EXTREMOPHILE

I’ve been quiet on here…

THE ROTSTORM is complete- three beautiful books that I am so proud of. Now I have the chance to tell you about my new project…

EXTREMOPHILE

EXTREMOPHILE is out 01/08/2024 with Bloomsbury/Head of Zeus. I’ve been workign witht he same excellent team who handled THE ROTSTORM trilogy over at Head of Zeus, and I can’t wait for everyone to read this book!

The amazing cover here is by María Jesús Contreras- it perfectly captures the manic energy of the book.

What is the book about? Well…preorders are live, and you can read the blurb below right now!

EXTREMOPHILE blurb:

Charlie and Parker are punks by night, biohackers by day, living in the stuttering decay of climate-collapse London.

They pay for the beer they don't steal with money from their sketchy astronomy site Zodiac Code, while Charlie's bio-bespoke augments equip criminals, punks, and eco-warriors across London. They have to deal with disgruntled clients, scene kids who don't dig their band, and a city that's run by corporates and criminals. Their world is split into three factions: Green – who are still trying to save the world; Blue – who try to profit while they can, and Black – who see no hope left.

When a group of extremist Green activists hire them for a series of jobs ranging from robbery to murder, Charlie – who struggles to feel anything except Black – wants to walk away. But Parker, who still believes they can make a difference, urges her to accept.

As they enter an escalating biological arms race against faceless corporations, amoral biohackers, and criminal cyberpunks, Charlie will have to choose what she believes in. Is there still hope, and does she have a right to grab it?

Fight the storm; embrace the storm; become the storm...

In one week the brutal finale of The Rotstorm series will launch- THE GAUNTLET AND THE BROKEN CHAIN

This book is the culmination of years of work- the ending of a story I started working on back in 2019. Then, the story was for me. Now, this ending is for everyone who has joined me on the journey. We began in book one with a sword fight in the shadow of a dead god, arcane lightning and monsters at every turn. How do we end?

Oh, I love it.

To celebrate the end of the trilogy I’ve commisioned a nice Tolkien-esque version of the world map of Morost from the wonderful Christina Wilson.

If you enjoyed the first books, please consider supporting this ending, and know that I appreciate every moment you’ve spent in my world.

Ink map of Morost by Christina Wilson

GAUNTLETS, BLADES, SNAKE VENOM, TURKIYE

I need to update more! The beautiful paperback of THE GAUNTLET AND THE BURNING BLADE is out now- I love the new design they have gone for with this, looks like absoclutely classic fantasy. I’ve done a little fireside excerpt from THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH (video below, and on my nascent youtube channel).

I had a lot of fun at Eastercon in Birmingham on all kinds of panels with lovely authors- always a great chance to meet the community who make British SFF so strong.

What else? Book 3 of THE ROTSTORM is with the publishers. THE GAUNTLET AND THE BROKEN CHAIN will be out in August, and I can’t wait to share the ending of this story with you all, I can’t quite believe the whole trilogy will be out in the world. It is a dream.

Beyond all that, I’m on the move again- after summer I’ll be in Turkey for a few years. So taking that as an excuse to eat Turkish food and play on Duolingo. I’m also working with City University fo London as a mentor on their MFA programme, which is a lot of fun and something a little different.

And am I writing? I am writing. The next secret project (codename SNAKE VENOM) is nearing completion- more on that to come!

“Excellent, vivid worldbuilding... A gripping story with cinematic detail”

— British Fantasy Society

DRAGONS AND BURNING SWORDS AND AWARDS

Oh so much is happening!

First and foremost, my son Benjamin Dragon was born at the end of June- he is a wonder. May, June, and July have disappeared. I had some horrible personal news, and the combination of a new baby and a lot going on mean I’ve had my head down.

We move forward. The wee dragon is a joy and there is a lot happening!

THE GAUNTLET AND THE BURNING BLADE releases this week- the second thrilling instalment in THE ROTSTORM, my Sunday Times Top 15 bestselling fantasy adventure series from the Ad Astra imprint of Head of Zeus. I’m so excited for this book to be out in the world- huge list of where to buy it down below (everywhere you can think of really).

The second book in a trilogy is a chance to expand the world, increase the stakes, and have even more fun. Burning Blade is an absolute blast, and I can’t wait to see what you all think!

