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W.’s 2025 Year in Books

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W. Tod Newman

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

https://todnewman.com

Twitter

todn_1992

Genre

Historical Fiction, Fiction, Religion

Influences

cormac mccarthy, gabriel garcia-marquez, fyodor dostoyevsky, c.s. lewi ...more

Member Since

October 2022

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Tod Newman discovered his calling as a storyteller during his engineering studies at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where long watches at sea sparked an imagination that would eventually span from ancient prophets to imperial Rome. What began as tales inspired by maritime lore has evolved into something far more ambitious: novels that excavate the buried truths hidden beneath history's surface.

Drawing from influences as diverse as George MacDonald and the Inklings (Tolkien, Lewis, Williams) to the psychological depths of Russian masters, the stark beauty of Cormac McCarthy, the magical fiction of Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, and the agrarian wisdom of Wendell Berry, Tod crafts stories where powerful ideas emerge naturally from character and confl Tod Newman discovered his calling as a storyteller during his engineering studies at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where long watches at sea sparked an imagination that would eventually span from ancient prophets to imperial Rome. What began as tales inspired by maritime lore has evolved into something far more ambitious: novels that excavate the buried truths hidden beneath history's surface.

Drawing from influences as diverse as George MacDonald and the Inklings (Tolkien, Lewis, Williams) to the psychological depths of Russian masters, the stark beauty of Cormac McCarthy, the magical fiction of Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, and the agrarian wisdom of Wendell Berry, Tod crafts stories where powerful ideas emerge naturally from character and conflict rather than heavy-handed allegory.

His fascination with forgotten figures from biblical history ignited in 2021 when he became captivated by Gehazi—the tragic manservant of the prophet Elisha whose greed cost him everything. "The Eyes of Gehazi" (2022) marked Tod's deep dive into the humanity behind ancient texts, asking what lessons these flawed, suffering souls might teach our modern world.
This exploration led him to another broken prophet: Jeremiah, whose desperate struggle against his own people's worship of foreign goddesses became "The Prophet and the Queen" (2024). But Tod's most ambitious project was already taking shape—a series that would blend meticulous historical research with the kind of spiritual gifts that early Christian writings describe as commonplace.

The Halls of the Shadow King series represents the culmination of years spent in third-century Rome, walking the marble halls where emperors plotted persecution and following the hidden networks that kept faith alive in history's darkest hours. Here, Tod's signature magical realism finds its perfect setting: a world where the divine still intervenes through ordinary people called to extraordinary purpose.

When he's not researching ancient trade routes or imagining conversations between emperors and mystics, Tod can be found exploring questions that have haunted humanity since stories began: What if our most cherished myths contain echoes of forgotten realities? What if the miraculous wasn't miraculous at all, but simply the natural state of a world where heaven and earth touched more freely?

The answers, he believes, are buried in stories waiting to be told.

Discover Tod's latest projects and upcoming releases and get on the mailing list at todnewman dot com ...more

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W. Tod Newman’s books

Average rating: 4.67 · 18 ratings · 9 reviews · 12 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Unknown Prophet 4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Returning Excalibur: A Story from the World of The Halls of the Shadow King 4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Prophet and the Queen it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Halls of the Shadow King: The Apprentice it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Halls of the Shadow King: Into Deeper Waters it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Halls of the Shadow King: The Hidden Order it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Halls of the Shadow King: Britannia Calls it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pirate Sam: A World Reborn 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2015 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Story of Two Songs by W. Tod Newman (Goodreads Author), Hannah Newman 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pirate Hannah, Queen of the Seas (The Pirate Trilogy Book 2) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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W. Tod Newman's Blog

The War They Forgot to Put in the History Books

Most Arizonans know the name Tombstone. The O.K. Corral. Wyatt Earp. The gunfight that lasted thirty seconds and generated movies and a hundred years of mythology.

Fewer know about Pleasant Valley.

In the summer of 1887, a feud erupted in the Tonto Basin between two ranching families — the Tewksburys and the Grahams — that would kill somewhere between thirty and fifty men over the next five years, w

W. is Currently Reading

W. Newman is currently reading

Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre

by Brett L. Markham

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Feb 08, 2026 07:38PM

W. Newman is currently reading

The Anatomy of Sports Injuries: Your Illustrated Guide to Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment

by Brad Walker

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Apr 20, 2025 10:22PM

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W.’s Recent Updates

W. Newman is now following G.F. Allen Author of A Kingsguard Tale: Road to Celestia
Jun 07, 2026 02:59PM · like
W. Newman is now following Russell Carroll Author of Relentless Blades (The Prophecies of Zarune, #1)
Jun 07, 2026 02:59PM · like
W. Newman is now following Jessica Barberi Author of Fire From Ashes
Jun 07, 2026 02:58PM · like
W. Newman rated a book it was amazing Returning Excalibur: A Story from the World of The Halls of the Shadow King by W. Tod Newman (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 07, 2026 08:58AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Returning Excalibur by W. Tod Newman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Returning Excalibur by W. Tod Newman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
W. Newman rated a book it was amazing Nothing Ever Happens on Main Street by Daren Hatfield (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Yet another wonderful read by the masterful Mr. Hatfield! It is true that nothing every happens on Main Street, but there's a very good reason for this! Hatfield's novel follows the eccentric assistant to a deceased inventor, a young man with lots of c ...more
Jun 06, 2026 08:03PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Nothing Ever Happens on Main Street by Daren Hatfield. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Nothing Ever Happens on Main Street by Daren Hatfield <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
W. Newman is currently reading Nothing Ever Happens on Main Street by Daren Hatfield (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 27, 2026 10:27PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Nothing Ever Happens on Main Street by Daren Hatfield. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Nothing Ever Happens on Main Street by Daren Hatfield <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
W. Newman made a comment in the group Historical Fictionistas — What Are You Reading? 2026 topic " I'm into Absalom, Absalom! when my brain is attentive and engaged. When it's tired then it's "Merlin" by Stephen Lawhead. ...more "
May 19, 2026 02:52PM
W. Newman made a comment in the group Historical Fictionistas — 2026 Introductions topic " L.C. wrote: "Hello, I'm L C Williams and I'm excited to have come across this group. I'm looking forward to sharing views and recommendations with tho ...more "
May 18, 2026 03:06PM
W. Newman made a comment in the group Historical Fictionistas — How did you get into writing Historical Fiction? topic " My first novel of historical fiction (The Eyes of Gehazi) happened because I read about this character named Gehazi who was the servant of one of the ...more "
May 16, 2026 08:10PM
W. Newman joined the group Historical Fictionistas
May 16, 2026 07:52PM · like

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W.’s Quotes

“Governments, if they endure, always tend increasingly toward aristocratic forms. No government in history has been known to evade this pattern. And as the aristocracy develops, government tends more and more to act exclusively in the interests of the ruling class - whether that class be hereditary royalty, oligarchs of financial empires, or entrenched bureaucracy.
- Politics as Repeat Phenomenon: Bene Gesserit Training Manual”
― Frank Herbert, Children of Dune

tags: government, philosophy

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