Title Reveal, and What Comes Next

Above: Sunrise at our house. The clouds are painted vibrant shades of pink, orange, and gold. A few streaks of purple line the top of the clouds, where the sun can’t reach. Dark silhouettes of trees shoot up into the sky, while the dark tree line covers the bottom of the image.

January 20, 2026

We’re just over two months away from the release of The Way of the Wielder, book four. Given that it’s now in the hands of both my editor and cover artist (as well as a couple of close friends/early readers), I think it’s time I reveal the title.

First, A Bit of Background

If you’ve been following this story since the beginning, you may have noticed a pattern with the book titles: all of them are alliteration.

At first, this was purely by accident. When I was partway through writing book two, I started considering titles that foreshadowed the plot. But the plot of that book is quite complex. In fact, I think it’s the most complex of the whole series.

There are two major plot arcs in book two: researching the Elemental Gods, and the investigation of Ironite. I wanted a title that touched on both, but most of what I came up with was either too long or too confusing. However, I also realized that book two is where we begin learning about the multi-realm universe. “I can work with that,” I remember thinking to myself.

Long story short, as you know, I settled on Mysteries of the Material. It touches a bit on both major plot arcs, and foreshadows something greater.

It’s also alliteration.

The Pattern Had Been Set

Once I had a second alliterative title, I knew I had to keep going. Partly because I enjoy well-placed alliteration, but mostly, I have a strong aversion to asymmetry and patterns that don’t match. I couldn’t have two alliterative titles and two non-alliterative titles. It would bother me for the rest of my life.

Book three’s title (Convergence of Connection) came to me much quicker than book two’s, and once I had the ending of book three outlined, book four’s title revealed itself almost immediately. In fact, I think I knew book four’s title before I knew book three’s.

All that is to say, I’ve known the title of book four since November of 2023.

It’s about time I let the secret out.

Introducing…

I’ve kept book four’s title a secret longer than any other, mostly because it’s a little bit of a spoiler for the end of book three. I suppose that’s inevitable, given that it’s the last book in a series and everything needs to come to an end. Sigh.

Anyway, you’ve waited long enough. The title of book four is: After the Awakening

If you’ve finished Convergence of Connection, I bet your reaction was something like, “Oooh, that makes sense.” Thank you! I thought so, too.

As you can imagine, the plot of this book revolves around what happens after the events at the end of book three. Not just the change the Great Wielders brought about, but how some people (i.e., followers of a certain antagonist) react to it. There’s also some pretty significant character growth for Jack and Jaslan, which also ties to the events in book three.

I haven’t written the official blurb yet. That’s a task for next week. I’ll post it here once it’s ready, likely in early-February.

What Happens Now

As I mentioned, the manuscript for After the Awakening has been sent to my editor and cover artist. Over the next 4-6 weeks, they’ll be working their magic, fine-tuning the story and bringing it to life in ways that only they can.

While they’re doing that, I’ll be working on the blurb, finalizing the front and back matter, and getting the book properly formatted. I also need to update my website, adjust my marketing tactics (to market a complete series), and upload everything to Amazon. All while trying to not get lost in the overwhelming emotions of completing a series that’s been close to my heart for almost six years.

No pressure.

——

That’s all for now! Thanks for reading. Until next time, be well, and stay creative.

~Sarah