I’ve been doing a little brainstorming (too ill to write properly) and listed the planned next set of Emily-POV books. Nothing is finalised yet, of course, but what do you think?
-The Demon’s Design (The last of the old DemonMasters or the first of the new?)
-Wolf in the Fold (classified)
-The Promised Land (on the far side of the Blighted Lands, an ancient evil is uncovered)
-The Apprentice Master (Emily takes an apprentice)
-Devil-Land (a king claims he can make necromancy work)
-The Man Behind The Curtain (classified)
-The Hierarchy of Fools (with magic spilling out of control, dark forces come to intervene)
-Beyond the Sunset (what’s on the other side of the world?)
Chris
The Chrishanger 
Ohhhhh these sound so good. After a really duff week the prospect of more Emily POV books, especially where other areas of the nameless world are introduced, has almost brought me to tears. I’ve always hated that the adventures of my fav hero’s seem to suddenly stop after the main story arch is finished – if they’re so amazing surely they had more to give? Emily is definitely one of those characters!
*heros *arc dang autocorrect
I thought Emily’s saga was over with the most recent book. I’m glad to see that might not be true. The idea I’m most excited about is The Apprentice Master. Hope you feel better soon Chris.
The last two sentences in COD implied more.
I also would like to see the Apprentice Master story line developed. Also I would like to see Emily and Fredia take that trip she always talked about to see other parts of the nameless world.
I am dying to find out whats on the other side of the world. I remember… spoilers… a previous book had a map of other continents… what happened to those? I think there has been mention of people going out to sea too far and just not returning, so there is something there… demon design would be fun to see unfold… someone trying to fill the new power gaps in the world… because unless there is a crisis requiring something from a lost land… demons vs fairies might be a great concept.
Any/all of the above sound interesting (without more details about “classified”) I can only speculate that far. That said…
I’m always biased toward the (unintentional?) side effects on society of introducing new technology: steam engines, gun powder, the printing presses and even the text pads. What if Emily can make (magical) audio and/or video conferencing (FaceTime) (hand) mirrors (iPhones)? Perhaps limited by magic, distance, water/mountains or Ley lines, etc. Fixed (desktop) mirrors being more reliable. Or (magic) telegraph, telephones, radio or TV?
Or obsolete steam with magic motors (that run off of magic batteries that the magic-less can use)?
Chat parchments are an intermediary technology, like steam, before the power of diesel, electricity, and ultimately nuclear. The “facetime” tech here would be enchanted mirrors for two-way communication, it’s not that much a stretch considering that this is stable of fables, legends and of course magic, going back hundreds of years
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes please. I looooove SIM and I’m sooooo happy at the idea of more Emily books and seeing things post-Void.
Promised land, or Apprentice Master, or Beyond the Sunset. All three sound fascinating, but for adventure’s sake, Beyond the Sunset sounds the most fun! What WILL Emily find on another continent? Another magical society? A society that’s been mixing tech and magic for centuries? Or perhaps a much more advanced pure tech society?
The possibilities are endless!
My sentiment exactly.
Intersect Stuck in Magic or the Zero series with SIM since I think they’re set in the same world.
IMO Zero Series is clearly a different world than SIM.
However, Chris has said that Stuck In Magic is set in the Nameless World (SIM series).
I believe it is the same world…..the magic is going haywire at the same time. They are just on the opposite side of the world. IMO😉
Personally the fallout of the last book is what I’m most interested in. Not the immediate future but the civil unrest and war as the unnamed world tears itself apart upon lines of nationality, class, and magic ability
Good point! What could Emily do to stabilize things? Could she establish (or find) a “no magic” zone where the muggles could self rule? Find/borrow the device from ZE that sucks all the magic out of an area? Introduce democracy? (or meritocracy?)
First, “Beyond the Sunset” sounds interesting.
Second, a story about “The Return Of Master Wolfe”. (At least one of the classified sounds like that would be the story.)
Oh, take care of yourself.
Awesome!! ideas all!! Can’t wait (rubs hands in anticipation!!!)
Apprentice Master.
Ditto
As usual I’m totally intrigued. Definitely want to know what is on the other side of the world, impatient to find out what is classified and excited to have a demon master come into the world.
I think there are 2 arcs that have to be addressed and both will effect each other.
The Nameless land isn’t going to get any better, it’s only going to get worse. The time of reasoned discussion is past and the only thing of value is naked force. There’s nothing more scary than Void’s daughter who defeated Void and his armies.
The death toll will just keep growing without a heavy central authority. Central Africa writ large, ethnic and class cleansing, tribalism, un-restrained use of magic. No one and nothing to trust, except One figure. The realistic story Arc is how Emily is force to take a crown she doesn’t want.
Feudalism doesn’t work when you have two ruling classes that don’t necessarily answer to each other, Nobles/Magic users. Only Magic users can be nobles? That will lead to a bloodbath. Make magic users subservient to Nobles? Same results in the new world order.
