The City Without Saints vs La Ciudad Sin Santos

The idea of writing The City Without Saints started way back in 1998, during my exchange student year in Maryland, USA. I was surrounded by a new language and culture, and it made its way into my imagination. I began thinking about the story of an orphan boy and the challenges he would face. The conversations I imagined, the scenes I saw in my mind—those were in English. That’s how the first drafts came about, and they remained in English as I developed the world of Ascalon.

As the story evolved, it made sense that the island at the heart of this world would have English as its primary language—it’s the most universal language today, and it suited the global criminal empire I envisioned for the city.

But why release it in Spanish too?

Well, as I started sharing more about the book and talking publicly about it, I noticed a strong response from my community here in Ecuador. It felt like a natural thing to do.

Thanks to AI technology, translating and even rewriting the book in Spanish was much quicker than I expected. At first, I wasn’t sure if the Spanish version would capture the same feeling as the original, but once I finished the first chapter, it clicked. I felt the same sense of accomplishment I had when I finished the English draft, and I knew this was the right move.

So, on June 1st, both the English and Spanish editions of The City Without Saints will be available. It’s humbling to think that the story is finally ready to share with a wider audience, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the encouragement I’ve received from everyone who’s been a part of this journey.