Over the last 18 months or so, I've gotten used to referring to The Sons Of Echidna as the kind of lumpy-looking firstborn child.
When you have your first baby, if the delivery is rough (as it often is), your kid might come out a bit squished. Mine (my actual daughter, not the book) had a cone-head, a huge blister from being pulled out via suction cup, and the angriest, squished-up face when she came out after a 30-hour labor, and I... I won't say I was disappointed, but I will say that I wondered how people could think babies were adorable when mine looked like an old, grumpy Asian man (fun fact: thanks to my Ainu ancestry, she was born with pitch-black, almond shaped eyes and a big blue spot on her butt, lol).
I've only got one kid, but I've heard from plenty of others that having a second baby is a lot easier. If the first one dropped out like a wrecking ball, the second one practically saunters into the world, perfect, chubby, and beautiful right out of the box (as it were). You gaze into the sparkling eyes of your newborn child and, in awe, realize that this is what love is.
Then you glance guiltily to your firstborn and assure them you love them just as much, promise >>
It felt a lot like that with SoE versus Sirin Sisterhood, anyway; I loved SoE, but Sirin was the beautiful angel child, while its big sister was sitting in the mud, eating earthworms by the handful.
Thankfully, with books, I can go back and change things. And I have!
I am so, so excited to reveal my first project of 2025, the second edition of The Sons Of Echidna. I have poured so much time and love into her, bringing her up to the standard of Sirin Sisterhood, and I couldn't be happier. New chapters? Check! New art? Check! De-mystified motives? Check!
My husband went through the whole book with a red pen and, ignoring my wails of protest, made me aware of every little shortcoming there was. Lucy's motivations being confusing, her being very passive about the whole kidnapping thing, and her relationship with Aris feeling strangely rushed... All of that's been fixed. Characters now have more profound development and personalities, the ending makes a LOT more sense, and sentence structures have been reworked and reworded for flow and engagement. On top of that, there's a tonne of brand-new art, including double-page spreads and never-before-seen illustrations that I can't wait to share with you all.
Preorders are OPEN NOW! All preorders will receive the book, a tonne of brand-new stickers and prints, and a pair of pink heart-shaped sunglasses identical to the ones worn by Death (check out the photo!) in my book! The release date is TBC, but it is expected in late Feb/Early March.
There are two more exciting announcements, so bear with me here.
First of all, there will be a special edition of The Sons Of Echidna (2nd Edition) later in the year. We're talking about hardback, sprayed edges, dust sleeve, full-color inserts, gold foiling, the works. This is insanely exciting for me, and I'm so nervous. There's no release date yet, but I'll keep people updated and, eventually, will open pre-orders for these exclusive editions.
Secondly, if you already own The Sons Of Echidna and you wanna check out the updates but don't wanna drop $$ on another copy of a book you already own, I got you, fam. For a limited time, you can submit proof of ownership of The Sons Of Echidna (photo of your Kindle and your email, receipt, whatever), and I'll send you a single-use download code for a completely FREE digital copy of SoE 2E once it's published. One code per person, terms and conditions apply, etc, but what a score! If you feel so inclined, there is the option of making a small koha in return, but there are zero obligations. I figure I owe you guys for sticking with me through the rocky first printing.
Phew!
Keep an eye out for future product drops and events; Wellygeddeon is coming up fast, and Ages Of Pages, which was our first-ever convention! I'm gonna get back to writing and drawing (gotta bankroll all of this somehow), but I can't wait to see y'all in person.
With all my love!
Athena M. Bliss
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