Sunday, April 30, 2017

April Update

Well, it looks like my foray into SF has been a success. To date Perilous Waif has sold almost twice as many copies as Extermination did in the same period, and the Kindle Unlimited readership is up 400%. So there are definitely going to be more Alice Long books on the way.

For those of you who prefer other formats, Perilous Waif is also available in print and audiobook versions. I must admit the sales of the print edition have been disappointing, but the audiobook (narrated by Mare Trevathan) seems to be pretty popular.

But I haven't forgotten all you Daniel Black fans. I took a bit of a break in February, and then spend several weeks struggling to convince my subconscious that this isn't the right time to start yet another new series. That left me with a collection of opening scenes and first chapters that will probably end up as Patreon rewards at some point, but I did finally manage to get my muse back on track.

At this point I've just started chapter 7 of Thrall, which is threatening to end up a bit longer than Extermination. If I had to guess at a release date right now I'd go with early fall, but as usual that may change depending on how the writing goes. If you don't want to wait that long, I'll be posting advance chapters as usual on my Patreon account over the next few months.

200 comments:

  1. Ok so just curious is thrall the new name for Daniel Black book 4 or is that possibly a 5th book

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  2. longer is always better and longer of daniel black series is even better, so yeah, longer please

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  3. Yaaayyy!!! You're alive and writing! Whoohoo!

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  4. Am eagerly awaiting the new book for Daniel Black. I was nervous with your branch out in SF but was very happy with the results perilous waif was smart and a great read.

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  5. Good to hear back from you! As for your books longer is better! Take all the time you need..

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  6. Longer is not a threat but a promise.

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  7. I love the Daniel Black series... but... I'm pretty sure when scaling them together I like the Alice Long series a bit more now. It could be because I just finished Perilous Waif and the story stands out more, but I don't believe that's the case. I am very interested in seeing where the next book goes and anxious to know how long I'll have to wait.

    Now, I know it's probably a bit forward to ask - but are you planning on alternating books, or focusing on one more than the other?

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    1. I actually have reread Perilous Waif multiple times and LOVE it. I am totally enthralled by the story so far, and cannot wait for the next one!

      Part of what I like is the humor mixed in with the action, so it doesn't feel too heavy and Brown's handling of a young female character is top notch.

      Mr. Brown, any chance of a second book by Christmas???

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    2. I'm going to echo Well-Read's line: "I've reread Perilous Waif" (though, in my case, I've only had it a week, so I'm in the middle of the second read). I am already planning on buying the rest of the series as they come out. I know you're disappointed in the hard copy sales, but I'm reading it on Kindle, so I can tote it around with the rest of my library when I travel for work.

      Great book. Do keep it up.

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  8. As though it meant anything, but I wish another Alice Long book was next. I love that girl and can't wait to read more of her adventures as she learns more about herself.

    I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of the Mirai battleship, Emperor's Hope, Strange Loop Sleuth, or Alice's mother.

    Bring her back SOON!

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  9. I haven't read Perilous Waif yet although it is in my reading queue. I would however love more of the Daniel Black series. I just recently finished the last installment.

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  10. I've been hooked on your Daniel Black series from the start. I've read them each three times,and I'm about to start them again. I am feeming.
    On a side note,you seem to have created a new genre with Daniel's magic cheat for enchanting,the Selfless Hero trilogy comes to mind,and as the pioneer you should coin a term for it. I hope you view imitation to be the sincerest form of flattery, as I see you enduring quite a bit of flattery in the future. :)

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  11. I've been hooked on your Daniel Black series from the start. I've read them each three times,and I'm about to start them again. I am feeming.
    On a side note,you seem to have created a new genre with Daniel's magic cheat for enchanting,the Selfless Hero trilogy comes to mind,and as the pioneer you should coin a term for it. I hope you view imitation to be the sincerest form of flattery, as I see you enduring quite a bit of flattery in the future. :)

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  12. I'm wondering if part of the reason for the print version of Perilous Waif not doing so well is the quality of the book.
    I read the Kindle version, liked it a lot, and so I did something I rarely do these days--I ordered a physical copy to keep on my shelf.
    And when I got it, and opened it, my immediate reaction was "Ugh."
    Because it's ugly.
    I have it with me now, as I type this, and seriously, looking at the pages inside makes me sad inside.
    Big, wide margins, vast bands of white space at the top and (especially) the botton... and yet the text is on the small side.
    I can't tell if the font is really as horrible as it looks, or if it's only the small size that makes it seem that way, but regardless, it hurts my eyes to look at it.
    I get that it's a long book, but using more of the page would have allowed a bigger, more comfy font size for no extra cost, which certainly wouldn't have made the print LESS readable.

    I hate not loving the physical copy; I like dead-tree books just fine. I grew up with them, and the fondness will never go away, even if I seldom read books in that format these days. I especially love the oversized floppy-cover paperbacks; for some reason those are just nice to handle, and I love reading them.
    But....
    Sigh.
    It looks pretty enough from the outside, I guess?
    I do like the cover art you got for it.

    Oh, and I've just read all the Daniel Black stuff over the course of a weekend, and liked those quite a bit as well, so I'm looking forward to anything new in either series.

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  13. Found you on a website chat board so i read the Daniel Black books after i was done , i picked up waif it rocked liked it better then the Black books and your body mod idea is friggen fantastic cant wait to see what happens next , so drop what ever your working on a do that series please .

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    1. Hey man he'll do what he wants, don't be a pushy jerk.

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    2. Oh you are the decider of which series is better? I think not. Do us all a favor and stop posting stuff on the internet.

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    3. Ease up guys, they may have been joking.

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  14. Woohoo an update. Thanks for filling us in Mr Brown. I look forward to the fall now. I will keep up with both of these series as you put them out.
    As for having other stories clamoring to be written any author knows how that goes.

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  15. Perilous Waif was the first book of yours that I read and I have not been as excited about a book since I read Peter F Hamilton work for the first time.

    It is a true SF book asking questions that really need to be asked in a fun way. What does the meaning of artificial intelligence and augmented intelligence mean. How will it shape society and what will pervasive nano tech mean as well. Especially when it is used to augment humans.

    I like how you also addressed issue like if you can upload your mind into a computer will people still consider you human? If you can interface with your computers mentally will you still need counsels? I think these are all questions that need to have people thinking about them and SF is the format to do that in. Thank your for taking a stab at it.

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  16. I so so SO need a new Daniel Black book. Ive read the three too many times.

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  17. Eagerly awaiting the next Daniel Black book. Already listened and read to all three several times. Jonesing for my next hit

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  18. So Thrall is the new book title for certain? because it was originally Revenant right? looking forward to it coming out in Fall then, I've been getting super impatient to find out what happens after Extermination. Hope Daniel Black keep getting consistent updates in future. Happy writing.

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  19. Congratulations on your branching out Alice books it was good but i LOVED your Daniel Black books. Most enjoyable series i've read for years. Will you be alternating releases from now on? Im so looking forward to Thrall :)

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  20. Thrilled to see you post, and I'm looking forward to the next installment of Daniel Black. Perilous Waif was good, but I prefer good old-fashioned fantasy to sci-fi anyday.

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  21. I liked both series but I found perilous waif to be better written. Daniel black is my preferred story type but every book you but out is easier to read. So i hope both series continues.

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  22. Do not know if you read these, but two opinions for you:

    Perilous Waif was a fantastic read. I say this as a Daniel Black fan, and a non-Sci-Fi reader.

    Longer books are not a bad thing for me, personally. Longer the better, I do not like the story to end... just opinions!

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  23. Can't wait :) I'm not surprised Perilous Waif is doing so well. Your Daniel Black fans are the ones buying those Alice Long books after all. Just please don't ignore Daniel Black! It's my favorite book series of all time and is be sad if I had to go 2+ years before I got to see another one.

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    1. Oh you are the decider of which series is better? I think not. Do us all a favor and stop posting stuff on the internet.

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    3. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, guys. For some, the Daniel series is your cup of osuno, for others Perilous Waif. Each to their own. I haven't read the Daniel series ... Perilous Waif was an Amazon suggestion, which I'm glad I took. So, no, not all of the copies is PW have been bought by Daniel fans.

      It is totally legitimate to hope/wish/beg for the next in the series you like to be the next published, but that is totally the decision of the author (and perhaps the publisher).

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    4. Never read a Daniel Black book. Loved PW... Will probably read the other series as well now!!

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  24. The Daniel Black books are fantastic. I just haven't been able to gain traction with perilous waif. I have read each book several times and listened to the audio books a couple time too. The wait fir the next book is killing me

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  25. I'm having trouble getting on to Patreon. When entering Patreon I get a huge icon covering the whole screen. How do you pledge?

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  26. Any of your Daniel Black fans undoubtedly purchased Perilous Waif. Don't trust sell numbers alone when it comes to indicating interest. I like both and look forward to both continuing.

