Young adult fantasy author Sever Bronny writes books readers say are "similar to Harry Potter" yet uniquely their own.
Author: Sever Bronny
The Arinthian Line series (complete):
Arcane
Riven
Valor
Clash
Legend
The Fury of a Rising Dragon series (complete):
Burden's Edge
Honor's Price
Mercy's Trial
Champion's Wrath
I grew up on Dragonlance and probably spent way too much time playing role-playing games. Then came the video games. But then, Nintendo was life in Toronto of '86. As a matter of fact, much of my youth could be considered "wasted" exploring escapism of one form or another.
Now I'm a full-time author living in British Columbia, Canada. I have a wife who taught me what it means to love someone unconditionally. Buddha, my grumpy but rumpled-with-love cat, likes to keep watch from a Lego castle near my desk. (Update: said Lego castle has long been dismantled. Now she basks under a sun lamp).
I suppose my favorite sagas are Harry Potter, Ender's Game, Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and Game of Thrones. I also love true-life survival tales like Into Thin Air, Shadowdivers, and Perfect Storm. As for movies, I regularly re-watch Bladerunner, Star Wars, Highlander, Aliens, Limitless, Edge of Tomorrow, Interstellar, Lost in Translation, and Margin Call.
But I've been most inspired by Harry Potter. Seriously, because if it hadn't been for HP, I'd never have dared. I simply stood on the shoulders of a giant. Thank you for writing that story, Joanne Rowling, it was extremely re-readable. I can only hope to capture my readers' imagination as you have captured mine.
When I was a kid, I dreamed I could spread my arms as wings, jump off the ground, and fly. My head was in the clouds (and in many ways, still is). It would be fair to say that my love of fantasy began then, steadily refined by movies, video games, and cozy books.
As for me, I enjoy talking to my readers, so if you read one of my books, you're welcome to shoot me an email at severbronny@gmail.com. Throw me a question, comment, or just say hello.
I blog at severbronny.com when the mood strikes me, and I'm on social media now and then. I don't publish too often, but you can subscribe to my newsletter to receive a notification when I do release new work (newsletter signup is at severbronny.com/contact).
(I was also a musician at one time, having released three albums with my industrial-rock band Tribal Machine.)
When all is said and done, I know how fortunate I am to be a full-time author. I think about it often--especially when I recall what it was like working the grind. Thus I humbly thank each and every reader for supporting my work.
Just finished writing the first draft of the third and likely the final book in the Chronicles of Anna Atticus Stone series! Which makes it the perfect time to announce the title:
Flames of Stone (Chronicles of Anna Atticus Stone, book 3)
1. ILLUSTRATOR: I’ve hired an illustrator to start illustrating the trio/other characters for you, perhaps some scenes (if it works out, that is, and you guys enjoy his style). I asked the fan-run discord server to conduct a snap poll as to who you wanted done first, and the overwhelming consensus was . . . drum roll, please . . . Leera Jones! A great choice to start. So I’ve put together a dossier along with a smattering of quotes she said (which some of you kindly helped me collect), and will send it along to the illustrator today.
2.STORE COMING SOON: At long last, after years of questions as to when it will happen, my wife and I are putting together a small print-on-demand store. I’m hoping that these illustrations, along with others, will be put on some merchandise. Hopefully this merch will lead into some really cool and unique stuff that you guys have been asking for for years. More news on all that soon.
3. AUDIOBOOKS SALE: Two out of the four audiobooks for the Fury of a Rising Dragon series are half price for a limited time. You can snag Burden’s Edgehere and Champion’s Wrath from the same site here.
4.CHRONICLES OF ANNA ATTICUS STONE, BOOK 3: Anna’s third book, which I will release the title of soon, is coming along swimmingly. Already 140,000 words in. It’s a family-oriented plot that steadily thickens, with one grand adventure in the latter third of the book. As usual when writing, my characters have taken me in a direction I did not anticipate. Anna is no exception, as she is strong and independent woman (she’s forty-nine years old in this book, just prior to taking on the headmistress job).
That’s all for now! Feel free to reply to this if you have any questions or comments :D
Things are progressing nicely with Anna Atticus Stone’s third book. Super exciting to write her during a critical period in her life, when she’s forty-nine years old, has just been offered the job of Headmistress of the Academy of Arcane Arts, juggles an unruly teenage daughter with little motivation and a big secret, a distant husband, and villains chasing after her scion—all while solving old mysteries that just might lead her to an ancient place. Book title announcement coming soon.
Once Anna’s third book is out, I plan on delving back into the trio: Augum, Bridget and Leera. I have grand (epic!) plans for their next escapade, and have missed writing them greatly. But in the meantime, writing Anna is a privilege, a challenge, and a true joy.
Some more book news: for those into audiobooks, Prodigy of Thunder (Anna’s first adventure) is on sale on Audible until Mar 16th.
Hope you have been well,
Sever P.S. Advance Reader Team is open once again, with limited slots available.
I’m thrilled to announce that The Arcane Artist (Chronicles of Anna Atticus Stone, book 2) is finally out! You can snag it here. Get ready for new spells, new lands, and a whole new side to Anna you have never seen before.
Thank you to everyone for your amazing support over the years. This is my eleventh(!) book, which boggles my mind. Yet my career as an author could not have been possible without you. So, yeah, thank you ;)
Warlock Anna Atticus Stone is on her final year at the academy. As head of student council, academic prodigy, and champion arena dueler, she seems the perfect pupil.
