A MAGITECH FANTASY NOVELLA
Francois He is a war hero who never wants to pick up a gun again. Civilian life, building marvels with the power of Fog, suits him fine.
So when the distant republic of Platinea offers him a job, Francois jumps at it. Introduce Fog technology, collect his fees, and enjoy the seafood. Easiest money he’ll make in his life.
But he’s barely digested dinner when rebels storm the capital. And the desperate Platineans draft the most seasoned commander they can find: him.
From the grimy docks of the capital to a command barge on the River of Spices, from the salons of the palace to a war camp in the highlands, Francois must turn a mob into an army, deploy Fog on a budget, and outwit a charismatic warlord who really, really loves his job.
FOR FANS OF GEORGE MACDONALD FRASER’S FLASHMAN, LOIS MCMASTER BUJOLD’S VORKOSIGAN, AND DJANGO WEXLER
Hi, everyone. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned I was working on a novella, due for launch soon. Well, check out the gorgeous cover and blurb (above)!
I am targeting a launch in early May, and if you’d like a free advance reader copy (ARC) before that, you can sign up here.
This has been a long journey — I started writing the first draft on 31 December 2024, well over a year ago, and it builds on a fantasy world I have incubated on and off for nearly 20 years. It draws on a very, very wide pool of inspirations, everything from historical adventure fiction to real-world history to RPGs and tactics games (including some I’ve written about on this site).
Whether you sign up for an ARC now, or check back once the novella is out and available to buy (expect to hear back from me in May!), I hope you will enjoy it.
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