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  27. The Daniel Black series by William E. Brown, The Demon Lord series by Morgan Blayde, The Dresden files series by Jim Butcher, and The Good Intentions series by Elliot Kay, are the only series on amazon, That have managed to keep me coming back to them, for the last 10 years give or take a few, and out of all of them, the blog I F5 the most is this one.

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  28. Just listened to the audio book of Perilous Wait. What a fun listen! I haven't read any of your other series, but this one definitely has my attention. Can't wait for book 2!

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  29. Regarding paperback sales part of the problem may be distribution. I went to Barnes and Noble and the Perilous Waif doesn't even exist in their database, neither as a paperback nor e-book. We even checked using the ibsn number.

    I finally bought the paperback on Amazon. Read it as an ebook and loved it

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  30. Would prefer Daniel Black over Perilous Waif, though Alice is fun, too.

    Your Patreon page is failing to load correctly.

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  31. While you work out your structure/storyline for the next (dozen?) DB-books….

    Could you feed us some background / information-tidbits?

    Some background information like you did with your sf-project (in July 2016)?

    In September 2015 we got some Information about nature spirts (the tree-fairies) and in March 2015 we got some answers about magic and magic users.

    There are so many more topics for info-dumps…

    Information about magic, monsters, persons, organisations, history, countries, cities, geography……..

    Or even better some (Kindle-)short stories to keep the readers interest and shorten the waiting period for the next book(s).
    What about recounting the story from the perspective of the wolfen/Gronir (transformation / formation of the pack / fights / interpack dealings / spy stuff with Cerise / basically book 1-3 through Gronir’s eyes / or only some short highlights….)?

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    1. I am not sure what the difficulty for doing this would be, but I would pay $3.99 for a collection of something like 5 short stories from alternate viewpoints. Examples being something like the adventures of a previous black coven, a story of Steelbinder(? its been awhile since my last reading I might not have his name right) either before or during his rise to power, A story of a goblin's or a giant's daily life, a story from the Bast and her last acolyte, A little bit of what life is like for the civvies within the Black Citadel and how they actually feel about him, and other things like that

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  32. Perilous Waif really surprised me. I expected a compelling tale but not such well designed science fiction. Combined with the action and the memorable characters this was a book I could not put down. Easily the best book I have read all year. I am really looking forward to more books in this series and I have bought the books in the authors other series as I also enjoy good fantasy.

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  33. thank you so much. I love the Daniel black books. been waiting forever for book 4. glad to know my waiting will come to and end. Keep up the good work

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  34. Somewhere in book 3 or 4. Alice meets Queen Victoria.

    Queen Victoria: Daddy, who is this?

    Captain Sokolov: Vicky meet Alice. Alice, my daughter Vicky.

    QV: Daddy, is Alice my sister?
    CS: Sweety, do you want Alice to be your sister?

    QV: Daddy, I am always happy to see you. I am not sure why this young woman is here. Why don't you send her back to the ship or where ever.

    A naval officer with lots of gold braid rushes in and has an intense whispered conversation with the queen.

    QV focuses on CS and asks: Daddy, system pickets have spotted a Mirai battleship on fast aproach. Do you happen to know anything about it?

    CS: I might.
    CS looks at Alice, then returns his attention back to the queen.

    CS: Sweety, you see... Alice has this "little yacht" that she calls when she feels that she is not welcome.

    QV: I think I see... Yes. I do believe I see now. Daddy, sister, I was going to have a cup of tea and the kitchen promised me some wonderful pastries. I would be delighted to have you join me.

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  35. please hurry up with the Daniel Black book. i can only reread and listen to the audio books so many times before i go crazy form ack of another book.

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  36. outstanding efforts on both of your series, like one of the posters stated, I love the writing style and it is getting better as you go. We are all waiting for your books to pop up in Amazon. Do you follow your forum often? You have quite the fanbase. We even promote you on one of our LitRPG forums on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGGroup/?ref=bookmarks
    I know you were saying you had some other series floating around in there, I'm sure we would LOVE if you wrote a series for LitRPG. ok ok, I'm sure we would love it AFTER we get our DB fix! :) just sayin :)

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  37. I'm not really a sci-fi fan, so I can only curse your good fortune. It really seems to be a success, even to my eyes. My own method is to look at the reviews on goodreads.

    Reviews of any volume past the first are completely worthless as any truly critical reviewers drop the series after the first volume. So volume 1 is the absolute best way to judge the success of a series.

    When compared to volume 1 of Daniel Black, you have a higher average rating 4.4(Alice Long)>4.1(Daniel Black).

    Alice long only has about a thousand less reviews than Daniel Black, but that is fairly meaningless. A lot of people only pick up a book after a few volumes have been released for it. So Alice Long will probably have great longevity so long as you keep releasing good volumes for it.

    Sigh, now Daniel Black has to share writing time with this series.

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  38. Is the Daniel black series continuing soon? Read the perilous waif twice. I injoyed both series.

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    1. Per the post: At this point I've just started chapter 7 of Thrall, which is threatening to end up a bit longer than Extermination. If I had to guess at a release date right now I'd go with early fall, but as usual that may change depending on how the writing goes.

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  39. Wow, just finished book one of Perilous Waif, really incredibly good.
    Begging for the next book. Will do a review a for u here in a bit as well.

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  40. Just re-read Perilous Waif for the 3rd time...it's really great...I've never run across anything like it. Can't wait for more...

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  41. Request: Please add a battle scene where Alice is in command of of the "Speedy Exit", ripple-firing missiles, wreaking havoc on the enemy, and making Beatrice afraid the ship will break up.

    New skill for Alice: microphone array. ***

    The bar is rowdy, and my eyes are drawn to an old spacer in a corner. I've read about wrinkles in Xenopedia, of course, but it's still a shock when I zoom in on the speakers' face. The old man is talking to an audience of rookies, who are hanging on to his every word, and I decide to listen in. It's not a big deal. The tactile sensors in my skin all double as microphones, turning my skin into a big microphone array, and picking out a single conversation from all the sounds in the bar is just math.

    The old spacer lowers his voice, and begins: "Aye, son, they bombed the Mirai home world until the crust melted all the way to the mantle. But have you ever heard of the last of the Mirai? The only survivor of that bloodthirsty race, a woman capable of taking on a cybertank single-handedly? A woman, wandering around in space, desperately looking for her lost child, killing anyone and everything that stands in her way? No? Well, when I was just a young cabin boy, the tramp freighter I worked on received a signal of an emergency beacon on a derelict spacecraft..."

    I look the captain in the face. "I suppose it would be poor form to ask around if someone has seen mom?"

    ***

    The microphone array idea is illustrated in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuENIkgd-Ig


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    1. What you are describing would be an easy upgrade of her passive sonar to give her selective directional pickup.

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    2. An innocent waif with zoom optics in her big, bright, violet eyes.

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  42. First. I like it.

    The bad part. If I recall right. The war with mirai took place 8? Years before the events of P waif. Alice herself is 6 years old So. I do not see how that spacer got old.

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  43. I'm afraid us DB fans will be left with a half done story for our next installment of the Daniel Black series. Their are not many authors who can pull off a two series storyline without one or both suffering with either being rushed or the stories seem to blend. Of late a number of my favorite authors have fell into one or the other of these situations where there latest story has not come up to the standard of it previous stories. Many things have made these author next installment seem either not the same as what came before or the author has added a new style to their story telling that throws the whole series upside-down. This doen't happen to New Author's only but veteran authors as well a good example of this is the David Webber series Safehold. It starts off with the reader following the main character throw each book but by the end of the series the reader was jumping all over the place. I was so disappointed with the latest book I couldn't even give it a review.

    I'm really hoping Mr Brown has not fell into this trap with DB and the wait is worth all the speculation and stress us readers have to put up with while waiting for the Next installmant. It doesn't bowed well for the series when the title changes and the time for the next book has been put back.

    Here's hoping and praying we get a great new book to add my collection.

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    1. Well, as far as I know there are quite a few authors who can do just that.(Little-PuffMay 29, 2017 at 11:33 PM) you should not be so quick to be pessimistic. Have not read the DB series yet but the Alice Long Series is starting off great. Obviously any Author thst bothers putting that kind of intellectual effort behind a SciFi storyline. Should in my opinion be given the benefit of the doubt. Seriously though any series reader worth their salt has more than one series thry are reading. I personally am reading 50 or more at present series not books, that's in the thousands. The only way a series suffers from an authors endeavors is because the publisher put too many time constraints on the author's ability to write the way they want. However with self publishing being easier thsn ever publishers would not be smart to do that too often. E. William Brown seems intelligent enough to know his limitations. So stop worrying, As long as there is no storyline bleed over we are good.

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    2. Whats that Quote "Hope for the Best,Plan for the worse".

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  44. I bought perilous waif because of your Daniel Black series. Yes. It is a good book. I am looking forward to others in the series. But I am mostly waiting for the next Daniel Black book.

