Digging Deeper

Chapter 10.

It’s a strange milestone. Far enough into the sequel to feel like the story’s properly breathing — but still close enough to the beginning that one wrong step could send the whole thing wobbling like a dodgy soufflé. That’s where I am right now.

The momentum is building.

The plot is thickening. Motives are shifting. Ezra’s getting cheekier. And Prague? Let’s just say it’s not all cobbled charm and classical music. Underneath the surface, something dark is stirring — Cold War secrets that were never quite buried, and a list people are still willing to kill for.

This book feels different from Shadow Empire. It’s not just a continuation — it’s a deepening. The characters are scarred now. Changed by what they’ve been through. And as much as I love throwing them into danger, I’m also discovering new angles, new vulnerabilities. Even Jensen, who usually pretends he doesn’t have any.

Writing this time round feels less like sprinting and more like excavating. I’m digging into backstories, pulling on threads I hinted at before, and making sure the tone stays true — that careful balance of action, humour, and a faint sense that something much bigger is at play.

There are still plenty of question marks (and a few digital eyebrow raises from Ezra), but the world is taking shape. And despite the occasional late-night doubt or subplot detour, I’m enjoying the view from here.

Chapter 11’s calling.

More soon.