A Pitt Meadows fantasy author and her American co-author have released the seventh book in a series that has been in the works for the past 16 years.
Amanda Muratoff and Kayla Mansur, who lives in Oregon, released four books this year, including Rise of the Renegades, the final segment of the series called A Rebel’s Crucible, that includes three other books.
Rise of the Renegades is a continuation of the Pantracia Chronicles, in which the main characters Amarie and Kin, attempt to cover up their secret pasts as they battle evil and their romantic desire for each other while searching for the Berylian Key shard. However, in this latest book key information about the arch villain of Pantracia, Uriel, is unveiled, explaining how they became the villain.
“We’ve been working on this series since the beginning of 2018, so it’s been almost three years,” said Muratoff.
However, Pantracia has been in the making for more like 16 years, she explained with each book taking them about a month to write, plus a few months of editing, formatting, and prepping for release.
The first three books in the chronicles, called The Berylian Key Trilogy, the pair wrote in 2019.
They are self-publishing their work because of how fast they are writing.
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“It makes so much more sense,” explained Muratoff, since traditional publishing houses are slow.
“We’ld be lucky to get a book a year out, if that,” she added.
Rise of the Renegades took the duo about six weeks to write. But they are planning to write between 12 and 14 books in order to expand the story line of Uriel.
“Book 10 may end up being a standalone, with potentially one more trilogy to wrap up this story line and bring all the characters back together,” noted Muratoff, admitting that the characters tend to run away with the story and they will write as many books as necessary to give proper closure to the story and a satisfying end.
The Pantracia Chronicles, however, will go on indefinitely, as the authors plan to explore other aspects of the world of Pantracia and new characters.
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Muratoff is also working on her own solo project in addition to the Pantracia Chronicles which is young adult fantasy and contemporary romance. Muratoff and Mansur, who have been writing together for about 18 years, have also been dabbling with a paranormal romance series.
Muratoff says that Rise of the Renegades stands out from the rest because it gives the reader the most closure of all their books so far.
“This book is also very LGBT forward,” added Muratoff, about one of the main romances in the book that is between two interracial men.
And since it captures the climactic events of Unraveling of the Soul , the third and final book of the first trilogy, from a different perspective, it gives all new insight into the plot.
During pre-orders, Rise of the Renegades hit number one in LGBT fantasy on Amazon Canada, and number two in epic fantasy new releases.
The books retail between $21.99-$22.99 each plus tax and are available online and in store at Coquitlam Chapters and Langley Indigo. Signed copies are available directly from Muratoff at a flat rate of $20 each – or all seven paperbacks for $120.
To purchase signed copies email pantraciachronicles@gmail.com .
The earlier you get your order in, the better chance you have at getting copies with both signatures, said Muratoff, since her co-author can no longer enter Canada to sign books because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Gift wrapping is also available.
cflanagan@mapleridgenews.com
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