Alex Verus Series

[Mauve Shirt]

Hee! That short story was cute.

[pita]

Finally got around to ordering Fated from Amazon. Should be here in about a month.
...
I hate not living in Europe/America.

[Saph]

New Encyclopaedia Arcana is up: the last part of the Spells series. Next up is a look at the factions of the Light Council.

Yet more reviews, too, which is a nice surprise - I hadn't expected to still be getting them more than a month after release. It's made me realise just how many review sites/blogs are out there.

[Saph]

New Encyclopaedia Arcana is up: the first of a three-part series on the factions of the Light Council.

Yet more good reviews, too, which always makes me happy.

And in other news, the Alex Verus series has a TV Tropes page! Now it just needs content. :)

[Dragonus45]

Some of you may remember a couple of threads I started last year looking for suggestions on a title for a book. Well, time's gone by and that book, Fated, is being published at the end of next month!

The US edition is being published on February 28 2012 by Ace Books, and here's the cover:

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And the UK edition is coming out on March 1 2012 from Orbit, and looks like this:

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Fated is the first in a series. Book #2, Cursed, is coming out May/June 2012, and Book #3, Taken, is coming out August/September 2012.

About the Series

The series is urban fantasy, set in London, England. Magic is real, but most people don't believe in it and only a very small fraction can use it. The most skilled are called mages, and they can each use a specific type of magic determined by their personality - you can think of them in D&D terms as sorcerers or psions with very limited spell lists, or in Mage terms as mages who only get one part of one Sphere. The main character is Alex Verus, a diviner (aka a knowledge or probability mage) who runs a magic shop in Camden. Alex's magic lets him see the future but can't affect the physical world in any way, and the first book follows his adventures as several other factions of mages try to use his abilities to gain access to a relic.

Publicity with Jim Butcher

Genre-wise the closest match to my series is Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, which isn't a coincidence, as he's one of my favourite authors. In fact, we have the same US editor, Anne Sowards from Ace (she's excellent by the way).

Jim was kind enough to both read my book and send me a really nice email and blurb (which you can see an extract from on both front covers). We're also scheduled to do an email interview exchange towards the end of January, which I'll be posting when it's done.

My Website

As part of the run-up to the launch, I've revamped my old author's website, which can be found here. I've also started a blog, which I'm going to be updating regularly every Friday at 9 AM. The blog will contain reviews, news, and announcements about the series, but the main content will be the Encyclopaedia Arcana, a series of background/setting articles about the universe of the Alex Verus series.

The website also has affiliate links to where you can buy or pre-order the books (meaning I get a small extra amount of money) and extracts of the published and soon-to-be-published novels.

My Name

I've been on these forums for five years now, and one of the odd quirks I've had during that time is that I've always stayed anonymous (okay, any poster could probably have figured out my real name if they really tried, but the posters on these forums are quite good about respecting people's privacy). But there's not much point in doing that anymore, so I'm going to drop anonymity from now on. (I actually thought about changing my name to match my real one, but I've been going by Saph on these forums so long that I'm used to it. I'll just update my signature instead.)

Updates

I'll use this thread to post any further information about the series as the publication date approaches, as well as any Encyclopaedia Arcana articles. Post any questions or requests!

And finally, thanks to everyone who's helped out with suggestions or contributions over the last few years concerning my books - I've been a member of these forums for a long time and I've had lots of help from them.

well around the same time you mentioned Jim Butcher you won me, ill be ordering the book next paycheck.

[Ecalsneerg]

I bought this book on a whim upon recalling this thread, and seeing it in a Waterstone's... and then messily devoured it within a couple of days. The plot just grabbed me, began choking me and demanded I finish the book or it would choke the life out of me. Fantastic, dude, I will be definitely following your writing career from now on.

[Saph]

I bought this book on a whim upon recalling this thread, and seeing it in a Waterstone's... and then messily devoured it within a couple of days. The plot just grabbed me, began choking me and demanded I finish the book or it would choke the life out of me. Fantastic, dude, I will be definitely following your writing career from now on.

Cool! Glad you liked it so much, always good to hear. :)

Next Encyclopaedia Arcana is up: part 2 of the Council Factions series.

And it's only six weeks until Cursed comes out! Need to update the first post in this thread soon.

[Kurald Galain]

Hey, congrats on getting your books published! I don't usually read this part of the forums or I would have noticed earlier I'll keep an eye out at my local Waterstone's.

[Reverent-One]

Bought the book, read the book, liked the book, will buy the next book.

