Mitchell Hogan Wins Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel

Homunculus client, Mitchell Hogan, has just won the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel for his debut novel, A Crucible of Souls. Aurealis Award Winners

The book received editing input early on from John Jarrold, and then was copy edited by me. It has subsequently been thoroughly re-edited by me for style, content, and further copy, and Mitchell has redrafted significant amounts.

The story has an astonishing breadth of characterisation, intrigue, and world building, and the good news is that book 2, Blood of Innocents, is not far from being released.

I've completed the stage one literary edit and am now working through Mitchell's redrafts. It's a lengthy, but extremely rewarding, process that seeks to tighten structure, clarify prose, and enhance dramatic tension. In every respect, Blood of Innocents is a worthy sequel to A Crucible of Souls, and really ramps up the action, taking the story in a compelling direction.

A Crucible of Souls by Mitchell Hogan

I'm pleased to announce the start of a very promising new fantasy trilogy, A Crucible of Souls, by Mitchell Hogan. For a debut novel this is more than a little impressive. Mitchell has redrafted multiple times and the effort really shows. Characters are vividly drawn, multi-layered, and in one or two cases, compelling.

Crucible is recognizably epic fantasy, with an orphaned protagonist who is apprenticed and discovers exceptional skills whilst also uncovering an intriguing family history that may have serious implications for his future. But in additional to the standard epic tropes, Hogan joins with the new wave of fantasy authors in his use of morally ambivalent characters, distinct and tight points of view, believable world building, an intelligible magic system, and some edgy, gritty content.

Mitchell engaged fantasy legend John Jarrold for the first round of story editing and after that passed the book to me for copy editing, plus some additional content notes. After some judicious cutting and sharpening of the prose, he let me have it back for proofreading.

It's been a great project to work on for me, particularly given the author's work ethic and willingness to do whatever it takes to make the book as good as possible.

A Crucible of Souls should be available as an ebook within the next few weeks, and will be released as a paperback shortly afterwards.

If any of you reviewers out there would like an ARC, please send me an email and I'll forward it to the author.