So what’s Dan facing this time?

Well, his mum is a dryad, so he knows that asking someone from the supernatural world for a favour means there’ll be a price to pay, sooner or later. Dan’s been waiting for the Hunter, the antler-crowned guardian of predators and prey, to call in this debt, after his girlfriend Fin needed the Hunter’s help last year.

He wasn’t expecting this to happen when they were planning to visit Fin’s sister Iris and her new husband Conn at their house in Dublin. Dan has prepared for this unknown challenge, as best he can, by reading up on Irish folklore. So far, he’s learned how different those who live in that unseen realm will be from anyone he’s encountered before – and that crossing them could be very dangerous.

You’ll find a full list of purchase options on the Wizard’s Tower Press website.
That page will be updated as further retailer listings go live.

The Green Man’s Debt will be published on 10th September 2026.

I am sure you will agree that Ben Baldwin has given us another magnificent cover for Dan Mackmain’s latest adventure.

This time around, Dan and Fin are off to Ireland – a trip I know many readers have been keen to see them take. It’s been an interesting writing challenge. I’ve visited Ireland many times, so I can see people and places through Dan’s eyes, but visiting isn’t the same as living somewhere. I have Irish resident characters in this story who I need to be convincing – especially for Irish readers! Thankfully, on my many visits to Irish SF&F conventions, since my first Octocon somewhere around the turn of the century, I have made lifelong friends whose assistance with that aspect of this particular book has been invaluable. (Any errors that remain are down to me, obviously.)

The Green Man’s Debt will be published by Wizard’s Tower Press on 10th September 2026. Pre-orders will open shortly, and we’ll be sharing more about this story to whet your appetite soon.

It’s all go hereabouts!

Today I learned that The Riven Kingdom is included in this week’s Waterstones online only, pre-order offer – ending on Friday 24th July. Enter the offer code SUMMER26 at the checkout and get 25% off the RRP.

Do check out the whole selection of great reads along with the Angry Robot titles … and you will see I also have an interest in No Laughing Matter, a horror anthology forthcoming from Flame Tree Publishing.

This selection of horror short stories has been edited by Peter Coleborn and Mike Chinn and includes work by Ramsey Campbell, Samantha Lee, Stephen Volk and more, alongside my own.

I did say I was busy when I last posted an update … and very productively so. I’m very pleased to report The Green Man’s Debt is now written and edited with the invaluable assistance of Editor Toby, and with the benefit of input from several expert consultants, most notably talented writer and valued friend, C.E. Murphy. As those who heard me read a taster at Eastercon will know, this new story takes Dan and Fin to Ireland. As many of you will be aware, I’ve visited Ireland regularly for years. That gets me so far, but I still need folk closer to daily life there to take a look at what I’m writing. Quite simply, I don’t know what I don’t know.

Ben Baldwin is working on the cover art right now, and the preliminary sketches are as good as you would imagine. I’ll be sharing the finished cover soon, along with details of September’s publication date. Can you believe this is the ninth book in this series?! And that this success is entirely thanks to enthusiastic readers spreading the word? I am hugely grateful to everyone who has supported me and Wizard’s Tower Press as this series has unfolded.

The Riven Kingdom, my new epic fantasy from Angry Robot is now finalised and will be published in ebook and paperback on 27th October 2026. Audiobook production is underway. I’ll post updates on that, and promotions, interviews etc as I have them.

My next opportunity to talk about both books will be a week today. On 25th July 2026, I’ll be taking part in the British Fantasy Society’s BFS Online event, exploring power in speculative fiction, its manifestations, imbalances and consequences, both intended and unforeseen. The event is free to BFS members and £5 to non-members – and these online days are a great introduction to the BFS.

Throughout the day, an international roster of panellists will bring a wide range of perspectives to discussions on how individuals handle power, how oppressive power can be resisted, and whether or not power really does corrupt? At 12.15, I’ll be talking to Shona Kinsella about power dynamics in my own work and elsewhere, in fiction and reality.

Looking ahead to other dates in the diary when I’ll be talking about these books and no doubt, many other things, I’ll be at Fantasycon in Glasgow 9th – 11th October, and Bristolcon (in Bristol obviously) 24th – 25th October. There are a couple of other potential upcoming events, and I’ll post updates on this as and when details are confirmed.