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  45. I honestly did not enjoy Perilous Waif even half as much as Fimbulwinter. It didn't net my imagination as much either and in all honesty the first 3rd of Perilous Waif was the better part of the book.
    The subsequent two thirds of the book kinda went down hill like a snowball gaining fatal mass. If the story can be resuscitated with a second book great, but I think it would take some doing.
    @E.WB, I really hope you stick with the Daniel Black books tho, knowing another volume will be out kinda makes life bearable between releases.
    /Thx

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  46. sweet! more! give us more! yay!

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  47. After rerere…rereading the Daniel Black books yet again I really hope for an early continuation of the series.
    Now I just have to respam some older posts because I think about that every time I read DB.

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    1. Things I am looking forward to / hope will happen / would like to see in the next book(s)

      - Daniel will levelup/alter/improve himself with flesh magic, the help of the empowered dryads, the mystic banana (= stronger, faster, more resilient, better senses, can channel his unlimited magic-mana better, more charisma, has a higher intuitive awareness of the supernatural…..one step nearer to the demigod/superhero weight class)

      - Improved personal magic items (additional ones? / adjusted to Daniel’s new power level…and that of his foes)

      - His entourage will grow in power (stronger coven members/spells, more and mana-pimped-out dark elves and dryads, more (stronger?) wolfen, perhaps a slight powerup for the pack-leader Gronir)

      - Fully developed Black Island/Citadel with thousands of inhabitants (OK….not fully developed…reading about upgrading the home base is too much fun, so give it to us continually in small pieces…new home/cave system for the dark elves?…evolved dryad-groves after unlimited mana infusion? Will this continual nature magic beacon in the middle of the citadel effect the living conditions/environment?…fleshed out barracks in the corner towers?…new housing blocks for influx of new inhabitants?…is the water/habour access -protected only by a portcullis- still there?..........)

      - A storyline with Daniel and Eline travelling to the summer fairy court / Elines mother (England?/another dimension?/isn’t that the same?) resolving her shapechanging issues and family problems; perhaps gaining some allies/magical help. This would be an opportunity to explore exotic places and beings apart from the Black Isle / Kozalin locus.

      - A storyline with Benito Runesage the -then- risen from the dead founder and master of the Red Conclave, builder of iron castle and bad-ass wizard. What will he do now? (Probably doling out generous amounts of bloody revenge while taking over “his” shop again.) Can Daniel overcome this foe? What about the artifacts “Skyhammer” and “Sleeping Giant” (Are there more? And why do I think about bombing and a battle mechs?)? Can Daniel field them against the ever increasing threats to mankind? How is High Adept Boris Ward playing into this? Daniel offered him a rejuvenation and he declined because it would jeopardise his “bargain” (?). Why does he avoid Brand (the demigod)? Or is this a totally independent narrative hook? This would be a good opportunity to shine a light on a major power faction (Red Conclave) and magic and local history.

      - Perhaps some short stories to keep the readers interest and shorten the waiting period for the next book. What about recounting the story from the perspective of the wolfen/Gronir (transformation / formation of the pack / fights / interpack dealings / spy stuff with Cerise / basically book 1-3 through Gronir’s eyes / or only some short highlights….)?

      - (hell of a lot) more soldiers/military personel…perhaps some elite units with exceptional officers (i.e. individual “knights” or “heroes” with superior abilities and magical equipment); more wolfen (!); other exotic individuals/heroes/groups/races

      - More (types of) interesting defence emplacements, personal weapons and armor, new skimmer-tank variants (+ civilian hover trucks/trailers?), a second airship(?), radios, telescopes/scrying devices, bags of holding, skill items ….gadgets ….shiny thingies ….moremoremoremore (insert megalomaniacal Count von Count laugh here).

      - More worldbuilding/background (description of different factions and individuals in Kozalin, relations between them, political/economic/social interaction with Daniel/Black Island… is there a world outside of Kozalin?)

      - More magic background knowledge!! (let us learn with Daniel: new spells, exploring/using new materials better suited for enchantment like gold, platinum, rhodium, iridium….pearls, diamond, ruby, sapphire…. Tartarus steel, adamantium, orichalcum, badassium… other mystic, legendary materials and/or magic formulars/traditions/spells …How does it work?)

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    2. speculations/thoughts about Daniel’s (assumed) future selfimprovement

      In book 1 Daniel already did a basic self-upgrade….so take that to the next level (with the help of the empowered dryads and the magic banana).

      The tree-fairy-dryads on unlimited mana-feed do an epic power of nature blessing ritual and bestow the potency of the legendary sabre-tooth tiger, quickness of the cheetah, senses of the lynx, cunning of the fox, virility of the rabbit….

      Throw in Daniel working with his flesh magic integrating those blessings , perhaps improving/channeling them with his modern knowledge… on top of a shit ton of mana…and the groundwork already laid by the mystical god-banana….

      All while we hear his inner monologue translation into modern (medical) terms …genetic modification / optimized genetic constitution…stronger bones, increased muscle/sinew strength, enhanced lung/oxygen absorption and heart/circulatory system, optimized reaction rate, higher resistance to trauma, sharp senses like 20/5 vision, night sight, sensitive hearing, the capability to process all these detailed sensory impressions superfast….perhaps some other mental boni he will perceive subsequently….like enhanced memory….higher awareness of his environment and/or the supernatural….heightened multitasking abilities….strengthened coven bond (telepathic communication?)….

      His body is now hardy enough (and has the right “pathways”) to withstand massive mana-boosting (=temporary strength, speed, resilience boost….like Matrix-style bullet time).

      As a further toughness-indicator he could also gain some resistances…

      …like elemental resistance. Can endure extreme meteorological conditions (from Antarctica to Sahara) without harm. Not a combat protection…more a general hardiness-effect.
      ….like resilient skin. Minor armor effect. Of course without ugly byeffects (visually or tactile)!!

      I’d also like some visible changes as a sign for Daniels upgrade.
      Here some examples:
      - he grows some inches
      - he looks healthier
      - he has the elegant, efficient, always balanced step of lifelong martial artists or dancers
      - his eye colour is striking, very intensive
      - he has an eye-catching white streak in his hair
      - his piercing glance can intimidate the weak-minded
      - ….you get my drift….just as a statement…..for a cool pre-post comparison…… ;-)

      Daniels empowerment could be part of the hinted at dryad-orgy (=even more fun).

      Something like this described on a couple of pages (with some extra pages for the orgy) and the next book is already a sure-fire success with me. ;-)

      PS: Perhaps some diluted benefits will filter through the coven bond to his girls…? Not that they need it. Physically they are already stronger than Daniel.

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    3. Did I mention those great magical bags of holding of the dark elves this month already?

      Great dimension-space-compression-magic!

      A small belt pouch with the capacity of a locker (for example)…. you have space for ALL the plunder/trinkets/equipment.

      Does it even have to be a container or could you just have an extra dimensional storage space you can access from everywhere?

      Every gamer can tell you: An unlimited inventory is priceless!

      Okaaay…on second thought…Daniel Black having a small or veery big bag will probably have no impact on the story….but it is still such a cool conception! And who knows maybe he will need a bag big enough for an apple tree or two….??

      Or put the enchantment on bracers (or Cerises fingerless gloves) for instant access to the personal weapons stockpile.

      2 dozen throwing daggers, 4 dozen throwing stars, 1 dozen javelins, dwarven battle axe, gun, twohanded sword, 2 longswords…. and the barbeque tongs for the after-battle snack…….no problem, it is all right here in my sleeve!

      Put it on boxes, cabinets , rooms or even buildings to multiply storage and living space manyfold without changing the physical building dimensions.

      This is a fairy tale classic….a small hut on the outside and once you are inside you walk for hours through a grand palace!

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    4. I'd like to see Daniel look into the teleport spell the conclave uses and come up with a alternative, also look at the bags of holding the Elf's use and create a weapons bag, pocket or holster where he can store his weapons at all times an won't need to worry if he brought the right weapons with him all he does then is just think about the weapon he wants and its in his hand and automatically locks on a target, his own personal armoury.

      Can always dream hehehe LOL

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    5. I was reading over what you had said, and I definitely agree with a lot of what you were saying.

      Also i drive a lot, so i listen to the audio books, and am not sure of the spelling of the characters names

      As for Ward, i think you likely believe what He and Benito are one and the same, as you mention them in the same paragraph.

      The bags of holding have to have some form of rules for capacity. Likely a multiple of the container the enchantment is attached too, small bag would equal a couple of hundred pounds, where as the crates loaded onto the intrepid could hold many more. It would be interesting to know if the goods placed in a "bag" of holding decayed, also whether it could be used to further expand the keep, or the holds on the airships.

      I'm interested to hear about what happens when he attempts to destroy the Mithril market and the Dwarves come to punish him.

      By the description of Benito Runesage I'm thinking, he and Daniel have quite a fair amount in common. Its entirely that they both have a misinterpreted reputation. I also assume that Brand thinks Daniel is Benito's reincarnation, or whatever.

      Some of the things that I suspect will occur in the next book;

      The Summer Court will be visited, possible setup an embassy in the Black Citadel.
      -How will this sit with currently expatriated dryad's and such.