To be slightly more wordy, I really enjoyed the whole uber-planning aspect of diviner mages, which is not surprising to me in the least. I could just picture the scene where (probably not significant enough to need to be spoilered, but I'll do it anyway)

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Alex walks right in the museum door just as the guards happen to be looking away.

perfectly, and it was great.

Also, six weeks till the next one? Really? Man, if all the writers I followed put out books as fast as you, that would be great.

[Saph]

Heh. I don't write quite that fast, unfortunately.

The reason books #1, #2, and #3 are coming out in such quick succession is that the publisher scheduled it that way - I finished the first book a couple of years ago. The idea was to "save them up" so that we could release the first three at three-month intervals to build up momentum. I've actually just about finished all three now (just doing proof-reading for the third) - at the moment I'm trying to sort out book #4.

[MammonAzrael]

Woo, I've been out of touch with the Playground lately!

I quite enjoyed the story, very fun.
Arcanas 11 and 12 are good. I like how you've likened spells to numerous different activities, instead of a single one. It seems to me that spells with a more instantaneous duration would tend to be more like skills (and more likely have components), while longer-lasting spells, particularly those that can conceivably be always on (like divination or a time mage's past-sight or an endure elements like spell) to be much more similar to a theorem, and much less likely to contain additional components. Is it possible for a mage to have two spells that are more or less identicle, save that one has components while the other does not? Or would the similarity of the two make that impossible?

Arcana 13 is a solid piece. What I take away from it the most is an excellent reason why Alex really has such a limited arsenal of spells. He had no teacher under Richard, so he had to come to grips with his divining alone. And since his escape, it doesn't feel like he's had the time or inclination to delve into his magic and start experimenting with new spells. I feel like this leaves the door open for him to come up with some new ideas and tricks (perhaps "inspired" by various things he's seen Helikaon or his other peers pull off).

You have my thoughts on Arcanas 14 and 15. While there are still numerous unanswered questions, the entries are informative and I'm looking forward to the final one.

[Thrawn183]

The reason books #1, #2, and #3 are coming out in such quick succession is that the publisher scheduled it that way - I finished the first book a couple of years ago. The idea was to "save them up" so that we could release the first three at three-month intervals to build up momentum. I've actually just about finished all three now (just doing proof-reading for the third) - at the moment I'm trying to sort out book #4.

The only piece of advice I can give you is to make absolutely certain that you have all of your work (not yet submitted to editor/publisher) saved in more than one location. There comes a point where you've put in an immense amount of work into something and then lose it all. That's.... a bad place to be. It can really kill your motivation to keep going.

[Saph]

Yeah, it's happened to me once before. Luckily at the time it was between books, so I didn't really lose anything.

Final part of the Encyclopaedia Arcana series on Council Factions is up! Next week will be one on mage names.

I really need to update the first post in the thread, too.

Arcanas 11 and 12 are good. I like how you've likened spells to numerous different activities, instead of a single one. It seems to me that spells with a more instantaneous duration would tend to be more like skills (and more likely have components), while longer-lasting spells, particularly those that can conceivably be always on (like divination or a time mage's past-sight or an endure elements like spell) to be much more similar to a theorem, and much less likely to contain additional components. Is it possible for a mage to have two spells that are more or less identicle, save that one has components while the other does not? Or would the similarity of the two make that impossible?

I would have thought so, yes, but there'd usually be little reason to - it's a fair bit of work to develop a spell, so most mages would just have one and modify it. But if they spent enough time, they could come up with as many variations as they liked.

[Cieyrin]

I'm slowly but surely making my way through Fated and I'm enjoying it immensely. I especially liked the Gythka, subtle allusion to Thri-Kreen, there. The way Alex makes use of his magic of knowing and the plans he enacts off of it are right up there with what Harry Dresden pulls but perhaps better, given Harry has to do so with just his deductions, instincts and skills, rather than observing the possible futures and enacting a plan to grab it. And yet, there remains the possibility of failure from looking at specific futures but not others, which can get him in just as much trouble. It works, it's engaging, I look forward to finishing the book and picking up the next one.

[Weimann]

I purchased this book a while ago, but I'm currently studying literature so I have quite some books to read anyway. I got a bit through it, however, and from where I stand, it has some good and some less good parts. I'll have to read it probperly once I get less satiated with other books.

[Saph]

I'm slowly but surely making my way through Fated and I'm enjoying it immensely. I especially liked the Gythka, subtle allusion to Thri-Kreen, there.

Heh. It always surprises me how few people notice a lot of the references, but I guess some of the stuff I read is fairly obscure outside of these forums. Glad you liked the story!

