WHAT IS THE DIVINE ARCHIVE?
The Divine Archive is a queer seafaring fantasy series that consists of two core books. It has the potential for some spinoff material, but… I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it, haha. Right now, I don’t want to plan any further out than the duology.
And in case anyone’s wondering just HOW queer this series is… well, let’s just say one of my readers asked me, recently: “Just curious, are there any straight people in your story?”
My answer? “There’s one.”
THE PITCH
All Stranger can remember is how it felt to fall.
Assisted by the crew of sailors who took them in, they must learn to navigate the flood-ravaged waters of Midir. But why does Stranger despise the God of the Sea? And what does Argonaut the Lawless, pirate of the northern seas, want from them?
THE WORLD
The books in The Divine Archive take place one thousand years after an apocalyptic flood that wiped out a hefty chunk of Midir’s once-flourishing population. With barely any available land—only the tips of what used to be mountains now forming small islands—most folk live at sea. There is a strong sense of classism here, with islanders being wealthy and privileged, while the seafarers consist of the lower and middle class.
The inhabitants of Midir follow a religious system reminiscent of an ancient Greek or Roman pantheon, including four “primary” gods, one of which is the God King, and many lesser gods serving underneath. In the Great Flood era, mortalkind predominantly reveres the God of the Sea, in hopes that their devotion will convince him to lower the floodwaters and allow humankind to see land once more.
THE TITLES
#1: Blood of the Gods
#2: Unreleased, sometimes referred to as DoD as a vague nod toward its current working title.
My friends informed me that when they see DoD they interpret it as “Department of Defense.” That’s not, in this case, what it stands for, but I have begun affectionately calling my draft such 😂
THE POV CHARACTERS
STRANGER (they/them) is a massive enigma bundled up into a small, unimposing frame. With no idea who they are, they rely heavily on the crew of the Vengeance to guide them.
A song that describes them: Stranger - Fight the Fade
JONAH MORGAN (he/him) is the grumpy, obstinate captain of the Vengeance. Having felt the pain of loss many years ago, he is reluctant to take in any new, notably amnesiac crewmates, lest he grow attached.
A song that describes him: Dark Room - Foreign Figures
KARINA THORNE (she/her) harbors a deep, bitter distaste towards the conditions of her childhood. To make up for it, she prioritizes her found family aboard the Vengeance, of which she serves as first mate.
A song that describes her: Wild Horses - Grace Power
ELAINE (she/her) is the Goddess of Fire. She wants nothing more than to free herself of the permanent reminder of her life as a mortal.
A song that describes her: Savage Daughters - Alexia Evellyn
No illustration for her. I’ve never been able to draw her right, lol. And trust me—I’ve tried! Here’s a picrew (a character dress-up website, for those unaware) I made of her a while back, though, and while I don’t deem it 100% accurate—mostly outfit-wise—it’s as close as I’ve been able to get thus far.
Picrew is by user Nellseto.
THE PUBLISHING TIMELINE
Line & Copy edits: begins July 2025, finishes approx. August 2025
Formatting print & ebook manuscript: approx. October 2025?
Proofreading: finishes Jan/Feb 2026?
Publication (loose projection adding time for any additional variables, panic time, etc.): July 2026
I’ve been needing to share a proper overview of my series for quite some time, so here it is! I think my biggest struggle is going to be figuring out how to market this story & make it sound interesting, without spoiling anything. Even now, looking at this newsletter, I’m wondering: did I say too much? Did I say too little? Will this kind of info attract interest?
Who knows. This whole process is so new to me, and in that regard, it’s scary and it’s exciting.
Now that I’ve finally gotten this overarching description out of the way, I can go back to focusing this newsletter on publishing & drafting updates. My goal until BotG gets edited: get as much of TDA #2’s "zero" draft done as I can.
Catch ya next time!
Wren Rivers
@corvidarcana [Bluesky, Tumblr]
@corvid.arcana [Instagram]