A. F. Kay

February 1, 2025 - Update

Hi!

Book 11 went live at midnight. When Shade’s First Rule released 5 ½ years ago I was a nervous wreck. That happened for every book release for quite a while. Now I hardly think about it. That is good and bad.

I spent a lot of time the last two weeks deciding what to focus on for the next six months. Right now, I am going to start on book 12 but I’m not going to push it. I also hope to start writing some chapters for Divine Awakening. We will see how it goes and adjust.

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Preface

Hey! Here is the preface I mentioned earlier. Obviously, this isn't a comprehensive summary. I tried to hit the items a reader would benefit from remembering to enjoy book eleven. I also have an author's note at the end I plan on including. Please let me know if I missed anything that should be there and if my author's note makes sense. Thanks so much!!!!

Preface

Tarot slipped into the dimensional storage disguised as an earring that Lylan touched far too often for a Shade ...

January 25, 2025 - Update

Hey!

I finished the revision after an epic push to get it completed. Thankfully, I was able to meet the deadline for Travis. This was great since Travis started his performance today.

I wrote a “ the story so far” for people that don’t remember what happened in the previous books. It is about 2/3 done and is from Tarot‘s point of view. I was going to try and finish it tonight, but I’m still recovering from the past month and a half and don’t want to trigger burnout. I ...

Travis has started book 11!

Just found out Travis has started the live narration of book 11. His discord server is here:

https://discord.gg/vStAuvh3tN

Thanks!

January 18, 2025 - Update

Hi!

I'm still slogging away on the revision. It will be a very long weekend. Thank you so much to everyone who left comments. I'll go through them all but can't respond until next week when I have more time.

I'm really looking forward to next week. I've been pushing myself hard the last month, and next week will be a guilt-free do-nothing week.

You'll hear more from me, probably on Monday if Travis starts the book.

Enjoy your weekend and try to stay warm if you're in t...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Revised Prologue

Hey!

Root Tier: the last group of chapters is now open.

Thank you so much for all the comments. Some of my anxiety has disappeared since the feedback so far doesn't indicate I destroyed the series. lol. Seriously though, I appreciate all the comments.

One thing is clear though. Some of the foreshadowing I did was far too light. This is usually the case, especially in the first draft.

COMPLETELY UNRELATED here is the revised version of the Prologue. If you have any thou...

January 14, 2025 - Update 2

Hi!

I advanced the Harvester and Root Tiers.

Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to leave me comments. I appreciate you so much!!!!

AFK

January 14, 2025 - Update

Hey!

I finished. I’m way behind schedule. If I edit these chapters before I give them to you it will be far too late to get any feedback. That means these are RAW. I haven’t even reread them. I removed all the notes I have to myself to fix continuity errors and other things I changed my mind on. So you can expect some problems (like he’s in the water at one point then not). This is especially true in the first big group of chapters.

The ending of this h...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 78 to Epilogue

Chapter 78

The Void resisted Ruwen’s tele

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 68 to 77

Chapter 68

“The mark caught my attention,

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 58 to 67

Chapter 58

Ruin nodded to himself. “I won

January 11, 2025 - Update

Hi!

As always happens, what I thought would be a few chapters to finish book 11 turned out to be more. I’m 3 to 4 chapters from the end though, which will bring the total number of chapters for book 11 to around 80. If you do the math that’s almost 25 chapters past what I released tonight.

Travis needs the finished book on the 20th. I must finish the book this weekend and then revise these last 25 chapters since they are first draft chapters. Then I need to reread the entire b...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 57

Chapter 57

“Ruin!” Rami shouted and jumped away from Varthon’s wings. She crashed into Ruin, and he stumbled backward.

Ruin returned the hug as he watched Varthon struggle to remove the color staining his wings. Ruin didn’t know what the Void Wyrm tried but nothing seemed to work until, in a fit of anger, the Void Wyrm oozed Void Energy from his body.

Even this took a few seconds to eat through whatever Ruin had done. By then Rami had released him and was also studyi...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Overlord created a sword in each hand and stomped the sand to summon a Sandpede. “I’ll demonstrate a few of the basic forms.”

Ruin rose into the air while Overlord jumped ten feet away.

Overlord continued as if he’d given this talk a hundred times before. And maybe he had. “The Bamboo Sword forms aren’t about winning through brute force but through resilience, adaptability, and endurance.”

A Sandpede Liquifier exploded out of the sand.

Ov...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Uruziel appeared again in Ruin’s peripheral vision. “I spoke with Deryssa, but she said the process of using one’s core happened naturally like breathing. She doesn’t understand why your core doesn’t just work.”

“That’s not helpful,” Ruin responded as the surrounding Sandpedes ripped apart his living cocoon.

“One thing she was positive about was that her core didn’t spin, but something else did.”

“That’s confusing.”

“I k...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Uruziel lowered Ruin’s Core Velocity to three thousand and he thankfully let her manage the reactions. Keeping the chaotic packets of Destruction energy in check created a constant tension he didn’t enjoy. He gripped the hilts of his manifested swords as his breathing automatically adjusted for combat. Years of Bamboo Viper Step training had honed him into a calm, precise, lethal weapon.

Sivart flew a Minion Dragon not far off the ground. The dragon dr...

January 4, 2025 - Update

Hi!

Happy New Year! 2024 raced by in a blur. Especially the last portion because I was working very hard to finish book 11. The good news is that I’m almost done. It’s possible I’ll finish this weekend although more likely next week. That gives me time for a proper revision before Travis gets it on January 20th.

