In 2024, SXP signed author Thomas Bubb to publish his Substack-serialized middle-grade fantasy novel, The Kefi. Since then, we’ve worked hard to bring this larger-than-life story about miniature heroes to print. The wait is almost over, with a worldwide release date of October 27th. You can pre-order your copy today!
Book Summary
That faint glimmer of light, that fleeting movement at the edge of your vision, that whisper you thought you heard? It’s not your imagination. It’s the kefi, a tiny race that lives just out of sight.
Grig Solly, a young kefi eager to prove himself, runs away from home to find the village’s stolen relic. Except that Grig has never been outside the village alone, and he learns that the world is a vast and scary place.
Beau Stevens, a Texas boy with an active imagination, saves Grig from his deadly pursuers. Their worlds-big and small-collide, shattering everything they thought they knew. Legend says their bond should not be possible. Will he uncover the truth behind their mysterious connection?
Faslo Solly, Grig’s older brother, has one mission: bring Grig home. He rallies together a team of adventurers, each with a skill to aid their search. But something dangerous awaits them in the Deep Woods, something that threatens more than the kefi and their village.
Join Grig, Beau, and Faslo on their heartwarming, action-packed journey as they learn that friendship comes in many sizes, and overcoming the impossible can only be achieved by first believing in themselves.
The Kefi is a middle-grade fantasy adventure story that explores a grand world in miniature. Prepare to meet an unforgettable cast of characters you’ll be rooting for to the very end. Includes original cover art and internal illustrations by Stephen Stone.
Publisher’s Note
The main human character, Beau, is an aspiring fiction author, and part of the plot follows him as he struggles to write a school English paper based on a real-world observation. When the kefi stumble into his life, Beau finally knows what to write about, but because of his overactive imagination, will anyone believe him?
We thought it’d be fun and meta to have the book replicate that exploratory writing experience in as many ways as possible, so there’s scrap-paper aesthetics, keywords and definitions written in the margins, and even a hand-drawn map in the front that all lend to the spirit of creativity our protagonist embodies.
Earlier this year, alpha readers from our community checked out an early draft of the novel. Their feedback was crucial to the final version. So, thank you for your invaluable contributions: TF Gray, Matthew Christian, Lori, Clint, and Grady!
J. M. Elliott, author of The Steppe Saga, edited and formatted The Kefi for print. I highly recommend working with her on your next project. She provided vital quality assurance to the project and enabled the vision we’d hoped for.
UK-based artist Stephen Stone designed and illustrated the full cover, dust jacket flaps, map, chapter headings, and interior illustrations. His work brings the kefi to life, and his style embodies the spirit of the world even better than I could have imagined.
Thomas Bubb is a fantastically creative talent who has crafted a unique world to get lost in. His ability to cultivate whimsy and adventure is one to be admired. I’m so grateful for his trust in me as his publisher, and I’m honored to share this journey with him on the road to first-time print publication.
It’s been years in the making, and we can’t wait for you to experience The Kefi in print. Stay tuned for more information and announcements. Pre-order the hardcover release of The Kefi today on Bookshop.org to support local bookstores or an independent bookstore of your choice. Thank you!
Meet the Author
What does a day in the life of Thomas Bubb look like?
Not slow or dull, but also not glamorous. I have small children, so I do a lot of wrangling and cat herding, but wouldn’t trade it for anything! I work in education, helping students, and get a lot of joy and some struggle doing this on weekdays as my day job.
I’m also happily married, so I care for my wife first and then the whole family (not perfectly, not terribly). Before, behind, and in between these things, heroes, humor, and adventures come to me as they will. I do my best to find ways to save them and share the best ones with the world.
What compelled you to write this story?
Some time ago, I was driving home after picking up one of my kids. I got stuck in heavy traffic and was inching closer and closer to my house. At one point, I stopped and looked to my right. I was right beside a grassy alleyway between houses. All of a sudden, I imagined little people running across this (to them) giant space on some sort of quest or hunt. This was where the first efi was born, and everything else flowed from that traffic jam.
Which character from The Kefi would you want to hang out with IRL?
That’s a little tricky because I like all of these characters, but if I could hang out with only one, I would pick Grig. He’s fearless and funny. We’d wander, get in some trouble, and have an adventure together. Things are never boring with Grig Solly.
What’s the wildest creature or magical gadget in The Kefi that you wish existed in real life, and why?
There would be a pretty steep learning curve, but I really wish I had a giant Hercules beetle to ride and fly on!
What books inspired you as a kid to want to write an adventure like The Kefi?
In my opinion, all fantasy quest fans owe everything to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. That said, a big moment for me was discovering the Redwall series by the late, great Brian Jacques. Some other super influential ones are The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander and, more recently, the Green Ember series by S.D. Smith. I could keep going, but those are some of the big ones for me!
What’s your favorite scene in the book, and what inspired it?
When Oxter discovers Cuddles, the Hercules beetle, in the giant trash pile. I'm not sure exactly what inspired it; I just like the idea of a character stumbling upon something by chance that then becomes a crucial part of who they are.
My second choice is the night battle with the badgers. It’s a big dramatic set piece with a lot of action and moving parts. Again, not sure what inspired it, although I wanted to make my own scene where sudden danger brings out the best in a team.
What’s the trickiest thing about building a fantasy world that middle-grade readers will believe in and love?
For me, the hardest part was resisting the urge to compare my work and my world with the amazing ones that have already been written. I almost didn't start because of this. Once I overcame this, it became easier to get started, and I’ve had a lot of fun trying new things and growing as an author since then.
If your villain invited you over for tea, would you go, and what would you ask to figure out their evil plan?
If the villain in The Kefi invited me over for tea, I wouldn’t trust him for a second, and I wouldn’t want to go alone. However, if I could bring backup, I would have a friend keep an eye on him (including his hands) while I got him to boast about his plans without realizing it. Not confident that would work, though, so I’d have an escape plan.
What’s one thing from The Kefi that you hope sticks with your readers long after they close the book?
I hope they learn not to be afraid to take chances, have adventures, make mistakes, and get into challenging situations. I also want them to learn that it’s better to do these kinds of things with friends and family. Always have a backup plan and help others along the way!