Between now and then, I have a very interesting short story commission to work on, which is what I’ll be doing once I’ve posted this. It’s been a good year for my short fiction. I was tremendously honoured to be invited to contribute to an absolutely stellar anthology celebrating David Gemmell’s work in commemoration of his untimely death twenty years ago. The Iron Code will be published on 28th July by Newcon Press – and you can get your preorders in here

You can also read my contribution to the splendid anthology from Wizard’s Tower Press, Fight Like A Girl Volume 2 in The 2026 Best of British SFF Bundle, available to the end of the month. This fifth annual Best of British SF/F bundle is bigger than ever, and honestly, I read the roster of titles thinking ‘read that, it’s great, ooh, and so’s that, and that, and that…’ The Green Man’s Heir is also in there, so if you know someone you think would enjoy reading that, or any of the other excellent books on offer, do send them the link.
Click here for full details.

That’s all for the moment. Now that I’ve got two novels off my desk, hopefully I’ll be able to blog a bit more frequently. No promises, mind you. I still have plenty to keep me busy, not least supporting the Society of Authors’ ongoing defence of writers’ rights against predatory techbros and others!

I had an excellent weekend at Eastercon, where I offered a couple of readings from this year’s forthcoming books, and revealed the title of the next Green Man story with eager readers. The Green Man’s Debt will be coming from Wizard’s Tower Press in September 2026. More news and artwork will be shared in due course.

The Riven Kingdom will be published by Angry Robot on 27th October, and I see Amazon UK are already taking pre-orders if that’s of interest. Regardless, you can click through to see the cover art from Alice Coleman.

I have now added The Tiny Book Case pin badge to my convention lanyard, as I thoroughly enjoyed writing a short story for Ben and Nico, and then hearing and discussing their stories – all very different even though we were working from the same single-word prompt of ‘Whip’.

Click here for Podlink or go to wherever you get your podcasts from.

The next episode will be our highly enjoyable, more general chat about writing, books and more besides.

In haste as I am working flat out on various things at present. Alongside everything else, I’ll be recording interviews with a couple of podcasts later this week. More details when those are available for a listen.

The weekend after next is Iridescence, the Eastercon in Birmingham. My schedule is as follows:

Friday, 3 April
16:30 Book launch: Wizard’s Tower Press
Sussex, 60 mins

Saturday, 4 April
09:00 Considering Anne McCaffrey
Sandringham, 60 mins

13:30 Appropriation of Greek Culture in the Anglophone world, and how to reclaim it
Salisbury-Wellington, 60 mins

Monday, 6 April 2026
10:30 Author Reading III
Salisbury-Wellington, 60 mins
I’ll be reading alongside Aliette de Bodard and Robin CM Duncan, and sharing the title of this year’s novel in my Green Man series, along with a short reading from that work in progress. I’ll also be offering a new taste of The Riven Kingdom, my epic fantasy novel coming from Angry Robot this autumn. Since keen readers are asking if this relates to my previous fantasy writing, you may be interested to know the story is set in the same world as Shadow Histories of the River Kingdom but these events unfold some centuries earlier… 

Speaking of The Riven Kingdom, today and tomorrow this week, Barnes & Noble Premium and Reward members can get 25% off on preorders. I appreciate this will mainly be of interest to those in the US, but it does mean that everyone can now admire the fabulous cover art 😊

Back in the last century, before the millennium turned, blogging lore said three things make a post.

I have started writing the new Green Man book. As usual, I came up with an overall concept, and I have been gathering related ideas and background material to add to that over the past few months. I could see various ways of fitting a good many of these elements together, but not a plot that encompassed them all. So in a first for me, I tried something I’ve seen other writers find useful. I wrote the plot points and other story elements I had on Post-Its, and then shifted them around on my desk until I could see the best underlying narrative for Dan Mackmain’s next adventure, bringing in everything that I wanted. This also showed me where there were gaps, and where ideas needed reshaping. It’s been a very interesting exercise as well as proof that it’s never too late to try something new creatively. I’m going to enjoy writing this one. Further details in due course…

My work as a member of the Society of Author’s board continues. Following the first meeting of the year last week, I am honoured to be elected to serve as the management committee’s Vice Chair. This post was created by a resolution approved by the members’ vote at the 2025 AGM. The demands on all volunteer-led organisations working for the benefit of their wider communities has grown inexorably through the past decade, as anyone involved will know. Having a Vice Chair role will increase the SoA’s resilience, as the board and the incredibly hard-working staff tackle the ongoing challenges for creators, most notably but by no means limited to the continuing threats to copyright, and the devaluation of our work by genAI slop.

Last but by no means least, I am delighted to see The Green Man’s Holiday on the BSFA Awards longlist. Inclusion in this preliminary stage of the awards process is a great compliment. Writing the Magic is also listed in the Non-Fiction category, rewarding all the contributors’ and editors’ work.

As always this is an excellent opportunity for everyone, whether you’re a writer, an artist, a BSFA member or not, to go and read the lists and see the breadth and depth of writing and art available for us to enjoy, created with passion and skill by real people! Click here

I’ve mentioned the epic fantasy I’ve been working on for a while now, and promised more information in the fullness of time. That time is now!

The Riven Kingdom will be published by Angry Robot next year. The press release says:

Angry Robot Books has acquired Juliet E. McKenna’s The Riven Kingdom, described as a “fresh and gripping fantasy” that “blends politics, religion, and a battle for a dead king’s throne, perfect for fans of the Realm of the Elderlings series.”

Commissioned by editor Simon Spanton Walker, the one-book deal covers physical, ebook and audio.
“After devising a world with eerie, hidden magic and winding lethal intrigues around characters as new to me as they will be to readers, I’m thrilled to be working with Angry Robot to bring this story to fantasy fans,” says Juliet.

Simon Spanton Walker, commissioning editor, says: “Juliet writes involved and involving fantasy of the very highest order. The Riven Kingdom is no exception: a nuanced and gripping tale that uses fantasy to give vivid life to both the rulers and the ruled of a fantasy world in crisis. We’re incredibly proud to be her publisher.”

And Juliet’s agent, Max Edwards, adds: “Juliet E. McKenna is a legend among fantasy writers, and for good reason. The worlds she builds, the characters who populate them, and the challenges they face, are truly epic in their scope. After several years away from her heartland, it’s thrilling to see The Riven Kingdom re-inventing the epic fantasy for today’s world.”

So what’s the book about?

When King Venais is killed before he can marry and father an heir, the kingdom of Arafaze is thrown into uncertainty. His sister Princess Idelina, too grief-stricken to assert her claim to the throne, finds herself circled by those with ambitions of their own: Princess Alriad, the dead King’s aunt, seeks endorsement from the Sun Goddess’ high temple to rule as regent; Earl Padran and Earl Debin are determined to see the rightful succession secured; King Tadiri of neighbouring Mervante, whose daughter was set to marry the King, senses an opportunity.

As the kingdom splits into opposing factions, Jadewin, an experienced Moon Priestess, and Alory, a young Sun Priest, discover cliques within the temples and shrines betraying their vows to stay out of royal rivalries. Priests and priestesses defend this world against terrifying incursions from the intangible realm. Amid the upheavals of a war of succession, who knows what malevolent creatures might gain entry into their reality…

The Riven Kingdom is a high fantasy that explores the harsh realities of hereditary power in a world where knowledge of magic and the supernatural are secrets too dangerous to share.

We have a stupendous cover and I will share that as soon as I get the nod.

Taking a quick break from revising my new epic fantasy novel* to be published by Angry Robot next year, here’s some news to please keen readers.

The Green Man’s Holiday will be published by Wizard’s Tower Press on 30th October 2025, and ebook preorders are now open. Paper editions will be available for preorder soon. Check with your preferred retailer and/or find the full roster of purchase links at the Wizard’s Tower Press website.

Incidentally, if you would like to read some early excerpts, do check out Book Quote Wednesday #BookQW on social media. For me, that’s Bluesky, Mastodon, and Facebook. We get a word each week to look for in our books and share what we find. All authors are welcome to join in, so if you browse the hashtag, you’ll find a wide range of genres and writers.

*details about the new fantasy novel will be forthcoming in due course. I can say we now have a title we like very much, and an excellent cover concept. I am very pleased with the new facets added to the original story by the shifts in focus discussed and agreed after editorial input.

Once this rewrite is done, I’ll hopefully blog a bit more frequently…

A brief and very pleasing bit of news today. I’m delighted to share Ben Baldwin’s fantastic cover, along with the title of the next book in my Green Man series.

The Green Man’s Holiday will be officially launched in October at the World Fantasy Convention in Brighton (with a sneak preview at Bristolcon).

Will Dan and Fin enjoy the relaxing break they’re hoping for? You’ll have to wait and see…