The Necromancer’s Nephew
(Book One of The Songreaver’s Tale)
When the Dragon Lord’s army destroys the city of Brenhaven, ten year old Garrett is badly burned and left for dead in the ashes. Rescued by a mysterious sorcerer, Garrett finds a new life, and learns a grisly trade in Wythr, the tomb-city of necromancers. Now, with the help of a ghoul, a zombie, and a girl who drinks blood, Garrett must discover the secrets buried beneath the ancient city and find a way to end the Dragon Lord’s fiery reign.
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The Hungering Flame
(Book Two of The Songreaver’s Tale)
Garrett, an apprentice necromancer, flees the tomb city of Wythr with the help of his friends, a ghoul who likes pies and the vampire girl he would follow anywhere. Can they find the lost necromancers and their army of the dead, rumored destroyed by the fanatical war priests of the Chadiri Empire? Garrett must face his greatest fears and escape the cleansing flames of the inquisition in the hope of forging a new alliance that might turn the tide of the war.
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Songreaver
(Book Three of The Songreaver’s Tale)
On the road home from a hard-won victory against the armies of the Chadiri dragon lord, the young sorcerer Garrett encounters an insidious new threat, unlike any he’s faced before. With the help of his friends, a ghoul, a vampire, and a girl who doesn’t exist, he must find the secret of an ancient magic that slumbers far beneath the tomb city of the death goddess.
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The Frostwoven Crown
(Book Four of The Songreaver’s Tale)
Garrett must walk a perilous line between his duty to the sisterhood of the death goddess and his loyalty to the brotherhood of necromancers as he seeks to uncover the identity of a traitor in their midst. Yet it is his love for the vampire girl Marla that may prove his undoing when the secret of her true lineage comes to light. All of this would be challenge enough for any young necromancer, even without the power of an ancient sorcerer king awakening within him, but now he’s pretty sure that he’s being followed by something very small and very angry. He’s going to need a lot more zombies.
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Sword of the Spellbreaker
(Book Five of The Songreaver’s Tale)
As young Garrett and his friends struggle to rebuild their city after a devastating attack, the Brotherhood of Necromancers calls upon him to lead an expedition to the North. A sinister force there threatens to consume all who would defy the Red God’s will, and Garrett’s only hope of saving those he loves may be to surrender to the brooding power of the Songreaver within him. Across the mountains, Marla returns at last to the city of vampires, where she must face the ultimate test of her humanity and learn the secret of the draconic power that flows through her veins.
The Dead Goddess stirs, ancient demons stalk the land, and the girl no one can remember finally gets the waiter to bring her drink. Such world-shattering revelations await within the pages of Book Five of The Songreaver’s Tale: Sword of the Spellbreaker!
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Trials of the Twiceborn
(Book Six of The Songreaver’s Tale)
Garrett once dreamed of returning to Astorra with an army of the living dead at his back. Now that he has, the prospect of bringing justice to the traitor prince seems more like a nightmare. A wall of shining steel and good men’s honor stands between the young necromancer and his long-awaited vengeance. Now Garrett must contend, not only with an army of knights seeking the glory of taking his head in single combat, but with the growing power of the Spellbreaker’s spirit within him. He’ll soon learn that not even the dead rest easy in the shadow of King Cabre’s throne.
Far to the south, Marla and her companions must search for the very birthplace of dragonkind to find what secrets lurk in the shattered ruins of the world that was. Could the Dragon Queen herself be hidden, somewhere in the misty depths of lost Uroe, or will the vampire girl be forced to search within for a way to stop the demonic Volgrem?
Heads will roll (well, at least one) in Trials of the Twiceborn!
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Black Wolf’s Bargain
(Book Seven of The Songreaver’s Tale)
The armies of the dead stand, prepared to march into the land of the Red God, and Garrett, Deathlord and Reaver of Songs, must lead them. Somewhere beyond Chadir’s bleak cliffs lies Brenhaven, the city that he once called home. What sort of welcome have the red priests prepared there for the young necromancer and his friends? It will probably involve a lot of fire.
Across the sea, Marla and her vampire companions struggle to accept the revelation of her true birthright. Surrounded by more dragons than she had ever dreamed existed, all looking to her now for guidance, she must step from the shadows into the light of a new dawn for dragons, fae, and humans alike.
