Yesterday, I thought it would be fun to let AI grill me on The Divided Region series.
However, after letting it analyse my series web page, I realised very quickly I was never going to be able to answer all its questions in one email.
Thus, I've created Part 2.
[WARNING: If you've not yet read Books 1-5, the following includes spoilers. You can grab the books individually or save with the bundle here.]
Shall we wrap this two-part series up?
Let's go…
Why is the region divided? Is it just a border dispute, or is there a fundamental, world-breaking reason they can't coexist?
Oh, if only it were a mere border dispute.
It would've made navigating lore and subplot elements an absolute cakewalk.
Long story short:
Some 900 years earlier, Vlencia and Elron made a pact which was later broken by King Valentius of Vlencia, leaving scores of Elronians dead.
That's the general gist of where their division takes root.
I cover this event (and others) in much more detail in Lore & Order: Chronicles of Estos.
Your books range from 135 to 364 pages. Why are these marketed as "Books" rather than "Novellas"? Am I paying for a full story arc in each, or is it one book chopped into four pieces?
I don't know how else to answer this, but, uh…
They are marketed as books because, well, they are books.
Having sold hundreds of them via my Storehouse and hundreds more on retailers, I'm yet to receive a single complaint about the length.
If anything, it's often the thing I'm praised for, given fantasy is totally devoid of short, fast-paced reads.
More:
I Am Legend — the post-apocalyptic book turned movie with Will Smith — comes in at a mere 175 pages, yet even on its Amazon product description, it's referred to as a novel.
Novellas, novels, novellettes… it doesn't matter.
What matters is the story.
To the second part of your question:
Yes, each story has its own arc, which is ultimately a part of the greater series arc. I've tried to keep brutal cliffhangers to a minimum, but not even I saw One True King's (Book #4) ending until I edited it!
Why should I buy the 4-book bundle now instead of just trying Book 1 for a smaller entry price?
Maybe because you'll save more coin instead? 🤷♂️
Jeez, I thought you were supposed to be stealing all of our jobs?
Every fantasy has a scary forest. What makes yours actually "forbidden" rather than just "spooky"?
A few reasons:
– Most who enter it never resurface
– Magic is heavily nullified inside
– Vengeful ghosts haunt its many dizzying paths
– The lack of sunlight keeps it in a perpetual state of darkness
I’d say these are pretty prohibitive, wouldn’t you?
Is Prince Dillian a complex antagonist with a valid point of view, or is he just "The Evil Brother" who exists to be hated?
If you've read the prequel and Exiled, you'll know Dillian has "genuine" reasons for his antagonistic ways.
They are grounded in ambition, expansion, and wanting to revive what he considers to be a sleeping dynasty.
Good villains should have redeeming qualities; Dillian is no different.
Right, last one:
The bundle covers Books 1–4, but your store mentions a Book 5. How many books are actually planned? Is there an ending in sight?
Fun fact: I've had the ending in mind long before I wrote the first passages of Exiled.
Another fun fact: I originally planned for this to be a five-book series, but fiction did a fiction on me.
But yes, the end is in sight.
I aim to wrap this puppy up in seven books, providing Milo the Muse doesn't spill any more ink over my plans, which is entirely possible given we're at the climactic end of the series.
Time will tell on that one.
Until such an answer reveals itself, five of the planned seven books are available for you to read right here:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/TDR-Bundle
Have a great weekend and remember, stay classy out there.
DJJW