Suzie Housley (Midwest Book Review)
Secrets of the Sky Gods is an ambitious epic fantasy that combines immersive world-building with emotional resonance and an unconventional heroine. The novel thrives on its richly imagined setting, where mythology, culture, and politics weave together into a layered and atmospheric narrative. Ryan McBride crafts a world that feels textured and alive – from storm-battered […]
Gordon Long (Reedsy Discovery/Goodreads)
This novel is Epic Fantasy in the most sweeping scope and style, but the book’s true appeal comes from the portrayal of the main character, Runa. Much of the conflict is internal. There are four ways to show personality: what the author tells us directly, what the character says, what the character does, and what […]
Graeme Williams (Goodreads)
Secrets of the Sky Gods is a sweeping, emotionally charged epic that pairs mythic grandeur with the intimate struggle of a girl who never meant to shake the foundations of the world. Ryan McBride crafts a vivid island setting where beauty and danger coexist sunlit terraces, whispered legends, and a storm gathering on the horizon. […]
Hikepokoa Rising
Bahla stalked from jungle trail to the hard-packed streets of Ochitla, bow in one hand, prey in the other, leaving the quiet of rustling leaves and shifting shadows for the loud jangling of civilization. The shouts and laughter of the men and women, their bustling odors and burning gazes, pressed on her awareness like the […]
4/6/26
A newsletter, for one. No frills, no bills, no shills. Just announcements and monthly scribblings (but legible, I promise). Maybe a character pic every once in a while.
Once Upon A Time: My Journey into Epic Fantasy
We start where we always have, at the beginning. It’s 1983, in Spokane, and I was a baby. Yes, I said it, a baby. I was an adorable baby with big blue eyes and dimples and an irrepressible grin. Or so I’m told. But let’s skip ahead a bit. We’re in Southern California, in one […]
Runa: The Reluctant Heroine Who Steals More Than Just Secrets
She’s not the chosen one. She wasn’t born with magic or an heirloom sword. She doesn’t want to save anyone or anything, and she most certainly doesn’t want to be a hero. Runa is a friendless thief who uses draperies for tissues, has the manners of a wild boar, and whose first, second, and final […]
Kiama Korora: Crafting Akiponahai, an Island of Secrets
Every great story needs a world to call home, and for Secrets of the Sky Gods, that place is Akiponahai, Nest of the Sky Gods. The island forms a central pillar in the story of its world, both in its role as the heart of trade and as an untouchable force of nature. It is a […]