it’s not really art.’ And so it gets dismissed, and it does hurt to see my most important story dismissed sometimes.

I was with other writers in a public space at one point and they were talking about how their books were about serious issues while ‘Sarah’s book is just for fun, and that’s fine too!’ (I had to take a minute before I could lean into my microphone and say ‘My book is about cancer’ in a cheery tone.) I’ve seen readers saying ‘this book’s just fluff, just silly, I’m ashamed of myself for reading it, there’s nothing to it’ about the book I wrote about almost dying.

My Rae, while of course she has bits of me in her (every character I’ve ever written does), and evil queens I’ve loved, and characters with wild hubris going on in the Greek plays I mention often in the book, and readers I’ve seen and I’ve been who are blithely confident they know what’s going on without doing more than surface reading and while forgetting key details… she’s also bits of women and girls I’ve mentored, been mentored by, befriended. And some of them are dead. So seeing the bits that were them particularly scorned or judged, seeing her pain dismissed or the discussion of her body sneered at…

That has been hard.

But.

In the end I believe I am really an artist and this book is really art, and art is there for the wide world to judge - to be mocked and dismissed, yes, as a price that comes with the opportunity to also be truly seen and appreciated, to get to influence real people’s real lives. Art is the gold that comes from the crucible in which we put all our pain and all our love and all our joys. I believe it deepens and transforms.

I wrote this book about how deeply unsympathetic people actually are to sufferers of illness, chronic or otherwise, and especially to women expressing pain. How the world villainises imperfect victims—which means all victims. How the world villainises bodies, and robs us of our joy in them—even when there’s horror in a body, too. I did know that by putting this book out into this world, that attitude would be reflected back by the world onto the book. And that attitude has hurt me in the past, and hurts me when I see it now.

I still think it’s worth calling out that attitude, even if it means getting more of that attitude reflected back onto me - because it means readers like you see it, and know others have been through this, and it was never okay, and you were never alone. While I know there will also be readers with chronic illnesses and/or cancer whose experience doesn’t overlap with mine at all, that only means there need to be more stories. So everyone who needs it gets the map into fantasy lands.

And I do hope some able-bodied readers read it, and think twice about adopting the world’s attitude to the people in their lives who are already going through enough. Some readers have told me the book helped them sympathise with and understand the cancer sufferers in their family and friend circles, and that’s meant a great deal. What do we write for, if not to learn to love each other better?

Long Live Evil has also given me my life back, as truly as chemo did, in a way that makes the pain worthwhile - I think I would have kept telling stories in some form, but Long Live Evil was my last throw, for as far ahead as I could see. Now since the book’s done well so far I’m hoping I can write more books, and my life can be the storytelling shape I always wanted it to be.

I read your message and I regretted nothing. I remember the pain and the way so many of us laughed or tried to laugh our way through it, and I know this was my way. Jokes, like stories, are the golden thread we follow through the dark labyrinth of our own agony and incomprehension.

It really has been hard, and it’ll stay hard. But like living, it’s worth it.

Please know two things.

I am so happy I wrote this book. Ultimately more than any other feeling I had so, so much fun writing it, and I’m having even more fun seeing the book be read by the people it was meant for.

2. This book was written for you.