2025 was one of the most important years of my life.

It was a year of adventure and hermitry, of determination and burnout, of dreams and difficult truths.

Above all, 2025 was the year that I truly began my journey as an author.

I’ll be reflecting on all of this—the good and the bad—through this post. I’ll also go over my favorite films, books, games, and so on of the year. (If you want to see that bit specifically, just skip through my yapping until you get there!) It’s the first time I’ve done something like this, but it’ll be an annual thing moving forward. Thank you for being here for the first ever edition!

Japan

To say that 2025 started off strong would be an understatement. The top place my wife, Mandy, and I had wanted to visit for nearly a decade was Japan, and with 2025 barely begun, we finally fulfilled this dream. We flew out of Alberta, Canada and crossed the entirety of the globe early in January and spent over two weeks in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Not to be dramatic, but Japan lived up to every last bit of the hype and then surpassed it by miles. Everything I had heard about this one-of-a-kind, magical place turned out to be true. I can confidently say that I have never had such an amazing time traveling. Every single day spent in that country was a joy and a privilege.

The people were warm and kind, and to my surprise, speaking with them in my pathetic Japanese and their too-strong English turned out to be one of the consistent highlights of the trip. This was a surprise because I’m as introverted as they come and tend to hate small talk. Japan with its kind people and beautiful language broke down these walls of mine with unprecedented ease.

The scenery was some of the best I’ve experienced in this life, and that’s saying a lot as someone who lives within view of the world-famous Canadian Rocky Mountains. As a photographer, Japan was a dream. As heavy and unwieldy as my DSLR camera is, I had that thing around my neck for nearly the whole trip. In Japan, maintaining flora is quite literally an art, to the point that the trees are bound with poles and ropes during their growth to guide their aesthetic. This loving care—which was true even in the little gardens in front of people’s homes—combined with the natural variety and uniqueness of the island’s plants made the gardens and vistas world class, even in the middle of the winter!

The food was a revelation. Coming from somewhere with far too many unhealthy ultra-processed foods that cost way too much, seeing all of Japan’s affordable, healthy, and delicious options was mind blowing. Whether it was ramen or curry at an eatery or simple packaged food from the plentiful convenience stores (endearingly called “combini” there), eating and drinking in Japan was something to look forward to every single time.

And the cities. My god, the cities. Especially Tokyo, which is now firmly my favorite city in the whole world (sorry, Barcelona!). Every nook and cranny in these megalopolises is an adventure. There are cool stores, beautiful shrines, serene parks, scrumptious restaurants, and everything else you can possibly imagine basically everywhere. I don’t think I could ever get tired of just walking through any of Tokyo’s iconic districts, taking pictures, talking to people, and sampling the endless amazing food.

Spending two weeks in Japan was such an epic way to kick off 2025 that it almost felt like the rest of the year would be downhill afterwards. And honestly, the post-Japan depression that hit both Mandy and I after the trip was brutal and lasted a full month. It was so bad that we vowed to go back as soon as possible—and indeed, one of my resolutions for 2026 is to make another trip happen no matter what!

Thankfully, though, there would be an even higher moment to come in 2025, one that had nothing at all to do with the Land of the Rising Sun. But we’ll get to that in a bit!

Locking In

Once I was home and had regained some energy it was time to dive fully into finishing The Winds of War, which at the time was only about half done. My biggest goal for 2025 was to launch my journey as an author. After the test-run that was releasing Born In Fury in 2024 I was sure now that I had found my calling in life and knew I had to chase the dream and make it a reality.

So for six months I locked in and worked my ass off. Like, really really worked my ass off. I’ve discussed this at length in other posts, so I won’t go into all the details here, but as someone who does almost everything myself (writing, designing, formatting, illustrating, marketing, etc.), it was a monumental amount of work, and six months was not nearly enough for it.

Nonetheless I did it, somehow. There were many, many days where I worked from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to sleep. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been so laser-focused on a goal in my life. I certainly haven’t ever been so determined and passionate in pursuit of a goal. The Winds of War was everything to me, and through nearly debilitating uncertainty and self doubt I kept pushing, choosing to believe that the effort would pay off.

