I am pretty strict about maintaining my writing schedule. It shifts and changes when everything goes to hell in my house, but I am diligent when it comes to hitting certain deadlines. I walked into 2024 with a clear writing plan.
Then opportunity knocked.
J.A. Culican reached out to ask if I was interested in joining a box set with a number of incredibly talented authors. How can you say no to that?
I couldn’t. I didn’t. Which left me with a month to craft a brand-new tale. From scratch. Without a clue where to begin or what it would be. No pressure, right?
The Last King
I realized quickly I wanted a Greystone tale for the box set. With Army in the Obelisk releasing over the course of the year and the first of the final five books coming out in 2025, Greystone needed as wide a reach as possible.
Plus, I just freaking love these characters.
Research was frenzied, but came together nicely. There are goblins and dwarves and different mythologies and Loren’s sarcastic wit. Everything slipped into place in short order.
I think it might be my favorite Greystone project yet.
The Last King is a “lost” tale from the past for Soriya and Loren. It takes place between Army in the Obelisk and View from Above (a short story in Tales from Portents).
Check out the description below:
A dying king, a guardian lion, and a shadowy demon spell disaster for Portents.
The skandola—an ancient talisman with the power to ward off evil—is in danger. When its protection fails, one of the great demons from the underworld escapes to walk the Earth once more.
Ur has returned and with him comes eternal darkness.
Greg Loren, reassigned from the Central Precinct to a cold case warehouse, finds himself pulled into the conflict when a Shishi lion—a guardian to the last king of men—dies in front of him. Unsure how to proceed, Loren turns to the only person he trusts when the city turns bizarre: Soriya Greystone.
Together, with the help of the king’s final guardian, Idris, Loren and Soriya must keep the king safe long enough to banish Ur’s evil from the city of Portents forever.
Brace yourself for an epic clash between light and dark in this heart-racing Greystone Saga adventure.
Where can you find this tale?
The Last King can be found in the Fates of Magic and Myth box set coming your way soon!
A total of ten tales will be collected in this massive tome from some incredible authors, including the ever-present and lovable David Neth, who has a brand-new Coven short story to share with the world.
The best part? The box set will be FREE.
That’s right. This digital collection is for you to enjoy and hopefully discover a new favorite author or two along the way.
As soon as I know the release date, I will be sure to share it with you.
Happy reading!