Final bit of news- I have been shortlisted for the British Fantasy Awards Best Newcomer (Sydney J. Bounds) Award 2022 for the first book in the series, The Gauntlet and the Fist Beneath! This is such an honour, the other names on shortlist are incredible and it is lovely to get the recognition for the first book from the members of the British Fantasy society who voted for the shortlist. Winner to be announced at Fantasycon in September- I’ll be there!

I’ll leave you for now with a quote from Molly Flatt, author of The Charmed Life of Alex Moore, on The Rotstorm trilogy- 'RAVISHING, IMAGINATIVE, EPIC FANTASY’

Sounds good eh? Links to books below the pic of the wee bairn

UK EBOOK AUGUST 4th:

Amazon- https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09LMS5M82

UK HARDBACK AUGUST 4th:

The Broken Binding (signed!)- https://www.thebrokenbinding.co.uk/product-page/the-gauntlet-and-the-burning-blade-ian-green

Forbidden Planet- https://forbiddenplanet.com/350998-the-rotstorm-book-2-the-gauntlet-the-burning-blade/

Blackwells- https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9781800244115

Amazon- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gauntlet-Burning-Blade-Rotstorm/dp/1800244118/

WH Smiths- https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/the-gauntlet-and-the-burning-blade/ian-green/hardback/9781800244115.html

Foyles- https://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/fiction-poetry/the-gauntlet-and-the-burning-blade,ian-green-9781800244115

Browns Books- https://www.brownsbfs.co.uk/Product/Green-Ian/The-gauntlet-and-the-burning-blade/9781800244115

Waterstones- https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-gauntlet-and-the-burning-blade/ian-green/9781800244115

Black Dragon Books- https://www.blackdragonbooks.co.uk/shop/genre/fantasy/the-gauntlet-and-the-burning-blade-the-rotstorm/

The Guardian Bookshop- https://guardianbookshop.com/the-gauntlet-and-the-burning-blade-9781800244115

US NOVEMBER 1st:

Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/Gauntlet-Burning-Blade-Rotstorm/dp/1800244118/

Barnes and Noble- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-gauntlet-and-the-burning-blade-ian-green/1140728187

Walmart- https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Rotstorm-The-Gauntlet-and-the-Burning-Blade-Volume-2-Hardcover-9781800244115/669430889

Target- https://www.target.com/p/the-gauntlet-and-the-burning-blade-the-rotstorm-by-ian-green-hardcover/-/A-85951276

AUSTRALIA AUGUST 4th:

Booktopia- https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-gauntlet-and-the-burning-blade-ian-green/book/9781800244115.html

Sand storms, ancient gods and trees, ruined temples, virtual worlds

Well hi. It has been a while- I’m sorry. Been a little hectic.

News: THE ROTSTORM trilogy is barreling ever onward- THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH beautiful red paperback is out in the wild in the UK at all good bookshops (May launch for US!), THE GAUNTLET AND THE BURNING BLADE is with production, gearing up for the big launch in August- and book 3 is almost finished… what happens after that? Much is in progress, but for now it is all just out of view.

I was lucky enough to be featured by BookBub this month, so THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH is available for a limited time only on kindle at just £0.99! I have no idea how long this will last, make hay etc

What else is up? I did an extensive interview with the utterly enthusiastic Second Life Bookclub, a 90 minute chat covering all sorts- check it out on youtube. They made me an avatar, and even recreated some scenery from the book as a setting for our chat. It was lovely to have time to give long answers and have a proper conversation, I can’t thank them enough. It was a lot of fun- as a reminder to everyone else, I’m always happy for the opportunity for pretty much any interview, chat, reading, conversation, whatever- just drop me a line.

I was back in the UK briefly and visited some ancient yews and barrows in the south, and in Algeria spent a day at the Roman ruins at Djemila- absolutely wild, classical roman architecture adopted to a mountainous and undulating terrain. It was a breath of fresh air after a few days of insane sandstorms and the fug of the city. Moving back to London this month so there is a lot of movement and action- there is always something more to be done.

I’ll be at Reclamation (Eastercon 2022) in London this weekend- I’ll be on a few panels, and will be doing a reading Friday afternoon- give me a shout if you are there, say hi!

I’ll leave you with soem recommendations

READING- Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James has been eating my nights. Absolutely gorgeous, unabashedly complex and epic. A book of focus, I absolutely enjoyed it. I’ve also just finished Equinox by David Towsey, which is a gothic witch hunt with some high fantasy overaly- completely off the wall, gruesome, and utterly its own beast- I massively recommend if you are after somethign a little different to the norm

LISTENING- Transcendental Youth by The Mountain Goats- one of their best, in a catalogue of my favourites. Pillars of Eternity by Justin Bell- video game soundtrack I’ve been writing to this week, this one is a gem

Paperbacks; Publishers Weekly; Progress

Publishers Weekly gave me a lovely review— 'The unrelentingly dark tone enables Green to maintain a high level of suspense throughout. Fans of Anthony Ryan will welcome this and its sequels'

The paperback of The Gauntlet and The Fist Beneath launches on Feb 3rd (1 week away?!), I’m overjoyed. The red cover is gorgeous (design by the Head of Zeus team and Patrick Knowles). I grew up reading chonky little fantasy paperbacks and I’m overjoyed to have my own. I’ll be kicking around in London for the launch as I’m back across around then regardless, hopign to have a wee celebration.

For anyone counting that is now…Hardback, Trade Paperback, Paperback, Audiobook, Ebook, Special Edition Hardback. SIX EDITIONS?

You can pick up the paperback wherever you buy books- Forbidden Planet, Foyles, Waterstones, indie shops, big Amazon- its available pretty widely, its pretty cheap, and its absolutely ravishing. This years must have accessory.

What else is going on? I’m having a baby in summer, all being well. I’m moving from Algiers to London fro at least a year (moving house during a pandemic AGAIN is certainly something). Currently underway with the final copyedits for book 2 THE GAUNTLET AND THE BURNING BLADE in between feverish drafting of book 3. What else? Longshot pitching mad ideas, delivering scientific training courses and editing, the usual. All is busy and all is well

THE GAUNTLET AND THE BURNING BLADE

I’m thrilled to release the cover art and a wee tease of the plot for book 2 of The Rotstorm:

THE GAUNTLET AND THE BURNING BLADE

The book will be out next summer, and I can’t wait for you to check it out. With this book I wanted to build on the world and characters introduced in THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH and delve deeper into the mysteries of Morost and the unending rotstorm. Along the way there is action, chaos, magic, and adventure to be found. The stakes have never been higher- here’s a sneak peak at the description from the publisher!

The second thrilling instalment in Ian Green's Sunday Times Top 15 bestselling fantasy adventure series.

Break the chains. Hold your strength. Burn your foes.

Once a warrior of the Stormguard Commandos, Floré wrought horrors in the rotstorm to protect her people. She did her duty and swore to leave the bloodshed behind. But when her daughter, Marta, was kidnapped, Floré was forced to once again raise her gauntlet against the devils of Ferron to bring her home.

But still the rotstorm rages.

Marta is dying from the skein-magic she inherited from her father, and the Protectorate is weakened by the absence of the whitestaffs. The mystical order of healers and sages fled to their island citadel of Riven when strange orbs cut through the night.

Now Floré and her comrades must race to find a cure for Marta, to find the truth of the whitestaffs' betrayal, and to fight back against the encroaching children of the storm.

Floré has taken up her gauntlets and her sword to keep her people safe – but steel alone might not be enough...

Reviews for The Rotstorm series:
'This is a gripping story with cinematic detail' British Fantasy Society
'Epic action, deep world-building, and colourful characters make for a magical debut, forged in compelling inspirations... There's plenty more magic to come' Publishing Planet
'Exciting and action-packed... Fresh and surprising' SF Book Review

Edits and plans, plans and edits

A week of torrential rain here. The edits for book 2 in the GAUNTLET trilogy are well underway, with only a little while left for me to lock it all in place. Its a hectic time, and a lot of concentration to try and make sure I keep all the momentum from THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH moving forward as smoothly as possible.

I’ve been looking ahead as well- the hope is to be able to attend a lot more in-person events in 2022, so hopefully Eastercon, Cymera, Fantasycon, and perhaps a few others- wherever will have me!

Its been amazing seeing so many reviews coming in from around the world- if you’ve raedTHE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH and enjoyed it, please dotake a moment and leave a review/rating. It makes a huge difference in getting the book in front of more people who might like it!

