Under the Nine Suns

Q. What is Under the Nine Suns?

A. Under the Nine Suns is a series of novellas. They tell an epic fantasy saga centered around Kalrin Vallis, Kal to his friends. As an agent for the Aleph Association, Kal must protect its members from assassins, supernatural monsters, uncontrolled mechanical nightmares and more, all while trying to keep his family safe and morals intact. How long can he last as growing political corruption and conspiracies threaten to cast the entire nation into brutal civil war?

Q. What is a novella?

A. A novella is a kind of book defined by its length. Novellas are larger than short stories but smaller than traditional novels in size. Typically novellas are between 17,500 and 40,000 words long. Some famous novellas include, 'The Time Machine' by H.G. Wells, 'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck and 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' by Robert Louis Stevenson, to name a few.

Q. Why did you choose to write Under the Nine Suns as a series of novellas?

A. First, I know how frustrating it can be to wait years for the next book in your favorite series to get published. We've all been there. The shorter length of the Under the Nine Suns books will allow me to publish multiple stories every year, reducing the wait time between installments from years to a few months.

Secondly, there have been few, if any, fantasy sagas written in this format. One of the reasons for this is publishing restrictions. Novellas tend to be too long to print in magazines and too short for traditional publishing firms. Electronic publishing has solved these problems. I look forward to exploring the format.

Q. How will the novella format effect Under the Nine Suns?

A. I hope to release several stories every year, reducing the wait time between installments. Besides that, the stories will probably be paced more like a TV series, than a series of movies.

Q. You say these are illustrated ebooks. What does that mean?

A. Each book comes with full color, full page, high-quality illustrations. There will usually be one illustration per chapter, resulting in about ten illustrations per book. Feel free to visit the online gallery.

Q. How can these illustrations be viewed?

A. They will appear automatically in the text when using a device that can render color. If your device cannot render images, then feel free to look at the illustrations online in a spoiler free gallery that will be made available once the book is published.

Q. Can I see a writing sample or chapter excerpt?

A. Yes. Each book will come with a sample chapter you can read, however I'll do you one better! There is a free introductory short story available on this website.
Check out the free story here.

Q. How many books will there be?

A. Not sure. While I know where I want the story to go, I’m not one hundred percent certain which plot points will be covered in which books. The final number will probably be around thirty.

Q. Are there any plans for a print version?

A. Yes. A print version of the book will be available through Amazon.

Q. Are there any plans for an audio version?

A. Yes. I am currently seeking a narrator for the series. Once finished, it will be available through Audible.

Q. Where are the books available?

A. The book will be sold through Amazon. The ebook will be sold through Kindle, the print version through Amazon Create Space and the audiobook through Audible.

Q. When will the first book be released?

A. The book itself is in the final stages of editing. Once it's ready we will run a Kickstarter campaign in order to fund the illustrations, editing and formatting fees. I expect it to be out around late summer, probably in August. If you would like to join the adventure and help make this book a reality, then connect with us on Facebook and Livejournal for more information about our upcoming campaign.

Q. Can you look at my fan art?

A. Yes! I love fan art. Please send fan art to RussellPike@undertheninesuns.com

A. If you have a question about any aspect of the setting, please read the online encyclopedia. This will be updated periodically as the story progresses though I will try to keep the material posted spoiler free.