the Author
November
28
34 Comments

Shards of Glass: book day!

Posted in Elantra, Shane Rebenschied, Publication, Kathleen Oudit, Academia.

This is a little bit late in the day, and I apol­o­gize for that, but: it’s November 28th, 2023, and that is publi­ca­tion day for Shards of Glass. For some reason – not, clearly, one set in consen­sual reality – I thought today was the 27th. So tomorrow would be the 28th.

…and books are released on Tues­days, which this is >.<.

Shards of Glass is the first book set in the Acad­emia that the former Arkon claimed as his hoard. New faces and old occupy the Acad­emia, but the Acad­emia is older – by far – than the fledg­ling Empire in which Elantra is set.

Robin, kidnapped from the streets of the poorest of neigh­bor­hoods in Elantra, was an invol­un­tary student, but he learned to love the learning elements of his captivity. And the food and shelter.

When the school came into its own, he was allowed – encour­aged – to remain as an offi­cial student.

The only thing he missed from the warrens was his friend, Raven. He felt that Raven would be an excel­lent student. And also, he missed her.

But nothing is ever simple. What should have been school social diffi­cul­ties, given the origins of the two friends, is far more compli­cated than that. A Dragon is the chan­cellor, and the librar­ians are Draconic, Spider and Barrani ancestor; the profes­sors have their own specific research, and students are dying.

***

Shards of Glass should be avail­able anywhere readers currently buy books :)

34 Responses to Shards of Glass: book day!

  1. Anna M Wick says:
    November 28, 2023 at 5:54 pm

    This is a wonderful addi­tion to Elantra

  2. Hugh S. Myers says:
    November 28, 2023 at 5:55 pm

    I knew because Amazon sends an email when they drop a book on my kindle. I look forward to a cozy read…

  3. Lesa says:
    November 28, 2023 at 5:59 pm

    I can barely wait for the preorder book to get here. I also thought the book would get here today.😩😩😩 Please get here early tomorrow!

  4. Marcia says:
    November 28, 2023 at 6:02 pm

    Been listening Today. It was a nice surprise when I plugged my phone into the car, Audible came up, and I seen the book. I also thought it was the 27th lol. I am enjoying the book and just love the world it’s set in. I can not wait for the next cast book though. The world you created as so many stories that could be spun in so many direc­tions. It amazes me every time I listen. Thank you so much for what you do.

  5. Kerry aka Trouble says:
    November 28, 2023 at 6:15 pm

    Got an email that my copy was shipped — can’t wait for it to get here. I love this series.

  6. Marti says:
    November 28, 2023 at 6:17 pm

    It came this after­noon. Can’t wait to start it!!!

  7. Marty Walsh says:
    November 28, 2023 at 6:52 pm

    Michelle, don’t worry your not the only one who occa­sion­ally has a twilight zone event where your days get mixed. I can speak from expe­ri­ence you’ll never have that issue again. Can’t wait to get into this new book on the Acad­emia. A heartful “thank you” for your fine story­telling, a joy to experience!!

  8. Barbara Ford says:
    November 28, 2023 at 7:11 pm

    Halfway through, and having trouble doing the things I’m supposed to be doing today because I don’t want to put it down.

  9. Cheryl Norman says:
    November 28, 2023 at 7:19 pm

    My copy came today. This weekend is supposed to be rainy, so I envi­sion a reading marathon!!

  10. BT says:
    November 28, 2023 at 8:00 pm

    I was able to be the first to snag my library’s only copy! Never so lucky!
    Thank you for char­ac­ters we care about !

  11. Angela Kelley Brockett says:
    November 28, 2023 at 8:02 pm

    Does this fit between Eter­nity & Atone­ment? Sort of 17.5?

