E.M. Leander's Blog

Y’all it’s been a while since I’ve posted, but there are BIG THINGS COMING — namely the release of “The Immortal Scales” on August 13! In this epic conclusion of the “Game of Gods” trilogy, Wren and Aris find themselves confronting the Snake Queen and trying to find the three books the gods gifted man … before the enemy does. This book will take you through the emotional final battle — will Wren and Aris be able to save their realm?

Will they be able to save each other?

Available for pre-order NOW on Amazon — it will be on Kindle Unlimited, as is the rest of the series if you need to catch up.

Thank you to all who made this possible, your support means more than you could ever know.

XOXO,

I can’t believe it’s finally here — or that “Aris” makes my FOURTH published novel. If you’d asked me three years ago if I thought this would someday happen … I would have laughed. One day at a time, and with the love and support of my friends and family, and here we are!

If you’re looking for an UpperYA epic fantasy / romantasy, make sure you check out “Aris and the Obsidian Door,” available in hardback and on Kindle Unlimited!

WOW does time fly — have you pre-ordered your copy yet?

In the game of gods, books are more dangerous than swords. 

Mage FMC and Shifter bodyguard MMC

Hero’s Quest

Gods and monsters

Epic Fantasy meets Fantasy Romance

‘Touch her and ’ 

Upper YA

Dual POV

Kindle Unlimited

https://a.co/d/bXqBpv3

XOXO,

Oh my gosh, so many updates!

Firstly, ‘Aris and the Obsidian Door’ has an OFFICIAL COVER that is just STUNNING – thank you to the incredible Salome (@morgana0anagrom on Instagram) for the cover, and Christin with Giessel Designs for the cover design. It exceeded my wildest possible expectations.

We also have an OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE of October 31, 2023 — so if you haven’t yet read the first book in the series, ‘Wren and the Tarnished Tiger,’ you still have just enough time before ‘Aris’ is out! This will be available as a hardback, paperback, and ebook through Kindle Unlimited. Print editions will be available through all fine online book retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, etc).

I also want to highlight the incredible map done by @fwcartography — It is simply impossible for me to zoom in far enough to show you the amount of detail on each city insert, but please do yourself a favor and view this one full-screen! (I am a total cartophile, a good map at the front of a novel draws me in immediately!!).

One more round of thanks for all of my ARC readers who have worked so hard reading, reviewing, and promoting ‘Aris’ — I love you all and could not possibly have done this without you!

Last Friday I got an email from IngramSparks letting me know that “Wren and the Tarnished Tiger” was identified as one of the top 10 YA Fantasy books on their site – they’ve linked me on Goodreads and Bookshop, too! What an incredible honor to be chosen!

One of my FAVORITE things about writing is seeing how you all respond to the characters and worlds I create – I just love seeing quotes, fan art, reels, and generally all posts related to my books! One of the neatest things I’ve ever seen is this reel made by @whatsalittlesmut on Instagram – if this doesn’t get you hooked on “Wren and the Tarnished Tiger,” nothing will!

ARCs are officially out for the sequel, “Aris and the Obsidian Door” and reviews are already rolling in – guys I am SO EXCITED to share this with you, along with some TOP SECRET cover art in the works!!

For those of you who signed up for the Advanced Reader Copy of “Aris and the Obsidian Door,” you should have gotten an email with the BookFunnel link to download – if not, send me a DM or email and I’ll get it to you ASAP!

I don’t have a release date for “Aris” yet, I’m aiming for mid-October, depending on the cover design — but trust me, it will be worth the wait!

I am rarely stunned speechless, but this is one of those times! Not only did “Wren and the Tarnished Tiger” earn a 5 star review (their highest honor!), but it did so in EVERY SINGLE CATEGORY!

You can read the review here, and I’ve posted a bit of it below too!

Wren and the Tarnished Tiger: Game of Gods is the first in the Game of Gods series by E. M. Leander. It follows Wren, a social outcast who lived in a village and tended to the lighthouse, being content to lead a life of solitude. The things that made her an outcast in her world are what would later allow her to find a new home. Wren’s affinity with animals stemmed from her magical abilities which were only discovered once their kingdom had been conquered. She was trained in the art of magic at The School of the Silver Flame where she met the people who would change her life forever.

Wren and the Tarnished Tiger by E. M. Leander is one of those rare finds that you fall in love with from the first page. To say I loved everything about this book isn’t an exaggeration because from the magic system to the characters and the plotline, I relished every bit of it. Wren is such a sweet and endearing character who we see blossom and grow with each passing chapter. Not only does she grow as a person but in her abilities as well. Her interactions with other role players were always so touching and I enjoyed the slow-burn romance between her and Aris. I also appreciated the concept of the mages and their shields and while it is a strong personal preference, I couldn’t help but love a magic system that relied on some sort of partnership. It allows for so much growth not only for the individual characters but for the pair, as we see in Wren and the Tarnished Tiger. This book is going down on my list of favorites and I look forward to future installments.

Thank you, Readers’ Favorite, for the review! I’m looking forward to the results of your book contest in September – I get the feeling my TBR pile will be growing exponentially!

I got the edits back for “Aris and the Obsidian Door”- which means I’m ready to start accepting requests for ARC reads! Click here for the application!

What should you expect? A sweeping epic quest, picking up where Book #1 left off. Told in dual POV, you’ll get to see our feisty Mage and fierce Shield battle monsters, meet new characters, and explore their world – and their own blooming relationship (that is, if they don’t kill each other first!)

What is an ARC, you ask? An “advanced reader copy”- a digital copy of the book MONTHS before anyone else will get it!!

What do I ask in return? A review on Goodreads and/or Amazon, and some pre-release hype posts on social media. Exposure is SO important to indie authors – every single “like” counts and means so much to me

Also, please enjoy this amazing art generated by Amai (insta @romancefantasy_art)!

Game of Gods: Book 2 is officially off for a final round of edits; I hope to get it back in 3-4 weeks, then spend another month or so editing, then we’ll be ready for ARCs! Stay tuned, I’ll have a form posted here and on my Instagram profile when we’re ready!

It’s no secret that I’m addicted to book art – I had the pleasure of working with Amai (Insta @romancefantasy_art) on bringing Wren and Aris to life – what do you think?