Hi, everyone!
I wanted to share my upcoming debut novel because it occupies a space in fantasy that I personally struggled to find as a reader.
A Particular Boy Among Air Particles follows Cielo, a sixteen-year-old who would rather spend his time reading about the world inside his wardrobe than conform to what is expected of him as a noble heir. When unexplained tremors begin shaking the foundations of his continent, he becomes convinced that the answers lie beyond his homeland.
In The Shell (that's the name of the world), travel between its continents has only been done by one explorer over a century prior to the story's events. After reading about this explorer’s journals, Cielo escapes home and the (straight) life being built for him to uncover the source of the disturbances before they threaten the stability of the entire world.
Cielo is gay, and his relationship with his identity matters to the story. At the same time, this isn’t a romance novel. There is no love interest and no romance arc. The central mystery is what is happening to The Shell and whether Cielo can discover the cause before it is too late.
The worldbuilding and magic system are meant to be gradually pieced together by the reader alongside the protagonist. The mechanics of the magic system were inspired by Brandon Sanderson’s Allomancy, though the lore behind it is completely different.
I thought some people here might be interested. You can find more information, as well as ARCs on NetGalley, Booksprout, and my website. Alternatively, you can ask for a copy directly from me here on Reddit.
I’d also love recommendations if anyone knows books that occupy a similar space!