Ylmi's Saga Update
I hope you’ve all had a wonderful and fulfilling week and are getting to unwind a bit this weekend. We’re still adjusting to our move to Texas, but I have had time to do more work on Ylmi’s Saga (more on that below), as well as getting back into running.
The highlight of last week for me was completing Empire of the Summer Moon, by S.C. Gwynne. Carefully researched and engagingly written, it’s a survey of the Comanche nation from its origins to the death of its last chief, Quanah Parker. Reaching back to the first expeditions of the Spanish Empire, Gwynne points how little we really know about what was happening among the native tribes and nations for much of their history, the massive war between the Apaches and Comanches being one example. We know it happened, the Spanish saw the Apache raids on their missions virtually vanish as they were steamrolled by the invading Comanches, but we know little about how, or about the warriors who fought a long, brutal war on the plains. Now that I’m back in Texas, living and driving through areas where much of Comanche history happened, I’ll definitely be going back and rereading Gwynne’s book again.
On the other side, I’m still working through Rachel Caine’s The Great Library series. I’m currently in book 4, Smoke and Iron, and I have to say it is deeply enjoyable. There are a lot of things about Caine’s writing that I enjoy, most notably the fact that because it isn’t a ‘against the dark empire’ type fantasy, it has a very original and unique feel. The collection of differing factions complicates the heroes’ and heroines’ journeys as they are rarely faced with pure evil. Instead, the organizations they fight are often filled with good people, trying to do what they see as the right thing, despite the existence of evil men who attempt to twist everything to their own gain. In that way, it has a real feel that gives depth to the story.
In my own writing, Ylmi’s Saga is getting closer and closer to completion! I’ve finished the last review that I’ll do on my own, which means it has two more reviews to go through, both fairly quick. I’m having a third editor look over it and give me final feedback, and then its off to the proofreader. Once the proofreader and I schedule it, I’ll be able to confirm a release date, which I’m hoping will be sometime in July or August. The goal at the beginning of the year was to release the first three books in The Legends of Karik by Christmas, and all told I think I’m in good shape for that so far.
But that’s not all, last week I also gotten the completed cover art for Ylmi’s Saga!
Ylmi’s Saga has taken longer to write and edit than Karik’s First Battle, and not just because it’s almost three times as long. When I originally planned the series, Ylmi was a minor character who didn’t play a huge role in Karik’s adventures. The second book in the series was called Karik’s First Sailing, and covered events that take place midway through Ylmi’s Saga. Fortunately, I’ve gotten better as a writer, and between that and Ylmi’s aggressive personality, Ylmi seized a much more prominent role not just in this book, but in the series as a whole.
She’s become a much more interesting and central figure, bringing with her characters like Thora, Ethna, and Rivna, who we meet in Book 3. The first versions of Ylmi’s Saga suffered from the changes, as I was still telling things from Karik’s viewpoint. But Ylmi continued to relentlessly storm her way through what would originally be three stories, and I’m very happy with how it has turned out so far, and I’m thrilled to share it with you all soon.
Ylmi’s Saga begins with Ylmi’s childhood in the little settlement, and we see more of Unhost and learn why Ylmi dislikes him so much. We get to see Ylmi growing up, her friendships with Thora and Dranri, and how she turned into the keen-eyed hunter who helped slay a dragon. But that is only the beginning of Ylmi’s Saga and with the dragon dead, she is put on a path that sees her become one of the most famous warriors in Vrania.
I’ll have more to share about Ylmi’s Saga soon, as well as Book 3 in the series, which is quickly taking shape.
