Hello there!
168,706 words, or 613 pages later, and we've finally reached the end of Arc 2 of A Crucible of Light. When I first set out on this journey back in October 2024 (4 months ago), I really didn't know what to expect. What I can say now is that sharing this story with the world has been an amazing experience that has reawakened my passion for writing and storytelling. Not only that, but I have discovered such an amazing community surrounding Royal Road: passionate readers and a supportive group of fellow writers. For all of that, I am thankful.
I wanted to use this AUTHOR'S NOTE to look both at Arc 2 and ahead to things in the pipeline.
A Crucible of Light - Arc 2 (The Ghost Hounds Arc)
Arc 2 was, originally, not even an Arc at all. It was originally a few chapters at the beginning of what is now Arc 3, to transition from the end of the Incident at Solstice to Wrifton. Once I finally got to writing it, however, I realized I needed to handle some plot and character points before we arrived at Brightwash Military Academy. This included the entire scene in the forest with Baba Yaga, which was originally going to take place in Volume 2. I actually like how this worked out for a couple of reasons. It allowed me to give Mags some more time exploring her new powers and a chance to have more interactions with Calcabrina, as well as some of the other Ghost Hounds.
A Crucible of Light - Arc 3 (The Entrance Trials Arc)
We're about to enter Arc 3 and the final Arc of Volume 1 (The Malevolent Tide). It will introduce a lot of new characters and elements that will play key roles through the remainder of the series. I imagine it will take several months longer to get to the end (currently tracking to wrap up between Chapter 80-90). This is an Arc I am so excited to bring to you all!
A Crucible of Light - After Volume 1
Once Volume 1 is complete, which I understand is still quite a ways off, I will be planning to temporarily pause uploading chapters. This is so that I can work on Volume 2. I am an outline writer - living by a story bible that turns into a detailed outline. I moved several things from Volume 2 into Volume 1. So, my outline for Volume 2 had to be reworked in several places in order to deliver a better product for the readers. I am planning on writing most, if not all, of Volume 2 before I start posting it. There are several reveals that are currently planned to take place in Volume 2 and the beats leading up to those reveals require a flawless execution. I think a short break between Volumes will help me stick the landing. In addition, I would hope to possible increase the frequency of releases for Volume 2 (up to 3 days a week) and perhaps have most of the volume available on Patreon immediately.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
DEVOUR
I have two projects coming to you all in the near future. The first is a story set in the same world of A Crucible of Light. At the end of Arc 1, we left Solstice after it had been razed by the Crown Coalition Forces. But you didn't think there were no survivors, right? Perhaps you were wondering what happened to our good friend Sabo? Well, for those of you who might have been wondering, wonder no longer! DEVOUR has launched on Royal Road and officially releases on Monday, February 10th. Check it out using the link in the Author Note below (or here: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/105291/devour-epic-fantasy-litrpg-coming-soon).
The blurb:
image [https://i.imgur.com/anwaMRh.jpeg]
Feed your inner beast.
Sabo is the survivor of two desolations - one at the hands of the Maldrath horde and the other by the very empire that swore to protect him and his people. Now, a political prisoner, he has resigned himself to a life of forced labor.
That is, until a rogue Paladin of the state-backed church, the Morduin Order, comes crashing onto the government airship transporting Sabo and the other condemned to their final destination. The dying Paladin carries with him a Celestial Treasure he stole from the church - a Divine Mark called God-Eater.
The maul was designed with a single purpose: to feed.
Freed and set on a war path, Sabo will [Devour] church and state in his quest for vengeance.
DEVOUR is a fast-paced action-packed LitRPG progression fantasy set in the same world as A Crucible of Light.
Strength Based Wizard
Releasing on Monday, February 17th, I have a System Integration LitRPG releasing on Royal Road titled Strength Based Wizard.
I am so very, very excited for this one, guys!
The blurb:
image [https://i.imgur.com/8Zaaqni.jpeg]
For some wizards, Intelligence is just a dump stat.
Joseph Sullivan is down bad. He lost his job, his fiancé dumped him, he moved back to the Midwest and currently lives in his parent’s basement—oh, and his workout was just interrupted with the arrival of the System.
Earth has become a playing field in a contest amongst the gods, where mortals are the pawns. The winning god gets the glory, and their chosen champion gets a single wish. The first stage of this game: Tutorial – Class Selection.
Provided the ideal stat array for a physical, combat-focused class, the choice for Joe is obvious. Until he fat thumbs the selection screen and ends up selecting Spellcaster. His starting Intelligence stat? 1.
With a useless class selection and only his raw testosterone-fueled strength to back him up, Joe decides class optimization is for dummies. Pumping all stat points in Strength, he hopes to not only survive the contest of the gods, but to win the whole damned thing.
After all, a real wizard should be measured by how much they can bench!
Cheers,
R.M. Collinwood
image [https://i.imgur.com/B98Upjr.png]