And pay off it did.

July 27, 2025

The Winds of War released digitally on July 27th. The paperback edition released a week later, on August 2nd. (The hardback edition is still not out as of 2026 [oof lol] but there’s a good reason for that. More in a bit.)

Everything since then has been a whirlwind that has left me overwhelmed and eternally grateful. I sincerely could not have imagined it would go quite as well as it has gone, whether it be in terms of the book’s business success or its reception as a literary work. I mentioned earlier that I worried after the start of the year that nothing could top my Japan trip. Well, the release of this book and everything that came after did it. I’m sorry, beautiful, beloved Japan, but that’s how much this book means to me.

If there was any doubt in my mind before that I had found my calling, all that’s happened since Winds dropped has washed it away. I was born for this, and after having a greater start than I could have possibly hoped for, I’m more fired up than ever to chase this dream.

Burn Out

Unsurprisingly, the crunch I put myself through to get Winds done and out the door as quickly as possible came at a cost. I had known it would, but not how steep the price would be.

I won’t go into all the details here because I already did that in my last big update. But suffice it to say that my mental health has been a chaotic mess since the summer, and I’m still fighting to get it back on track.

The difficult truth this forced me to face is that I am not cut out to crunch. The costs far outweigh the benefits. And that’s not just in terms of my well being and happiness: my writing has suffered for it, too. Massively.

You’re probably wondering why I say I’m not cut out for crunch as though that’s a bad thing. The answer is that achieving crazy dreams—like becoming a successful author in an industry where 0.0001% of people make it—requires crazy dedication. Of course this does not mean anyone should harm themselves in pursuit of their dreams, but there are absolutely going to be stretches of time when you have to go that hard to make it.

But I can’t. Or at least, I can’t without doing significant harm to myself. Anxiety and OCD are demons that sit on my shoulders, weighing me down every day. Despite having made so much progress with my chronic mental illness over the past few years, the reality is that I will never be free of these demons. All I can do is live with them, and that requires balance. Balance that crunch decimates.

Moving forward, I’m not sure how exactly I’m going to navigate this dilemma. Obviously I plan to pace myself much more wisely with future projects than I did with Winds, but I also refuse to let the momentum I’ve built fizzle out. I refuse to let my readers down, so many of whom are patiently yet eagerly awaiting the next book. It’s going to be an ongoing challenge to figure out the right balance in a world as fast-paced and competitive as indie publishing, but one that I’m sure I’ll rise to somehow.

The Hardcover Edition

One of the most surreal and incredible moments of 2025 was when I was contacted and given the opportunity to produce a special Collector’s Edition of The Winds of War in collaboration with The Broken Binding.

It was such an extraordinary opportunity that I forewent putting out a standard hardcover through Amazon altogether. To this day there is not a single hardback version of Winds available, which is . . . not ideal! The most profitable and marketable version of Born In Fury was by far the hardback, as I’m blessed with many readers who want the best version of my books possible. This is going to be true to the extreme with the Collector’s Edition of Winds, but due to delays, all of the payoff has been postponed.

I’ve already explained the reasons for these delays, but I want to reiterate that I’m extremely grateful to be working with The Broken Binding. The reality of physical publishing—especially in the case of fancy books like this one—is that things take time and setbacks can and will pop up along the way. The folks at TBB have been amazing to me, and together we’re going to deliver to you a phenomenal book that will be worth the wait.

Having learned my lesson from over-promising on this edition in the past, I’ll refrain from making any concrete claims here. But the print-testing has been going well; I’ve seen pictures myself and have been ecstatic with them. And while The Broken Binding is busy as heck right now (how are they managing to put out this many special editions in such a short span of time?!), I feel that our time is nearly here.

For those of you who have been patiently, gruelingly waiting all this time, here’s another bit about the Collector’s Edition I haven’t told anyone yet: It’s not only going to have block-sprayed edges, as I initially mentioned. It’s going to have a full-on digital fore-edge drawn and designed by myself.