      The Fallout from Gia's Wrath will be felt.
      -Will she blame Bran or will the question about Mara's lover point toward Daniel.
      -Will she unleash the tidal wave of forces, as they will all die soon anyway?

      Mara's final trial will test the ability of the group to cope.
      -will the trail be set against Daniels Coven directly?
      -Will Mara then give up immortality to join the Coven? (which isn't really giving up immortality)

      The Red Conclave will likely unleash the Sky Hammer or the Sleeping Giant with the power that Daniel has given them.
      - What do they do? Are they pseudo Sentient?
      - If they can be awakened, can they be controlled?
      - Was Benito another traveler from Earth, like Tesla or Niche? (Unlikely, but who knows)

      Will Daniels constant modifications to himself ie, Night vision, dense muscle fibers and such, be passed onto his children? And will there be an other child to follow shortly? Avilla perhaps?
      -What would a construct and a demigod level mages' child be like? Vast power storage from mom, and intense power output from dad? not to mention naturally immortal.

      There is a lot more that can be questionned like will Tavrins Daughter (cant remember her name) join the coven?

      But, lastly suspect that Daniels Fortress will be tested by a great beast.
      -Will it be a great beast from mythology?, if so whom? Fenrir? a lot of Felwolves have died there, and maybe Fenrir will have sway over the wolfen?

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    6. Would be cool if Daniels inate magical abilities where to grow proportionally to time passed.
      -Like for example his force "magic" evolving into full and actual gravity magic instead of the dinky function/feel of it so far.. Gravity shear 1000 gravities one way a thousand the other.. The magic would be the ability to manifest such physical effects. It would not be able to be dispelled only deconstructed by someone with equal or greater knowledge of gravity manipulation..

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    7. ı to think Benito Runesage is High Adept Boris Ward he did a soul switch fraud thats why he refuse daniels heal and sky hammer is some kind meteor or satellite.

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  48. I've had a couple of ideas for Daniel Black which I'd like to share. The first relates to the magical guns he's created. Instead of plugging them into a power-stone, each gun could have a removable mana battery (either in the stock, or under the barrel) which would power it. When the battery is used up, just switch it out for a fully charged replacement. The empties could either self-destruct, or have re-charging options via ambient mana (slow) or power-stone (fast). How many shots these magazines would contain is up to the author of course, but soldiers so equipped wouldn't have to stay anywhere near a power-stone.

    Second idea: wall-seeds. Enchant something like the Earth Talisman, plant it, plug it into a power-stone and let it go. The seed sends out subterranean shoots laterally until it's enclosed a given (pre-programmed) area, then it sends down "roots" to secure it in place, then it sends up brambles which grow and grow and merge into one another until you've got a wall of arbitrary dimensions. Needless to say, all this growth is Nickle/Iron. No supervision needed. Tunnels would be built in, and would be secured with push-button enchantments which summon or banish NiFe plugs at either end.

    As with the ammo/mana batteries, the feasibility of this artifact would be determined by the author, but it all seems consonant with the various types of enchantments which Daniel has already created.

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    1. Standardize. He should have a common format for batteries, receivers and full power stones. And he might look into powering a device from the metabolism of the operator.

      It seems to me too large and too deep a wall would run into issues with groundwater.

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    2. Kozalin is on the coast, so water isn't likely to be an issue. If you're thinking of subsidence or undermining issues, I'm sure there'd be a workaround. The undergrounds parts of the wall could be porous enough to allow water through, ala a root network.

      Standardizing the mana-batteries is a good idea.

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    3. That carries its own dangers. I am wondering for example what good a portcullis would be if an enemy could just use space expansion magic on it. The same would actually go for a city wall. With dwarves and goblins who control earth elementals around undermining is much more of an issue than in our world.

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    4. There are probably no perfect solutions. That said, walls are commonplace defenses in the setting, so being able to magically manufacture them en masse, especially if they were self-repairing, would be helpful.

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  49. ==>
    from Little-Puff (June 13 at 04:46)
    “I'd like to see Daniel look into the teleport spell the conclave uses and come up with a alternative,….”
    <==

    Bags of holding - space expansion magic leading to dimensional travel, gates, teleportation seems to be a natural continuation of this subject-matter.

    I am not sure how to feel about “travel-magic”.

    The ability to travel far away would be a great opportunity to explore exotic places and beings apart from the Black Isle / Kozalin locus. That would be pretty cool!

    But as a reader I would prefer Daniel dramatically slugging it out with his antagonists (or witness a nearly hopeless flight while his enemies are gaining ground) and not having an instant teleport escape door ready.

    So an elaborate, mana intensive, hours-long ritual for a gate to reach some ulterior region (for Daniel…perhaps with a small party?) would be a good solution from my point of view.

    Permanent gates to exotic places are also a great notion. Trade routes to other continents right in your front yard. Thousands of miles bridged with a few steps. Legends are made from stuff like this!

    But how do you keep the undesirables out?

    And how to keep your people from leaving?

    Then again…with the whole world going into the crapper and Black Island steadily shaping up…that may not be a big problem?

    …complicationscomplicationscomplications….

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    1. I thought about the gate idea, and it is a natural segway from the Space/time magic that the elves seem to have already.. It is very likely that it will make an appearance shortly, if not the next book. Having the ability to travel to say Egypt or China to to touch on the other story ideas that have already been mentioned will likely be a necessity. but it will have to be handled carefully. I can see Daniel having access to this ability with his seemingly limitless power getting out of had rapidly. As he said before, he likes to think out of the box with his ideas that drove his DM's insane. That being said, he will likely gain access to some form of it. Maybe it will be deal with the Fey to travel the "ways" or some such.

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  50. ==>
    from Little-Puff (June 13 at 04:46)
    “….also look at the bags of holding the Elf's use and create a weapons bag, pocket or holster where he can store his weapons at all times an won't need to worry if he brought the right weapons with him all he does then is just think about the weapon he wants and its in his hand….”
    <==

    Probably my wording wasn’t clear (I’m a not a native speaker).

    That’s what I meant to say with
    "Or put the enchantment on bracers (or Cerises fingerless gloves) for instant access to the personal weapons stockpile."

    Look up the B-movie action flick “Ultraviolet” with Milla Jovovich. She had the scifi-hightech version of “bracers of holding”. She had dozens of guns, blades and other killing implements in her bracers that she could summon directly and instantly into her hands.
    In this film Milla Jovovich has a lot in common with Cerise.
    She plays supernaturally strong and fast killer babe (in tight outfits) mowing a gory swath through dozens (hundreds?) of opponents.

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  51. ==>
    from Unknown (June 13 at 05:31)
    “…As for Ward, i think you likely believe what He and Benito are one and the same, as you mention them in the same paragraph….”
    <==

    Nearly so….

    Benito was mentioned by name, a (very) short description of his deeds was given and we know of some of his greater creations (Gate, Sky Hammer, Sleeping Giant). In addition to that Black made joke about evil wizards not staying dead.

    I’m far too weak-willed to ignore this possible story hook (or red herring?)!

    My current tinfoil hat theory:

    It was mentioned that Benito disapproved of the gods in general.

    So to ensure none of the smug meddlers gets his soul in case of his demise he made a pact with some unspeakable primal evil entity even the gods tiptoe around (and made the soul devouring teleportation gate).

    The pact stipulates that his soul goes to this entity for safekeeping but after “paying” some souls (100? 1.000? 10.000? ...) it is sent back.

    The gate burns the life force of the sacrifices to power the teleporting and sends their souls straight to Benito’s keeper to pay off his mortgage.

    High adept Ward could be his “soul-anchor” (Thrall?). He gets a rejuvenation out of this deal.

    Okaaay…while thinking about his idea for longer than 20 seconds the words: very thin…tinfoil hat theory cubed…full of holes…bollocks…12-year-old-anime-crab-theory… etc. begin to appear in my mind.

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    1. Ah, interesting idea. I think it could also be a Full Metal Alchemist kinda thing. souls to make an Alchemist Stone. If you don't know the reference, i apologize.

      but it may be something similar then in that regard. Benito was obviously a necromancer and powers his on magic with souls. Not an earth shattering revelation i know. Mind you i wonder what advantage a necromancer would have over the rest of the conclave when it came to gain power from sacrifices. I does seem as though he was getting a significant power increase, else he was getting power though an alternative source.

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    2. It would seem that a normal human sacrifice makes available the whole life force of the victim at once. But the victim's soul goes on into the afterlife. If you have soul magic, you can use the soul as a power source. What that would mean is unknown.

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  52. I found Perilous Waif first, and absolutely loved it. Will be trying the Daniel Black series next.

    I absolutely loved Perilous Waif, and after this I'll be throwing out positive reviews wherever I can.

    I really hope after you complete the next Black book you can start on a new Alice Long book as I am incredibly eager to find out what happens next.

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  53. Any news on a new update its been awhile would like to hear anything about how the writing is going?

