Secrets of the Smithy

Small-Town Crafter #7

by Tom Watts

Escape into the coziest crafting LitRPG ever, where magic, mastery, and mystery await in equal measures.

Just when Lewis thought he was mastering his artificery craft, a mysterious smith arrives in Sunhampton. With secrets of forgotten crafts, ambitious artificery projects, and just a hint of trouble, this stranger will push Lewis’s skills—and patience—to their limits.

Back for its most enchanting chapter yet, Small-Town Crafter delivers everything fans

- A setting as warm as a tavern hearth

- Characters that feel like family

- A magical crafting system so immersive, you’ll smell the forge and feel the thrill of leveling up.

For you longtime Small-Town Crafters out there, Secrets of the Smithy delivers the pure cozy fantasy escapism that you’ve come to expect.

If you’re a new reader, then welcome! Prepare to begin the perfect fantasy LitRPG series to curl up with, starting with Small-Town The Artificer's Apprentice.

Welcome to Sunhampton, a small town that feels like home.

Genres: Fantasy, Crafts, Fiction

287 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2025

About the author

Hey! Tom Watts here. If you're reading this then you've either read one of my books or you’re thinking about doing it, and I want to say thanks either way.

I write low-stakes fantasy books that offer people a little of that important thing we call escapism, and I might have what you’re looking for.

Do you want to become a master craftsperson and live in a small, sunny village full of taverns and cafes? Then I have the story for you! Try my book, ‘Small-Town Crafter: the Artificer’s Apprentice.’

Or maybe you want to build a whole town from scratch right on top of untouched land, together with a couple of good friends. If that sounds good, then I’ve got something you’ll enjoy! Check out, ‘Welcome to Blade’s Rest.’

So, those are a couple of my books. As for me, well, I live in a little village with my wife and three dogs. When I’m not writing then I’m reading, and when I’m not doing that I’ve usually got a small schnauzer trying to get my attention.

Thanks for stopping by my author page. Make sure you press ‘follow’ so that you can be the first to find out when I release a new book.

Finally, If you try one of my books, then I'd like to wish you happy reading. Hope you enjoy visiting one of my fictional towns for a while.

Nice to meet you,

Tom.

Reviews

[Cmoore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe that I totally missed this when it was released! I love this cozy series! And I've been following Lewis since he was a boy, barely gettin by... it was by sheer will and some luck that Cooper took him in tow. And now as a Journeyman and Cooper's business partner Lewis has his hands full, between running the store and crafting and as always makin time for his friends. But he's taken on a job that's got him... flummoxed! After he realizes what he needed to do to smooth out the progress through it's issues, yeah more training. So with his heart on his sleeve and a book in hand he askes the Smithy for help. It would've been easier if he just learned how to make a pizza, but no he had to learn how to smith the elements, learning to smith elemental ore before he could layer it onto his artificery project, like making the pizza, layering and harmonizing everything to make it work right!

Here's a couple of quotes for ya:

"...my enthusiasm for listening to other peoples’ love lives stuff was about as high as my wish to sit butt-naked on a cactus."

"And what’s so special about a grandmaster? They’re only a grandma with a ‘ster’ on the end."

[Old Time Tales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shhh, it’s a secret!

I have really grown to enjoy Lewis and my visits to Sunhampton. Our Author has created a pleasant world that would be nice to live in. Lewis has grown and is much more mature and confident with his friends and his craft. I even enjoy the odd smilies that find themselves sprinkled in Lewis’ language like a dog shakes off his fleas after a tic bath. Yeah, some of them are that bad.

The book delivers exactly what was promised, low stakes, cozy, snd just plain nice. I am looking forward to book eight and the next step in Lewis’ journey.

Cheers!

[Em Sanning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely as Always

I love to see Tom's writing growing through this beloved series, and this book is extremely cozy as always. I greatly enjoyed and will continue to keep an eye out for new releases. If I ever see these in a bookstore somewhere count on me to buy them all!!!

[Calee Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

just what I needed

Sometimes you need high stakes drama that keeps you reading all night. Sometimes you need someone learning elemental blacksmithing. This series has been so enjoyable. I can’t wait for the next one.

[Paul Hefka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great sequel.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fun and engaging. The story and characters were incredibly interesting and entertaining. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. This book and series are definitely worth checking out.

[Vivek Mannava · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the latest entry in this series. The friendship and atmosphere are great as always. Like the previous books, the timeline for the artificery is a bit all over the place, but if you can look past that, it’s a very engaging and pleasant read.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small Town Crafter continues well. This just keeps hitting the right kind of cozy for me. This book has less at stake, less new big ideas than the previous couple, is still quite enjoyable.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

It broke my fantasy world emerson twice by using modern-day examples (yearly flu shots, and beer bottles recycling)

[Julie-Ann Amos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr Watts WRITE FASTER.

More please best series in ages

[Eliot · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely place to visit

Creating engaging characters in a gentle world is much needed today. I wish I could visit this little community and people

[Jonquil]

Look for book 8, etc.

[Vader · Rating 2 out of 5]

5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish