The Dream Is Real.
The Proof Copy Has Arrived.
“A tunnel is not merely a hole in the earth. It is a promise, that your neighbor can reach you in times of need, and you can reach them. Every connection we dig is a bond that can never be broken.” — Rauf Furrington, First Architect of the United Burrowlands
I have been staring at it for days now. Picking it up. Setting it down. Flipping through the pages just to hear the sound of them turning. And every single time, it hits me the same way.
The official proof copy of The Burrow and the Blade has arrived from Spines Publishing.
After years of worldbuilding, after thousands of hours spent mapping tunnels and naming kings and tracing the bloodlines of peoples who live only in my imagination, the dream is no longer a document on a screen. It is no longer a folder full of notes, or a Google Doc with 300 comments in the margins. It is a book. A real, physical, hold-it-in-your-hands book. And I cannot fully describe what that feels like, except to say that it feels like something I have been working toward my entire creative life.
This is the moment. And I wanted to share it with all of you.
If You Missed the Livestream
I went live to unveil the proof copy the moment it arrived. I tore open the packaging on camera. I held it up. I flipped through the pages. I may have gotten a little emotional. If you missed it, you can watch the full reveal right here:
🎥 Watch the Proof Copy Reveal Livestream
There is something about seeing your world in print for the first time. Seeing the cover art. Feeling the weight of 743 pages in your palms. Knowing that every character, every battle, every quiet conversation between friends around a fire is now preserved in ink and paper. I did my best to put that feeling into words during the stream, but honestly, some things are better experienced than explained.
What Is The Burrow and the Blade?
(For newcomers)
I have always described this book the same way, and I will keep saying it until it sticks:
“Redwall meets Lord of the Rings.” A 743-page epic anthropomorphic fantasy for readers who grew up on Brian Jacques and wished the stakes were higher, the world was deeper, and the adventure never ended.
This is not a children’s book wearing an adult costume. This is a fully realized epic fantasy that happens to star Burrowfolk, Wolfkin, Felkrin, and the many wild and ancient peoples of a world called Vaelora. It is brutal and tender. Political and personal. It is a story about what it costs to build something worth protecting, and what it costs to protect it.
ABOUT THE BOOK: Fifteen centuries have passed since Merris Brightpaw drove her blade through the heart of darkness beneath the Burrowlands. Now, young merchant Babax Merrifur seeks answers about his missing brother and stumbles into a conspiracy that could unravel the world itself.
Kickstarter Backers: Your Books Are Coming
For everyone who believed in this project early, who backed The Burrow and the Blade on Kickstarter and helped make this dream real, I want you to know: distribution and author copies are the next step. Your books are coming soon. We are in the final stretch.
General availability is also approaching, and I will have more updates on that timeline very soon. But I wanted you, the backers, to hear it from me directly. Your patience has meant the world to me. Your belief in this project carried it through the hardest stretches. And very soon, you will be holding the same book I have been staring at on my desk.
Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.
Book Two Is Already in Progress
I should also mention this, because I know some of you are already asking: Book 2, The Root and the Flame, is already in progress.
The story of Vaelora does not end with The Burrow and the Blade. It barely begins. And the deeper I go into the next chapter of this saga, the more I realize just how much more there is to tell. I cannot wait to share it with you.
The World of Vaelora Canon Archive Is In the Works
Now, here is the other announcement I have been sitting on.
Alongside the book launch, I have been building something I have wanted to create for a long time: The World of Vaelora Canon Archive, a brand-new wiki and lore system built directly into the website at thesagasofvaelora.com.
This is not a simple blog update. This is the foundation of something much larger, and it is still in its early stages, but the bones are there and growing. Here is what is taking shape:
A brand-new wiki page system is being built with clean, navigable canon pages designed to be read, explored, and referenced. The goal is simple: no clutter, no confusion, just lore presented clearly.
A portal-based navigation system that will eventually let you enter the world through whatever door interests you most, whether that is characters, factions, timelines, creatures, magic, or cosmology.
Early character entries are going up for the people who drive this story forward, from Babax Merrifur to Merris Brightpaw, from Rauf Furrington to the towering figures of the Elder Races. More will follow as the archive grows.
Faction pages, timeline expansions, creature compendiums, and abbey entries are all on the roadmap, designed to go deeper than the books ever could on their own. Some of this is already live. Much more is coming.
And further down the road: an Interactive Map of Kalidoria, the continent where The Burrow and the Blade takes place. I have wanted to build this since the very beginning, and it is finally on the horizon.
Watch the Archive Walkthrough
I did an early walkthrough of the Canon Archive on a recent livestream. It is still light, still growing, but you can already see the direction this is heading. I walk through the homepage layout, the portal navigation concept, a few character page previews, and talk through what is planned next, including timeline expansions, abbey entries, and the Interactive Map of Kalidoria.
🎥 Watch the Canon Archive Walkthrough
If you want a look at where the archive is right now and where it is going, this is the stream to watch.
What Do You Want to See Next?
This is where I need your help.
The Canon Archive is a living thing. It will keep growing as the world of Vaelora grows. But I want to build what matters most to you first. So tell me: what do you want added next? More character entries? Deeper faction breakdowns? A bestiary? Historical deep dives into the Feast Wars? Expanded cosmology? The map?
Drop a comment below and let me know. I read every single one.
This Is Only the Beginning
I have said this before, and I will keep saying it: this is only the beginning.
More art is coming. More lore drops are coming. More expansions to the Canon Archive are coming. The world of Vaelora is larger than any single book could contain, and I intend to share every corner of it with you.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for reading. Thank you for believing in this world before it had a spine and a cover. The proof copy is in my hands, and soon it will be in yours.
This story is just getting started.
⚔️ The Sagas of Vaelora Book I: The Burrow and the Blade
🌿 Join the Journey of Vaelora
🌐 Website: thesagasofvaelora.com
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“Vaelora is not just a story. It is a world we are building together.”
Man, what a journey! Can't believe you were able to use Google docs to write this monster. The book is gorgeous, too. All of the art for it is awesome.
I'm proud of you, bro.