A letter from P.M. Freestone
Hi Book Box Club friends!
Last year, you were among the first to read Shadowscent: The Darkest Bloom. I had such a great time hanging out in the Clubhouse with you all and, as the months unfolded, it was especially lovely to meet some of you in person at YALC and other events. Now, I’m here to introduce the sequel, which publishes next week!
Time flies… and the world has changed. Both our world and the world of Shadowscent. In the Aramtesh Empire, dark forces have been at work behind the scenes, and their time is nigh. Crown of Smoke picks up just days after The Darkest Bloom’s mean cliff-hanger (sorry, not sorry!). Rakel and Ash have been separated, and each face their own challenges—secrets from the past, aspects of themselves they’d rather deny, and the appearance of ruthless new players in an intensifying game of survival.
In author careers, second books are often tricksy beasts. I won’t lie, realising my vision for Crown of Smoke was at times tough work, because I wanted to do everything I could to give you a satisfying conclusion to the duology. So, there’s more scents (naturally!). More travels to new lands and wonders to explore. More romance (and not always where you might expect!). And, perhaps most importantly, more answers to the questions I dangled in the first book.
If I had to say which part of Crown of Smoke I loved writing the most, it was the third narrator. Many of you will have theories about who that may be, and some of you will have guessed correctly. For now, let’s just say this character is very close to my own dark heart and that writing their voice was such fun!
So, if you’re looking for some escapism in these challenging times, I hope you find it as you return to the world of Shadowscent, where smell is queen of the senses, and adventure awaits.
And, finally, thank you so much for being there from the start!
Until the next tale, scents keep you…
P. M. Freestone
To read the first chapters of Crown of Smoke CLICK THE LINK BELOW: