It has been a long busy summer for me, and I have lived pretty much at my desk, which in all honesty I love. Since coming to the end of Heirs to the Kingdom, in July 2020, and having the chance to write all five instalments of the Curio Chronicles during the Covid lockdown, I emerged from my desk in April this year feeling utterly alive and refreshed.

I love writing, I never ponder if anything will sell or if people will be interested in what I write, and actually I do not really worry about it, because it is those moments alone sat lost in thought, hammering away at the keys, that give me the greatest joy, and actually, one of the biggest for me this year, was knowing I would finally get to reveal a story that has been ongoing since 2017 as I wrote it. To be completely honest, it has been a story in the making for years.

Rise of Raven has been a long time coming, I actually wrote the first chapter of HTTK book eight, and then turned to the story that would feature in small parts in that book, and I began the process of writing two books at the same time, as I leap frogged back and forth from book to book.

When The Circle of Darkness was published in July 2020, Raven was not complete, it was actually about ten chapters short, and so having completed Kingdom, and feeling the pressure lift, I went back to page one and began a complete overhaul of what had been written, and then started on the chapters that would finish what in my mind was a single stand alone book, that was related to kingdom.

I finished the book in it’s first draft in October 2020, and let my wife read it, it was pretty rough at the time compared to the final format, and she really loved what she had read, and so I took a break, and began working on another stand alone book that I had written a synopsis for back in 2017, and I began Abigail’s Summer.

That sort of ballooned, as I finished, and filled with more ideas of these new characters, I continued write. The problem with what became the Curio Chronicles, was most of it came from my counselling background, so I was not short of real life stories to write about, surrounding Abigail, and suddenly it was April 2021 and I was five books in, so called it a day.

Then it was back to Raven, and the real truth of the two characters Branna and Ariel. It is at this point I will hold my hand up and admit, I did some creative editing with Kingdom book eight. To be honest, if I gave everything away in the Circle of Darkness, it would have been pointless writing Raven, and so I was liberal with what I revealed. It is so hard right now not to become overly excited and blurb out the whole story, and I have to hold back, but I will not deny, knowing everyone expected this book to come out, when it does, it is my hope, it will be nothing like what you expected to read.

There is so much more to this back story, and the two characters of Branna and Ariel, and for the first time ever in my writing, I decided to add more to the book and not let my wife read it. I wanted it finished first, and so using some much more advanced tech to help me, I did the full edit, and shelved the 29 chapters of what was Branna’s story, and started work on what will be the next book that is also a prequel to HTTK.

I began writing picking up where Raven left off in a time jump, and was fourteen chapters in, when suddenly I realised Raven was not complete. I read what I had written again, and all the new stuff I was writing, and it was at that point I stopped to give a great deal of thought to what would come out.

What I originally had in mind, and right up until late August 2021, was a story that was quick and easy and not very long. I had 29 chapters ready to cut into block format ready for publishing, but the problem was, the first eight chapters of what I considered to be another book, were very relevant to Raven, as I wanted the second book to lead into the life of Morgana of Berengar, but it was a clear as day, Branna’s story was not over, and so in early September, I cut the chapters out of the second book, and added them to Raven, and once again did a complete read through, and it was mind blowing how amazing I found the story.

Again, fighting here not to give spoilers.

It was the right choice, and provided the perfect climax to their story, but be aware, if you think you know how this story will go, you will be disappointed. As I do in usual Kingdom fashion, I have been very careful about what was written in the eight books of HTTK, and have carefully considered every clue I have given, and I have painted a picture that will lead the readers over the eight books to form a specific idea of the past, trust me, it’s wrong. My wife finally read the much improved full draft in mid September, as the digital version of book seven came out, and she loved it, and I was delighted by that.

The real story is so much deeper and much more involved, I really am delighted with it, and just to set the stall out properly for the book, I have added an introduction from the year 2078, set long after kingdom, and written by Tila. Remember her, she is the Fae of Earth who lives with Crystal?

So, what can I tell you to get you all giddy, but give nothing away?

Firstly, remember the two books of Branna written by Ariel in Kingdom Eight? Well Raven is both of them, as transcribed by Tila for the House of Scribes in Florae. Rise of the Raven is the book round Ena’s neck, that was written in blood runes, that charts the story of Ariel as she was despatched to Avalon as an ambassador, on behalf of Queen Bridget Violet. You all know she is housed behind the Citadel Mount with Branna, and you all know that Rhiannon did it deliberately to keep Ariel away from Avalon whilst it was being built, so there will be no surprises there.

Book eight made it clear, that Branna was assigned the task of studying the Merle, and that Branna had no love of Rhiannon who she saw as a colour blind leader, but there is so much more to this story. Raven will chart why Branna was so unhappy before Ariel, what happened to her and Ariel in Avalon, and why Bridget Violet became so ill, and eventually left Princess Gwendolyn the throne. The story will chart Branna as she flees from Avalon and what she encounters, and why she was given the task to study the Merle, when because of her dark hair she was seen as inferior. You will witness the rise of Castle Berengar, and the realm created there, and also find out how Crina and Cezar ended up trapped. There is more to Crina, than book eight revealed, and slowly you will understand why Roack became more than just a connection to the Merle for Branna.

This is a fascinating story that will twist and weave, to reveal far more than you realise of all the realms in HTTK. There are a lot of new characters and some you know, such as a younger Merlin, and Fagan, who is the Maker in Avalonia in this book. Sequana will be alive and advising Rhiannon, and Avalon will be a brand new realm, freshly built and awaiting it’s queen. Florae will be under construction, and Ninian has all of his toes, and Gwynfor is a young unmarried man. Rayne the son of Rhiannon has not met Gwinne, and has had a long term relationship, which he walked away from, as he was not ready to settle. It is a really interesting tale, and so I will leave you with those few thoughts to ponder, and prepare to finally release the book, and if you think you can work it all before you read it, I very much doubt it, but give it a go anyhow.

As always, the support of every reader is massively appreciated, especially after fifteen years of writing, and if you have not got round to it, give Abigail’s Summer a try, it is nothing like kingdom, but it is certainly worth looking at, and as the first part of a very involved story of five, it will open up and really become a tale worth following, because like everything I write, the first couple paint one picture, but the reality is always so very different.

Rise of the Raven, is now available in digital and printed format, and I really do hope, you find it surprising and exciting.