  12. Patrick says:
    November 28, 2023 at 9:13 pm

    Started reading super early this morning when my phone dinged letting me know my preorder had arrived, just after midnight. I took a brief nap after reading for a couple of hours. This book is an awesome addi­tion to Elantra. I loved getting to know the new char­ac­ters. I also loved getting to see more of the cohort and hope to see more of them again. I thought I’d miss Kaylin, but this was a perfect side adven­ture to tide me over til her next book.

  13. Melanie A Allen says:
    November 28, 2023 at 10:46 pm

    Exciting! Preorder it, so will check on it tomorrow

  14. Andrea H says:
    November 29, 2023 at 3:37 am

    Got it on Kindle this morning, devoured it by supper. No spoilers of course, but it was really good! I grew really attached to Raven and Robin and the magic system is so unique and awe-inspiring, like always.

  15. Hilary says:
    November 29, 2023 at 5:09 am

    iBook arrived yesterday and I loved it. Such a complex world. Waiting eagerly for the next Cast book.

  16. CE Murphy says:
    November 29, 2023 at 9:01 am

    wait WHAT WHAT HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS WAS HAPPENING!??!!? I ACTUALLY DID NOT KNOW. I KNEW THERE WAS A DREAM, MICHELLE. I DID NOT KNOW IT HAD HAPPENED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    EXCUSE ME I HAVE TO GO MAKE A PURCHASE *IMMEDIATELY*

    WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  17. michelle says:
    November 29, 2023 at 10:03 am

    @Hilary: Copy-edits for CAST IN ATONEMENT just arrived, so it’s getting there :)

  18. michelle says:
    November 29, 2023 at 10:05 am

    @Angela: roughly, yes. The main events take place before ATONEMENT, and I’ll avoid all spoilers, but the conse­quences of SHARDS are playing out in the back of my writer-brain.

  19. michelle says:
    November 29, 2023 at 10:06 am

    @Marcia: the next CAST book is finished, but in the writer way, not the publisher way. Copy-edits for CAST IN ATONEMENT just arrived.

  20. Tracey says:
    November 29, 2023 at 2:01 pm

    Am I allowed to say that mine arrived on Sunday? I don’t want to rub it in. Just finishing ‘Iron Flame’ so I can dive in. I usually read two or three books at the same time but, with the Cast books, I refuse to have anything else distracting me.

  21. Matthew Billips says:
    November 29, 2023 at 11:07 pm

    I loved it. I preordered an ebook and started reading after midnight on the 28th. I’m sad that I’m through because I loved it.

  22. Bryan Chauveau says:
    November 30, 2023 at 6:58 pm

    You are a true trea­sure and, honestly, a bril­liant writer. I get completely lost in your writing every book. When I pick it up I lose myself in the world you created and see hours fly by before I realize it. And these are my favorite books and book series, I hope you write dozens more books in this world and keep us lost in your imag­i­na­tion for decades to come.

  23. Layne Van Boxtel says:
    December 1, 2023 at 4:59 pm

    I am new to your writing and I’m wondering if this book can be under­stood without having read the previous books. I have no doubt I will lose some of the depth and rich­ness that reading the previous books would provide, but I’m very excited to read this and really don’t want to wait. But I will if I won’t under­stand the story. Thank you

  24. 123purplerabbit says:
    December 1, 2023 at 8:10 pm

    Ahhh, so lovely when you completely forgot about this and Kobo email to say your pre-order has arrived. Like an early Christmas pressie :)

  25. Amy says:
    December 1, 2023 at 9:47 pm

    It was SO GOOD. So inter­esting to see other magical folks in Elantra and what some of our favorite char­ac­ters get up to when not inter­acting with Kaylin. 

    Ms. Sagara, I want to set a dnd 5e campaign in the world you’ve created. Would you be up for answering some basic ques­tions about your world that wouldn’t neces­sarily be spoilery? (Things like name of the world, which I think is Karaazon but I read some­where it’s called Ala’an? Or if the Empire includes every­thing that isn’t excepted like the West March or the fiefs and Ravallon and the like. Or what all guilds exist, etc!). If so, what is the best way to ask questions?
    Thank you for writing such a compelling and fasci­nating world that I continue to cherish.