And just where do those white ghouls keep sneaking off to anyway? Find out all this and more in Black Wolf’s Bargain, Book Seven of The Songreaver’s Tale!
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The Breaking Word
(Book Eight of The Songreaver’s Tale)
The Songreaver is missing!
In the hour of his greatest triumph, Garrett the necromancer found only despair. Now, he has disappeared into the night with the ashen-skinned demon who wants him to destroy the world. His friends must band together to bring him home again, before it is too late to save whatever is left of the boy they all love.
The north has risen to overthrow the iron-fisted rule of the Chadirian Empire, and rumors run wild among the Fae that the Dragon Queen herself has returned. Ancient wolf spirits stalk the shadows, and dead gods stir in their graves beneath smoldering mountains.
The tapestry of fate has begun to unravel, and Garrett still has a few strings to pull.
The Breaking Word is available at:
Is there going to be anymore Songreavers tale books .
Hi, Steve,
Thanks for checking in. The next book in the Songreaver’s Tale is still in the works, though, to be perfectly honest, I haven’t written much on it lately, as I’ve been pretty discouraged by the lack of interest in the previous book. Book 7 really hasn’t done nearly as well as the previous entries in the series, and the reviews have been pretty sparse. I mean, I’m 7 books into this series, and I’ve yet to see it mentioned anywhere online besides pirate sites giving it away for free, and even those don’t have any buzz for the books. 8)
I still intend to finish Garrett’s story, I’m just really not in a good place emotionally at the moment, and I don’t think it would do the characters justice to write about them right now.
Perhaps marketing issue?
I’m afraid that marketing has never been my strong suit.
Perhaps you should look for a more well known publisher for the series if possible. Also, I personally think that Garett has plunged down a rabbit hole without a rope. I would have liked some sense of internalized positivity on his part throughout this; some stronger claim to who he was in the first book. In the next book, it would be nice for him to become a dragon finally. I think that you may have spaced that out too long for my taste. I would like to see him try to save his newfound daughter while fighting against her. It would also be interesting too see him interact with Marla, while both of them being dragons.
To me, it seems like the fist Songreaver was a reluctant executioner forced too kill the “undesirables.” It would be interesting too see Garett, the new incarnation of the original, finally accept this. I also think that it would be interesting for him too call out the Empress on her role as a general who instead of killing the condemned herself, save once, sent others to do it for her and take on the guilt and responsibility. Stating that he at least accepted responsibility and did not force others to take his burden.
I suppose I am trying to say that it would be nice for Garett to become comfortable with himself and who he is in all of this in whatever form you decide that takes. Though, do not make him a villain! That would kill the series.
Oh, and it would be interesting for that one racist vampire that instructed Marla to go too far and finally be confronted by both Marla and Garett at some point. Perhaps Garett could strip her of her vampirism.
Some great points you make there. Thank you!
I think I’m really struggling on Garrett’s next step right now, and I’m afraid that I’m letting my own emotions bleed over into Garrett’s a little more than they should.
Perhaps then you could use him to make a decision about yourself. I cannot state any example, but I vaguely recall hearing of authors that used their characters to explore their own emotions. Giving their work a sense of depth that it may otherwise have lacked.
Whatever you decide about Garett or yourself; I personally think that Garett needs to realize/decide who he is and decide where he goes next. Obviously, he is going to attempt to save his friends as he always has before. Yet, I think that the way in which he attempts to do so should evolve with him. In the past few books he carried himself well, but at some point he needs to finish this internal struggle of who he is and embrace himself and who he is. A constant theme is his fear of himself and what he can do as the Songreaver; it would be nice to see at least some more of that fear give way to understanding.
Though, I would take all of this with a grain of salt as it has been some time since I have read the series.
I do like how all of the characters have matured and grown as the story goes on. I am fascinated in seeing how they continue too. Especially, how their motivations may change as they grow.
