'The Secret Chronicles of Lost Magic' is a collection of standalone stories, rather than a series, all set in the same world. There'll be eight books in total, with The Raven as the first and Dragonshade the second. Each book begins with an introduction by the Sage Vivlian of Wyllt, who chronicles evidence of magic-use she has discovered during her travels. The fourth book will vary a little from the others, as Vivlian herself will be a major character. Books five to eight won't appear for quite some time.

 

The idea for such a collection of novels, set in the same world, came about when I sat down to begin world building for an epic fantasy series. I found the process surprisingly boring – it felt like writing an encyclopedia rather than a creative work. While attempting to invent a deep and rich history of the world, I found myself researching prehistoric cultures and the story of Izhur and Iluna popped into my head (the two main characters in The Raven). 

 

What eventuated was a decision to scrap the encylopedia, and write a collection of standalone novels that would build the history, culture, religion, politics and magic system for me. Thus, each novel will take place in different historical eras, and while they will not form a conventional series, with one story following the events of another, they will be linked through Vivlian.

 

As the story of this new fantasy world grows, I'll  be including a map. I love maps in fantasy, so just for fun, here's one I've been working on...