ALMOST EIGHTEEN MONTHS have passed since I began publishing The Trials of the Lion here on RoyalRoad! This community means a lot to me, and it brought me back to writing from a very dark place of personal tragedy. Along the way, I discovered a lot about myself, and a lot about the healing value of art and expression. I love writing The Trials, but I never expected to be publishing a fully edited version of the book, let alone be holding a paperback copy of these tales! It's been a hell of a ride! However, the book release necessitates some unforeseen changes here on RoyalRoad, and I want to be transparent with readers about that.

So, the good news: Firstly, The Trials of the Lion is set to be released on August 17. That includes all the arcs to current, plus a foreword giving some more context on the origin of the character and stories, a world map, and a slew of original art. It will be available for purchase as an ebook, (and through Kindle Unlimited), and I have also worked hard to make an affordable but high-quality paperback version that has a variant of the cover art that. If I may say so, it looks damn fine. In a few months, The Trials should be available on Audible, too.

Secondly, for the next eightish weeks, I'll be releasing content double time. New chapters will be posted every Wednesday and Saturday, spanning two arcs: "A Bargain of Blood and Flame," which started today, and my first solid attempt at a novella, "Smoke and Steel," which is a follow up to "A Steel Debt" and continues Ulrem and Kinro's travels together. It's a doozy.

TLDR; new chapters every Wednesday and Saturday for the next eight weeks!

The bad news: As many of you know, publishing on Kindle Unlimited limits what I'm able to maintain on RoyalRoad and elsewhere on the web. This was a screw up on my part; I did not know about the exclusivity until it was enrolled, and I can't unenroll it for 90 days. 100% my mistake. This means that I need to take down all the arcs after "Beneath the Broken Tower" on August 17. I wanted to give a respectful distance for anyone who is still reading those middle arcs to catch up while they can.

However...anything beyond "A Bargain of Blood and Flame" is fair game. I can continue publishing new content here on RR! And believe me, we've got many more adventures in store. I know where The Trials are going, and I'm building towards something. Volume 2 of The Trials of the Lion, tentatively titled The Conquests of the Lion is going to dive deeper into Ulrem's search for his crown, deeper into the mythological aspects, and will introduce a number of elements I plan to explore in novellas/novels I am already planning out. It's tricky, navigating this project through interlinked short stories, but this is the most fun I've ever had writing.

PSA: After August 17, arcs 2-8 will only be available on Amazon Kindle or in the paperback version. However, new arcs will be added pronto! I've already got 9, 10, and 11 written, drafted, and ready to rock.

I can't wait to begin the next leg of this adventure with you. I have some really sharp stuff in store! Incidentally, if anyone is interested in getting an e-arc copy of the finished book to review it on Goodreads or Amazon, let me know in the comments below, or in a PM. I'll give it to you for free in exchange for your honest review!

Stay fierce!

L.R.