Kai Zeal's Monthly Newsletter (May 2025)
May 15, 2025 7:02 pm
Hello and welcome to this month's newsletter. I'm sure we can all guess what the headliner is for this month, so let's jump right in!
Updates
Riyati
Riyati Rivals, the sequel to Riyati Rebirth, is out right now!
What would you sacrifice to alter an already guaranteed future?
The new school year has begun in the quiet town of Opal Pines, and with it, new problems for Kylie and Jordan: Kylie’s mother barely lets her out of sight, and Jordan’s new friend makes it clear he’s no fan of Kylie. Even their older selves are at odds with each other: Siani refuses to intervene in the events to come; meanwhile, Rotanu is not sure the ends justify the means needed to get there. To make matters even worse, a familiar woman from the June kidnapping is back and wants Kylie’s head. What happens when the past is painful and still seeks vengeance, the present is lonely, and the future uncertain?
Riyati Rivals is available for purchase at most major retailers, but I'd like to bring special attention to the itch bundle expiring at the end of this week!
This bundle has Riyati Rebirth and Riyati Rivals as a BOGO deal! If you haven't had time to jump into the series yet, now's the time-- and even better, the itch bundle provides DRM free copies to use with whatever ereader or mobile device you'd like; no being locked into one ecosystem!
And if you're subscribed to Kobo Plus, Riyati Rivals (and Riyati Rebirth!) are already ready for reading, included with the normal Kobo Plus subscription! If you haven't checked out Kobo Plus, I highly recommend it-- for one monthly fee, you get an amazing library of books you can read on demand.
I'm also happy to share the opening two paragraphs of Riyati Rivals in today's newsletter-- though beware, it does have spoilers for Riyati Rebirth in it!
Rotanu's doing just fine, ignore any suspicions otherwise
Stepping slightly away from Riyati Rivals's exciting launch, I'm also happy to share that a Riyati canon side chapter was featured on the amazing Liz Sauco's blog! This side chapter would take place early in Riyati Rivals and details aspects of Riyati's magic system, but it doesn't spoil anything in Riyati Rivals so feel free to check it out right now... and while you're there, make sure to stop and look at Liz's Blades series too!
And finally looking to the future, I'm happy to share that I'm around half way through the first round of edits for Riyati Ripple, the third book in the Riyati series! By this time next month, I hope to have the book finished with edits and even shipped off to betas. And right now, I'm absolutely loving how Riyati Ripple is looking-- but it definitely won't make since if you haven't read Riyati Rivals so 👀
Personal
A fair amount of my time has gone to Riyati lately, as you might imagine. But I was able to get through spring semester in mostly one piece (yay!), and I'm really enjoying my summer classes so far. (Alas, there was only one week between the two this year, rip.) I'm in chapter 11 of Xenoblade Chronicles X DE, and have been enjoying taking my time with it. I've also recently started afking with Spirit City: LoFi Sessions-- it's worked a lot better than trying to get Spotify and Youtube on the right playlists and staying there, plus has cute little animations! ...I also get to have cats everywhere, so I'm easily bribed admittedly.
Promos
Disabled Creators Jamboree Bundle Sale
This is a pay what you want (PWYW) itch bundle, full of a variety of works-- from games to books to asset packs. There's 147 items in this bundle, so make sure to check it out!
Strong Women in Speculative Fiction Bundle
May 18 - May 22
This is an upcoming itch bundle split into two parts to keep costs down for interested readers! Each bundle is $16.25 USD and has 13 books included, all DRM free. I highly recommend checking this out, as I know many of the books in these bundles are excellent reads worth the price of the bundle by themselves!
New Release: The Tempest's Fury (Saxen Saga Book Three) by Ingrid Moon
Game the system.
Stick to the plan.
Burn the whole world down.
Boone is out of time. Drowning in debt, hunted across the stars, and haunted by the people he couldn’t save, he gambles everything on a tenuous future. But as he gets closer to uncovering Chelani’s insidious plans, his execution closes in. He knows his next mission is suicide, but he’ll do anything to take down the empire.
Elyon is promised a pardon and a life more luxurious than she could imagine—but it comes with a price. Sent to silence Chelani’s rivals one by one, she carves a path through the empire while convincing herself it’s for Boone. When he vanishes, the illusion shatters. Fueled by vengeance, she brings the storm to the Coalition’s doorstep.
The galaxy is about to burn, and neither of them may survive the fire.
Third in the Saxen Saga series, an award-winning epic space opera with high stakes and non-stop action.
Hunt Monsters, Do Magic, and Fall in Love by A.M. Weald
Father Winter is a malevolent ancient spirit. The veil between worlds really is thinnest on Halloween. Dragons exist, but they’re just demons. And demigods walk the earth, protecting humanity from it all.
THE HUNTER & HER GIRLFRIEND: 2020. When Margot invited her new girlfriend Emili to meet her parents over Christmas, she should have realized that Father Winter might show up… and try to kill her.
THE MAIDEN & THE LIAR: 1990. When a hunter fails to slay Father Winter, Poe’s family holiday road trip is waylaid by the ensuing dangerous blizzard, and they’re forced to take shelter in a highway rest stop. Thank goodness other teens are there, including a cute boy and his high school hockey team.
THE HEALER & THE HAMMER: 1989. Nora’s on the run for murder, hiding out at a hunter academy where famous Thom “The Hammer” is currently contracted to hunt and kill the Jersey Devil. A rare healer, she’s assigned to his detail because the asshole is a f*ckin’ demon magnet. Great.
Hunt Monsters, Do Magic, and Fall in Love is a triptych of modern fantasy stories interrelated by family—stories with myths and demons and ghosts (oh my), and with romance and secrets and lies (and someone dies).
Out of the Shadow by Blue Matt Jeff
In a world plagued by a devastating genetic disease that decimates the male population, the powerful turn a blind eye to the impending peril while the women fight to preserve humanity's legacy.
In a realm gripped by a devastating genetic disease that has caused a drastic decline in male populations, the powerful cling stubbornly to their authority, oblivious to the impending peril. Meanwhile, the resilient women strive to ensure the continuity of humanity.
Princess Malak, trapped in an arranged marriage with a cruel and tyrannical man who mirrors the values of her controlling family and oppressive society, makes a daring escape from her homeland. Fleeing the specter of imprisonment or even death, she embarks on a treacherous journey to a foreign land where women wield influence and power.
Her quest for freedom becomes the catalyst for a larger struggle against the shackles of tradition, as she unveils a world on the brink of collapse and fights to reshape its future.
What will happen when Princess Malak defies her fate and ventures into a realm where women hold power and voices are heard?
Join the adventure as the battle for freedom begins as a courageous princess embarks on a perilous journey across borders and into the unknown and the outcome will shape the destiny of several nations.
Closing
The month's biggest news is definitely Riyati Rivals's launch-- I hope everyone enjoys this next entry to the Riyati series, and I look forward to hearing what everyone thinks! In the meantime though, I'm off to continue those book 3 edits!
-Kai