New characters and epic struggle in Book 4 of The Kyrennei Series - Code of the Outcast

I know many of you have been waiting for a long time for the fourth book in The Kyrennei Series. When The Taken and the Free (Book 3) was published in November, I wasn't ready to make any promises. But now it's imminent. 

Just a detail the cover of Code of the OUtcast - Not for copying (Shutterstock license)

First, I'm ready to announce the title of Book 4. That is Code of the Outcast.

The cover is ready, but I'm working out the details in a new version of the series logo, so I'm not going to post that quite yet. It will be one of the most atmospheric covers yet.

As to what's in the book... 

I received a lot of questions from readers about the world of The Kyrennei Series and what other people beyond J. Company are experiencing, particularly given the societal upsets caused by events in The Taken and the Free. So one of my goals in writing the next few books in the series was to let the reader take a wider journey into this alternate version of our world, to experience what life is like for those who are not directly under the protection of J. Company, which is widely known as the only outfit with the wherewithal to provide protection from the wrath of the Addin.  

In order to explore these questions, Code of the Outcast focuses on new characters - college students Maya Gardner and Kai Linden at Michigan Tech on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Michigan gets the dubious honor of being the setting of the latest Addin machinations because it's one of those places where pharmaceutical companies like to set up small, high-tech labs that no one really seems to know much about. In addition, my mother grew up there and Wisconsin, where I attended university, is right next door. As you know, I love to pick on my own stomping grounds. In fact, most of Code of the Outcast takes place in Wisconsin after Maya and Kai are forced to flee from Addin agents, including Kai's own family.

But there I'm getting ahead of myself... 

What really happens is that Maya, a biracial woman  studying sound design, is sitting in class one day when a masked gunman barges in and forces her to leave with him.

But is it really a kidnapping? He claims he is trying to rescue her from something far worse. Forced to survive on the run and on foot in through a Midwest winter and to face her long-held fears of being a misfit in the cultures where she should belong, Maya struggles with her tendency to freeze up in a crisis and avoid confrontation at all cost. In this world, there is no avoiding fear.

These are very different characters from those in the first trilogy of the series, but no less real. I fell in love with them early and I'm sure you will too. I love Aranka and J. Company, but we are not always that strong and we also need fictional characters who are sometimes as lost as we are. Only then can they reflect back the hope in our own struggles.

This story tackles the issue of what it is to be an outcast - not only outcast from mainstream society, but even among those who should be friends and allies. Without the protection of an established outlaw group like J. Company, the search for a safe haven is paramount. And once a measure of safety is found, it can hardly be permanent in a world where the Addin controls the powerful social and economic elites. 

Because Code of the Outcast begins a new part of the story with different characters, it may be tempting for readers who haven't read the previous books to jump right in with this one. While the basic premise of the world of The Kyrennei Series does come out in the telling, test readers have shown that you get more out of the story if you read at least The Soul and the Seed first. I don't want to repeatedly belabor things that would slow the story down for those who have read all the books, and there are psychological issues with how the world of the series works that can't be summarized quickly or easily. 

For those who have read the previous books, you will find Code of the Outcast deepens and world and calls to the vulnerable parts of our souls. The road to authentic hope is long and rugged.

You can read the full book description of Code of the Outcast here on its dedicated page. 

And if you are just getting started with The Kyrennei Series and need to get the previous books, now is your chance. The 99 cent sale of The Soul and the Seed (Book 1) on Amazon ends today. And starting today for one week The Fear and the Solace (Book 2) will be on sale for 99 cents. If you or your friends need some summer reading, now is the one time to get it for a reasonable price. The ebooks are normally $3.99.  There are also paperbacks of all the books available on Amazon and at Looking Glass Books in La Grande.