By Sarah Azman
Aly played her bloody fingers across Epi’s hurt palm, then pulled it to her lips and kissed her cut. Epi blushed, pulled Aly’s hand to her, and kissed hers.
“We’ll always save each other,” Aly said.
“Always.”
Their fingers interlocked. Eventually they laid down and went to sleep beside the fire.
Seed of the Black Oak by Christian Chiakulas drops 9/1/26, and we are here for it!
Named among FanFiAddict’s most anticipated titles of 2026, it’s got everything you’d want in a romantasy novel: a scorching love story with betrayal, black magic, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end.
Stay tuned for more about the plot and exclusive “behind-the-screens” comments from the author.
About the Book
Epi, a commoner in the Hwen tribe, encounters princess Alywael by chance when they are both children. Just as their close friendship is blossoming into romance, the Hwen are overtaken by a foreign army. Aly’s father, the King of the Hwen, discovers the attack was orchestrated by both his wife and former high priest Cwulder. Epi, who believes that Aly was killed in the attack, flees Hwen and vows revenge.
Seven years after the attack, Epi is working as an assassin for the Solaran Empire and receives a package containing Aly’s dagger. Epi returns to the Hwen, hopeful that the dagger means Aly is still alive. High Priest Cwulder now rules the land with the Confederation of the Black Oak and black magic–and Aly is his prisoner.
Epi joins a band of rebels and infiltrates the city, shocked to find that her own brother is now serving the enemy. When she finally penetrates Cwulder’s hillfort and finds the princess, Aly refuses to leave with her. As Epi digs deeper, she discovers the dark reason that Cwulder is holding Aly prisoner, and just how much Aly has to lose by escaping.
Insights from the Author
We asked Christian Chiakulas to give us insider details about their inspiration for Seed of the Black Oak, and (per usual) they gave us both honest and entertaining responses.
Where do you find inspiration for your stories or characters?
Sometimes in dreams, sometimes by getting annoyed at another work of fiction that I feel wastes its potential and so inspires me to try to write something better.
Which character was hardest to write? Which was easiest?
Delwyn, a character who is sometimes antagonistic but has hidden depths. I wanted to make him annoying and hateable for part of the book, and sympathetic in other parts. The easiest was Epi because I felt closest to her.
How are you similar to or different from Epi?
I really relate to Epi's anger at the injustices of the world, but for her they're much more personal.
Fun Fact: Christian runs a podcast called The World is Ugly, whose tagline is “A podcast all about finding reasons to keep living in a shitty world.”
What are the themes running through Seed of the Black Oak?
The biggest theme is the power of love. Epi learns that anger, hatred, and vengeance are not good motivations for fighting evil. She can only be successful when she commits to fighting for the right reasons (to protect the people she loves). It's also very much about grief. Pain can cause people to make mistakes, but confronting and accepting your pain allows you to do better.
What is one of your favorite quotes from the book?
“Epi had always imagined the Black Oak as a dead thing, corrupt, rot spreading from its base to cover everything beautiful. But it was not. The Black Oak was exquisite, with twisting, ancient branches, rutted ebony bark, gnarled knots that seemed to conceal entire worlds, and burnished black leaves that shivered in the howling wind before it carried them out over the sea.
The Black Oak was beautiful, and no less terrible for it.”
How to Get Your Copy
Order your copy of Seed of the Black Oak from the Alex Parker Publishing Bookshop now! Available 9/1/26 wherever books are sold.
For more about Seed of the Black Oak author Christian Chiakulas, check out this author Q&A post and their official website at christianchiakulas.com.
Sources
FanFiAddict. “FFA’s Most Anticipated Titles of 2026 (So Far).” FanFiAddict. Accessed August 11, 2026. https://fanfiaddict.com/ffas-most-anticipated-titles-of-2026-so-far/.
Christian Chiakulas. “The World Is Ugly Podcast.” Accessed August 11, 2026. https://christianchiakulas.com/the-world-is-ugly-podcast/.