Democracy? Nobles aren’t giving up their privileges and magic users aren’t going to accept letting mundanes dictate the usage of their powers. All of these can be over come, if you’re willing to kill a lot of people on all sides, which the nobles and magic users will do, but in the end will lose, but at what costs? Hundreds of thousands dead in the fighting and millions dead from famine.
A Constitutional Monarchy is the only real path. Void’s solution had no checks or balances, no way for existing power structures to save face or to include the new ones. A Empress with a house of lords made up of former Monarchs and Nobles, a house of commons voted in by commoners, a Judiciary made up of educated Magic users. A Bureaucracy everyone hates but is stuck in, that’s the path of long term stability. Let them all fight city hall instead of each other.
The second Arc. Void is OLD, his brother was ancient? Yet he looked like a man in his prime. So longevity was by design/accident or he figured out how to extend life. He’s had a chance to speak with Emily about Earth Tech and Science. Bio Science and Bio related science fiction was probably a part of it. How do you extend Telemors, we’re working on that in our world, but a magical work around? Highly likely. Who would Void gift that too? So many opportunities for Void to make subtle changes for Emily. What happens when 30 years down the line when Emily finds she’s not aging past 30? What happens at 50 plus? The Cult of Emily becomes the Cult of the Eternal Empress? This gives her the time to build the Bureaucracy.
Additionally, she can step into Stasis for 5 years at a time, come out for a year to evaluate and course correct. If she can live as long as void, you’re looking at a 500 year rule at minimum.
Just some thoughts
Two thoughts.
While Void (and his brother) may have been older than most magic-users become, IMO much of Void’s younger appearance may have been cosmetic. IE He used magic to appear younger than he was. Remember, the last we saw of Void, he was losing his youthful appearance.
While I suspect we may see a rebirth of the Empire (which could be as you suggested), I doubt that Emily will be the Empress. I’ve suspected that the sword that Emily inherited from Master Grey and gave to Jade is the Silver Sword of the Emperor. I suspect that the Silver Sword would allow the owner to control the White City’s Nexus. Thus if there’s a new Empire, Jade will be the new Emperor.
I had a follow on thought. If Emily can find select highly talented magic users at an early age without significant family ties, she can train and groom them as her lieutenants. Select 4 who would rule for 1 year while she was in stasis and then go into stasis themselves. After a few hundred years they too will be orphans in time. Fully dedicated to the interests of the Empire. She could even build a corps of “immortals” out of time who are fully dedicated to the Empire with no ties to anyone.
And what happens when the “Immortals” develop the Idea that only They Know What’s Best for the Nameless World (with the idea that They Could Be Wrong).
And what happens when there are major differences of opinion about “What’s Best” among the “Immortals”.
Worse, what happens when the Immortals start Thinking More About “What’s Best For Me” not about “What’s Best For The Nameless World”.
You mentioned the idea of “Checks And Balances” for the New Empire, what are the “Checks And Balances” with the Immortals?
Paul,
That’s the rub. The Eternal Bureaucracy. Five players each get a hand in its creation over a century as it evolves, only 20 years of combined influence for each. Centuries more trying to steer it after.
They get to toss their dice, but have to wait 5 years to see where they land, during which they have no influence. We all know the insanity of causality during a 5 year period.
At best, the Immortals will keep the train from falling off the rails, but it’ll be like steering an iceberg over time.
Socially, culturally, politically, the five will create stability. 500 years of stability will create its own inertia. Hell a 50 year reign by one queen is proof enough of that.
Very well said!!👍👍
It’s been hinted at a few times that magic can extend ones life. Void even told Emily that she would live a long life. A constitutional monarchy sounds about right. With Alassa as queen. War is coming for sure and there will be a power struggle. But I see Emily more as an advisor to the rulers. It’s very clear that Emily doesn’t want to rule. And she has a point it’s for the people to decide Not her or Void. I see Emily taking voids place in the background protecting the nameless world from run away magic and helping to keep war to a minimum. And instead of using her power to dominate she will use her power to give the nameless world freedom to choose their destiny
For the Emily and the Imperium of Man! Blessed be the Omnissiah!
I’m really excited about Emily taking on an apprentice. But I want them all!!!! Very excited
I would like to see Emily exploring the tower. Taking on an apprentice while at the same time she’s still expanding her knowledge and power. I’m also interested in continuing where the last book left off. With Emily basically becoming a master in her own right. And I would like to see Emily working in the background along with Aloha and others to bring peace to the allied lands. Perhaps by introducing federalism. I would like to see Emily meeting Elliot. And even though they go their own way. There’s a line of communication if he needs help. Ya im excited and I definitely want all of it!! More of it!! Lol
Love all the above; it’s a rich sandbox you’ve built here! 😉
-Beyond the Sunset (what’s on the other side of the world?)
Here be dragons. 🙂
I would love to see more books from Emily’s POV now that COD is done. Looking forward to more stories, and to be honest there are more humanoid beings out there, like Emily’s one friend who was brilliant in school who looked similar to medusa but was not treated fairly. What if emily starts making a world where its not just wizards vs. non wizards, but also where any other type of humanoid is looking for a better life under her.
