Phrygian Nights

Phrygian Nights #

Might be the next Arcanist Summer Serial for 2026 #

Wizarding students are vanishing. Rebellion brews in the shadows. And the fate of the Great Cities rests on the shoulders of one young sorcerer.

Perriander Lafey’s final year at the Citadel should have been his triumph. Instead, his oldest friend unleashes forbidden magic, leaving Perry maimed and betrayed. To earn back his future—and stop a rising tide of chaos—he must hunt down the rogue sorcerer through the treacherous streets of Phrygia.

But the city’s underbelly is ruled by necromancers, haunted by undead shamans, and steeped in the lure of dark power. Every step brings Perry closer to saving the Great Cities—or surrendering to the very magic he swore to resist.

Fans of Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files and Steven Erikson’s Bauchelain and Korbal Broach novellas will be spellbound by this thrilling tale of magic, mystery, and betrayal (murder? I like the alliteration, but what’s more appealing?).

Development #

Read the entire production journal here

Progress |xxxx————–| 20% #

  • (X) Initial concept: July 2024
    • I had the idea for this story while working alone at nights at a Plasma clinic. Recorded in a voice memo and forgot about it until rediscovering the concept thanks to Apple’s AI transcription feature they recently introduced.
  • (X) Prework: Early 2025
    • ~7,000 words establishing the opening of the book.
    • Established core function
  • (—) First Draft: September 2025
    • Target: ~40,000 words.
    • In progress. Chugging along nicely.

Reading List #

  • And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie
  • Evil Under the Sun, Agatha Christie
  • Storm Front, Jim Butcher
  • Fool Moon, Jim Butcher
  • The Colorado Kid, Stephen King
  • The Maltese Falcon, Dashielle Hammet
  • Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine: March 1987, various authors