[Mauve Shirt]

I purchased this book a while ago, but I'm currently studying literature so I have quite some books to read anyway. I got a bit through it, however, and from where I stand, it has some good and some less good parts. I'll have to read it probperly once I get less satiated with other books.

Did you ever finish Ghost Story?

[Weimann]

No, not yet. I'll still finish it before the next one comes out, though. It doesn't really help that I got it in ebook format. I should get a Kindle if I want to do that again.

In fact, recently I've started with a lot of books but finished very few. It's possible I might be growing picky.

[Saph]

I might go back and have another look at Ghost Story. At the time I found the conflicts and the fight scenes less fun than usual, but thinking about it that might be because I couldn't help comparing it to the concentrated awesome of the final battle in Changes.

[Mauve Shirt]

Ghost Story is a breather episode, and you could probably skip it. It's got some really great parts though.

[Mewtarthio]

You really can't skip Ghost Story. It is much more slowly-paced than Changes, but that's not entirely because it's a breather episode. Bear in mind that Changes had a lot of dramatic changes in it (hence the name), plus there's a timeskip afterwards (granted, every book has a bit of a timeskip, but stuff actually happens between Changes and Ghost Story). The status quo gets completely upended during Changes. Ghost Story is all about establishing the new order and setting the stage for the rest of the series.

So, yes, Ghost Story is slower than the rest of the series. It's also important to the rest of the series (presumably; I suppose Cold Days could end with Harry traveling back in time and erasing the last two books, but I doubt it).

[Cieyrin]

You really can't skip Ghost Story. It is much more slowly-paced than Changes, but that's not entirely because it's a breather episode. Bear in mind that Changes had a lot of dramatic changes in it (hence the name), plus there's a timeskip afterwards (granted, every book has a bit of a timeskip, but stuff actually happens between Changes and Ghost Story). The status quo gets completely upended during Changes. Ghost Story is all about establishing the new order and setting the stage for the rest of the series.

So, yes, Ghost Story is slower than the rest of the series. It's also important to the rest of the series (presumably; I suppose Cold Days could end with Harry traveling back in time and erasing the last two books, but I doubt it).

Indeed. I'd also have a look at Side Jobs, which has a short story featuring Murphy and giving some more background on the Fomor. Also collects all the rest of the Dresden Files short stories, some of which are hard to find or are downright hilarious and should not be missed.

[MammonAzrael]

Indeed. I'd also have a look at Side Jobs, which has a short story featuring Murphy and giving some more background on the Fomor. Also collects all the rest of the Dresden Files short stories, some of which are hard to find or are downright hilarious and should not be missed.

I agreed that Side Jobs is very entertaining, I just want to stress that reading it is not required like Ghost Story is.

EDIT: Wait, this isn't the Dresden thread! Gotta stay on topic! Only a month til Cursed! Once again I love the cover the UK is getting (they'll look fantastic should they ever see a hardcover release).

[Cieyrin]

Just finished Fated this morning and the final fights were well executed, especially

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the fight between Alex and Onyx, Battle Cognition at its finest.

After it was revealed that

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Deleo was Rachel

, I was sure that

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Cinder was Tabruk

, though I'm not sure now, since Alex implied

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Tabruk had died when Alex escaped from Richard's mansion

, so I guess we'll have to wait to see if they make a reappearance, which it would be a shame if they didn't.

[Saph]

Cinder and Deleo ended up turning into much longer-running characters than I'd originally intended when I wrote them into that first scene. I'm always surprised by how popular they are . . . but then I kind of like them too, so I can see where it's coming from, really.

[Saph]

And the next Arcana article is up, this one on names.

Quiet week otherwise - the main news is that I got my English Cursed copies in the mail yesterday. They look REALLY good.

[MammonAzrael]

That was a fun little lesson. It seems pretty apparent that the power of names is much different in your world compared to the Dresden'verse.

[Mauve Shirt]

So is "Alex" our main character's birth name and "Verus" his mage name, or are they both his mage name, or will we find out in a later book?

[Cieyrin]

So is "Alex" our main character's birth name and "Verus" his mage name, or are they both his mage name, or will we find out in a later book?

I'm pretty sure at the beginning of Fated Alex said Alex isn't actually his name.

[Mewtarthio]

I'm pretty sure at the beginning of Fated Alex said Alex isn't actually his name.

"My name's Alex Verus. It's not the name I was born with, but that's another story."

That being said, "Alex" is such a mundane name that I can't help but wonder if he's make some sort of deliberate statement. It certainly wouldn't be out of character for him.