Welcome back to Vox Auctoris, my weekly update podcast for readers.
I want to start with one of those wandering thoughts I’ve always loved: how strange it must have been for ancient people to look up in the middle of the day and see the moon hanging there in the sky. We grow up knowing what it is, wrapped in science and context, but if you didn’t know what a planet was—if you had no framework at all—what would you think you were looking at? It’s one of those shower thoughts. Stoner thoughts. The kind of quiet wondering that never really leaves me.
Before I get into the writing update, a quick reminder:
I’m currently participating in a BookFunnel promo featuring free fantasy and sci-fi reads, running through January 31st, with another large promo already planned for February. You can always find the active promo here:
There’s a wide range of books in these promos, from romantic fantasy to gritty sci-fi, so no matter where your tastes fall, you’ll likely find something worth reading.
Writing Update: Wyrm Rider
This week, I finished the penultimate chapter of Wyrm Rider, and somewhere along the way, the book officially stopped being a novella and turned into a novel. It’s sitting at about 36,000 words right now, and there’s no chance the final chapter comes in under 2,500 words, so we’re looking at 40,000+ by the end.
I’ve been having an absolute blast writing this one.
If you’re on my Legacy Fans mailing list, you’ll get Wyrm Rider free. If you’re a paid patron, you’ll also get it free. And if you’re not in either group, the only thing you’ll need to do is sign up for the mailing list. I’ve written several free books lately, and this will be one more heading your way.
A lot of my time this week has been spent thinking about absurd but important questions, like: how do you actually fight from dragonback? Does it make sense to carry melee weapons while riding something the size of a house? Probably not in the way fantasy usually portrays it.
The technology level in this series is hovering around the 1700s, but Zerath is a hostile world—full of megafauna, predators, and constant danger—so it makes sense that weapon development would be pushed harder than it was historically. I’ve been thinking about firearms, rifling, percussion systems, and where suspension of disbelief starts to creak.
Rather than pushing technology too far, I’ve leaned into the fantasy side. One of the foundational rules of this world is thaumaturgy, the ability to bind things together. That opened the door to some interesting possibilities—magic-assisted acceleration, rare and specialized weapons, and experimental tools reserved only for dragon riders.
You’ll still see muskets, pistols, sabers, side swords, and rapiers. Sword fights aren’t going anywhere. There will be blood, steel, and close combat. But you’ll also see aerial tactics, firearms used creatively, and dragon combat that behaves more like a mix of birds of prey and fighter aircraft than medieval cavalry charges.
At its core, though, Wyrm Rider isn’t a military story.
It’s personal.
It’s about a young man shaped by a brutal world, pushed into impossible choices, and forced to get his hands dirty no matter what path he takes. It’s dark, emotional, and action-heavy—but the heart of it is transformation.
What’s Next
Wyrm Rider should be finished next week, with a projected release window around February 6–12.
Revisions on The Heart of the Wasteland are ongoing. I’ve been auditing plotlines, tightening motivations, cutting scenes, and sharpening the overall structure. This book is enormous—the largest I’ve ever written—and it’s going to take time to refine properly.
If you’re on the beta reading team, expect the first draft to hit your inbox on Sunday, February 1st. Even though revisions are underway, I want early reactions to guide the next phase of edits.
If you’d like to support my work more directly, consider joining my Patreon. You can join for free, or explore paid tiers that include early access and full books as they release.
Thanks, as always, for listening, reading, and supporting my work. It means more than I can easily put into words.
— D.W. Hawkins