Book Three Progress
This past week, I had the pleasure of reviewing the final edits for Before the Ghost Sea, the upcoming third installment in my dark, epic fantasy saga The Tides That Reign.
When I say that it got me shaking with excitement for its release, that’s an understatement.
The penultimate Reign chapter just might be my favorite of the series (for your information, the final book is mostly completed, though there is still much work to be done). It probably feels typical for any kind of creator to favor their upcoming/most recent release, but I assure you this has been my opinion since I closed the first draft of Ghost Sea back in May of 2024.
The third book is expansive, bold, and layered in a way I didn’t feel I had the right to be in either Design of Darkness or Sparrows Sing of Dying. With the third outing, I feel the series finally earns the status of an epic, even with the globe-trotting and grand battles that came before it.
Given pivotal events that unfold within its several hundred pages, as well as how it sets up the finale, I am eagerly awaiting reader reactions.
That said, my author hours have become a hive of activity lately – balancing the preparation of the series re-launch in all its different formats, as well as preparing book 4 for revisions.
40-ish Days to Go
Of course, you’re probably all sick of me reminding you that Before the Ghost Sea and the re-skin of its predecessors Design of Darkness and Sparrows Sing of Dying will be first available through the Kickstarter launching March 2nd, but I beg you to bear with me for just a bit longer.
We’re a little more than 40 days out at the intended release of this blog. My ability to publish this series with the quality that I feel it deserves hinges on the success of the campaign. If you haven’t already, please consider heading on over to the pre-launch page to hit “Notify Me On Launch.” It is the most surefire way to not miss the project when it goes live on March 2nd!
As a gift for your continued support, please accept this teaser for the new Sparrows Sing of Dying cover illustration by the incredible @marosar_art on Instagram.
Robby Recommends
If you’re enjoying The Tides That Reign so far, you’ll likely fall head over heels for Immortal Connections, the first in the Celestial Cataclysms series by Tao Wong!
The Kickstarter reached its initial funding goal in only ONE hour, and is currently ongoing. Read the blurb below to see if you’re interested!
A new Immortal has risen… and with him, the fate of all the realms hangs in the balance.
Long Wu Ying has ascended to the Heavens, fulfilling the ultimate dream of all cultivators. However, the heavens are not all that it seems, and his vow to raise his lover to the realms of immortality conflicts with the Jade Palace’s rules.
In the Middle Kingdom, the fracturing of an empire echoes across the kingdoms. As states rush to fill the power vacuum, war-weary armies march with little food, weakened by years of drought. Wu Ying’s mortal friends are caught in the middle of the conflict. As leaders among cultivators and within their sect, they must do what they can to hold the world together and carry on without their closest ally.
When chaos consumes the realms above and below, even the greatest cultivators must surrender to the winds of fate.
RD Pires 