This has probably been my busiest year as a writer, ever. I dropped 3 novels (in Feb, July, and just a couple weeks ago in Sep), and have also cranked out the first 70k words of my first true progression fantasy project, Two of Knaves, of which the first 100 pages are now up on Royal Road.

I also drew the cover:

https://preview.redd.it/j4fbvv2n1nqb1.jpg?width=400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=622d527aa1b4128b8c15158ecdf22c077fb070c3

I've been interested in switching to writing Prog for a while, and this sub has been an awesome resource in terms of learning about the genre, how storytelling in progression fantasy differs from other subgenres, and finding a few more works that I ended up really loving. So, I wanted to announce the release here, first. Before facebook, before instagram, and before my newsletter subscribers. I posted a book called Oathbreakers Anonymous a while back, which was progression-adjacent, but Two of Knaves full sends the theme. It also takes place in the same world of the Crooked Spine Bastard Vomiting (which is what you get when you let orcs name a continent), and the setting is proving to be a great sandbox for tabletop shenanigan style stories.

Two of Knaves follows a young mage named Darcent as he's unceremoniously kicked out of a prestigious magic academy when his powers fail to manifest. He links up with Annalisa, a devilborn (think: tiefling) pit fighter, and the two get embroiled in the conflicts between the various factions of the sprawling fantasy city of Dragonmaw, helping each other grow in power as they also grow in notoriety. Darcent himself is a rogue/support mage type that casts spells using a special tarot deck called the Deck of Wills. Each mage specializing in the deck can bond to up to four suits within the deck, and weave different cards together to create different spell effects related to the concepts behind the cards. His primary progression of power comes from bonding with more cards as they come to embody his own journey and experiences in Dragonmaw.

Why you should read Two of Knaves?

Because it's fun. All I've ever wanted to do as a writer was tell entertaining, pulpy popcorn stories. Two of Knaves follows in that fine tradition. I want to leave you thinking about the book after you put it down, and make you feel like you're walking down the streets of Dragonmaw next to Darcent and Annalisa while you're reading it.

Because there's a plan and a track record. Before I started writing, I knew how, where, and why the story would end. It may meander along the way, but it's always moving toward the inevitable conclusion. And the first 100 pages are barely a jumping off point. This is the most ambitious project I've tackled. And I've tackled A lot of projects.

Hope ya'll enjoy!