I cant wait for those books and what all they bring to emily and the nameless world.
Sounds good, Chris. I’m a bit worried, can I ask what’s wrong? You’ve not got Covid?
Cathy
Get Outlook for Android ________________________________
I would love to see Emily research, or put her university on the trail, why some have magic and some do not. What is the actual mechanism that allows humans to change reality. I think Chris mentioned something about an organ in the body in his zero series but I don’t recall anything in SIM.
More Emily books sounds delightful! Seeing more about the Nameless world would be interesting. The Demon’s Design also sounds very interesting. Hope you’ll be feeling better soon. Also, let me toss in a tiny plug in favor of another Royal Sorceress book.
Personally, I’d love to read them all. I know that’s a little unfair Chris, you’re a prolific writer but nobody has that much time, (except possibly James Patterson and …) so the classified titles stories, Wolf and Man Behind The Curtain, look like great new beginnings of separate or spinoff series to come. But if you go forward with connected stories to previous events, with demon, necromancy, apprentice or other-side of the world (that last is the most intriguing) – I’m good with whatever you decide is most appropriate.
Like so many others here: I would buy and read all :).
Personally I would like a series of individual stories in different settings and topics. I am not a big fan of multi-book storylines. One of the things I like about this series is that it can be very diverse. A book about Emily could be anything from coming-of-age, university life, ‘who-dun-it’ mysteries to straight-out war stories.
These series of suggestions sound very diverse, exactly how I like my Emily. Bring them on!
Unpopular opinion: Give Emily a satisfying conclusion and move on to new things.
How does the Nameless World stabilize? The Kin’s Warlord seems to be on the right track, perhaps.
I would love to find out how Master Wolf’s notes ended up in Beneficience,and the aftermath of Alassa’s conference.
Also, Emily has become too powerful and well known to be behind the scenes–everyone knows who she is…for any form of united nations or international treaty to succeed, she’s going to have to play a public role–otherwise, no one will trust anyone…she’s kind of the ultimate guarantor of peace…
The Man Behind the Curtain sounds like your autobiography. Heinlein would approve of Beyond the Sunset.
I’d like a story where Emily finishes the experiments Void was working on with transdimensional travel and she visits Earth
These are excellent news! Anything with Emily’s POV is great and I will happily read it.
Beyond the sunset, the demons design or the man behind the curtain sounds interesting
Chris,
I think you missed a potential situation. Emily is a Time Traveler.
She doesn’t have to wonder about White Hall or the Magic Empire.
Can jump into a Nexus to a time before when White Hall was first built. She can go into stasis after and wait out the next Epoch.
She can wait and spend decades learning during the Imperial age while collecting books and weapons.
Knowledge would never be lost in her case.
She can. But would she want to? I mean, it was a traumatic experience for her, and she only managed to get back with the help of a demon. If I were her, I would not have done this a second time.
Very cool
Just like necromancy is rediscovered from time to time, i can’t help but think Demon Masters would come back sometime, especially as the demons hate people and would just love to mess with them again.
I’ll put my vote on the unknown continent on the far side of the nameless world. What on earth can be there and centuries unvisited when even the poles were in reach?
I simply love the idea of more Emily and more Nameless world. The apprentice seems to give the most breadth and range as well as in my view interest. Thanks for the update and get well soon.
The Promised Land and Beyond the Sunset sound good to me. When are we going to get more Schooled in Magic books in print?
“The Apprentice Master” sounds nice. That said, writing it from the POV of the apprentice would make it even better (thus, alternatively, don’t choose this topic for a book, but turn it into a spin-off novel or a novella, like “Alassa’s Story”)
“The Demon’s Design” sounds “meh”. I almost forgot about demons, to be honest.
“The Promised Land” summary also sounds very “meh” to me. “The Hierarchy of Fools” as well”.
“Devil-Land” sounds OK so far.
“Beyond the Sunset” would probably be difficult to cover in just one book. Everything else is classified, so I have no opinion.
Speaking of which, there should be an overarching story (which means multiple books), and because of that even the “meh” books can have their place, if they can contribute to the story as a whole. If it’s just a single book and nothing else, then I’d rather see “The Apprentice Master”, Emily-POV or no Emily-POV.
Not sure what the point is of “classifying” some ideas, it makes it difficult to comment. But I would do something completely out of left field, a fresh look at the nameless world from a completely different angle. So that’s “beyond the sunset” or “The Promised Land”.
Then again, you could bring someone in from a different world (not Earth).
Oooh the Beyond the Sunset (what’s on the other side of the world?) would be awesome! Because really what is there? Although, it would need more than one book with a whole new world! Would the people there be more advanced? Less? Are there even people there? 😀 How exciting!
Re-listening to the Learning Experience series.. on book 4 now. The Ambassador just woke up from her 3-day VR binge where she was playing a teenage girl in a school of sorcerers… I haven’t read most of the SIM books, but I think it would be funny if Emily had a very detailed dream about being an ambassador on a spaceship heading towards alien worlds… she was from earth after all, she would have some SciFi background… lol