3D model of a ship class from my novels. The wings are not for lift, they are part of the FTL system and the ship's heat management and the angled profile is for projectile deflection.

The Steel Song setting sort of straddles the edge between hard and soft sci-fi. Fantastical technologies such as artificial gravity, FTL and energy shields exist, but they still have to deal with things such as heat buildup, fuel and supply lines.

Deep space interceptors are a cross between a heavy fighter and a long-range shuttle, being the smallest Terran military ships to include a rift engine. They carry a crew of five and can operate autonomously for up to a few weeks (with emergency rationing), making them ideal rapid response vessels for counter-piracy operations, or reconnaissance ahead of a main fleet (FTL communications are not possible in my setting, necessitating the use of vessels which can scout ahead, then return and report back).

The lights you see around the cockpit are not windows. They're various kinds of sensors. Because why would you put a window on your ship, when you can have a viewscreen that displays whatever you want? Windows are a structural weakness that doesn't belong on a warship, but I still wanted to have that look, so that's the design solution I went with.

Kainan and Valyra from my space opera novels. This took so much more work than I expected it to. That cloak alone went through probably 100 modifications.

The Steel Song trilogy is a passion project I have spent over six years developing. With the first volume now complete, that journey continues with the second volume, Crown of Cinders, which launched on the 18th of may, on RoyalRoad!

Available on RoyalRoad! Book I Complete!

- Official Soundtrack (Created by a fan) -

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An ambitious Space Opera in the spirit of the bygone era of Pulp Fiction and the best of HFY

"Eighty years ago, they burned Earth"

House of Wolves introduced readers to a gripping, emotional story about humanity's journey from the underdog in a ruthless galaxy, to the very heart of the halls of power, told through the eyes of its deuteragonists - Kainan Wolfe, Warlord of the Terran Empire and Valyra Thay Rynn, crown princess of the Alvari Dominion, two individuals forming a forbidden bond amidst a brutal struggle for galactic power.

Crown of Cinders continues the story with the consequences of the decisions they have made. On a backdrop of escalating tensions, Kainan and Valyra must navigate the treacherous waters of an ancient galactic order that is swiftly beginning to crumble. And Valyra's brother, the usurper Vaeloryn, now pursues a superweapon that threatens to tip the galaxy over the edge of the abyss. Amidst this turmoil, ancient secrets begin to emerge, secrets long-buried and forgotten. As the galaxy spirals into chaos, a chilling prophecy warns of the coming ending of the universe - and hides the monstrous and apocalyptic plan which may be the only chance to save it.

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What to Expect

▸ Compelling characters shaped by the events unfolding around them
▸ An expansive setting with detailed and deep worldbuilding
▸ A gripping, emotional story about hard decisions, the cost of war and the burdens of leadership
▸ High-octane action sequences and spectacular battles on a scale rarely seen in fiction
▸ Layered political intrigue, where betrayals, plots and unlikely alliances drive the narrative forward
▸ A slow-burn, traditional, for-print novel trilogy, published in a serialized format
▸ 6500 to 10.000 words weekly, across 1-2 chapters

What not to Expect

▸ LitRPG
▸ Tongue-in-cheek humor & lighthearted themes
▸ A light read for the subway commute to work
▸ Instant action
▸ Wish-fulfillment power fantasy

Bit of a celebratory post, this one. Not because of any numbers milestone, but because of that moment when one of your readers just gets it. When everything just clicks and you see it unfold beautifully in the comments. This is what makes it worth it for me.

Has this ever happened to you?

So, a friend of mine (chooses to remain anonymous) made me a few tracks for my space opera trilogy. They're composed by a human and rendered (I think that's the right term) with AI (not sure how that works, I know nothing about music).

I absolutely love the way it sounds, though. The tense, mournful atmosphere matches the themes of my novels and those Byzantine influences perfectly match the Eastern European bones of my series.

The lyrics are in High Alvari (they're not gibberish). This is what their language sounds like.

• Read the Steel Song trilogy on RoyalRoad, an ambitious new space opera in the spirit of the bygone era of Pulp Fiction and the best of HFY

Kainan Wolfe is the scarred and enigmatic Warlord of the Terran Empire, a resurgent human state struggling to survive in a ruthless 27th century galaxy populated by ancient and very powerful alien civilizations. Determined to go down a self-sacrificial path of becoming a "necessary evil" willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of his species - and carry the moral burden of his entire civilization's ethical compromises. He stands out due to his lack of emotional volatility, sarcasm and cynicism typically associated with anti-hero or anti-villain characters. He is calm, collected and disciplined, with a stoic exterior that hides some very deep scars.

