Simon Batsman, who started work on the Sarsen series while living in the town, will release his second book, “In the Heart of a Soulless Vessel,” on Tuesday, March 25.
The book is part of the epic high fantasy Sarsen series and takes readers back to The Arvum and the adventures of protagonist Fjona Sarsen.
In the sequel to ‘The Curiosities of Perciville Harper’, Fjona is on her way to becoming a sage, while aiding her mentor Perciville in his quest to save The Arvum from deadly consequences.
The new book brings together the characters and sub-plots from the first book into a conclusion to the opening saga of the Sarsen series.
Batsman said: “The idea for the Sarsen Series came to me when on a long drive from Worcestershire to Bedfordshire to carry out an archaeological survey, and once I had a template for the world, I started conceiving character and plot ideas.”
He added: “My main ambition with writing a fantasy novel was to lean away from classic tropes (although many still prevail) and create something unique.
“For example, there’s no ‘chosen one’ – Fjona gets pulled into the story solely by chance.
“There’s no magic, but instead a system called the Art of Manipulation which is intended to be more like a science than a magic.
“There are monsters, but no dragons.
“Naturally, I poured in my knowledge of cultural heritage from my background in archaeology, and this is most evident through Kaikura’s storyline in ‘In The Heart of a Soulless Vessel’.”
Batsman graduated from the University of Winchester with a first-class degree in archaeology and has been working in the industry since 2017.
He has been writing music for almost 20 years and started work on the Sarsen series while living in Droitwich.
Batsman is now living on the edge of the Cotswolds with his wife and baby boy.
The book, published by Cranthorpe Millner Publishers, will be available in paperback for £11.99 and as a Kindle version.