We’re coming up to the third month of release for Paladero: The Edge of the World, the third book in the Paladero series, and without wanting to spoil anything I think it’s safe to say there may be some readers out there who could be feeling a little vexed by the book’s climax and impatiently awaiting the release of Book 4.
The good news is that I’m hard at work writing the fourth book, titled The Champions of the Blade. The bad news is that we’re still some time away from it being published. So in the meantime, for those particularly frustrated readers, I humbly suggest the following:
1 – Plan a Return Trip to Thunder Realm.
If The Edge of the World left you feeling a bit blindsided, you may want to go back to the beginning and read the series through again to see what you might have missed. You could be surprised by some of the clues that were hiding in plain sight.
2 – A Problem Shared is a Problem Halved.
Know somebody who might enjoy reading Paladero? You can lure them into a trap by recommending it to them. Then, when they get to the end of Book 3, bam! Just like that you have someone you can share your frustration with and turn to for mutual support, not to mention discussion about where the story may go from here. Remember: this doesn’t need to be isolated to IRL. You can always take to Goodreads to articulate your thoughts, feelings or howls of consternation. Those who provide a 5-star rating have free rein to express themselves however they see fit (though make sure to use those spoiler tags, of course!)
3 – Read, Watch (or Play) These Other Amazing Stories.
Finally, the best way to wait for a new entry in a series you’re enjoying is by finding other things to enjoy in the meantime. To help with that, may I heartily recommend the following:
Books That Inspired PALADERO –
Emily Rodda’s Rowan of Rin series.
Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy.
Diana Wynne Jones’s Howl’s Moving Castle.
Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea series.
James Gurney’s Dinotopia.
JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and CS Lewis’s Narnia series.
And (only for older readers) John Marsden’s Tomorrow series and Stephen King’s The Dark Tower.
Books For Those Who Enjoyed PALADERO –
Jeremy Lachlan’s Jane Doe and the Cradle of All Worlds.
Rhiannon Williams’s Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt.
Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone.
Richard Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series.
Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and Magnum Chase series.
Film & TV –
I think Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings more or less goes without saying, but some of the other cinematic influences on Paladero include:
Hayao Miyzaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle.
The Legend of Korra, one of my favourite TV shows (particularly due to the worldbuilding and character development).
Video Games –
Never let anyone tell you that playing video games is a waste of time – they certainly provided me with a lot of inspiration. The Final Fantasy series in particular was a big influence on Paladero, which I think will become apparent with the release of Book 4. Skyrim was likewise fundamental in the development of the series, though again I can only recommend it for older readers. Other games to try would be Shadow of the Colossus and Journey.
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And there you have it. Hopefully some of these suggestions will help in the wait for Paladero Book 4. That said, please feel free to get in touch with me either through Twitter or via the Contact page above if you have any questions, comments or theories you’d like to share. Admonishments will also be accepted, though less readily replied to. I have a book to write, after all.
Steven Lochran 