My idea, is to have Garrett spy on his daughter. Play the part that she would have him play at her side without compromising himself. Then intervene almost halfway through the book when she attempts to kill one of his friends or an innocent right in front of him. Then have him help Marla with her failing attempts at uniting the vampires with the fae slaves. After all, Garrett is a hero to the fae who knowing that Marla was a vampire would have reason to fear her. While the vampire naturally fear Garrett and see Marla as a savior/messiah; you could create some interesting interactions between characters and groups.
Oh! You could have Garrett turn fully dragon when his daughter tries to strike him down for his perceived betrayal of her.
Not sure how I feel about Garrett fully “draking out”, but he’s surprised me many times before, so I wouldn’t put it past him. 8)
And thank you for helping get enthused about the story again!
Glad to hear it!
I think Garrett becoming a dragon like Marla is something of a necessity. Think of Marla as the avatar of summer while Garrett is the avatar of winter. For a lack of better words and put as concisely as I can; they are necessary opposites that have more in common than not.
They both sort of strike me as guardians of life and death in different ways. Garrett protects life while having power over the dead and to empower and influence them while Marla protects life while having the power to control and create it. In the end, I think that they both need each other; that they are both the missing half of the other. ?
I am simply an aspiring writer that has never written a book my self.
That said, some may think this too predicable of story points. Yet, the story is in how things happen if it does. In almost every story, readers usually know that the hero/heroine will win in some way shape or form with some amount of sacrifice or not. The story is in how it happens. The twists and turns, some perhaps predicable yet no less exciting while others are unknown.
Look at the Inheritance series; it was always obvious that Eragon was going to win somehow. I didn’t even read the Twilight Saga because it was too much of a romance series, and for the sake of whatever gods there are vampires should NEVER SPARKLE, and I knew basically how it was going to end like most readers. Their popularity is in how the obvious was used and the mysteries in between unfolded.
I am fascinated in seeing how the events continue to unfold in this series. ?
I actually checked online weekly too see if the last book had come out yet several months after Trials of the Twiceborn had come out.
You should go for it and write the first book. Believe me, the first one is the hardest. After that, you know you’ve done it before.
Again, thanks for taking such an interest in the story. It really helps to know that readers are so invested in Garrett’s adventures.
What us your personal deadline for the next book?
To be honest, I’m not really sure right now. Summers are always bad for me since moving back to Texas, and I’m really struggling with depression right now. I usually pick up again, emotionally-speaking, once the cooler weather hits, and maybe I’ll be in a better place to finish the book then.
I actually had depression all through middle school and high school. Which is perhaps one of the worst developmental stages in one’s life too have depression and to have something of an existential crisis. It also didn’t help that I moved during high school too a small xenophobic community to a class of 12 with around 7 being bullies. I actually had people from other classes telling me how sorry they felt for me. The teachers weren’t allowed to help me because the principal was the football coach and almost everyone in my class was in sports. My depression eventually ended when I came to understand myself and the world around me better. I never knew why I was depressed until afterwards. I think I just knew too much before learning to have hope. It also didn’t help that I did not know myself well enough to anchor myself in the storms of life. Coupled with anxiety issues, I was constantly afraid and almost hopeless. I even contemplated suicide for months on end.
Looking back on it. I have some regrets, yet I don’t think that I would totally change the horror that I went through. I learned a great deal through all of that pain and it made me the person that I am now.
So, I hope it help to know that others can empathize with what you are going through and, that no matter how horrible things look, there is always hope in the world even if most people don’t seem to notice it. It took me a long time to notice it myself. To relize that no matter how horrible thing were for me, how terrified I was of the world (and the students of my high school class), or how crushingly depressed I was that there was something too keep going on for. Moments that formed the arguement against giving up on life.
Which, I think has given me a unique perspective of life and death with a significant appreciation for the former and respect for the latter.
Well, at any rate, I hope that you find your way though your depression as soon as possible.
I am still eager to see where the Songreaver’s Tale goes.
Thank you, and I’m glad you found your way through the dark times. I had a rough go for a while in the Jr High and High School years, but at least my teachers and most of my peers were pretty cool. I’ve learned to live through depression, but I’m always looking for new ways to fight it, because I hate how much of my life it robs from me.
Anyway, here’s looking forward to cooler weather and better days!
Oh, and winter is my favorite season as well. Mostly due to Christmas, the lack of insects, and only needing warmer close to deal with the weather.
