by UPDATE: As of the most recent draft, Blood Over Bright Haven is no longer a novella. At 80,000 words, it is now decidedly a novel. Someone has also been kind enough to make a page on Goodreads, so you can add it to your tbr! (1/3/22)
If you follow this blog or my newsletter, you’ve probably seen me vaguely reference “background projects” other than my ongoing serials. Some of those are short stories I’ve been working for various anthologies. One is the subject of this announcement.
I’ve known for a couple months that I wanted to put this book on the front burner but I wanted to wait until I’d finished a first draft, settled on a title, and created cover art to announce it publicly. At the end of March, I finished a rough draft and, last week, I finalized a cover design, so today, I’m excited to announce…
Blood Over Bright Haven follows a research mage who uncovers a secret that could change the course of magic forever—if it doesn’t get her killed first.
Genre:
I’m tentatively calling this novella “dark academia” although, as with most of my books, I’m not sure how well it fits any one genre. Unlike my other projects (Theonite, Altima, or otherwise) this one will be low on action and high on brooding intrigue.
Setting:
Blood Over Bright Haven takes place in the Altima universe, but in a vastly different era and geographical location from Seven Forsaken, Gunpowder Magnolia, and Sazuma (which all occur within the same couple decades). Unlike those sprawling flintlock epics, this novella focuses on one seemingly utopian metropolis built on a high level of magical technology. It is a standalone, meaning you need absolutely no knowledge of my other works to follow the plot.
Intended Audience:
I’m classing this as an adult fantasy–more due to its dark themes than any explicit language or sexual content.
Release Date:
I’m hoping for a late 2021 release, but I’m not locking in a date until I have the second draft finished. If I end up wanting to do serious work on parts of it, we’ll probably end up with a 2022 release.
ARCs:
Advanced reader copies obviously won’t be going out for a while, but if you want to be notified when they become available, just let me know at ml@mlwangbooks.com.
As I mentioned above, Bright Haven is going to be low on the dramatic superpowers and lovingly choreographed action scenes that permeate my other work. For that reason, I’m not trying to push it hard with fans of Theonite, The Sword of Kaigen, or my newer fantasy serials like Seven Forsaken. I’m just going to put it out there in a chill way on a small budget and hope it finds readers who enjoy it.
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When is this book being released ? Fans cant wait 😀 😀
I’ve run into some delays partially having to do with the length of the manuscript and partially having to do with editor availability. The good news is that, at the end of this, you’ll be getting a longer and more professionally edited book than I first pitched!