In reality, Anna is grieving, overwhelmed, and so lonely she talks to herself. Above all, she fears assassination if people find out her father’s dying gift to her was a scion. Only seven of these powerful artifacts exist, one in each kingdom—a precarious balance that maintains peace.
That peace shatters when a kingdom steals a second scion and invades its weaker neighbor. Anna feels compelled to act, but that would mean facing her crippling fears, a quest into the unforgiving wilds, and risking her kingdom becoming a target of war.
Driven by the memory of her father, she must find the one thing eluding her thus far . . . courage.
The paperback should be available on release day. The audiobook is scheduled to launch April 11th, 2023. The preorder for it will be available any day now.
I can’t wait for you to experience Anna’s epic new adventure!
—Sever P.S. The Advance Reader Team will receive a separate email imminently
You are welcome to join and interact with myself and the other fans, who have cultivated a cozy community at the sever. Link to the Discord server. Time will be 6 pm PST tonight, Friday September 16th, 2022.
Quick update: The Arcane Artist (chronicles of Anna Atticus Stone) is in the editing stages and on schedule to launch in December of this year. Work on the cover has commenced. Blurb and cover reveal coming in due course.
Here’s what a stack of used plot cards looks like after finishing writing the first draft of “The Arcane Artist (Chronicles of Anna Atticus Stone, book 2)”. Book clocked in at 235,000 words prior to the start of editing.
The book is split between a 19-year-old Anna attending her last year at the academy, and the grand adventure she goes on after graduating, following in the footsteps of her ancestor, Atrius Arinthian . . .
The book is on schedule to launch in December, and will be my eleventh published book. For now, the book enters the editing stage.
I’m excited to announce the audiobook launch of Prodigy of Thunder (Chronicles of Anna Atticus Stone, book 1)! It is incredibly well narrated by the accomplished Moira Quirk, who brought my work to life. I am very proud of how this turned out, and I think you guys are going to love it.
You can snag it exclusively from Audible here (it will launch wide on the other platforms in three months).
A family of warlocks . . . torn by an ancient secret.
Fourteen-year-old Anna Atticus Stone is a prodigy. A warlock prodigy.
The youngest to ever wield lightning, Anna burns with ambition, dreaming of attending the prestigious Academy of Arcane Arts.
But her life’s a mess.
She’s friendless, her father barely lets her out of the house, and her older sister keeps knocking her teeth out.
And her parents fight. Constantly. Mostly over her father illegally training the sisters in the old way, as it’s forbidden to learn so far ahead.
Now Anna readies to take the academy entrance trials. A pass will mean friends, warlock tournaments, and exploring a thousand-year-old academy. Typical teenage warlock stuff.
Except her sister is bent on sabotaging her. And there’s a reason for that sabotage—and for the illegal training . . . their father carries a dangerous secret.
A secret for only one daughter.
And Anna is about to find out what her sister is willing to do to claim it.
The day has finally come! After a long year of writing and editing Anna’s story, Prodigy of Thunder has launched. I cannot wait for you to experience the beginning of her journey. You have been requesting her story ever since reading about her in Arcane (The Arinthian Line, book 1). It gives me great honor to deliver on that request.
It was a tricky endeavor for me to write a book about an already established character. For that challenge, I searched deep into who Anna was whilst asking myself what sorts of things would she have gone through as a child and as a teenager. Writing the answers into the book was immensely enjoyable for me, even though Anna went through serious trials.
Anna’s strengths come from her independence, her compassion, and her ambition. But she has always suffered from loneliness too. This story partly aims to explain why and how that loneliness took root. I find her to be a complicated soul with an epic story, one I look forward to fleshing out in subsequent books.
Note that both the paperback and ebook versions have a map and Anna’s full academy class schedule. Also, I hope you’ll consider sharing the launch on social media (or even sharing my Facebook post about it).
Thank you all for your amazing support over the years, and feel free to email me your thoughts when you’re done reading.
Enjoy the book!
All my best to you and those you love,
-Sever P.S. Extra special thanks to the ART team, as well as the wonderful souls who participate on this website. You know who you are :)
I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally reveal the name of the book about Anna Atticus Stone’s origin story. In Prodigy of Thunder (Chronicles of Anna Atticus Stone, book 1), I explore Anna’s tumultuous relationship with her family, a family slowly destroyed by an ancient secret. There will be adventure, exploration of the Academy of Arcane Arts’s Shoptown, and plenty of arcanery. Above all, you will get to know Anna.
And she is ambitious and brave and reckless and kind and empathic and brilliant.
I’m on schedule to launch early December. Further, I’d like to proudly announce I signed a three-book audiobook deal with Podium. The book is currently in the casting phase, and you will not have to wait long for it to launch (three months or so?).
Hope you’ve been well,
Sever P.S. Anyone will be able to read this saga, even if they have not read The Arinthian Line or Fury of a Rising Dragon, making it safe to give as a holiday gift.
Heads up! The audiobook version of Champion’s Wrath is available for pre-order and is launching at the end of this month on September 28th. I’ll post the link in the comments.
In other news, the book on Anna Atticus Stone is in the final stages of editing and on schedule for an early December launch. I will announce the name of the book, the series, and reveal the cover and blurb in due course.
Thank you for your amazing support and patience, and I cannot wait for you to read about Anna.