Okay! This year is going to be SO CLUTTERED with new releases from me, I can’t even tell you.
THE FLOATING ISLANDS came out ten years ago. Did you realize that? I actually did not until I just looked it up. Wow, it’s been a long time. As you may know, my editor asked me to write a sequel, which I did. Random House then merged with Penguin and, by the time the sequel was written and handed to my editor, their acquisitions process had changed so that the editor did not have full authority to take a sequel. Instead, I wrote a couple standalone novels for that imprint, while shelving the sequel.
Since I’m now moving forward with self-publishing in a much more definite way, this seems like a good time to bring out that sequel. It’s actually just a coincidence that this is the ten-year-anniversary, but hey, that does seem like an appropriate time to quit waiting around and just do it.
The title will be THE SPHERE OF THE WINDS, and as with everything else, I’ll release it as soon as it’s in shape; eg, proofed for typos and with a cover.
I wrote this book with an eye to eventually going on with a third book. SPHERE is self-contained, sure, but there is a looming situation in the world that, well, it would be just nicer to eventually resolve that. So we’ll see. I have a lot of other things I’m working on this year, and those projects are pretty likely to extend well into next year. But one thing seems very likely: If I ever do write the third book of this trilogy, I won’t wait ten years to do it.
This has always been one of my favorite covers. It’ll be interesting to see what an artist comes up with when I ask, “Can you match the tone and brightness of this cover?”
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I’m pretty sure this was the second book of yours that I read, after The City in the Lake (which I actually did not realize was also yours at the time) . . . and it was everything I hope for in a good fantasy. Needless to say, whenever there is a sequel, I will buy that sucker so fast!
Oh this is EXCELLENT news!
Eeeeee! The Floating Islands was one of the first books of yours I read, a few years ago–and upon finishing it I immediately went and bought everything else of yours I could find. So excited for a sequel! (And potential third book!)
No kidding! Can we get a teaser? Do we see more of Araene? Ah, I have to reread it now. Didn’t Araene do something with magic spheres?
>>This has always been one of my favorite covers.
Mine too! I hope the artist can capture the tone especially. Good luck!
Oh, sure, I can post a teaser. Ought to have thought of that. I will do that later today.
Yes, absolutely, the pov alternates between Trei and Araene, just as in the first book. They both do stuff with spheres.
Also, if you read the story in Beyond the Dreams We Know, then you have met another character who plays a fairly important role — Nescana, who tries out for the kajurai in the first girl’s audition.
I don’t know how I missed this the first time but a year cluttered with releases sounds BEAUTIFUL. The Sphere of the Winds I will be waiting with particular eagerness as Floating Islands is one of my favs of yours.
Thank you, Yen! I will get it out as soon as possible.
The floating islands is one of my favorites of your books, and I’ve thought since reading it that it was really asking for a sequel. So glad to hear one (or maybe more than one) will arrive!