Hey all – HUGE news about the Sovereign Soul series today! Read on for some big news concerning what I affectionately call “The Tome” – also known as Embers of Orden.
It’s no secret to many that Embers of Orden was a huge book. So many people tell authors not to write big books, and I guess I took that personally. It’s 1,198 pages, just shy of the limit IngramSpark was willing to accept and about 400 more pages than Amazon’s maximum.
As an author, a reader, and consumer of stories in many formats, I personally LOVE big, rich content like it. I always want more of my favorite series. I grew up loving 24-episode seasons – not because they were ever perfect or devoid of fillers, but because they gave me more time with characters. Today’s 8-episode TV series are just long movies, and somehow, they still cut corners. With Embers of Orden, I didn’t want to cut corners. I wanted to tell the full story.
And especially with so many people telling me not to publish such a large book, how could I not? It became a spite project. I didn’t consider splitting it into multiple parts, partially because I was operating through Tellwell and had to pay roughly $2k per book. The idea of shelling out another $2k, plus the money for a cover design and promotional materials, would have me going bankrupt.
But now that I’m breaking free of Tellwell and entering the field of self-publishing, handling my own books, dealing with my own files… I can change Embers of Orden into what it should be.
So here is the announcement: Embers of Orden will be split officially into two books. The first half will remain as Embers of Orden, totaling just over 500 pages and seeing the return of a few deleted scenes. The second half will be retitled as Stormwrought, a roughly 700-page book with the potential of restoring some deleted scenes.
I intend to keep Ruinbound slated for a May 21st release and put out Embers of Orden and Stormwrought together beforehand, pushing Ruinbound into being Book Four of the Sovereign Soul series. Both books will be receiving new covers and should be released before Ruinbound, replacing the 1,198-page Embers of Orden in bookstores. This will make Embers of Orden and Stormwrought cheaper and available on Amazon, which the previous edition couldn’t achieve because of its size.
Here’s the lowdown on why this is going to be revolutionary for the series:
- Cheaper prices: Embers of Orden will now be virtually half the price they were trying to sell it for! Each book will be closer to the $20 range.
- Easier access: Now available on Amazon, while it was previously available only through bookstores like Indigo or Barnes & Noble.
- New covers: Everyone loves new covers! I liked the cover of Embers of Orden before, but the new covers will be flashy, good, and suit the original Akin Minds cover even better.
- Restored deleted scenes: I had to cut around 80 pages of Embers of Orden before. While a few scenes were restored in Ruinbound, others weren’t able to see the light of day until now.
Additionally, I’ll be able to finally fix some editing issues with Akin Minds and the new editions of Embers of Orden/Stormwrought with the source files! Tellwell previously charged me for every change, but now I can virtually do it freely. Things will be better from here on out.
I’m beyond excited to share this news with you and to turn one book into two – the way it should have been in the beginning. Now it’ll be more widely available, easier to digest, and better than ever. Stay tuned to the blog and my socials, where I’ll be showcasing the new books in the coming weeks! Ruinbound, now Book Four, is still due for release on May 21st, 2025!
What are your thoughts on large books and longer TV seasons? Do you miss the old ways, or do you prefer the smaller 8-episode seasons? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
Sovereign Soul 