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  55. Enjoyed both Perilous Waif & the Daniel Black Series. Would love it if you continued both series (provided the proper inspiration hits of course and that they are selling enough to make it worth being an author)

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  56. Loved them read DB then read PW and found it wonderful. Thank you for sharing these worlds.

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  57. It would be awesome if the book was ready for this summer... I've reread the whole series 5 times already.

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    1. I just hope he is still on track for fall release I've re-read extermination so many times now and I really really wanna see what's next for Daniel and co.

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    2. If you haven't gotten them on audible yet I recommend it. The voice actor is pretty good. I have to constantly remind myself that the hot seductive Cerise is really a dude's voice. Heh..

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  58. I wonder if Alice is going to come back to felicity and find her friend brainwashed or dead and go on a vengeance fueled murder spree start burning down the enhanced seed grown treehouses........ I just realized they're the kids next door!

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  59. You have to remember that "orphan program" on felicity is run for fed navy. A better story is what fed navy is up to...

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    1. From what we got in the books it seemed they were kinda lazy in their deals since they used to be pirates so I doubt they will bother to look into the disappearance of 1 orphan and even if they did it seems the Masui-kai have pretty deep hooks in them to be able to pull their intelligence data in less than a week so mr yakuza prince could probly derail that.

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  60. I am really looking forward to the next books in either the Alice Long or Daniel Black series. I have audible copies of all current books and I have gone through them multiple times. You have a knack for world creation and storytelling.

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  61. I am absolutely torn - both books are equally appealing to me.
    However, Alice is ready to take off, but Daniel is in the middle of a big issue.

    I did notice something that might be an issue for him, so I am slightly more interested in seeing if it comes about.

    Cerise stated that she killed Lysandra, burned her up, buried her ashes at crossroads, and banished her soul to Hel.
    And, after the invasion by Black Ships, there were plenty of wandering souls that had escaped Hel, which could be recruited as helpers - especially Witches...

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    1. Well that is an interesting thought. Humm. I like it. I am also looking forward to effects of the radiation...

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    2. Oh man return of the evil mom this could get interesting

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    3. Oh damn i didn't even think of that. Things could get very interesting if she possesses someone within the next 2 books.

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  62. Love love love Perilous Waif!!! More PLeeese!! Hurry as I'm in my 70's and I want more of Alice Long before I go!!

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  63. Love the Daniel Black series, and often am disappointed in 2nd and 3rd series by authors but perilous waif holds up and is just as good. Congrats.
    On the Daniel Black series just finished my 3rd read and realized that with how cold the air seems to be with his heat stones keeping the river thawed there should be a thick fog around Black Island. I see this being useful for them but just curious what could happen with that.

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  64. Can I suborn someone to speculate about Daniel Black’s personal magic items (even if the last book came out 18 month ago)?

    He has now:

    1.) amulet
    brass (?) amulet with his mana-reactor-enchantment and an auto-healing function and protective force screen enchantment amulet

    2.) sword
    Grinder (“light saber chainsaw”): stone handle, when activated (very hot) plasma blade with rotating force buzz saws; has short range flamethrower function

    3.) gun
    one shot per second, unlimited ammo revolver (nickel-iron?); optionally with 0.50 cal basic slug, exploding round or bouncing slug with force blades

    4.) earth talisman
    flying stone, can summon (grow) rock and nickel-iron and force-constructs, can morph in desired form, controlled with ring

    5.) coat
    black leather coat with fire protection and armor enchantment

    6.) breast plate
    breast plate (nickel-Iron?) with fortification enchantment, comes with padded underwear with armor enchantment (like coat)

    7.) rings
    not sure about that
    ring 1 control ring for earth talisman, additionally steers mines in gatehouse
    ring 2 with curse protection enchantment
    ring 3 with flight enchantment (sooo cool!)

    Will he improve them?
    Better material (platinum?) for his amulet for for more mana output, better shield, better healing?
    New ammunition types for his gun? Upgrade the firing rate?
    Upgrade the breastplate to better material (adamantium, odinsteel, tartarus steel, orichalcum, badassium , mightymagicium, ohmygodtium….)?

    Will he enchant new ones?
    Magic boots?
    Belt with a big platinum buckle?
    Implanted gem?
    Bracers?
    Pouch of holding (space for ALL the plunder / trinkets / equipment)?

    What do you think? What would you like to see?

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    Replies
    1. The breast plate should also be a back energy source and possible regeneration enchant. Or at least that is what he was thinking after mara stole the heal amulet in the 2nd book.

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    2. Given that he's been able to put enchantments directly onto Cerise, I suspect he could do the same for himself. Then many of the "items" wouldn't matter anymore.

      Projection of spells seems to be a big issue for him. Maybe something like the Kzinti Variable Sword which could extend to wherever he pointed it and then channel spells along its length.

      Cerise might like her gloves to become Gauntlets of Ogre Power.

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    3. I'm guessing he'll do magic boots of some sort as a sort of utility traction control/walk on water or snow type thing. Implanted gems would be cool and I could see him doing that, personally I'd love to see him use a staff but I doubt he will since he already had two weapons. Perhaps a swarm of little silver bits that fly around and stun people for non lethal crowd control? I've been thinking he could easily build some nickel iron ships for a navy if he needed too. He'd need to hirer a shipwright to help design it though. If he teams up with Mara he could make narfing a suit of magical armor which would be cool. Guantlets could be cool for utility magic and close range heavy attacks for things to fast to hit with grinder. He could easily do lasers if he worked at it a bit... I've been thinking it would be cool if he got some elementals or something... that's all I've got. I'm

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    5. I have been thinking of a good way to internalize his power source. I considered that, with his flesh magic, he could implant metal/stone into his bones, and then put his power enchantment on the metal. That way it could not be stolen easily. Or, he could convert one or more non-marrow holding bones into metal, or implant it into them. If he were to implant 'healing' on at least one, that would serve to keep him alive, and revive him similar to when he was buried under the troll in the town, in the first book.

      If he has any metal fillings in his teeth, he could enchant them to hold a dedicated spellworking. However, I have seen many books where looting someones' teeth for metal was common, so perhaps something other than the 'healing' magic, that would keep him alive or revive him.

      The others effects could be either implanted also, or worn on his person, with dedicated purposes (force field), or general 'power' like his medallion.

      As to wearing his power source, personally I prefer torcs to necklaces, and it would be appropriate in the culture. It would not be thin, like a necklace. Several strong bands of metal would be better than a string necklace - less likely to 'hang by a thread' the way the necklace was left after the battle with the sea serpent.

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    6. The clavicle, the patella , and the fabella all lack marrow. So, of the those there, the clavicle looks to be a good fit - having broken both of mine of the years, a harder less fragile bone there would be nice for someone expecting to be fighting.
      Plus, reinforcing the joint and bones around it would also be good ideas.
      So, it is possible.

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    7. the femural head and stem would be a good place for a metal implant. also if the matter to mana converter were to be improved it would be best be made out of aluminium(mithril) as it has been hinted to be useful in enchantments or Lithium as the lowest binding energy per nucleon( ~5MeV) of the stable metals.

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  65. I have an interesting question. Can Daniel put his matter to mana enchantment on him self and use the mana to heal that damage it causes or would the enchantment slowly siphon off his life? Because it could either be a great boon to never lose the amulet or a brilliant cure for his enemies that gives him extra power.
    Thoughts on this approach?

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    1. It kinda sounds like a divide by zero scenario plus I think he can only put it on inorganic material metals stone what not plus would the power a lot of power be put toward constantly healing yourself as your eatin alive that would be very painful and probably take more energy than it was worth depending on how much was produced since its proven different things give more energy.

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    3. I've been thinking about that. What if instead of casting in on himself he created an array of ball bearing size devices and implanted them in a network throughout his body. He would create the enchantment on a harness piece and insert the powering element as the power source - This is so over the years he doesn't need to remake the enchantment each time he can just plugin a sphere of the powering material.

      Once done the array would all be implanted in the body. Different size pieces depending on how large a piece can be comfortably inserted - some body modification may be required.

      The element used to power the array harnesses should preferably be gold (best matter to cast on, dense and non reactive).

      If he made the balls from Uranium he would get the maximum amount of mana output - as Uranium is the heaviest element that is naturally occurring but it would be more difficult to do this safely. Since the atomic Mass of Uranium is 238 and Gold is 196 I don't think that getting Uranium to work is necessary especially since a slightly larger Gold Piece would make up the difference.

      Once the array is implanted the the whole thing would provide at least four times the power of his amulet. In addition is could not just be removed and with additional enchantments could be used to pull severed limbs back to the body for re-healing.

      See here for a map of the array.
      http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab66/devils_kin/Matter%20to%20Mana%20Array%20-%20Daniel%20Black_zpstrbycpu4.jpg

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    4. BTW I get the fact that the array is four times more powerful from the fact that the atomic weight of Iron is 55 and the atomic weight of gold is 196.

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    5. I think I prefer a bone replacement or 'coating' (think Wolverine) which servers as a dual function - hardening his bones against damage, and providing power.

