Argentum in Aqua: an LGBTQ+ Gothic gaslamp fantasy trilogy

A link archive for the trilogy (Blood on the Snow, Silver in the Ashes, Fire in the Sky). The story itself, as well as short fiction in the same universe, can be found over at https://saranadosfiction.com/

[argentum-in-aqua]

Because I know tumblr likes pictures, and while I definitely want to update this at some point, it absolutely works for now (EDIT: Also the photos are half mine [second one on the top row, all but the hands on the bottom] and half from Unsplash - the update I want to do is to make all of them mine)

ARGENTUM IN AQUA (Blood on the Snow, Silver in the Ashes, Fire in the Sky) All student magician Jonathan Fest wants is to keep his head down and finish out his first year of university without failing his exams too badly. Unfortunately for him, fate and the two secret societies warring in the shadows of the city have other plans.

Enter stage left Archer, a gentleman scholar with a past a good deal more chequered than his present would suggest; Sabbat, a thief and assassin whose loyalty to the few people he counts as friends is as unshakeable as his temper is fiery; and Viola, lady's maid, bodyguard, and surrogate big sister to the only daughter of the most famous family of magicians in Sacaan. Thrown together by a series of unexplained events, the four magicians soon find themselves facing down a cunning adversary and an escalation in the shadow war which could spell disaster not just for them, but for the city as a whole. Penny dreadfuls, it turns out, are a lot less fun when you're in one. Argentum in Aqua is an ongoing LGBTQ+ Gothic gaslamp fantasy serial which you can read for free over at my site: saranadosfiction.com

You can also get the current drafts of the first two books over on my itch.io for free/pay-what-you-will:

Blood on the Snow (Argentum in Aqua 1) DRAFT by Finn McLellan

Queer Gothic gaslamp fantasy - werewolves, vampires, magic, and a lot of swearing

Silver in the Ashes (Argentum in Aqua 2) DRAFT by Finn McLellan

Queer Gothic gaslamp fantasy - vampires, werewolves, magic, and, this time, added hurt/comfort

Content notes: Contains a fairly large amount of swearing and, given several of the cast are vampires, non-trivial amounts of blood/upchucking (though more Gentleman Bastards/Six of Crows levels than First Law), as well as some stuff around addiction, mentioned suicide and self-harm (as a ‘you won’t get the satisfaction if I take control of my own ending’ response), PTSD and mental illness.

(Also, specifically for Fire in the Sky, lightly-BDSM-flavoured sex)

[scribeherself]

There is no drug on earth that can replicate the absolute euphoria of hitting a writing flow state at 2:00 AM. You aren’t even typing anymore. You are a vessel. You are a channel for the gods. The characters are speaking directly into your brain and you’re just the stenographer trying to keep up. You feel like you could fight a bear. You feel like you invented the alphabet

[bebx]

“if you love this character then you must make him happy in your fics, right?” wrong. the horror. suffering. internal hemorrhage. hospital. immediately

[argentum-in-aqua]

Fire in the Sky (Argentum in Aqua #3): Chapter 25

Darkening skies

In which Fest runs into a familiar face, and Viola and Mortimer make a new friend

(New to the story? Start here)

(No idea what this is, but interested/intrigued? Go here)

(Want an offline copy of the current draft of the first two books? Go here)

Patreon | Ko-fi | itch.io

[syn4k]

[talking about my favorite characters] okay so THESE two come in a bonded pair and if i think about them too hard i start taking poison damage

[argentum-in-aqua]

Still waiting for my ability to write coherently to return from the war

So, in the meantime, have a quick set of notes based on a very good prompt question from Beverly Anne Michel over on Bluesky - specifically 'Does or did your MC have a childhood toy that is important to them? Did they keep it? Did a parent sell it in a garage sale or throw it away?' Archer - a little painted wooden horse on wheels that wound up gathering dust on a bookshelf Sabbat - a scrap off a blanket that probably fell apart while being washed at some point Viola - a blanket made for her by her grandmother that she still has Fest - a very faded and battered ragdoll (minus hair, face, or much clothing) that his mother made for his oldest sibling and which got loved to death by every other sibling before him (and then finally fell apart) Mortimer - a cuddly toy lion that got hugged hard enough to have a dent in the middle, which he lost in the forest while playing outside one day (his da told him it was alright, because it'd gone off to have adventures with other lions)

[ramblesamongstardust]

I understand the "I will die for you" ship dynamic, but what about the "I will not let you die, I will not let myself die- we will, at any cost, survive" kind of couple?