In the mean time-

• A lovely review of THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH by the British Fantasy Society- ‘a gripping story with cinematic detail’

• I did a Q&A with Josh Gillingham over at his site- check it out here!

• The Goldsboro books special edition is now available for general purchase- limited to 1500 signed copies, this has the spectacular sprayed lightning bolt edge, and a surprise on the front cover- super cool!

THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH

EYES SHARP, BLADES SHARPER!

The book is out! It has been an amazing few weeks. Some reviews, articles, interviews, and photos below- as well as links to pick up the book from a lot of different places!

Audiobook: Audible! Ebook: Kindle! Google books! Hardback: Brick Lane, Amazon, Foyles, Waterstones!

Hardback + exclusive map: The Broken Binding!

REVIEWS:

The Publishing Planet- ‘…readers adjust to the lore and landscapes as one adjusts to light in a darkened room’, ‘Vividly magical, inspired and immersive’

Jackie’s Reading Corner- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Superb imaginary world building’

Just Geeking By- ⭐⭐⭐⭐

SFBookReviews- ‘exciting and action-packed’

The Bibliophile Chronicles- ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘fascinating and complex characters, fast paced action scenes and a unique world’

ALazyEggReviews- ⭐⭐⭐

Dawn’s Book Reviews- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

BookShortie- ‘brilliant, full of magic, strong characters, monsters and an interesting storyline’

Netgalley- ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lecari- ‘an addictive fantasy that I just couldn’t put down’

Sifa Elizabeth Reads- ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘It’s a joy to find books like this’

TwistedInPages - ‘rich and complex’

BookPageTurner- ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘incredibly atmospheric fantasy’

Laura Patricia Rose- ‘the world building was fantastic’

TheBlindScribe- ⭐⭐⭐⭐

WhatLucyWrote - ‘Lady Knights- Thank you, thank you, and thank you again’

Goodreads- ⭐⭐⭐⭐

OhMyWord - ‘a fabulous job of world building’

ACupOfWonderland- ‘an excellent fantasy debut’

Lauren Sparks- ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The world building, including the gods, demons and other magical elements are done exceptionally well’

EXTRA CONTENT:

A land of gods and monsters- How the NE of Scotland impacted GAUNTLET- THE PRESS AND JOURNAL

Author chat interview- FanFiAddict

Talking Location- how the landscapes of Scotland inspired GAUNTLET- TRIPFICTION

Worldbuilding in fantasy- CULTUREFLY

An interview with Dr Ian Green- NFReads

An interview on the writing process- Jean Lee’s World

Upcoming fantasy novels video- THE BROTHERS GWYNNE

Launch preparations!

It has been an intense few months. What is going on? Firstly THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH is available on pre-order in loads of places - pre-ordering is really helpful to new authors like me in terms of helping make the book more visible, so any help is appreciated!

The first GoodReads and NetGalley reviews are up- so far so good! There will be a blog tour in August with some nice reviewers too. I’ve had interviews with Jean Lee’s world and TeacherHug radio- more interviews incoming, and I’ve been writing some articles for a few publications around the launch. I’ll share when they are available!

I handed the draft of BOOK 2 of the trilogy to my editor at Head of Zeus- feels a bit mad to have already largely completed book 2 just as book 1 is about to launch. I think book 2 is even wilder than the first, and hopefully

I’m going to be having a small laucnh party in London on Aug 5th, and hopefully signing a lot of stock as well. Heading to Birmingham to sign stock for The Broken Binding- their edition comes with a cool exclusive map!

So I’m pretty excited- there will be a flurry of content coming up to support the book launch, hopefully some fun things incoming! Also, the audio version is well underway which is incredibly exciting.

All positive, all a bit terrifying!

Limited editions, art, and a cat

I can finally reveal some very cool news- THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH will be Goldsboro Books July pick for The Goldsboro Books Sci-Fi and Fantasy Fellowship. Goldsboro books specialise in producing beautiful limited edition books, and as you can see in the art below they’ve done a fabulous job- the lightning along the paper edge is incredibly cool!

In their words: ‘Our July #GSFF book strikes like lightning! Today, we're excited to reveal that our July GSFF book is The Gauntlet and the Fist Beneath by Ian Green. We fell in love with this book as soon as we started reading it, and think it's a debut that will mark the start of an impressive writing career. Featuring a mother hellbent on rescuing her daughter, eldritch gods, twisted magic and more, it's a book we knew we had to have. Our GSFF exclusive edition will be signed and numbered with lightning bolt stencilled edges and a special foil design to the front board.’

These special editions will be limited to members of their Sci Fi and Fantasy club initially, but hopefully they will have some on general sale at some point! Signing three boxes of first pages was a lot of fun, but a little stressful trying to get them into and out of Algiers on a sharp turnaround.

To celebrate the good news I commisioned some character art of Floré, Janos, and Benazir. These three are some of the main characters we follow in THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH. A soldier with a brutal temper, a mage terrified of his own power, and a leader trying to find her courage.

I commisioned this art from Platiyum and I’m so thrilled with the result- so many cool little details buried within.

I’m in the final throes of book 2 at the moment, and fostering a wee kitten we found with an injured paw. She is keeping me company as I finish off this post, currently shredding a pot plant. Chaos reigns!

IN THE SHADOW OF THE GOD-WOLF

It is now 3 months until THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH launches and things are heating up- already I have some reviews starting to trickle in (some highlights below), and the book is now available on NetGalley for reviewers/librarians/bloggers and the like.

The cover art is finalised for all editions (hardback, trade paperback, mass market paperback, and ebook!) and the ramp up to launch is beginning. I’m really excited about the final map for the book- you can see below the sketch I was using whilst writing, which served me well but for publication we have pulled together something a lot shinier. Some secret fun stuff is also going on in the background that will be revealed as soon as is possible!

Looking forward, hopefully we will be able to hold some kind of physical book launch in august, but it will of course depend on the situation and the rules nearer to the time.

As for now, what am I doing? I am finishing up book 2 to be submitted to my editor Holly at Head of Zeus, and trying to get the ball rolling with the marketing and publicity team to let as many people know about GAUNTLET as possible. I might even be sharing a sneak preview of the book here at some point soon…

Pick up a copy!

Review excerpts:

'a wonderful premise and an absolutely bonkers prologue'- Sachin Dev, Smorgasbord Fantasia

‘a fabulous lead character’- Ryan, NetGalley

‘a brutal and rich fantasy world’- Anthony, GoodReads

‘fabulous’- Abigail, GoodReads

Cover reveal for THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH

Time to finally reveal the cover, and open up pre-orders for THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH!

The silver cover is the hardback, with gold foil lightning. The red with highlights is the paperback edition (also with foil lightning!), and the red with strong black lettering the ebook edition. I’m realy pleased with how these turned out- covers designed by Patrick Knowles.

Now that pre-orders are up I can also share the blurb from the publishers for Gauntlet:

Protect. Fight. Destroy.

Protect your people.

The endless rotstorm rages over the ruins of the Ferron Empire. Floré would never let the slavers of the Empire rise again. As a warrior of the Stormguard Commandos, she wrought horrors in the rotstorm to protect her people. She did her duty and left the bloodshed behind.

Fight for your family.
Floré’s peace is shattered when blazing orbs of light cut through the night sky and descend on her village. Her daughter is abducted and Floré is forced into a chase across a land of twisted monsters and ancient gods. She must pursue the mysterious orbs, whose presence could herald the return of the Empire she spent her entire life fighting.

Destroy your enemies.
Now, Floré must take up the role she swore to put aside and become the weapon the Stormguard trained her to be, to save not only her daughter, but her people . . .

Read this action-packed and unique fantasy adventure from debut Scottish author, Ian Green. Perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive series or Sam Sykes' Seven Blades In Black.

Pre-order on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3ryUIwY

UK:

Foyles- https://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/fiction-poetry/the-gauntlet-and-the-fist-beneath,ian-green-9781800244108

Waterstones- https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-gauntlet-and-the-fist-beneath/ian-green//9781800244108

WHSmith- https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/the-gauntlet-and-the-fist-beneath/ian-green/hardback/9781800244108.html

Bookshop.org- https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-gauntlet-and-the-fist-beneath/9781800244108

Australia:

Dymocks- https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/gauntlet-and-the-fist-beneath-by-green-ian-green-9781800244139

Booktopia- https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-gauntlet-and-the-fist-beneath-ian-green/ebook/9781800244078.html

HaperCollinsAU- https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781800244078/the-gauntlet-and-the-fist-beneath/

Ghost art, draft maps, pencil lines, action!

