Where Was I? Krakens, Books, Music and Life…

Well, it’s been a while since I wrote one of these. The last was back in July, and quite a lot has happened in the last four months.

Writing has taken something of a back seat, although I have finished the first draft of Where the Kraken Waits. I’m now working through the edits with support from Dan Howarth through the British Fantasy Society. Dan is a really good guy: supportive, knowledgeable and particularly good at providing deadlines and accountability. He also writes some great books himself, which you can find on his website. It turns out having someone expect you to actually do the work is rather helpful.

The delay is partly because life has thrown quite a lot at me recently, and not all of it good, if I’m perfectly honest. I’ve been lucky throughout my life when it comes to the health and wellbeing of family and friends, but the last couple of months have brought some of the hardest things I’ve ever had to deal with. It’s been difficult to focus on much else. Strangely, the death of Sir Patrick Stewart has also hit me harder than I expected, much as Sir Bobby Robson’s did all those years ago. Weird.

But life moves on. People get better, things change and we adapt. Sometimes you discover you’re stronger than you thought. More importantly, there is still beauty in the world, and there are still kind people in it. That shouldn’t be forgotten. Always glass half full rather than glass half empty…

Two excellent books

The Book Witch — Meg Shaffer

The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer is a wonderfully strange book. It follows Rainy March, a third-generation book witch whose adventures feel rather like a Mary Poppins-style detective story set inside an Inception-style universe.

Rainy’s adventures with the Duke of Chicago are funny, charming and full of mind-bending questions about entering books and changing their stories. I demolished the audiobook in a week, which is quite something for me. It’s clever, surprisingly deep and particularly entertaining if you love literature or write books yourself. No spoilers, as ever, but it’s well worth your time.

4/5 stars

The Black Bane — L. Lyons

The other book may well be my favourite of the year: The Black Bane by L. Lyons (Lucy Lyons), the first in The Chronicles of Mealduth.

It’s classic epic fantasy, following Kailas Darkchar as she discovers that she has a part to play in something far bigger than herself. There are ancient prophecies, holy warriors, unexpected friendships and, naturally, plenty of danger.

It’s the sort of fantasy that starts by letting you settle into its world before gathering pace, and I loved that. From the prologue, there’s a real sense of darkness and mystery, but it’s the people who make the story work. As Kailas finds her way through it all, the friendships she forms and the different personalities of the warriors around her give the adventure a warmth that balances the danger rather nicely.

I’m a fussy reader and don’t always give books enough time to find their feet, but Lucy had me from the prologue. The story is beautifully paced and remarkably easy to read. I found myself flying through pages without noticing. That’s a genuine skill: making an epic fantasy feel so accessible without losing the richness of the world or the emotional weight of the story.

It’s also genuinely funny in places, particularly when some warriors find themselves dealing with unexpected house guests. But it’s deep and emotional too, with some lovely character development. I really enjoyed the way those lighter moments sit alongside the more serious ones. A fantastic book, and quite possibly my book of the year. Very well done, Lucy Lyons. I’ll certainly be reading the sequel.

5/5 stars

Music I should have discovered years ago

I’ve also become rather obsessed with the Irish band Hail the Ghost. Their albums Forsaken (2015) and Arrhythmia (2019) are fantastic. If you like Editors or Interpol, or just rock guitars with a soulful voice, give them a listen.

Singer Kieran O’Reilly has an extraordinary voice, almost Roy Orbison-like at times, and plays several instruments too. A bit like Phil Collins, only better looking. I’ve had the albums on repeat for weeks. His solo project, Kopium, is worth exploring as well, particularly the 2025 album The Weeping Willow. It’s a grower.

What’s next?

Before the year ends, I want to finish editing Where the Kraken Waits and get its cover sorted. I’m also refreshing the covers of The Souls’ Abyss trilogy. It’s six years since The Dark Crown came out in May 2020, and I’ve decided they deserve a new look. Because I’m fussy like that. I’ve also been making changes to the website, which I hope you like, and will be doing more to promote the books.

So, a difficult four months, but not without good things: books, music, progress with writing and some lovely new people in my life. There are good people out there. Sometimes you just need to keep going and be open to finding them. It’s about keeping the faith… and, you know, you never walk alone — please forgive me a private joke for one special and lovely person.

Until the end-of-year wrap-up, take care of yourselves and each other. x