This series of books is literally amazing. From the UK and have been looking for a series of books that actually capture the imagination. Amazing, love the strong characters and the directions you’ve taken it all! Literally bought one book and have now read all 6 books in 3 days and into the seventh tomorrow.
Definitely a fan of your writing and would love to know when you plan the bring our book 8?
Also great that this could go full circle with Marla and Garrett or even splinter off!!
Thank you very much! I’m really glad that you’re enjoying the series so much.
I’m well into writing book 8 now, but I’m afraid I don’t know exactly when it will be done. Things have gotten much more complicated for Garrett and friends, and I’m worried that I might not tell their story as well as it should be told. Still, the weather’s finally turned for the better here, and with it my mood, so I have high hopes that we will see book 8 live by early next year.
Again, I really appreciate all the love and support I’ve received from people like you. It goes a long way toward keeping me going in the storytelling process.
Thank you!
I absolutely love The Songreaver’s tale, fast paced with wonderful characters. Found the series recently on Amazon and I’ve read all 7 so far in about a month! I’m really looking forward to book 8.
Thank you very much! I’m glad you’re enjoying the series. Book 8 should be fun… if I can keep all these characters from running off the edges of the map! 8)
I really love this series!
For the next book, I think that Garrett needs to come to terms with who/what he really is, interact and bond with the former spellbraker and also, concerning his draconic heritige, I think that he should keep his human form but be recognised as a half dragon or something similar. I would love to see more of the former spellbraker as we haven’t really seen much of him over the last few books.
Anyway, I know I will love and thoroughly enjoy whatever the next book may bring!
Thank you, and sorry I missed your post. For some reason I wasn’t getting notifications.
Garrett is definitely going to have to face the ghosts of his past, or rather, the Songreaver’s past, in the coming book.
Any idea of when the next book will be coming out? I am anxious to see what happens next.
Sorry I missed your post. My notifications weren’t coming through for some reason.
Thanks for writing, I appreciate your support! Hopefully the next book should be ready before next summer.
Hey Necro just saying that personally I think that the 7th book was absolutely great especially with Marla’s POV since she’s a goddamn dragon, I’ve re-read that specific story line about 4 or 5 times and still cannot get over the part where Marla controls the Emissary.
Also can you give us an estimation of how big the actual size she is because in my mind she ranges from the size of around 100 metres long to a 500 metre behemoth.
I’m really sorry to hear about the pirating thing and these books rival that of even Eragon and your writing is really underappreciated.
Thank you! I should definitely nail down Marla’s scale. I intended for her to be big, but not quite as big as the original Queen. So far, I haven’t really needed to specify exactly how big she is, but that’s probably just laziness on my part.
Hey man, is there any other way we can support you other than that of actually buying the books such as a donation system set up or no?
I had a Patreon page set up, but only like three people showed up, and that just made me more depressed, which was the opposite effect of what I had intended, so I shut it down.
Honestly, the best way you can support me is by reviewing the books online and telling your friends about them. You can always point people to the first book’s audio version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPdrXe83AUI
Thank you for your support!
Don’t worry I’ve already got all my 9 friends in on the books and they’ll be sure to read them and keep up the good work.
Thank you! I appreciate it!
BTW I love this idea its the first time I’ve actually been able to talk with an author I’m actually interested in and it’s a really cool experience. Kudos to you!
Also is there an ETA for the next book?
What are the general powers and characteristics of the volgrem? I’ve been thinking it over and have come to the conclusion that Garrett may actually become a volgrem in of himself. Could you shed any light on this subject? 🙂
Well, so far, we’ve learned that the Volgrem tend to think of themselves as both singular and plural, depending on how focused they’re feeling at the time. They also can travel through the Void, whatever that is, to speed their travel. They have the ability to torture or even kill with the power of their touch, though they seem to be able to mitigate this, if they are feeling particularly charitable towards someone. They can assume the form of dead people whose remains they have access to, but have a hard time concealing their unwholesome appearance without the use of further disguises.
As for Garrett, he and the Volgrem share a common connection, though just how much of a connection remains to be seen.
Hope that helps!
Thanks for the insight.