      For that purpose, Tungsten (atomic number 74) and Osmium (atomic number 76) combination would be good. Tungsten is hard, and resistant, more so than Osmium (tending toward being more ductile).
      The atomic numbers are also high, so if your theory is correct about the atomic number giving out more energy, that would be a good combination.

      Gold has a higher number, true, but is much more ductile, so does not server as a good structure, or provide support.

      My only concern is that having that much 'energy' running through his system may have a drawback, or cause him some issues. Originally, when I initially posted the idea (see above).

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    6. Originally, I was suggesting the main three that he relies upon - Healing, Force Field, and Raw Power. Having an elaborate body wide layout would provide a large amount of power - possibly too much. It may have detrimental effects, and being that visible may cause him trouble.
      I imagine his enemies would have no issue 'lopping' off parts that would weaken him, and give them valuable 'loot.'
      That was the reason I suggested using bone replacement/lacing, as it makes that sort of thing more difficult.

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    7. When I was playing with this idea I was not considering that he only do this.

      In regards to using Tungsten and Osmium I don't know if he will need to go the full wolverine route. Using flesh magic he could study the various races and use that to improve his genetic structure.

      I'm not saying that he could not use some structural reinforcement but I think there are more elegant solutions.

      For example: In regards to the M2M Array cast an additional enchantment that brings the pieces back together and ensures that the power network remains intact over distance - we know the second part can be done as Daniel can draw power from the large power stones. He could then cast the Dimensional Pocket (Bags of Holding) enchantment in the places in his body the array is being installed. This will in effect place the stones out of phase so they cannot be easily seen and additionally by weaving in elements of Cerise's shadow magic we could disguise the whole thing.

      In regards to other body modification he already has plans to weave in the advanced senses of the elves. And his vitality has already been expanded by eating the bananas. The next step would be structural reinforcement both to handle the amount of power from the array and to make him resistant to damage. To do this Get the elves to acquire a dwarf so he can study their physiology and then weave in the elements that make them so hardy. He should also study the Andregi and do the same there. Even Elin & Cerise could helpful here as I’m sure there are elements of the biology that would be useful. Not just Elin’s Fae form but her Orca and Grendelkin forms.

      Now look at the skin and weave in some sort of carbon fibre like reinforcement to make him more piercing and slashing resistant. The weave would need to be purely biological to ensure biological compatibility and it could therefore be repaired by ordinary flesh magic.

      In regards to reinforcing the bones he would need to use something fairly non-reactive. The performance of any material in the human body is controlled by two sets of characteristics; biofunctionality and biocompatibility. While his healing enchantments can fix the long term issues of this I don't think Daniel would want to create a weakness in the system an enemy could exploit by damaging the enchantment. Therefore while tungsten is good at room temperature it can become tungsten oxide when heated. Osmium is even worse so unless an alloy can be produced with another metal that would fix this issue and increase the melting and reactive point of these elements we would need additional components to create a better alloy. I suppose a cooling spell could work but physics suggest - since magic in this world seems to mostly abide by physics in this world - that we would need to vent the heat somewhere. Maybe we could store the heat in a pocket dimension as well where it could be vented in a form of attack or used as an additional power source.
      Next a set of Endogenous artificial nutrition upgrades. This would allow Daniel to survive for much longer periods of time without sustenance. With Water Sorcery and Flesh Sorcery he should be able to produce something that would allow him to go without food and water for long periods. Then he could concentrate on waste and ensure that the enzymes, acids etc that reduce food to fuel for the body are more efficient.

      The last set of upgrades – for the first round - would need to be cognitive and mental. Increasing his thought processing and such. I’m not sure where he could begin this research but something to increase his retention skills – I’m guessing by improving the performance of the Temporal Lobe and the parietal lobe. The first to increase memory and retention and the second to allow his brain to better process input from different senses – now that he will have magical senses from Elves. It should also improve his spatial orientation and navigation.

      I'm sure there is more but that's what I got to start with and I think it would keep him busy for the next two books at least.

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    8. Sorry the last post went far longer than planned.

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    9. Ouch. That is drastic. It appears judging by Cerise that personal magic can be changed. There is about 1% argon in the air that we breathe. That should be enough.

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    10. Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Cerise's ability to adapt her magic a personal trait as she is a murder witch.

      I'm sure Daniel said that normally it would have been much harder to change someone's personal magic - not that I think he shouldn't learn how but I'm assuming that the ability could have some downfalls as well.

      Perhaps he needs to learn how to modify the magic on a normal Magic User as well.

      Also all the modifications I'm talking about are all the mild ones. If we wanted to get really crazy we could start looking at things that would not leave him looking human.

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    11. I posted previously, one entry above where this one started, about the possibility of increasing both his power and his structural strength, by either fusing, or replacing non-marrow producing bones with metals. And then, he could add the enchantments to the metals in is body.

      That would seem to work with the goals you stated.

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    12. True but I had two concerns when I saw that. The first is depending on what metal you used the body would begin to break down the metal into the blood stream. The other is that both the Tungsten and Osmium have some big draw backs when heated to high temperatures. My concern was if Daniel ever got flambéed again that these metals would produce extra toxins that could rapidly begin to poison him while in combat.

      I did some more reading on Tungsten since then but have been not been able to find out why it’s not used in the human body for anything although I found some articles about how serious Tungsten poisoning is. Has anyone on here got a medical background? Can anyone tell us if Tungsten and Osmium would be safe to be used in the body? However while looking at this I also found an article detailing about the future use of Carbon fibre in joint replacements. I suppose if Daniel could find a way to weave this into his skin structure he could do the same to his bones. The benefit being that if it’s a kind of biological carbon fibre then Daniel could alter his body makeup to produce it natural. I don’t know if he can manage this though as the only thing in nature that I know of that mimics carbon fibre properties is spider silk and even then this is not a perfect example.

      In regards to Non-Marrow producing bones can you link me to any articles? I don’t really know what bones could be replaced but from the little I was able to find suggested that the hip bone, breast bone, skull, ribs, vertebrae and shoulder blades are all used to produce red marrow and the long hollow bones such as the Ulna, Radius, Humerus, Femur, Tibia and Fibula produce pink marrow.

      I might be being to picky what do you guys think?

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    13. Can not really offer much medical knowledge but chemical knowlege. Tungsten is not toxic, but it's rare and very heavy. As heavy As gold.(nearly) it's also chemically almost innert therefore it's barly toxic, also the tungsten absorbed by the body gets naturally into the bones anyway. So it shouldn't require to much work.

      Osmium is on the other hand toxic if exposed to the wrong environments and can result in strong allergic reactions. It's a bit depending on the size of osmium piece big crystals are quite resisdent. Also the oxides are very toxic themself.

      Carbon fiebre should work for some things. But don't forget how delicate nature is, will it be as stretchy or solid as a normal tendon or bone? is it chemically usefull, actully it's likely not, carbon fibre for all it's good physical properties are chemically quite delicate and have little resitence to light, acids and the like.

      But I guess, he could slowly increase the potency of his body with carefull work, but likely any upgrade would need further upgrades to balance them out.

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    14. Also note that Tungsten is the chemical element with the highest melting and highest tripple point any drawback it has when heated is shared by other metalls.

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    15. I did not know myself if it was toxic. That 'absorption' aspect could, perhaps, make it very useful for him.
      It's rarity should not make much of a difference, Daniel can make a 'factory' to summon it (the way he did with gold), and apply it when he has a sufficient amount.

      Thank you for the information VaporiF.

      Now we just have to see which way the author takes it. It does appear that he (Daniel) prefers armor to 'internal' modification, though.

      Delete
    16. Yeah he seemed adverse to making changes to himself although he did mention that he was going to find a way to keep the senses magical and otherwise that the elves have.

      Delete
    17. it seems that what daniel needs is material that will resist shear stress (ie his limbs being severed/ eaten). the simplest implementation would be a nano-meta material made of carbon(similar to graphine) from his body this would give him skin that would resistant to slashes and bones that would be durable against frature

      Delete
    18. Z0rlock idea I like, something like his healing ability creating a body armor that self repairs from any impact. Something that strenghtens on being hit or absorbs the energy and converts it into mana.
      oh bugga I could get carry away here

      Delete
  66. I'm happy Daniel is next, while I liked the new book, I don't feel any particular need to read on in it, while I've been watching for more Daniel Black very impatiently.

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  67. Hey folks reading all your comments means i dont have to dupilcate much. going thru my third re-read of Waif whilst waiting for next Daniel Black. I'm not going to say i prefer either series because both were seriously good for different reasons, a sign of a good author with seriously interesting personal depths. actually i kinda like &respect the different pace and style. Please get your shit together & damn well write the next installments. Your Downunder fan here wants more. PS Those who like his style might enjoy Timothy Ellis' Hero series. Almost a mix between the two genres.

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  68. Any updates ? There hasn't been anything for over 2 months now can we at least get a work in progress or something anything would be appreciated?