I haven’t had time to think about 2025 resolutions. If you have any good ones, put them in the comments. Book 10 and this one both required heroic writing sessions...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Ruin pushed his Outer Mind into the surroundings as the ground approached. He flared his wings and glided away from the mass of Sandpedes that Vex had gathered. Altering his path, he flew parallel to the desert. He recalled what his Divine Domain had felt like in his human body. Falling like this reminded him he hadn’t activated the ability.

With a Core Velocity of five thousand Ruin’s chest already felt like it might melt. As he analyzed his memories of using his D...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 52

Chapter 52

With every step, Ruin's enthusiasm to join his friends waned. Sift's description of the needle experiments flashed through Ruin's thoughts, and he decided seeing them could wait.

The Void Wyrm Varthon and Deryssa had made it sound like fixing a spiritual network was no different than seeing a mechanic.

Despite having twelve connected meridians, his pathways were narrow, inflamed, and scarred. His Dark and Chaos Meridians had been attached thanks to Io’s Creation...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 51

Chapter 51

A group of melee fighters in heavy armor broke through the shadow trees and rushed Ruin, likely trying to stop any attack on their weaponless commander.

The Assessor charged as well, using her shield as a battering ram.

Ruin transitioned into unarmed combat and met them all with his Bamboo Viper Steps.

The Assessor’s stun slid harmlessly off Ruin as he casually sidestepped her shield bash. He struck her plate armor just hard enough to transmit small pulses...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Ruin had created this portal so that his friends in the alchemy camp could easily return home. That’s why he placed it just outside the crystal forest surrounding the Shattered Sun dungeon and a thousand feet from Bliz’s bar, Pour Judgement. Calf-high grass bent in the cold wind flowing off the mountains behind New Eiru. Despite the reception, it felt nice to see home again.

“Lir, it’s Ruwen!”

Ruin could feel the power gathering around the guardians. He�...

December 28, 2024 - Update

Hi!

We had family here this week celebrating Christmas which was nice. It impacted my productivity a little, but I’d been pushing myself pretty hard so the break was probably for the best. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to those that celebrate.

Probably like you, I’m shocked that the year is already over. It doesn’t seem possible. I’m hopeful 2025 will be my most productive year writing to date.

It looks like I’ll have some help in 2025 with the business and ma...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Ruin tried to shake off the imagery of Hamma’s words. He was just doing what was necessary, nothing more. That brought him back to the reason for this visit.

Leaning down, Ruin spoke to Io. “I was hoping we could talk about the towers.”

“Sure,” Io said. “You really shook things up down there.”

“No, not those towers. The ones in the Creation Realm.”

“Oh. Why are you interested in those old things?”

“Because every answer I f...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Ruin dismissed his armor but remained in the Destruction Realm. He’d finally found Sift in the alchemy camp practicing his Steps. Sift had made it difficult because he’d stored his shadow in one of the artifacts from the Bamboo Viper Step Clan. Ruin weighed the pros and cons of harassing Sift from the thousands of small shadows that covered the ground.

In the end, Ruin decided getting Sift riled up would only make getting the answers Ruin needed tougher. He exited a...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 47

Chapter 47

“Something’s wrong,” Ruin told Deryssa. He displayed the log entry and then the Specialization he’d been given.

Deryssa frowned and her forehead wrinkled. “I don’t know what any of this means. It’s like the System is broken.”

“Aeonrial somehow modified the Material Realm System and integrated the Destruction Realm System with it. Probably the Creation Realm too assuming they have a System. Did you know about the six broken seals on Heaven’s Gat...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Deryssa’s brow furrowed at the question and Ruin displayed the shapes of three simple tones in the space between them.

“Have you ever seen shapes like this?” Ruin asked.

Deryssa’s confusion disappeared and she stepped forward. “Yes.”

Ruin grew excited. Maybe he wouldn’t need help piecing all the sigils together after all.

Deryssa continued without any prompting from Ruin. “Inside the Spire of Remembrance, there are many such odd designs...

December 21, 2024 - Update

Hi!

Thanks to you, I took this week off from work to write, and I’m pleased to report it was very productive. I’m now optimistic I’ll finish with enough time for proper revision.

Travis needs the manuscript by January 20th. Generally, I like to have the whole book out before he starts his narration so the discord listeners don’t finish the book before patrons. That means I’ll soon begin releasing more than three chapters a week.

I just finished chapter 52 and I’m...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Ruin didn’t focus on the memory. Instead, he offered encouragement. Listen to my voice. I’m not leaving. Don’t struggle. I’m waiting for you. Take your time. Over and over, he repeated the same until it became a chant.

Ruin desperately wanted to know what the memory contained. It was the source of his Cleverness activation, and the mystery it unlocked had profound consequences. He wanted to dive into the quicksand and glimpse it before the darkness swal...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Ruin sat cross-legged on the battlefield and considered his interaction with the Dark Tower as his friends destroyed the last of the creatures. He had been so focused on testing the defenses of his new transition area that he’d failed to get much information on the Dark Tower itself. What had he been talking with? It had appeared in an avatar shaped like a Saraph, but he could feel the alien nature of the entity despite its ability to communicate.

Silver motes appeare...

Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Ruin appeared near the mountain he’d created as a barrier between his inner and outer mind. Golden bamboo wrapped the base like the gilded bars of a prison. The stalks swayed to an invisible wind under a light with no source. Red and white serpents coiled threateningly around the bamboo, their scales reflecting the same soft glow that permeated the forest.

The air held a strange mixture of burnt air and incense, and Ruin checked the sky for signs of a thunderstorm. Bu...