I really liked all the books and the way Garrett has changed during his adventure.
Thank you very much! I’m glad you’re enjoying the story!
Any ideas as to when the next book will be out?
I’m really hoping to have it finished by this summer, but it’s been a hard year for Songreaving, I’m afraid.
I really hope your in a better place, I am eagerly looking forward to where Garrett ends up, I’m particularly interested in reading the Garrett and Marla reunion, that is bound to be thrilling considering everything that has happened since they last saw one another.
Anyways I thought as a reader who enjoyed your books I should give you some words of encouragement.
Keep up the amazing work.
Thank you so much for writing! I really appreciate your support. I’ll admit that I’ve felt a bit overwhelmed of late, and, more often than not, I don’t feel like I’m doing a very good job of telling Garrett’s story. Still, I need to tell it, and I’m getting there, even if it feels like I’m crawling uphill most days.
Hearing from folks like you really helps.
Thank you!
Love the books. Please keep writing them.
Thank you!
Do you have any date set for when you will be finished with the next book or any previews that you feel comfortable sharing?
I am very anxious for the next book and check here regularly for updates.
Thank you for your patience!
I’m hoping to have the next book finished in time for Christmas, though the story is fighting me at every turn and doing its best to make me feel like I have no idea what I’m doing.
I do like your idea about posting a preview, if you folks don’t mind a pretty rough edit with a bit of spoilers in it. I’ll try and put one together over the next few days and post it here. It has been far too long since we’ve heard from the Songreaver!
I read the preview. As I am sure that you can imagine, I would have liked it to have been longer and indicate more about the next book. ?
That said I certainly found it interesting.
I am still hoping that Garrett finally becomes a dragon. I was thinking that it would be cool if his scales were blue, but had a sort of frosty silver finish to them. I was also thinking that it would be interesting to have the transformation happen in front of all of his friends/family and that it be as a result of the Volgrem attempting to kill all of them and Garrett stepping in the way to prevent that.
I love your series, but do take your time, I will buy it as soon as I notice it is out:D
Love the series and I have gotten attached to the characters. Keep up the good writing!
Thank you! It’s always good to hear from my readers!
read your first book and got hooked and bouth them all =) love them <3 can't w8 for the next one.
Is there a date for the next book yet?
Do you know yet when the next book will be finished?
Hopefully, the first draft should be finished by the end of next month, unless Garrett throws me another curve-ball… which is always a possibility.
Do you know yet when the next book will be ready?
Yeah, when will the next book be published?
I really love your books. I can’t wait for the 8th book, and I think your problem with not many people reading this is that the first 3 books are kinda slow but keep up the great work.
Do you have any idea or personal deadlines for when the next book will be released?
Hi, and sorry I just noticed your post.
Book 8 is currently in final proof-reading, and I’m working on the cover art now. Hopefully, it should see the light of day, sometime in the next few weeks!
Do you have an author’s email?
I’m afraid I don’t check email very often these days, but, if you’d like, I’d be happy to send you an email to the address you provided in your login.
Andy
do you have any idea when the next book would be coming back cause i really enjoied the latest book
Thanks, Johny!
I’m glad you enjoyed The Breaking Word! I certainly hope Book 9 doesn’t take nearly as long as Book 8 did. Things have gotten pretty difficult for me of late, and I’m in a bit of a bad place mentally at the moment, but I suppose the same could be said of most of the world right now. In any case, I am looking forward to seeing how this all works out for Garrett and friends, and I hope things take a turn for the better soon.
Andy
Also, did you check out “Deepwater’s Daughter?”
8)
Just wanted to say thanks for the stories! Keep up the good work, I look forward to where to goes from here.
Thank you!
I love these book series , it is very exciting to read , and I could not put it down , when is started it . My one question is , when is book 9 coming out ?
Thank you very much! It’s good to hear from you, and I’m glad you’re enjoying the series. Book 9 is progressing a bit slower than I’d hoped, but I’m still on target to release it sometime this year. Sorry I can’t be more specific than that, but the characters are being a bit stubborn about my desire to wrap up some of their storylines!
Any News on book 9?
Book 9 is now with the proofreaders, and hopefully should be back for final edits soon.
Thanks for your patience!