It is sunny in Algiers, the trees are in blossom and the sea is sprightly. Lockdown restrictions have jsut eased here a little (10pm-5am curfew still in place) as COVID-19 cases have reduced in number, so hopefully more of a chance to move around soon- got my eye on some roman ruins to the south near the canyon city of Constantine, famed for its bridges and cliffs. Fingers crossed for some expeditions soon.

What is going on?

THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH launches in about 5 months! The cover art is almost finalised, and the full swing of marketing and promotion is coming in to play. This is all new to me so looking forward to learning as much as I can. Hopefully this means some varied content will be appearing over the next few months to try and build some excitement for the launch. Copy-edits are locked in and I’m excited to get to share this with you all after so long of it only being in my head.

BOOK 2 is well underway and I’m enjoying the experience of writing it a lot. It is a strangely different rejoining these characters rather than starting from whole-cloth, but I know them so well at this point that there is an element of ease in putting them in a situation and seeing how they react (except for the new characters where I get to start from the start). I have a draft title, but who knows where it’ll end up so for now we will stick with ‘Book 2’. Outlook: sunny. The first book is a frenetic chase, so keeping up that pace for book 2 has been the main challenge but I think it is coming together with an appropriately break-neck pace- we will see what the alpha-readers think! Being in the scrappy early stage of one book whilst simultaneously polishing an almost shelf-ready other book is a bit strange, but I’ve been digging into Tolkien’s draft maps (see an example from The Silmarillion below) to remind myself that everyones drafts look crazy!

FUN STUFF been digging into a lot of research recently, enjoying work from the artist Hokusai, old book covers, rune drawings from historical research documents- all of it gets added to the well, and the choice parts make their influence felt. I’ve been doing an introductory drawing class with South African artist Rebecca Haysom for the last month to try and improve my rough sketches which has been very satisfying. In a year so dedicated to screens and words, sitting down with a pencil and paper and really focusing has been a wonderful experience, and her classes on line/tone/texture and so on offer up an introduction to a lot of these concepts for someone like me who hasn’t studied art for a long time! Perhaps some more of my sketches to come…

Runestones, drafting, and Judges ᛉᚷᛏᚫ

It is the end of 2020! The less said about that the better on most counts.

What is happening? I’m finalising the copyedits of GAUNTLET book 1 before it goes to formatters/printers, hoping to catch any wee mistakes in continuity etc. This has been great as I am deep in the first draft of book 2, a nice reminder of open threads and pertinent details. I’m out in Algiers, where COVID-19 has led to some strong restrictions- we are all living under a 8pm-5am curfew, which curtails the fun a wee bit. Some big storms have been blowing through, but the oranges on the tree outside are ripe and the view across the mediteranean sea is beautiful as ever.

2021 is going to be a big year for me, mainly centered around the launch of GAUNTLET, the delivery of book 2 to my publishers at Aries, and hopefully getting some time hiking in. Last year i was meant to spend 6 months hiking inthe woods and ended up only doing a few weeks, so this year I’m aiming for at least a few weeks and we will see where we land. The Kungsleden trail in Sweden is currently high on my list, 273 miles through arctic wilderness where elk, bears, and wolves still roam.

I got some runestones as a christmas present- a lot of the magic system in GAUNTLET is about pattern, and how patterns call to patterns beyond themselves. I used the elder futharc rune system as a model for the alphabet used by the Ferron/Undal mages, but as with all languages it is inherently limited. The magic an Undal mage might conjure with a rune may be equally conjured by a mage from elsewhere by use of an image, an incantation, or a gesture. However, four patterns are linked to forces far beyond any mere human mage: ᛉᚷᛏᚫ.

These are the marks of the JUDGES.

I can’t wait for you to meet them.

ᛉᚷᛏᚫ

The ruin of empire

I went to Tipasa, west of Algiers. ~2600 years ago this was a Carthaginian port, where Punic ships would anchor up to trade with the indigenous populations. The Romans took over, up until a Vandal invasion in the 430's AD which heralded a slow decline of the port into obscurity and ruin. At varying points over the last 3000 years the area has been settled by the indigenous people, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, and probably more. Now, the ruins are listed as a UNESCO world heritage site . The mosaics still hold colour 2000 years on, and the olive trees grow through and around the ruins.

