Read the Complete First Arc of 'The Archangel's Gift' for Free!
A little late Christmas gift from me.
[EDIT: Substack was being weird, and I couldn’t get the PDF or EPUB downloads to work, but I’ve now included a working Google Doc link. Feel free to download it as a PDF if you wish.]
Well, that’s a wrap!
The first story arc of The Archangel’s Gift is complete. This is my New Hope. My Fellowship of the Ring. My Raiders of the Lost Ark1. (I can only dream of being as good as any of those, but you get the point.) The board is set, the pieces are in play, and Serafina, Lorenzo, and Nicanora have set a course that will change the Chosen Isles forever.
Thank you to everyone who has followed along so far. The publication has grown at a slow but steady rate, and I look forward to seeing how many people are on board by the end. I fully understand if some people were unable to hang on thus far—it’s so easy for life to swoop in and sweep you away from a good story. And I understand if newbies are intimidated by the prospect of sifting through the story thus far, going chapter by chapter. And so, for the aid of both groups, here’s the entire first arc, available to read for free!
(Substack is being weird and won’t let me upload the PDF, so feel free to download a PDF from the Google link below.)
Here’s a Google Doc!
So is this part, like, finished?
While I’ll only publish work that’s been revised to a certain standard, I have big plans for this story once it’s all available to read, and that will require a few more rounds of revisions. I’ve heard of authors who write a chapter, revise it, then write the next chapter, and once they’ve written all the chapters, they’re done. Like, done done. (Stephen King is supposedly in this group.) That’s not me; by the time I’m finished with the first go-round, I have half a dozen big ideas brewing that require me to go back and change things.
Was it Leonardo da Vinci who supposedly said that art is never finished, only abandoned? The Archangel’s Gift has yet to be abandoned, and it will continue to evolve.
What’s next?
Good question. I have the entire story plotted out, with most chapters written in rough draft form. In January, part 2 will begin, and you’ll continue to get a chapter every week as Serafina and Lorenzo navigate the danger and intrigue of Venice.
The publication will continue to be named The Archangel’s Gift, but part 2 will be subtitled Archangel City. (Part 3, by way of preview, will be subtitled The Last Archangel.)
Happy New Year!
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Some other cool stuff I’ve read this week:
Shackled Destiny chapter 5, by Aiden Marquis: I’ve been popping in and out of Aiden’s serial where I have time, but I thought this chapter was particularly well written. It introduces a new character, so you can read it without being all caught up.”
“Plague House”, by Ian Dunmore: I subscribe to a lot of people, but Ian is one of my few insta-reads. This story showcases his characteristic grounded take on fantasy, where the humanity of the characters shines through the horror.
“This Woman in Labor in Gonna Love My Drumming”: A short, humorous holiday-themed piece by the ever-hilarious MCSweeney’s.
I know that Temple of Doom is chronologically first, but Raiders will always be the first in my heart.
Could you put a PDF on Google Drive?
Love it!