The Mountains Were Calling

My summer wasn’t all about books and writing, I’m happy to say. After all those months of being a hermit and crunching, I needed some proper fresh air. And there’s no air crisper and clearer than that of the Rocky Mountains.

Taking adventurous day trips into the mountains is something Mandy and I do a few times each year. Few things refresh the soul the way nature does, and I’m blessed to live in one of the best places in the world for this sort of exploration. My dogs (of whom you’ll see a lot more of in the pet photos portion of this review) have a blast during these trips, too.

The climates and environments in my books are influenced more than anything by these Canadian wilds. If you’re ever reading one of my stories and want a companion image to see just what the mountains and valleys look like, all you’ve got to do is take a look at my Canada photography.

Top Media of 2025

The Fall was the season when I was able to slow down and enjoy my hobbies the most, so this is the perfect time to list my favorite games, films, shows, anime, and books of the year! These will tend toward things that released this year, but some may be things that I happened to first experience in 2025.

Top Games of 2025

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Hades II
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Choosing these was excruciating. 2025 was easily one of the greatest years of all time for video games. Silksong was one of my most anticipated games for so, so, so long. Hades II lived up to all my sky-high expectations, to the point of eking just past Hollow Knight. And Clair Obscur came out of nowhere, somehow beating them both? Moreover, there are so many games like Blue Prince that I haven’t played yet but would probably also contend for my top five.

It’s hysterical that social media discourse surrounding gaming is so bloody negative, because the truth is we’re living in the golden age of gaming right now. Of my top four picks, I haven’t even finished three of them because there’s not enough time and way too many amazing games. It’s a bit ridiculous, honestly, but I’m here for it! Bravo to these devs—especially the indies who dominated 2025!

Also, my most disappointing game of the year, by far, was Monster Hunter Wilds. After having such a great time at the Monster Hunter bar in Tokyo just weeks before, this killed me! But Wilds was such a huge disappointment, from its world design to its performance. It was worse than Monster Hunter World in many ways, which was simply unacceptable for a game that came six years later—and I think the brutal drop off in its sales after the initial surge speaks for itself. I’m still hurt by this one! Why, Capcom?!

Top Films of 2025

Sinners
Frankenstein
Train Dreams
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

The top three films here are in a league of their own; the four and five slots could easily have gone to plenty of other movies. But Sinners, Frankenstein, and Train Dreams all had me spreading my hands in the absolute cinema gesture.

Sinners is one of the most carefully crafted films I’ve seen. It’s one of those experiences where every single scene—every single shot—is meticulously planned and executed. As a horror movie it’s not anything special; it’s barely scary and doesn’t incorporate a particularly compelling take on vampires. But as a meaningful allegorical story told beautifully, efficiently, and with one of the best soundtracks ever, it’s an all timer.

The sleeper hit of the year for me was Train Dreams. This one was extraordinarily unique, to the point that I suspect a lot of watchers would find it boring or frustrating. But I thought it was haunting and so, so engaging, on top of having some of the most stunning, vivid cinematography. It was one of those films where you sit in silence for a long while after the credits roll. And after that long silence, Mandy and I spent a good hour discussing the movie and what its story meant. I loved it so much that I want to one day write a similar story myself.

As for Fire and Ash, look . . . I’m not an Avatar fan. I find the whole blue semi-human alien thing off putting, and the writing in these movies is extremely predictable and makes me cringe as often as it gets me excited. With that being said, seeing Fire and Ash in the cinema was one of the most remarkable spectacles I’ve experienced. From a stylistic and production quality standpoint, there’s nothing else like it. It has stuck with me for these reasons alone!

Most overrated film of 2025? Weapons, easily! Don’t get me wrong, it was good. I enjoyed it plenty. But folks were out raving about how it was as good as Sinners and one of the best films of the year . . . and that’s just wrong. It wouldn’t even break into my top ten!

