He's been saying that the 2nd Cinder Spire book is after Peace Talks for at least a couple years now, at least in a vague way, so while they might not be happy it shouldn't be a surprise.
From his
upcoming works page:
Quote:
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Now that Peace Talks is finished, Jim will start writing The Olympian Affair (#2) soon.
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Prior to that, since before February 2016, it was:
Quote:
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Jim will start writing The Olympian Affair (#2) when he finishes Peace Talks.
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So anyone caught by surprise just hasn't been paying attention.