by Sever Bronny
She looked around at each of them in turn, slapped her knees, and stood. They stood as well. “And speaking of Sithesia,” she said, “what are your plans upon returning?”
“We’ve been discussing that, Nana,” Augum replied. “In no particular order—we have to bring Edwin’s mother to Solia, free the castle and the town of Arinthia, free the academy, free the kingdom, and, of course, destroy Orion. But we’re not exactly sure which one we will do first.” He shrugged. “Guess we have some planning ahead.”
The legendary Anna Atticus Stone rubbed her hands excitedly. “Well then I suggest we work on that plan as well, because I will be able to return you to any place you wish to go.”
The group of friends glanced at each other.
“Anywhere?” Augum asked.
“Anywhere.”
Augum looked to Mrs. Stone’s clay miniature of the castle sitting on a nearby table, its windows aglow with gentle candlelight. He knew he might not be able to free the castle right away, yet the thought was certainly tantalizing. He looked to his great-grandmother.
And he smiled.
Personal Thoughts from the Author
I had a blast writing Mercy’s Trial. The book clocked in at an epic 240,000 words, which makes 1.48 million words published in five years and spread over eight books (The Arinthian Lines series + Fury of a Rising Dragon series). And how far our intrepid Augum has come since the days when he was a confused and friendless farm boy! Now he’s got a loving girlfriend, amazing friends, and he gets to turn into a dragon. And yet, in so many ways, the journey of his life and the lives of those closest to him has only just begun. I have so many ideas I cannot wait to share with you.
To me, writing Mercy’s Trial was a challenge to myself to see if I could get the characters to evolve; to change past their plot mandates. It was Lisa Cron who, in her profound book Wired for Story, taught me that what readers crave is seeing characters change over time; seeing them overcome their base instincts, their failings, their insecurities. I don’t know if I succeeded (that’s up to you to judge), but I got a real kick watching Bridget play Queen of the Pot, Leera learn a Teleport extension beyond anyone else’s capability, and having Augum begin to understand what humility truly means.
I also had an epiphany this year wherein I realized that it’s not my job to be political, necessarily, but to fairly represent all points of view through the characters. Those characters would in turn vociferously argue those specific points of view, like real people would in the real world. I now see that my job as an author is to play every role honestly, meaning I represent those characters as they would want themselves portrayed. It was quite the revelation, in some ways a freeing one, though I feel like it’s also a big responsibility that I’m still trying to wrap my head around.
Thanks for being patient with me. After all, it’s been fourteen months since the last book. But the only way for this to work is if the books are released when they’re ready, when they’ve been gone over with a fine-tooth comb. Plotting each one is a massive challenge, though I take great pleasure hewing the rough stone of a first draft into a sculpture.
I’m sorry about Isaac and Caireen and so many others, but I feel the lives that continue to live on have weight and meaning because of those that sacrificed themselves along the way. Further, I’ve come to realize that everything we own is on loan, paid for by the time we put in. The possessions around us cannot be taken beyond life, we can only borrow them for a short while. As Marcus Aurelius—someone who I draw daily inspiration from—repeatedly said, “Soon you will be gone. How quickly all things disappear.” For me, having characters perish is a reminder of the ephemerality of life.
And speaking of time, one of the strangest things about this full-time writing gig is that writing a book takes about a year of my life. And we don’t exactly get a lot of years, do we? Yet the books feel like they’re worth more than that year, perhaps because they give so many of you pleasure, an escape from the everyday, a world you can lose yourself in. Your letters to me say that writing these books is indeed worth spending the most precious resource I have—time.
What else to say here? I updated the website (severbronny.com) with your suggestions in mind. I also continue to post your touching letters to the reader mail page. They help motivate me to continue to do my very best to deliver you quality work. You are the ambassadors of my work, and this entire endeavor would have come to naught without your support.
See you online and in the next book, which I’ve already started (I’m about 30,000 words in as of this writing!)
All my best to you and those you love,
—Sever
November, 2019
P.S. Honest reviews play a vital part in readers discovering new books. Please consider taking a quick moment to leave one on Amazon.com for Mercy’s Trial, or any of my works. Thank you.
P.P.S. Quick note regarding my newsletters: it seems some of you do not get them as they can go to the spam/promotions folder. To prevent this, you’ll have to whitelist my email address [email protected] (Google how to whitelist an email address if you don’t know how).
The trio’s very first adventure: The Arinthian Line series
New to the tale of Augum, Bridget and Leera? Want to experience their first epic adventure together against the might of the Legion? While you’re waiting for the next book in the Fury of a Rising Dragon series, lose yourself in The Arinthian Line, a complete series that begins with Arcane (The Arinthian Line, book 1), available from Amazon.
Want to keep up with me or receive an email notice of release?
Simply subscribe to my newsletter at severbronny.com/contact. I don’t email often, so you don’t have to worry about mailbox clutter.
Advance Reader Team
Want a chance to read my next book before its retail release? Consider joining my Advance Reader Team at severbronny.com/team
Spots are limited.
Connect
Want to tell me what you thought of the book, ask a question, report an issue, or just say hello? Email me anytime at [email protected]
Or connect with me at the following, where I tend to post more routinely:
severbronny.com
facebook.com/authorseverbronny
@severbronny on Instagram (I just joined!)
twitter.com/SeverBronny
Visit severbronny.com to see a spell list as well as the trio’s class schedules
* * *
Tansy, none of this could have happened without your insight, love and support.
Thank you.
Also by Sever Bronny:
THE ARINTHIAN LINE
Arcane (The Arinthian Line, book 1)
Riven (The Arinthian Line, book 2)
Valor (The Arinthian Line, book 3)
Clash (The Arinthian Line, book 4)
Legend (The Arinthian Line, book 5)
FURY OF A RISING DRAGON
Burden’s Edge (Fury of a Rising Dragon, book 1)
Honor’s Price (Fury of a Rising Dragon, book 2)
Mercy’s Trial (Fury of a Rising Dragon, book 3)
Untitled (Fury of a Rising Dragon, book 4)(to be announced in 2020)
Blurb for Arcane (The Arinthian Line, book 1):
Fourteen-year-old Augum grew up with bullies instead of friends. In a kingdom where superstition trumped the written word, he fought loneliness by reading books and doing hard labor. It was a typical life for a gutter-born orphan.
An inferno changes everything. And Augum, having lost it all, begins again. He finds a mentor and even befriends Bridget and Leera, two passionate and quirky girls willing to give him a chance. Together they dream of becoming warlocks.
But Augum’s mentor possesses an ancient and highly sought-after artifact. When an ambitious tyrant suddenly turns up demanding it, Augum resists—and discovers something about himself that changes the course of history. As the tyrant plunges them into a harrowing ordeal, Augum will have to use newly-learned spells to
try to save the only thing he has left . . . a friendship forged in fire.
Available from Amazon here.
About the Author
Sever Bronny is a full-time author living in British Columbia, Canada, with his beloved wife, Tansy, and curmudgeonly cat, Buddha. He has written the epic coming-of-age series The Arinthian Line (Arcane, Riven, Valor, Clash, Legend), and is working through the follow-up series, Fury of a Rising Dragon (Burden’s Edge, Honor’s Price, Mercy’s Trial, etc). He has also released three albums with his industrial-rock music project Tribal Machine, including the full-length concept album The Orwellian Night. One of his songs can be heard in the feature-length film The Gene Generation. Connect with him at his websites severbronny.com and facebook.com/authorseverbronny.