Guardian: Things You’ll See and Early Feedback
I haven’t done a great job of focusing this month. There was so much going on between the character art I commissioned for Wraith and the Revolution, the cover reveal for Serpentus, and me starting the draft of Wrath of the Dragon-kind, that I kind of forgot Guardian is releasing next month. And I really should be focusing on Guardian.
You know, that marketing thing. A book doesn’t promote itself, no matter how much I wish it were otherwise.
So, this week I’m going to share a few things about Guardian.
The Mages You’ll Meet
There are quite a few you’ll meet throughout Guardian, but three are major characters.
Chela: She’s the guide for Alexander’s journey, and has an ability that allows her to navigate pretty much anywhere. Think of her as the Google Maps of the Southlands, only magical.
Lydia: She’s a healer – and her services are needed on at least one occasion. (If you’ve read Exile, you understand some of Andrew’s tendencies, so…yeah.)
Rynn: She’s an ice mage whose magic is, in some ways, a curse. But as I wrote the rest of the series, she became one of my favorite characters.
Interesting Locations You’ll Encounter
The Venom-weavers’ Forest: If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I have a thing for bugs. Spiders are no exception. The Venom-weavers are intelligent and predatory, as large as a horse, and venomous. There may be an incident or two. (Fun fact: They’ll also make an appearance in The Mage War Chronicles once those books start to publish.)
The Oracle’s Tree: I also love trees, and this one is pretty special. Legend has it that it was planted by the first Oracle at the end of the Mage Wars, and this tree is massive. It’s also a pilgrimage site for Alexander, so the group gets to spend a few days there.
The Dragonlands: Yes, Andrew finally gets to set foot in the dragons’ ancestral homeland. He learns a few things about himself—and his father’s family—while there.
Early Feedback on Guardian
My beta team read this book back in my querying days, and I know for at least one of them, Guardian was their favorite in the series. It’s a bit of a reprieve for both Andrew and Alex before they return to dealing with Colin, and I feel like Alex grew significantly during the course of Guardian.
ARCs were sent out for Guardian in early September, and I’ve had some encouraging feedback so far. I’ll admit I was nervous after the initial success of Exile… Would book two be as well-received? It’s always difficult to judge with a series, and Guardian doesn’t have quite as much action.
But when I saw some of the early reviews, it seriously made my day.
“Okay, so this book is leaps and bounds better than the first book and first book was amazing.” – from author Cat Bowser on Goodreads (you can read her full review here)
“It is strange to say this but, Guardian felt like a soothing balm after the events of Exile. There is still plenty of excitement but tonally, I found it to be the perfect follow-up for book 1 in the Caein Legacy.” – from author C.B. Lansdell on Goodreads (you can read the full review here)
C.B. also went on to say:
“There is a sense of something dark looming on the horizon, but this book is the calm before the storm. Here, we can watch Andrew heal and prepare for the future.”
I don’t think I could have described the tone of Guardian any better myself. And as for the calm before the storm… All I can say is, yes. Both Harbinger and Legend get pretty dark and are more intense. So enjoy the little reprieve while you can.
Guardian is available for preorder at all major ebook retailers. Paperback and hardcover editions are also available. Click here to learn more: Guardian, Book 2 in The Caein Legacy