Valyra Thay Rynn is the High Queen of the Alvari Dominion, the galaxy's oldest and most powerful civilization, recently restored to her throne. Sharpened by the cutthroat royal court she was raised in, where the closest family members and oldest friends are the ones most likely to plot and scheme against you and assassination is always one wrong word or sign of weakness away. Beneath the indomitable and lethal royal persona, is a highly expressive woman defined by a boundless curiosity and fierce loyalty, alongside a determination to create a better galaxy than the one she grew up in.

They are highly-intelligent individuals with a lot of self-control, who make very deliberate and calculated decisions, even when those decisions come with risks and a price to pay. Their complex, forbidden relationship is an intense partnership defined by mutual respect and commitment, without the emotional whiplash, bickering and toxic, manipulative behaviors that are common tropes in fiction. They have their insecurities and flaws, but they deal with them in the mature and level-headed manner that would be expected of the rulers of interstellar civilizations.

Oooff, this is frustrating. This review has absolutely nothing to do with the actual story and honestly, I think she just clicked "next chapter" a couple of times.

Its so annoying, because this person clearly just skimmed the blurb, wrote a generic paragraph about the book, then got on to her real gripe, which is other people's reviews.

The plot & worldbuilding have literally nothing to do with the summer/winter fae courts of Celtic mythology. The Galactic Council is more akin to a feudal space UN run by seven different ancient alien civilizations locked in a constant cold war against each other.

Second, Earth wasn't conquered, it was destroyed to set an example, because humanity defied said Council. Not because Earth is important, but because said Galactic Council forcibly subjugates every younger civilization. This was outlined pretty clearly within the very first scene of chapter 1, which is how I know the reviewer did not actually bother to read the series. If she had, she would also know why said princess wants an alliance with humanity. She's facing a coup by her brother, so she's looking for military assets and resources, which the humans just so happen to have. I don't see which part of that doesn't make sense.

Third, paid reviews? As if I have the money to afford that kind of thing. No, what I have is a small, but highly invested audience that genuinely loves this series. I know, because people talk to me about it all the time on Discord and other social media platforms (like DeviantArt).

Looking at this person's review history, its pretty clear she has a specific preference for comedy (because she gives very negative reviews to anything that isn't comedy or a Pokemon fanfic). And ok, I get it, we all have our preferred genres. But maybe folks should take a look at the tags and "what to expect/what not to expect" sections of the blurb first and just skip works that clearly aren't what they're looking for.

Is there any constructive criticism in this review? Nope. I'd like to know what plot holes she's talking about. If there are any, it would help if they were actually pointed out.

Honestly, feels like another case of "things I don't like, shouldn't exist" and I honestly don't understand why people do this.

Its frustrating because I've put six years of work into this project, with an enormous amount of worldbuilding, planning and even assets like 3D models and sound effects, of all things. The covers, alone, took me around 400 hours, each.

Oh, well. Haters gonna' hate, I guess.

▸ The Steel Song trilogy on RoyalRoad

I would like to begin this by offering you my thanks. This has been an incredible, wild journey for me and this community has given me the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream, which would not have been possible without RoyalRoad. For that, you have my eternal gratitude.

The Steel Song trilogy is a passion project I have spent six years developing. With the final editing pass for the first volume now complete, that journey now continues with the second volume, Crown of Cinders, which will launch on the 18th of May!

House of Wolves introduced readers to a gripping, emotional story about humanity's journey from the underdog in a ruthless galaxy, to the very heart of the halls of power, told through the eyes of its deuteragonists - Kainan Wolfe, Warlord of the Terran Empire and Valyra Thay Rynn, crown princess of the Alvari Dominion, two individuals forming a forbidden bond amidst a brutal struggle for galactic power.

Crown of Cinders will be all about the consequences of the decisions they have made. On a backdrop of escalating tensions, Kainan and Valyra must navigate the treacherous waters of an ancient galactic order that is swiftly beginning to crumble. And Valyra's brother, the usurper Vaeloryn, now pursues a superweapon that threatens to tip the galaxy over the edge of the abyss. Amidst this turmoil, ancient secrets begin to emerge, secrets long-buried and forgotten. As the galaxy spirals into chaos, a chilling prophecy warns of the coming ending of the universe - and hides the monstrous and apocalyptic plan which may be the only chance to save it.