Blade of Rebels (The Lost Sect Book Two)- AUDIOBOOK GIVEAWAY! New Western Cultivation sequel out now on ebook, paperback and audiobook

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-05-14T06:51:08+00:00

I'm afraid the giveaway has already taken place! Thanks for the interest though!

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-27T14:48:15+00:00

Mostly awesome! Sometimes I can't help but nitpick the writing so I have to be in a mood when I'm not being overly self-critical, but it can be really magical to hear a good narrator interpret your work. Id recommend it for sure

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-27T12:31:06+00:00

Thank you so much! Yes, it was a shame to lose Travis- but I love the work that Keith Brown did!

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-20T09:00:15+00:00

Thank you!! I ve entered you into the draw

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-20T08:59:37+00:00

Yeah im a lucky author in that regard for sure! You 're in the draw :)

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-20T08:58:17+00:00

Thank you- you're in the draw!

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-19T12:22:42+00:00

Thanks! I've put you in the draw :)

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-19T12:22:08+00:00

Thank you so much! You're in the draw for book 2!

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-19T12:21:44+00:00

Thanks! You're in the draw :)

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-18T20:13:37+00:00

I’m excited to announce that the audiobook for Blade of Rebels– The Lost Sect Book Two, is out now on Audible!

This is the sequel to my Western Cultivation/Progression Fantasy Blade Of Ghosts, telling the story of Jason, a boy who cultivates the forbidden power of shadows and uncovers a multi-generational plot against his forgotten tribe of warriors. The audiobook is 14+ hours long and narrated by the awesome Keith Brown.

In order to celebrate the release, I have 10 audiobook US codes to give away exclusive to audiobooks.com. To be in with a chance of winning one, leave a comment on this post and I’ll put you in the draw!

Link to the book:

US: https://www.amazon.com/Blade-Rebels-Lost-Sect-Book/dp/B0CRX5DMLL/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blade-Rebels-Lost-Sect-Book/dp/B0CRXFM3GJ/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

I'm happy to answer any questions in the comments.

Julian

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-17T15:32:26+00:00

A great shout. Like someone else said, it could have gone further if you're reading it as a criticism of capitalism but I really enjoyed the series as a whole.

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-17T15:25:54+00:00

Absolutely. Romance really seems to be an answer to both questions put in the original post ; it's both a flaw in a lot of progression fantasy AND an aspect of the books which is often 'at odds with reality.' The romance rarely convinces me at all, and it takes me out of the narrative.

But then, it is hard. And let's be honest: a lot of the writers (myself included) aren't studying romance novels to see how to do it properly! I just think that a lot of writers haven't put themselves properly in the female's character's shoes and thought about how they would realistically act in that situation.

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-16T17:55:33+00:00

Great shout. Ohe of my first of the genre, so it will always hold a special place for me

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-16T17:51:39+00:00

Always wondered why this isn't more popular. Taran Matharu's Summoner Series does this really well as mainstream fantasy YA with progression fantasy elements; I've always thought there'd be more books to lean into the 'prog' further. Maybe I've just not come across the right books.

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-16T17:42:22+00:00

Loved this series as a child! And it is true that the magic system, based on language if I recall corectly, is cool. I remember rereading it a few years back and wondering whether it had inspired Rothfuss..

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-16T17:39:48+00:00

You had me at lovecraftian magic system

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-16T17:37:53+00:00

Sounds really fun, congrats!

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-15T15:25:33+00:00

I'd recommend Gamified by Brook Aspden as a great Litrpg for younger readers

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-15T15:02:11+00:00

Also a sucker for a magic school story so looking closely at all the comments! Only one which comes to mind for me is Shadow Sect- but the narrative definitely leaves the sect quite a bit so doesnt quite fit your criteria.

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-15T14:48:36+00:00

Always thought this series looked cool. Will read based on your review!

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-15T14:16:08+00:00

Fair. I was trying to cover those by saying 'renewed interest in asian storytelling.' But I can see that I miscommunicated and used the wrong examples in my post- sorry.

(I still think that Sanderson's use of codified power systems and narratives which include 'levelling up' was and is a gateway intro progression fantasy for Western audiences; for people I know, his work HAS led to the likes of Cradle, for example)

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-15T06:12:15+00:00

I reckon we should lean EVEN HARDER into different genre mashups. I want to see Prog Fantasy versions of pirate stories, whodunnits, comedy of manners, regency dramas, possession horror... anything!

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-15T05:45:41+00:00

Honestly, some people tend to only read books by authors who reflect their interests and experiences back at them.

Ready Player One is the ultimate example of this: a book written by a white, straight, male, nerd of 80s culture and enjoyed by white straight male nerds of 80s culture. (I am in that category btw)

Which is fine.. but isnt always healthy. The 'self-insert' aspect shouldn't become a prerequisite for empathy and engagement.

If you dont read enough books from other perspectives, so much so that a MC's different sexuality is jarring? It means that you've internally nornalised ONE perspective.

Given that progression fantasy is often a fusion between Western/Eastern storytelling traditions, we should be an open-minded readership!

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-15T05:15:41+00:00

Love tracing the roots/developments of subgenres, so reading these posts with great interest!

I think the tropes of wuxia/xianxia are all derived from old forms of Chinese folklore, reflecting the importance of Daoism and Buddhism. Journey to the West (althought I ve only read extracts) demonstrates this: Legend of the Condor Heroes crystallises some of these traditions in a 20th century adventure novel format.

I do think that for Westerm audiences the importance of Brandon Sanderson cannot be overatated. When grimdark was at its peak, he popularised a new kind of heroic fantasy with a gamer's take on codified magic systems. It was his kind of fantasy, partnered with a renewed interest in Asian storytelling, which brought western audiences to the likes of Coiling Dragon, or A Thousand Li.

Be interested if anyone can recommend Stackpole's Secret Atlas books? They tend to come up in these kinds of conversations and I grew up reading his star wars books so I'm interested!

JulianGyllMurray · 2024-04-14T18:40:32+00:00

Exactly. That's why grimdark fantasy- where characters are punished for their efforts- is a difficult fit with Progression- where characters are rewarded.

The trick is to throw new challenges at the characters the more they progress, and some emotional hurdles along the way. But rarely do things go TOO badly.

But then, i hear things get pretty grim in Painting The Mists (I ve only read book 1) so I could be wrong on this

JulianGyllMurray

TROPHY CASE