FAQ

On the surface, The Oracle of Ixic follows the intertwined journeys of Kadmael and Vittious, two very different men trying to survive and achieve their goals. Kadmael seeks redemption. Vittious wants revenge. Their collision draws on familiar dynamics: uneasy trust, bonds forged through necessity, and transformation through loss. The plot is fast-paced and high-stakes, with enough action and emotional weight to be enjoyed purely as an adventure through a mythic world.

But because the story is told in close first person, the narrative is unreliable—shaped by each character’s biases. What they see, what they ignore, and how they interpret the world is coloured by their perspectives. Beneath, the book quietly explores deeper themes: complicity, empire, and how systems shape belief. Readers looking deeper will find reflections on imperialism, propaganda, moral compromise, and the seductive decay of power. The series as a whole examines how comfort erodes resistance, how extremism festers, and how myth, iconography—even love—can blind someone into following a cause that ultimately deforms them. And it asks: what does it cost to resist?

These themes aren’t shouted, but they simmer beneath every decision, hesitation, and moral failure.

The Oracle of Ixic is the first book in The Mirror Twins trilogy, and marks the beginning of a story arc set to span three books.

About seven years from idea to publication. The first two years were mostly worldbuilding: collecting inspiration from ancient cultures, drawing maps, and developing Tzilzanek, the ancient language Kadmael speaks (which also forms the roots of many Zanetlan words).

At the time, I didn’t yet know what kind of story I wanted to tell, or even what format it would take. Eventually, I arrived at Kadmael’s story, and realised the only way to do it justice was as a novel. That novel then grew into enough material for three books.

The most focused part of the process was the final five years, during which I wrote The Oracle of Ixic and drafted early versions of the second and third instalments.

It was important to me, as an author, to know exactly how the story would unfold and end before finalising the first book. I wanted to deliver a cohesive arc—something with the structure and payoff of the great trilogies that inspired me, like The Lord of the Rings and the original Star Wars.

Dark fantasy, but also epic and mythological.

The Oracle of Ixic is a morally complex tale set in an ancient world, perhaps even our own, but so far back it’s been lost to history. It’s not a beginning-of-time story, but one set in a world already layered and lived-in, where even ruins are built atop older ruins. I wanted to evoke the grandeur of ancient civilisations and forgotten histories through what the characters walk through, and unearth, while keeping the focus tightly on the present.

The book explores dark themes, but rarely veers into grimdark. There’s hope, humour, and a kind of found family. The darkness is meant to be faced and overcome. The characters demonstrate resilience, again and again, even as they wade through violence, horror, and emotional collapse.

It’s soft, but with clear rules and limits. I think of each ability in video game terms: mana bars, cooldowns, power-ups, and spells that drain energy based on complexity.

Some require focus, concentration, or line of sight. Others affect entire areas. Many are dangerous if overused. Most importantly, magic always has consequences, and not just in terms of stamina. It’s rare in this world, and using it puts wielders at odds with everyone else. Magic is treated like any other weapon, and using it unprovoked is as unwelcome as any sudden act of violence.

There’s no traditional romance in The Oracle of Ixic, and no explicit scenes. There are sparks of intimacy, but they’re often framed as temptation, weakness, misjudgment, or imbalance—adding to the vices and moral collapse that run through the rest of the story.

I chose not to use the LGBT label as a category marker. For me, that label is most meaningful when it signals that a story explores queer identity or experience as a central theme—not simply because queer characters are present. There are queer characters in The Oracle of Ixic, who are important and fully realised, but the story doesn’t deal with coming out, repression, or social struggle. Its tone is mythological, older than modern labels or biases, where queerness isn’t stigmatised or celebrated. It simply exists, alongside heterosexuality.

The second book in The Mirror Twins trilogy is titled The Prince of Mehera and is currently scheduled for release in September 2028, though that may change, as it’s still in development.

Without spoiling anything: Kadmael and Vittious remain the central characters and the story’s emotional core. The story expands into new locations, and the conflicts deepen, both personal and geopolitical.

I don’t maintain a social media presence, as it tends to demand constant updates and quick responses, which doesn’t suit the way I work. When I have something meaningful to share (like release news or progress updates), I’ll post it on my blog. If you’d like a heads-up when that happens, you can sign up for my newsletter.

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