I realized I was editing two books telling the same story
While editing two books, I discovered they tell the same story in two worlds—one of rebellion and one of magic—and I ran with it.
When you work on two books at once, you expect some mental crossover — a character name almost slipping into the wrong manuscript, or a theme showing up twice. The latter’s a given, since I’m a theme-based author first.
But I never expected to realize, halfway through the editing process, that Beyond the Lost Assault and Astray Mage are, at their core, the same story.
Not in the literal sense. Quinn Cozens and Kaija Jokiharju aren’t in the same universe, and the events in each book don’t overlap.
👉 Catch Astray Mage and Beyond the Lost Assault at The Rebel Lore Vault
The plots are completely different
One’s a gritty survivalist thriller about rogue missions, betrayals, and a fight to stay human when the world around you collapses. The other’s a dark paranormal fantasy full of ancient secrets, magical rivalries, and a young Mage navigating a world where danger hides behind polished walls.
But strip away the setting and genre, and both books wrestle with the same questions:
-
How far do you go to defy the powers that control you?
-
What do you risk when you trust someone you’re not sure you should?
-
And what price are you willing to pay to live free?
Editing them side by side’s been eerie. It’s like watching two different films directed from the same premise. Quinn’s and Kaija’s choices echo each other in ways I didn’t plan but can’t unsee. The result’s been one of the most rewarding editing experiences I’ve ever had.
Readers who follow both series might notice the same resonance I’ve been feeling. And if they do, it’ll make the ride even more satisfying — like seeing two sides of the same coin flip through the air and land in different worlds.
Editing two books like these was brilliant
Even if Beyond the Lost Assault and Astray Mage reside in different genres, seeing the eerie similarities in them drives home my theme-first mentality. Chances are, they aren’t the last books I’ll see the same exact themes, messages, and character types in, even in different genres.
And if you stumbled upon my work for the first time ever and need an intro to some dystopian/survival and dark urban fantasy, look no further The Rebel Lore Vault, where you can get both books right now at massive discounts than you would if you got them over at the ‘Zon.