  26. michelle says:
    December 2, 2023 at 9:17 am

    @Layne: This one can be read on its own, although it does feature char­ac­ters from the CAST novels. How do I know this? Well, my new editor hadn’t read the CAST novels, but did work on this one.

    It’s very hard for me as an author to figure out what might be confusing to a new reader. But… when the editor *is* the new reader, it’s a lot easier. She could flag things that made no sense to her because she was looking at this book, and only this book. How it fit into the other books didn’t matter. The char­ac­ters that were first estab­lished in the CAST novels are present and them­selves, but they made sense to her, having not read the other books.

    So — if you’ve never read anything else in that universe, this is a good place to jump in.

  27. michelle says:
    December 2, 2023 at 9:18 am

    @Amy: Email is prob­ably best, but the warning is: I have copy-edits for CAST IN ATONEMENT sitting on my desk, and a lot of the ques­tions that might be rele­vant to a DnD campaign are not ones that come natu­rally to me >.. So I might be slower. 

  28. michelle says:
    December 2, 2023 at 9:19 am

    @Bryan: thank you!

  29. michelle says:
    December 2, 2023 at 9:22 am

    @Tracey: you are absolutely allowed to say that yours arrived on Sunday :). The strict on-sale dates of the present time didn’t really exist when I first started. Books were printed, and books were shipped to a) distrib­u­tors and b) book­stores. The publi­ca­tion date was always “late” because the publi­ca­tion date was actu­ally the date on which anyone who wanted the book should in theory be able to find it in stores. And since “in stores” involves a lot of ship­ping, a lot of ship­pers, a lot of handling and packing, the book would often arrive way, way earlier than that date.

    The strict on-sale para­digm happened in part as people moved to ebooks and ebook readers. Ebooks *don’t* have the phys­ical ship­ping and handling constraints, but ebook readers were often very disgrun­tled if readers could and did buy the book before they could. All *ebooks* were avail­able on the same day — but because of the shipping/handling para­digm, paper­backs *could* arrive early.

  30. Chris says:
    December 7, 2023 at 12:47 am

    That was not the book I expected it to be, and I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Absolutely floored.

  31. michelle says:
    December 8, 2023 at 9:02 am

    @Chris: Thank you <3.

  32. Kristin Heese says:
    December 17, 2023 at 12:34 am

    Congrats on the newest release!! I just finished reading “Sword and Shadow” today and am starting “Shards of Glass”. I’m thrilled to be reading it… but honestly also a little sad, because once I’m done with this one, I will have read ALL of your books set in Elantra. No more will be waiting for me until the new “Cast” book comes out this summer, and while the wait will not be easy, I’m sure it’ll be worth it in the end :) I’ve thor­oughly enjoyed every single one so far!

    Just curious: are you plan­ning on writing more of the Wolves of Elantra spin-off series, or unde­cided at this time? 

    I want to send you a giant THANK YOU for your fantastic stories and for building such a rich world. Even more: I want to thank you for keeping up what must be a grueling pace to write so many! You don’t leave your readers hanging for years (or decades, like some famous fantasy writers we know) waiting for new books— and we sure appre­ciate it!

  33. Gail Halsted says:
    December 20, 2023 at 2:35 am

    Have just finished reading Shards of Glass. Congrat­u­la­tions on a such a good read

  34. Sharon E. Goertz says:
    December 21, 2023 at 10:20 am

    I loved this! I have been following the Elantra series from the begin­ning but there didn’t seem to be much char­acter growth, just new adven­tures. As an always learning writer, I can see some tech­niques in this book that really enhance the story. This had a defi­nite char­acter arc and I can see the differ­ence between wants and needs. I’m learning from you. I can’t wait for the next one. I hope you continue with Raven.

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