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    Replies
    1. he had a patreon update on june 29 (even if you don't back him yet you get to see the time stamps and any discussion that occurs in the "community")

      Delete
    2. I buy the book but that's it I don't have the type of cash to continually back someone like that so I'm just not gonna do it but that's a little annoying but I guess understandable well ill just wait for the book as patiently as possible.

      Delete
  69. Replies
    1. he did on patreon but it would be nice if updated publicly more often

      Delete
    2. Looks like this blog (and its readership) has been functionally abandoned by the author in favor of his patreon account and subscribers.

      His privilege of course, and probably makes sense economic sense to him, but it also renders this page pointless by turning it into a pure fan commentary page with zero author interaction or actual news.

      Delete
  70. WILL THERE BE A BOOK 2? I NEED IT!

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  71. ==>
    from Kyle West (June 30 at 03:32)
    “…The breast plate should also be a back energy source and possible regeneration enchant. Or at least that is what he was thinking after mara stole the heal amulet in the 2nd book….”
    <==

    Since the breast plate has enough mass for the mater-to-mana-reactor-enchantment that could be effective.

    But as far as I’m concerned it is way too dangerous.

    How will a magical reactor react to repeated strikes and magical attacks?
    That can’t be beneficial for any enchantment!

    I think a belt with a big metal buckle would be a good receptacle for this enchantment.

    It could be at last as big as his amulet and has thus enough mass to put another mana-reactor-enchantment on it to double his mana production!

    As for the basis material as "carrier" for enchantments in general (not just the mana-enchantment)…my approach to that is the classic fantasy theme…=> more bling-bling helps.

    So forget atomic weight and go for noble metals and gems and strange mystic stuff (platinum over gold over silver; and diamonds, gems….).

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  72. Anyone Know any updates or if he is dead?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Author's alive, this blog though appears to be done.

      Brown has transferred his online presence to a patreon account and its paying subscriber base where he has been regularly posting a monthly reward/update since last September.

      His privilege of course, and you can't fault a guy for going where the money is, especially when you're an aspiring pro in the writing biz.

      Sadly this means facing up to certain realities: the days of author interaction around here are over. We're dead (to him) Jim.

      Anybody who wants regular updates will have to pay for them with a $5/month or better patreon subscription.

      Delete
    2. I've found the stories he tends to post monthly on his Patreon fascinating. So I have no issue supporting him there as well.

      Delete
    3. As i said more power to him (and his Patreons). Just noting that absent a (semi-)regular update on how far along the writing process on the latest book has come, or some other author interaction/news this blog has no real reason for existing anymore.

      Delete
    4. Why should I pay Patreon $5 every month when a Daniel Black book is $3.43 every six months or so?

      Delete
    5. *shrug*

      From a purely economic point of view you shouldn't.

      But that's based on the assumption, that the author earns enough through the sales to keep him writing more Daniel Black books. Which is not necessarily a given

      He's apparently freshly divorced meaning there's an alimony addition to the monthly nut, and Perilous Waif has been significantly more commercially successful than the DB novels.

      With a pure sales based model the logical move for Brown would be to drop the DB series entirely in favor of churning out more Alice Long books per year.

      A monthly subsidy by Patreons lessens the economic pressure on the author, and gives him added incentive to serve both fanbases rather than cut loose the old for the new.

      Now me personally i was rather underwhelmed by Perilous Waif, and have no interest in reading or buying any more of the series. I will buy the next DB novels, but am not enough of a fan to drop an additional $60 per volume (at the current writing speed) for advance teasers and some writing exercises/short stories.

      So while i may not _like_ the splitting the fanbase into haves and havenots wrt authorial interaction i'd be a hypocrite to complain about it when the cash put into Mr.Brown's pocket by the subscribers actually serves my particular interests.

      Just my $ 0.02. YMMV.



      Delete
    6. To true Grim. We could always pray to one of Daniel's Deities to give Mr Brown a boost or something.

      Delete
    7. That's a horrible idea, LP, because then he'd end up spending all his time getting aggressively laid by a gaggle of fantasy themed porn stars instead of writing.

      Delete
    8. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    9. You're making the assumption that the success of Waif stands on its own, while it's more likely the momentum that the author has developed with the Daniel Black books that preceded it. I think he would be shooting himself in the foot to ignore the character that got him a fan base to start with. I know I'm more interested in the Black library than I am in further Waif stories.

      Delete
    10. I claim no special knowledge on how Mr. Brown's readership breaks down in terms of series exclusive fans, or how many of those who like and buy both would bail if he pulled the plug on the DB novels to focus on Waif sequels.

      What we do know however (straight from the horses mouth, or rather keyboard as it were) is, that Waif sold _twice_ as many copies as the last DB volume and Kindle Unlimited readership went up _fourfold_ with its publication.

      With those kinds of numbers for a foundation i believe my assumptions are resting on quite solid ground.

      Delete
    11. Not quite - often the later books in a series sell less than the initial entry. After all, you are less likely to pick up book 3 of a series, if you have never bought the 1st book of that series.

      I would not make any assumptions about what will sell better without knowing the actual numbers, and the sales levels.

      Also, the passion that an author has for a book (or lacking it) typically influences how good it will be. If they get an idea that they want to express in their writing, I would expect that to have a greater influence on what they would write.

      If I have a new idea for a magic system, or a see a new technology breakthrough that sparks an idea, I tend to pursue that rather than try to “invent” one for what “might” be a more profitable work. So, it really depends.

      But, as we are seeing more samples of book 4, I would tend to believe that Mr. Brown is working on that next book right now.

      Delete
  73. Please extract yourself from the Black as quickly as possible. I am Longing for Alice.

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  74. Perilous Waif!! #2 ?????

    IOBC 2-93

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  75. Someone asked a while ago whether the DB book 4's title was changed from "Revenant"(which I prefer personally...) to "Thrall"?
    Well, I happened to see the answer on Mr. Brown's patreon page:

    "...Thrall, the next Daniel Black book"

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  76. Speaking of his patreon page has anyone noticed if he put up a timeframe for next DB

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  77. Sorry, even the comments on the Patreon page were asking the same thing. But if it helps, I took a look at the number of preview chapters he put out for Extermination and Perilous Waif, 3 and 5 respectively.

    Thrall has 4 now. Mr. Brown seems to always mention when a preview is the final one, meaning there will be at least one more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope that is the case how much time between previews do you think there is? Any guesses?

      Delete
    2. Math exercise time (again).

      At the end of April Mr. Brown had just started on chapter 7 of book 4.

      He also wrote that it looked like the book might end up a bit longer than its predecessor (which had 26 chapters). This means he had at least twenty more chapters to go until completion of the first draft manuscript.

      Now based on the prior books his writing speed is about 2 to 3 chapters per month and proofing speed 2 chapters per week.

      He also a while back stated, that with world-building and the (rough) plotting for the next several volumes already done writing on the DB series should go faster in the future. So lets say he'll manage to get a consistent 3 chapters per month onto the electronic page as it were.

      Twenty divided by three comes out to six-and-a-half months (plus change). Add to that another nine months worth of proofing and you are looking at thirty-six weeks from the beginning of May until publication.

      Provided the book doesn't run longer than Extermination by more than one chapter and Real Life[tm] doesn't run interference on the author.

      In other words there's good odds 'Thrall' won't come out until early next year.

      Delete
    3. *sigh* That should read "another nine weeks worth of proofing", not "another nine months worth of proofing".

      Delete
    4. so you don't believe his estimate of "early fall"?

      Delete
    5. Short answer: no.

      Early Fall would be September/October. If what he wrote in his April 30th update about the writing progress on book 4 was true then even writing and proofing twice as fast as he has in the past, and nothing in his life away from the keyboard gets in the way, the numbers don't work out for anything sooner than an end of December publishing date.

      If i turn out to be wrong I'd be more than happy about my mistake, but also _very_ surprised.

      Delete
  78. I discovered "Perilous Waif" on Audible based on other and got sucked into it. Then, I went looking for the sequel. *cry* No sequel, but other works by the author!
    *JOY*
    At this point, I can say I've listened to the stories of Daniel Black and Alice Long over and over and shared them with friends and I'm looking forward to more of your work.
    One of the things that is interesting is all the little bits you leave hanging. I've created a LOT of fan fiction in my head around what first person perspective can't focus on. Like, how the Sons of Ivaldi reacted when they hadn't heard from their northern outpost and opened the portal only to have lava ooze out or a wall of iron just sitting there. This would prompt an exhibition....
    Anyway, yeah. Both of your series have inherent back stories to both that I would love to explore.

    Looking forward to more of your work.

