Release Day
After a year that has lasted approximately four decades, it’s hard to believe that we’ve finally made it to the release of Red Right Hand. Another adventure in the Post-Break world. Another chapter in Damian’s story. And a whole lot more bloodshed, triumph, and defeat… because it just wouldn’t be a Murder of Crows book if everything was rainbows and puppies.
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, this was a hard book to write. My first-ever ‘second book in a trilogy’. I had to rediscover Damian’s voice. Figure out how/if the events of See These Bones would change him. Chart a path for growth that didn’t stray from who he is. And oh yeah, juggle a half-dozen or so plot threads so I could end up where I’ll need to be for the trilogy’s conclusion in One Tin Soldier.
My alpha readers seemed to enjoy the snippets I was sending them, but it wasn’t until the very last pages that I felt confident Red Right Hand had actually come together. My beta readers agreed, and now it’s your turn. Red Right Hand is available for purchase in digital and paperback1 formats, and is also free-to-read on Kindle Unlimited!
I’m anxious for all of you to read it, and just as anxious to hear what you thought! Please, let me know, and if you have the time, please also leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads. As an independent author, my business lives or dies on word of mouth, and a big part of that involves reviews.
Advance Reviews
So far, advance reviews have been really positive, and it’s been wonderful to see some repeat names among the reviewers.
To date, I’ve had seven advance reviews2. Six have been 5-star, and one was 4-star.
Here are some snippets:
“Chris Tullbane has taken what was great about See These Bones, turned it to eleven, let his characters mature and develop, and then thrown the whole bunch into the deep end.” – Reid Edwards
“Author Chris Tullbane blew the superhero genre out of the water with See These Bones, and this follow-up novel elevates the series and amps up the action once more. Sci-fi and superhero fans will love the fact that the work is conceptually tight, delivering an academy where the danger feels genuine and there is no perfect solution to life’s problems just because you have superpowers.” – K.C. Finn
“I highly recommend Red Right Hand, it’s fun, full of action and even some romance for those who are into that sort of thing.” – Anna Szabó
“Dead professors and schoolmates, crows, madness, and revenge–this is merely icing on the dangerous path that Damian has chosen to tread. This series will strike you as Harry Potter on steroids.” – Vincent Dublado
“this was a great sequel, the characters were great and I really enjoyed the storyline. I felt like there were high stakes and I was on the edge of my seat.” – Kay M.
“Being me, I had to go back and reread the first book (See These Bones) first. So I was frothing-at-the-mouth ready to dig into Red Right Hand. To say it lived up to my expectations is putting it mildly.” – Kerri Davidson, author of Soul’s Choice and The Chronicles of Henny
“It is a perfect story to become a movie or a Netflix series. Entertaining and packed full of action. I loved this book. ” – Rabia Tanveer
So far, so good! I’m delighted that people are enjoying my first sequel!
Content Warnings
When I released See These Bones, I thought it appropriate to also provide some content/trigger warnings to potential readers, as the book can be a lot to take at some points. As a sequel, a lot of those same content warnings still apply, but I wanted to reiterate them, because Red Right Hand does kick things up a notch. This is a general and non-spoilery overview of possibly sensitive material found in the book:
Death
There is a lot of death in this book. Some of it is graphic, some of it is not, but–as might be expected in a book featuring a character with necromantic powers–death plays a fairly significant role in the plot.
Violence, gore, and bodily harm
Red RIght Hand contains numerous, often detailed, scenes of violence. The Post-Break world is not a peaceful place, even in the last democracy in North America.
Alcohol usage, drug references, and sex
Damian and his classmates are nineteen or older and there are numerous references to alcohol and the post-Break world’s version of drugs . There are also scenes and discussions of a sexual nature that are not suitable for younger readers.
Profanity
I feel like I’ve already covered this ad nauseum, but… there are a lot of expletives in Red Right Hand. Most are courtesy of Damian himself, but many of his classmates are happy to throw out the occasional f-bomb when they feel like the situation calls for it.
An immature and unreliable narrator
Damian, as a character and a narrator, remains a lot to handle, and his path to personal growth and maturity is a rocky one. He is still angry, still immature in many ways, and liable to do very bad things for very good reasons, regardless of the potential cost. If you’ve read See These Bones, you already know some of what to expect.
If any of the above throws up a red flag for you, please think twice about reading Red Right Hand. Check out the sample chapters to decide for yourself if the book is right for you3.
My goal with this book and every book is to entertain… I’d genuinely much rather you not read something4 that I write than be upset by it.
Happy Reading!
And now, as usual, I’m going to go unplug and wait for the release day dust to settle. I hope you all enjoy the book! If you like it, please leave a review!
And if you haven’t yet read See These Bones, and would like to see what the fuss is all about, I have good news! I’m running a one-week $0.99 price promotion on the ebook version from now through Friday!
Happy November, everyone!
Red Right Hand is available now in digital and print formats!
Footnotes
- In a strange reversal from when I released Investigation, Mediation, Vindication, Amazon’s publishing process for the paperback for Red Right Hand actually finished early, and that version has been available since Sunday. Go figure.
- I’ve had a number of people requesting the book on NetGalley, but I think the US election has slowed the usual review rate just a bit.
- If the free chapters I’ve shared aren’t sufficient for you to make that call, the book will also be available via Kindle Unlimited, so you can read for yourself and drop it if it’s not to your taste without actually buying the book.
- Let alone buy something!
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