Patch notes: the first early-access release

Hello, hello, hello! Light here: principal of the academy and, as of this morning, author of something called “patch notes,” which I have been assured is not a medical procedure. Let the record show that I volunteered. Let the record also show that nobody else was asked.

Here is everything that has arrived since early access opened. From now on, every release gets notes of its own. That’s a promise, and promises here are binding. I checked the paperwork. Twice.

Reading

• Display settings. Pick a theme (Night, Sepia or Paper), a text size, a line width and line spacing from the Aa Display button. They’re saved to your account and follow you from device to device. (Night is the correct choice. This is not legal advice.)
• It picks up where you left off. Your place in each chapter is saved as you read, and the contents page shows how far you’ve got in each one, and what’s up next.
• Take the book with you. The whole novel now comes as an EPUB, for Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books and most e-readers. You’re welcome to share it. The terms are inside. I didn’t write them, but I read them very supportively.

Listening

• A full-cast audiobook, starting with the first two chapters. Every character has a voice of their own, and each word lights up as it’s read. I don’t appear until later. I’ve made my peace with this. Mostly.
• Music that follows you. Start the soundtrack on the Music page, or with the ♪ button in any chapter, and it keeps playing as you wander the site. It never starts by itself, and it lowers its voice whenever the narration speaks. We’re very polite about sound here.

The Codex

• Who’s who at the academy: characters, places and elements, with portraits and the occasional voice. Entries appear as you finish chapters, so it never gets ahead of you. I’d tell you everything up front, of course. You only have to ask. Apparently that’s called “spoilers.”

One more thing, and then I’ll stop talking. (I won’t. But this part matters.)

Thank you for reading. Every page you turn here is one somebody made for you, and every one of you who opens the book makes the academy a little brighter. Truly. I would know.