Top Shows of 2025

Adolescence
Dark Matter
Foundation
Severance
Black Rabbit

I’m still haunted by Adolescence. I nearly get goosebumps when I think about this limited series because of how harrowing and topical it was. It was entertaining as hell, too, of course—otherwise it wouldn’t have taken my top spot in such a great year for TV. But man, did this show terrify me. If you haven’t seen it, you’ve got to. Thinking about a handful of its most-impactful scenes gives me chills, even nearly a year later.

Dark Matter didn’t come out in 2025 but I first watched it this year and adored it. The show is woefully underrated. As someone who loves the mysterious limits of physics and the universe, Dark Matter was a joy all the way through. Fans of Dark—one of my all time favorite shows—should not skip Dark Matter (the names are as similar as the shows are, making this incredibly confusing to read; sorry!).

Top Anime of 2025

My Hero Academia S8
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Apothecary Diaries S2
Sakamato Days

Frieren didn’t come out this year, but I watched most of it early in 2025. It was incredible and I’m stoked for the upcoming second season, but couldn’t quite take the top spot away from the glorious finale to My Hero Academia, which has become one of my favorite anime of all time. Plus Ultra!

Top Books of 2025

Dune
Valour
Pet Cemetary
Empire of Silence

I read Dune for the first time early this year, and even after having watched both of the recent films, it was a fantastic experience. I’m really not sure how Frank Herbert wrote the book when he did. It holds up today so much better than it has any right to.

During the time when I was embroiled in writing The Winds of War, Valour was a book that I kept close as both an escape and an inspiration. It cemented John Gwynne as one of my favorite fantasy authors and one of the big influences on my own work. While I didn’t enjoy this second book of The Faithful and the Fallen quite as much as the first, it was still a five-star read and I’m thrilled to dive into the next installment.

Then near the end of the year I read Empire of Silence, which is sort of like a distant spiritual successor to Dune. This one laid the foundations for a series that I expect will become one of my favorites once I’m through it. The fact that Christopher Ruocchio wrote the book when he was 22 is ridiculous. Apparently science fiction authors are absurdly smart!

Midwinter in Mexico

Towards the end of 2025 my parents invited us along with my two siblings to go on a vacation to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Mandy and I hadn’t gone on a vacation of this sort of over a decade, and as you know it had been an exhausting year, so we gratefully accepted.

And what a vacation it was. The weather there was hot and humid but bearable in midwinter (not sure how some folks go there during the summer!), the food was so good that I ate way too much, and the wildlife and scenery was lovely. Going from the completely frozen prairies of Canada to Mexico and soaking up sunshine and warmth for five days was so good for the soul.

One of the best moments of this trip came near the very end, when we got to join a group of conservationists in releasing baby sea turtles on their first journeys into the ocean. It was a beautiful and sobering experience. The baby turtles were adorable, but the reality was that only 3% of them would survive the dangers of the sea—and that was up from the 1% chance they would have had if not for us guiding them safely into the oceans, safe from the hawks soaring overhead. There was something profoundly moving in watching these helpless babies waddle into the immense and treacherous pacific ocean, hoping against hope to survive.

One Last Surprise

2025 held one last surprise till the very end, and man was it a special one: I won an Indie Fantasy Fund grant!

The awesome folks who manage the Indie Fantasy Fund contacted me on Christmas day to let me know. I’m so grateful to them for making this fund happen, and to all the donors who make the awards possible. Thank you all so much.

The money awarded through this fund will be going straight into producing an audiobook for The Winds of War—something I know many of you have been wanting. To know without a doubt that the audiobook will be happening was a picture-perfect way to cap off an incredible launch year.

A Year to Remember

If you’ve made it this far, surviving the ridiculous amount of yapping I’ve done in this post, then I salute you. Thanks so much for taking the time to read all this and for being a part of my journey.

For the adventures I went on, the book and career I launched, the games and books and films I enjoyed, and everything in between, 2025 was a special year. It was one of the best years of my life despite its difficulties. It was a year I will always remember fondly and proudly.

I’ve got plenty of stuff coming in 2026, but I’ll save that for later. Be sure to join my mailing list to receive the earliest updates on what’s to come!

For now, to close out this year in review, it’s time. I’ve saved the best for last.