On a nearby tomb, the intricate stonework of the Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania stands stark against blue sky, with an imposing position over the surrounding hills of red dirt and clay, rows of olive trees, the shadow of mountains to the south and the calm of the Meditaranean sea to the north. The tombs is the resting place of Cleopatra Selene II (daughter of Mark Antony, Roman Triumvir, and Queen of Egypt Cleopatra VII). You can see the chiselled grafiiti of 19th century vandals in the stonework, given an air of importance by the passage of time (but still a blotch).

In Tipasa you can see a row of what 2000 years ago were houses or storefronts on a street leading down to the sea, where fishing boats could anchor. Take a few streets back from the ruins and there are homes and storefrotns, and you can buy fish from the new (old) fishing port- life goes one much as it always has, as it does everywhere.

For now, curfew in Algiers is set to 8pm to 5am as the Covid case count rises, and I am doign a little freelance work, a little french, and a lot of writing on the second book in the GAUNTLET trilogy. I’ve always been fascianted by ruins- the ruins of castles in scotland and abandoned homesteads on the desolate moors of the north west were some of the inspiration for the aesthetic and feeling I wanted to convey in GAUNTLET. Whenever I travel, I’m always drawn to these remnants of another time that always underlie where we are now. One of my favourite things about Tolkien’s work is how the world not only feels thoroughly populated by believable cultures, but also feels as if it has a rich history; the Shire is full of Hobbits, but there was stonework there before them, hints of cultures come and gone. In Britain is it much the same. The Motte and Bailey earthworks of some ancient chief or king that are now crowned in trees in the middle of a cemetery; the barrow that is nothign more than an odd hill to the rambler today. In Algeria, in Scotland, in Middle Earth, the world is inhabited but it is also inherited.

Concept art; Book 2; Algerian spice

Bonjour! Hello. What is happening?

CONCEPT ART- I’ve collected below a few images from my ‘concept art’ folder for THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH. Since the project began I’ve been collecting bits and pieces from all over the place whenever they feel right. You can also check out this Pinterest board for more ideas of what inspired the world of my first novel

WRITING UPDATE- currently waiting on some final notes for THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH, and I’m underway with Book 2! Plotting this has been a lot of fun, and I think there is a lot of great action to come. GAUNTLET is a fast-paced adventure, so I’m hoping to maintain the momentum with book 2 even as we see more of the world of Morost and the people within it.

LIFE- I’ve now been in Algiers for just over a month. My french is slowly improving, and I’m exploring more every day. It is a beautiful city and I’ve not even begun to scratch the surface, but so far the people are lovely and the food is great so I’m happy

Whats coming up? Hopefully some travel (COVID allowing) and a lot more writing. Trying to figure the best way for sharing stuff like concept art and cool things I find during research, mainly it will be on twitter I think!

THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH

What is happening? So many exciting things, so many strange things.

THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH book 1 of my fantasy trilogy is coming out summer 2021 with the Aries Fiction imprint of Head Of Zeus, so a year away! I am currently in the process of doing some edits, but very shortly it will be back with the publishers and the slow march to publication will begin. And then book 2 will begin in earnest…

I was meant to be in the desert and the woods from March-September. It is now September, and I am far from the woods. This year has been bizarre. I’m currently en route to Algiers where I’ll be based for the next few years. It is an insane time to be trying to move continent, and juggling it around edits, work, and some desperate French lessons. All seems to be balancing so far so fingers crossed.

This is my first novel, so I’m incredibly excited to move through the process and learn as much as I can and get this book in your hands!

THE GAUNTLET AND THE FIST BENEATH

Eyes sharp, blades sharper

The very best news. My debut fantasy novel is being published summer 2021 by the Aries Fiction imprint of Head Of Zeus. I’m incredibly excited to get this opportunity, and can’t wait for you to read the epic first entry to this saga.

In their words:

Welcome to Aries @IanTheGreen! Ian's #fantasybook #TheGauntletandtheFistBeneath has it all:

Goblins to battle

Medieval village terrorised

Awesome magic

Good vs evil showdown

Shine your gauntlets and get ready folks, this is one epic read!

Auspicious company; Megalithic grave mounds

Mic Cheetham Agency updated their website- I am up there! Some of the other writers represented here have been absolutely pivotal in my development. I’m super exceited, more news to come.

http://miccheetham.com/portfolio-item/ian-green/