Earlier this year, I was listening to a lot of Tautumeitas, a Latvian ethno-pop group who had just released their new album: Zem Saules / Under the Solar Spell. Some of the lyrics from “Bur man laimi” in particular really started to stick in my head, and these ideas for a story kept coming back to me.
Ultimately, I put aside some other plans and wrote Copper Skin, Oaken Lungs, because I could not stop thinking about it. The story has evolved past those original inspirations into its own thing, but you’ll still find some references to Latvian folklore, language, and music nestled in here. And I maintain that Zem Saules makes for some great listening while reading this book.
I am so excited with how this project has come together, and I am thrilled to share the cover art with you now, illustrated by Silvia Gorchakova.
About Copper Skin, Oaken Lungs
For a thousand years, The Old Town has stood as humanity’s last bastion against the maalkonis, malignant black mists that reduced the rest of the world to ash. They are kept at bay by rusty machines on the town’s walls. In order to survive, the dwindling population depends on one another.
Since a young age, Justīne has embraced the harsh responsibilities that accompanied her apprenticeship on the last farm in existence. Her younger sister, Anna, is beginning her own apprenticeship as well. Learning engineering was not Anna’s first choice, but the town’s last mage fell to the maalkonis years prior, leaving nothing behind but confusing books and strange runes.
When food runs low during a particularly harsh winter, distrust spreads like a plague, and Justīne is blamed for it. As hunger leads to violence, she and her siblings are forced to flee The Old Town, embarking on a perilous journey into the very mists that had formed their cage. Their fight to survive in the dark develops into a hopeful mystery as they follow the breadcrumbs of a mage’s efforts to save the world. Meanwhile something pursues them through the maalkonis…
Copper Skin, Oaken Lungs is the beginning of a new post-apocalyptic fantasy series, though I can promise that this book won’t leave you hanging too much. It was originally intended to be a standalone novella, but things escalated, and I’ve ended up with a short novel—which is becoming an interesting trend of mine.
The book is approximately 240 pages.
Audiobook Coming Soon
An audiobook version is also in the works, narrated by Veronica Rotar.
Release Date & Review Copies
The plan is to release the book in eBook, paperback, and audio all at once on February 3, 2026 (I don’t have direct control over audiobook distribution so it may not be live on all platforms at once).
Advance review copies of the eBook and audiobook are available! Sign up here by October. 9th, 2025. eBook ARCs will be delivered in October, with audio ALCs to come once they’re available.
Pre-orders for the paperback are available at The Crafty Bookstore (delivery to the U.S. only). Signed or unsigned copies are available, and during the pre-order they are also offering sprayed edges! Make sure to reserve a copy from them if you’d like to grab that edition.
Pre-orders for the eBook, audiobook, and across other retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Libro, and others will become available at a later date. I’ll also have signed and unsigned paperback available on my store soon.
Visit Adam’s website or newsletter to learn more about Copper Skin, Oaken Lungs. Content warnings are listed on my site.
About the Author
Adam Bassett is an author, designer, and illustrator originally from northern New York. He is also the author of the cyberpunk series Digital Extremities and the reference book An Author’s Guide to Setting Design: Worldbuilding & Cartography.
His work has also been published in anthologies such as Rare (Alex Parker Publishing), Blooms of Dawn (SmashBear Publishing), and Nature Erupts (Two Doctors Media). He previously volunteered as the Editor-in-Chief at Worldbuilding Magazine.
Visit adamcbassett.com to see more of his work and subscribe to his newsletter for updates. You can also follow Adam on Bluesky, Instagram, or Threads.
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