    Another reason your work resonated with me as I had just got done reading "Neuromancer" again, watched the anime "Ghost in the Shell" as well as another anime which was even closer to the idea of identity in your work, called "Ido" or ID:0. (Ido came out after "Perilous Waif" released)

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  79. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  80. Great that he got to write fourth book. I'll wait however long I need. Still after finishing first three and exploring this blog a little I cannot understand or find answers to questions that bother me since first chapter of Fimbulwinter. Daniel is smart guy, right? Was shaken a little and everything went fast for him. But he wasn't taken against his will or anything. So I cannot fantom why he didn't asked questions like: What happen if I finish my task - I return to my world? If I return, will I keep my magic (our Earth is without it so I can't understand how he would be glad about such reward). If I don't return, I wont be your Champion. So will I still keep my magic? (after all it was explained in Q/A that if you change/loose affiliation to some entity, you will need to build your power from scratch. And power he got was given - not something he learned so rule that he will lost it apply). I learn this magic that will help me to complete the task, right? So will I get something more at the end? And if I won't get anything more but I'll stay in this world, will I keep everything I earned during completing this task? And final most important question: What happens if I somehow to fail protect your worshiper?

    I know that he made some better deal later, but still he rushed too much without any info, but on faith that everything will work out. And he trusted all this to some strange woman after his wife just screwed him big time. Lol. For me it's just little unbelievable.

    After that first chapter everything is fine or better. Anyway, I won't be joining Patreon for answers for this, but hope someone will forward it and I'll get replay.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wanted to find something from above on amazon forums, but no luck. What interested me there are speculations about Mara's sister. Well, first: I don't think she have "twin" sister or split personality. Second: I doubt she would be overly interested in her "up to be born sister" that should be a stranger to her. Not much at least - except for one reason. Conclusion: Her sister that Daniel recognized doesn't have actual human body yet because she wasn't born yet, but soon will be and Mara knows how and why. Her sister is/was a soul that can/could only interacted with Mara when she changed her forms. Mara knows that her sister finally will be truly born and doesn't want her to be in her mother's clutches. She wouldn't cared that much for a stranger even if she was a member of family. We will see details soon. ;)

      Delete
  81. Anyone know when the next Daniel black book is coming out it would be nice to get an update I would like to know so I can purchase it

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  82. Does William update this anymore?
    He has a Patreon but that doesn't quite look like journals/blog updates

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After more than three months without a peep i believe it's safe to say the author has decided to quit this blog and its readership.

      Delete
    2. Blog, possibly, readership - he has posted monthly teasers for the readership on Patreon. So it is not accurate to say he has 'abandoned' his readership. It could also be argued that he is working so diligently on the next book for his readers, that he has not had time to post anything.
      You could realistically only state he has abandoned his readers if he stopped writing his books.

      Delete
    3. But he has quit the blog witch leaves us with no clue when the next book will be released or witch book it will be.

      Delete
    4. @Luis Garcia

      Time to indulge my boring pedant streak. I wrote that Brown appeared to have decided to quit "this blog and its readership" not "this blog and his readership".

      Saben's original query was about the status of _this_ blog, William's Corner, as was my response.

      Whatever activity goes on behind the Patreon paywall is irrelevant to that question. At best it underlines that the lack of updates here is not due to a lack of writing progress that can be reported, but rather interest in doing so.

      Which is fair enough since the only people he 'owes' anything are the ones actually paying him.

      Delete
    5. Hmmm, either way... my point does stand. As long as he is writing, and publishing (on-line, blogs, or novels) he has not 'abandoned' his readership.

      Delete
    6. A technically true statement, but also something nobody has actually claimed.

      The readership of this blog and the sum total of those who read Mr.Brown's output, fiction and prose, are not the same thing.

      It is quite possible (and in our case even likely) for him to quit a particular venue and its readers without quitting his career as a writer.

      Delete
    7. A point could be argued that posting sneak peaks and personal thoughts on this blog undermines the point of a patreon. Still an montly im still writing dont go away is nice.

      Delete
    8. > A point could be argued that posting sneak peaks
      > and personal thoughts on this blog undermines the
      > point of a patreon.

      Yes it could, and given that his Patreon account currently generates a bit over 1.500 dollars per month for him that warrants careful consideration.

      > Still an monthly i'm still writing don't go away
      > is nice.

      Pretty much my stance as well. I don't really care about teasers chapters. Oh sure i'd take them if offered, but i don't need or expect them.

      The primary purpose for which this blog was created by Mr.Brown was to keep his fans informed about his writing progress, not to entertain them.

      That being said i don't think a monthly 'sign of life' along the lines of "Currently working on chapter x of novel y, see you in thirty." would impact his Patreon efforts, or require an unreasonable effort on his part were he still interested in this blog or interaction with its (non-patreon) readers.

      Delete
    9. A update of up coming books would be appreciated. I refuse to Buy any more books by Mr. Brown. He makes us feel like his reader don't matter.

      Delete
  83. I agree with Grim but I also say it's becoming a trend with Self Publishing Authors. At the begining they set up these great blogs for there fans and then when they get to a certain stage in their writing they stop supporting the blog. No reason given but also no statements informing the fans what's happening. People here will defend him, but in reality "he hasn't been here in a while with, no info as to his status of himself or his books. Real world issues are always a bugger but I'm hoping a praying things will turn around for him and we the fans can get down to some serious debating of the pro's and con's of his latest Story. Here's Hoping.

    ReplyDelete
  84. When is the next Alice long book coming out. I guess I've been spoiled by Michael Anderle. The waiting is the worst. Please keep us in the know.

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  85. Looking forward to your new books.

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  86. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  87. Has he stopped using this blog now ? Its been a while since we have had a update

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yea he has gone over to patreon if you want information on upcoming works you'll have to pay 5 bucks to find out.

      Delete
  88. I see that some posts are been removed by the author so someone close to Mr. Brown or he himself is reading this Blog on a regular base. I personally find it better that he is concentrating on writing his books and is not engaged on this unproductive and unfrendly conversation in regard of his presence on this blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nope, sorry but you're wrong. 'removed by author' means the author of the _post_ deleted it (for whatever reason) not the owner of the blog.

      Brown hasn't visited this site in four month now. Moreover even before he switched over to patreon he never censored anyone so why would he suddenly start deleting other peoples posts on a blog he has effectively quit?

      Delete
  89. Look, here's the thing, I get he wants to monetize his work. I don't fault him for that. I even support that via purchasing his works, both in written format and audible. I also realize as a relatively fledgling and niche author, his readership isn't robust enough for him to write full time. I can respect that. But, and really, this isn't limited to Mr. Brown, the patreon idea is pretty terrible unless you're giving away the final works. The idea of paying someone to do work on a product that you will eventually pay for is kind of stupid. If the product is worth the additional cost of the patreon donations, then the market should bear an increase in price of the final product, which is a much better solution.

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  90. Hass there been any word on his next book in Daniel Black series? Is he close to done or what?

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  91. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  92. hi there, can we get an update plz? are we actually getting the next book or is the plan for everyone to subscribe to patreon in order to get any content?

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  93. Heads up: apparently Mr. Brown relaunched on a new platform a week or so ago:
    https://williamscorner.blog/2017/09/05/re-launch/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Anyone remind him to actually mention this to his readership? (not snarky)

      Delete
  94. YOU FINISHED IT! OOOH! I JUST FOUND OUT!

    I'm going to get it ASAP! :D Can't wait to read it!

    Found you out through Time Braid and just recommended Daniel Black to a guy who left a review on it. Loved the Daniel Black books and can't wait for more from you!

    You're one of my favorite authors. Keep it up! \o

    ReplyDelete
  95. At the risk of annoying Mr Brown here is some handy Cross Referencing for for the google impaired:
    E William Brown is also known by his online name ShaperV
    His earlier fanfiction work is here:
    https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1960462/ShaperV
    Particular mention for Timebraid being worth a read:
    https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5193644/1/Time-Braid
    New Blog:
    https://williamscorner.blog/author/ewbrownv/
    Old Blog:
    http://wiliamscorner.blogspot.com.au (Dead)
    Old ShaperV Blog
    http://shaperv.blogspot.com.au (Dead)
    Patreon:
    https://www.patreon.com/EWBrown (One update a month)
    And for the Grand Finale this is where he is most active:
    https://forum.questionablequesting.com/members/shaperv.349/
    He is currently running a quest set in the AliceVerse:
    https://forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/a-world-of-your-own.3428/
    Which is up to 423 pages at the time of writing this.
    His other quests on the site
    https://forum.questionablequesting.com/search/member?user_id=349&content=thread




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  96. Mr. Brown, I just wanted to let you know I loved Perilous Waif and Mare Trevathan did a wonderful job with her narration ! Will there be a book 2 ? Thanks.

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    Replies
    1. Hi, ibewcountry! The blog has moved to https://williamscorner.blog/ as stated on the most recent post. Check it out! The author posts updates monthly and is currently writing book 2 of the Alice Long series! :)

      Delete
  97. I haven't read Daniel Black series, but PW was one of the coolest most original books I've read in a long time. (I read a lot of books) Thank you for the great read and please please write the next ASAP!

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  98. I feel that while you cannot rush art, maybe you can motivate it?
    Can we start a "cash to motivation" page for Thrall?!?
    I need my fix!

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  99. So far, I read all 4 Daniel Black novels and Perilous Waif. When do you expect to release book 2 in the Alice Long series?

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