Hello there, WebNovel!
Alright, let's jump right into this, as there's quite a bit to talk about.
So, now that we've kicked off the second trilogy of The Synner Saga, there are a few things I want you to bear in mind moving forward, as well as things I want to talk about that happened in the book.
(This applies to Paperback and E-Book readers only)
First, I'm sure you've noticed a major formatting change to the series. After I finished college, I lost access to Adobe InDesign (which is what I was using to format the first trilogy), and I figured that was probably a sign for me to change things up. I was lucky enough to have finished the first three in the same style, but now… Well, I guess we'll see how this goes with Atticus.
With that said, let's get into the characters of Path of the Wraithborn.
Regarding Mideia, the next "big bad" of the saga, I (personally) think he's an interesting character. His unpredictability allows me to write him almost any way I want, but at his core, he's a vehement manipulator. I won't spoil much else for the coming books, but as I'm sure you've noticed, I never once mentioned what he actually looks like. To be fair, that's mostly because I haven't decided on a design, but I'll certainly have one for Cry of the Voiceless (Book 5) coming out Q1 of 2026. That said, I think he'll prove to be a fascinating villain who isn't evil just for evil's sake.
Like everyone else, he has a role to play and goals to achieve, but whether he'll reach them is entirely up to Thoma and the others.
Next, let's talk about the dragons and their home, Polarion.
Polarion is an interesting place enough as it is, and while I won't spoil much here, just know that it's a highly important place in the following books. There's a hierarchical structure to the place, and while it may seem that they've all got their roles to play, some are far more important than others, such as the dukes. Putting it simply, Wardens serve the Dukes, who ultimately serve the Council (Dukes who are a bit higher up on the chain, like the difference between a junior and a senior position, as I'm sure you've noticed).
That dynamic will be important to keep in mind later, I promise, but I wanted to clarify that now juuuust in case there was any confusion. That said, I'm glad I finally get to talk about them in a bit more detail, since they played a massive role during the Great Partition. Ryfon was definitely one of my favorite dragons to introduce to the series, as his mere presence alone has a much deeper significance than I let on throughout Path of the Wraithborn.
Oh, right. I almost forgot about Ed and Meliss.
Anyone who's been paying attention since Echoes in the Snow could've seen this coming from lightyears away. However, I both wanted and needed Thoma to find a way to deal with it. For those of you who felt that scene on the balcony hit a little too close to home: trust me, it took me 3 days and 4 different iterations of that conversation to get it right. I don't normally share much about my personal life in these, but that entire situation was difficult to write, since I had to go through something extremely similar in my own life, but felt I could help Thoma navigate the situation in a way that I wish I had.
But no one wants to hear that sob story, so I'll leave it at that.
As for Kalia's and the rest of the hegraphene's troubled past, I won't get into it here, but I'm pretty sure that if you've been paying attention, you'll see the breadcrumbs I've left behind to help paint the picture.
The idea of leaving breadcrumbs without telling the full story of certain things is something I've come to enjoy doing since hearing the term moldy worldbuilding (the idea that there's a story to be told, but it's one that's been lost to time). Either way, not all of it will come to light, but there will be enough to satisfy the more curious readers.
All in all, I'm both gladdened and humbled by the fact that I've made it this far, and I offer you my most sincere thanks. I'm working as hard as I can on Cry of the Voiceless, and as always, I hope I can continue to deliver on the experience you've had reading the series so far, and I hope that you'll continue to do so.
With any luck, I'll see you again in Cry of the Voiceless, which I know is going to send you for a loop. (Which starts next week!!!!)