[argentum-in-aqua]

Was listening to shanties yesterday and wound up with a very strong mental image of Lea bouncing toddler Sabrian/Sabbat on her knee while singing: 'Sailors they get all the money, Soldiers they get none but brass. How I love my rolling sailor, Soldiers they can kiss my arse' and then the kiddo breaking out in giggles right as she gets to the rude word.

(Bonus because the liner notes for this version describe that specific verse as 'a well known whore’s ditty of the time' [1790s], and Lea and Mary and Ada and co [aka the folks Sabbat considers his actual family] are sex workers in a brothel down in Dockside)

[argentum-in-aqua]

No new chapter today

Managed to roll straight from a pain flare into a bastarding cold that’s sent me off work for half the week because I couldn’t sleep and kee

[argentum-in-aqua]

Fire in the Sky (Argentum in Aqua #3): Chapter 24

Close to the heart

In which Mortimer surprises a housebreaker and Sabbat is surprised by an ambush

(New to the story? Start here)

(No idea what this is, but interested/intrigued? Go here)

(Want an offline copy of the current draft of the first two books? Go here)

Patreon | Ko-fi | itch.io

[argentum-in-aqua]

#just catching up and apparently timed it very well because this one throws some curveballs at Sabbat that I am excited to see develop :D

I have been waiting to drop some of those for years XD

(Specifically, the stuff about his actual family - the folks who raised him - I've known for a very long time, but since the crew were up at the Hall for most of Silver in the Ashes, it had to come out in this book)

[argentum-in-aqua]

Fire in the Sky (Argentum in Aqua #3): Chapter 24

Close to the heart

In which Mortimer surprises a housebreaker and Sabbat is surprised by an ambush

(New to the story? Start here)

(No idea what this is, but interested/intrigued? Go here)

(Want an offline copy of the current draft of the first two books? Go here)

Patreon | Ko-fi | itch.io

[argentum-in-aqua]

Pride Book Fair 2026 Bundle #1

Hey! Have you been meaning to pick up the ebook of Blood on the Snow? Would you like a whole lot of other queer lit as well, for a very very reasonable price? Would you like to support LGBTQ+ authors? If so, for the next 3.5 days you can get yourself over to the Pride Book Fair Bundle #1, where you can pick up a collection of 37 books for $40, which is a pretty damn decent deal.

[creatureprofessor]

maybe you could fix him, but I personally, don't intend to. i want to see him baring his teeth while covered in blood

[theslowesthnery]

ah yes my favourite trope

[argentum-in-aqua]

Fire in the Sky (Argentum in Aqua #3): Chapter 23

Of locked doors, letters, and lessons in spying

In which Viola makes a discovery and Mortimer makes a friend

(New to the story? Start here)

(No idea what this is, but interested/intrigued? Go here)

(Want an offline copy of the current draft of the first two books? Go here)

Patreon | Ko-fi | itch.io

[argentum-in-aqua]

And, over on Patreon, Chapter 24:

Fire in the Sky: Chapter 24 (draft) | Finn McLellan

Fire in the Sky: Chapter 24 (draft) by Finn McLellan on Patreon. Join Finn McLellan's community for exclusive content and updates.

[argentum-in-aqua]

Fire in the Sky (Argentum in Aqua #3): Chapter 23

Of locked doors, letters, and lessons in spying

In which Viola makes a discovery and Mortimer makes a friend

(New to the story? Start here)

(No idea what this is, but interested/intrigued? Go here)

(Want an offline copy of the current draft of the first two books? Go here)

Patreon | Ko-fi | itch.io

[electroniccollectiondonut]

The question isn't "would this character ever admit to needing help or are they determined to be a totally stoic wall?" it's "what would it take to make this character who's determined to be a totally stoic wall desperate enough to ask for help?"

Scare them so bad they decide it's worth breaking their own internal guiding doctrine and facing the mortification of admitting to their friends that they're fallible.