Temporary Hiatus

Hi all,

I have decided to take a temporary break from my blog to focus more on my next novel, Rise of the Necromancer. The progress has become slower than I would like lately and I want to get back on track with Book 2 of The Magician Rebellion before resuming the blog.

In the meanwhile I am also working on a special multimedia promotion for my first novel, Rogue Magician. For now I am being a little hush-hush on what it will be exactly, but I think it will be something that people will enjoy.

With any luck I will have new reviews and stories back up on the blog within a month or so and hope to see you then.

Magician: Apprentice Review

            For my first book review, I chose a book that is three decades old (technically, it’s three decades since the original book, Magician, but that one is much harder to find now), but one that I discovered recently and have found it to be a very entertaining series. Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E Feist is the first volume in the four part Rift War Saga and is also the first book in a much larger overall series spanning more than thirty books and still growing.

            Magician: Apprentice focuses on Pug, a young orphan boy who becomes the apprentice to a master magician, but finds that he has little aptitude for the magical arts. Pug is the main character of the series, but he is surrounded by an interesting cast of characters including his best friend Tomas, Squire Roland, Prince Arutha, and Pug’s love interest, the headstrong Princess Carline. At first these characters appear as secondary characters to Pug’s adventures, but about halfway through there is a shift in the story as they face an invasion by the Tsurani, a noble race of off-worlders determined to take over the world and these secondary characters come to the forefront of the story. At first, I was miffed, because I wanted to get back to Pug’s story, but I begrudgingly grew to enjoy these other characters just as much.

            Up to this point, I have given you very little information beyond what you could get off of the back cover and that is intentional, because I don’t want to ruin any of the surprise or suspense in this well-crafted story for you. There is nothing I hate more than having an interesting story or plot twist ruined for me and I assume that you feel the same way.

Raymond E Feist develops an intricate world filled with elves, dwarves, magic and adventure. His writing style is a brilliant balance of description and action that immerses the reader the world of Midkemia while still driving the story along. In many ways it reminds me of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series and that is not a bad thing. However, one thing that I really enjoy about this book that is a departure from Tolkien’s middle-earth and something that I try to incorporate into my own writing is that although there is a conflict between the races of Midkemia and the Tsurani no one is inherently evil (except, perhaps, for the dark elves and goblins, but their intentions are never made clear). There are people who have their own agendas and are in opposition to the heroes, to be sure, but no one is inherently evil in that they just want to destroy the world. Even the Tsurani who want to take over the world have the best of intentions believing that their way of life is superior to Midkemia’s “savages.”

The one possible drawback is that if you read Magician: Apprentice, then you will need to read the follow-up Magician: Master as well to get the feeling of the complete story. Originally the two books were one book titled Magician and was a shortened combination of these two books. For this reason the first book just kind of ends, but the second book has a very satisfying conclusion. Of course, I usually prefer trilogies and series to stand alone titles, so this did not bother me at all.

Overall, I highly recommend Magician: Apprentice to anyone looking for an excellent fantasy read with a classic feel. The world of Midkemia is detailed and lends itself well to the engaging storyline. The characters are likeable and developed so that even the minor characters feel like they have a life beyond the limits of their place in the story.

We Are Pack

This story takes place in the same world as Rogue Magician, but occurs sixty years before the start of the book and on another continent. I won't tell you who the spotlight character is, but if you read my book, then it won't be hard to figure out.

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            It was a distant whine that tickled at the edge of the elf’s hearing. He was known among the inhabitants of the Red Tree Forest as their king and took his responsibility as their chief protector very seriously so that he felt compelled to personally investigate every disturbance in his realm. It was through this desire that the elf’s feet began to glide across the forest’s floor. His movements were swift, but light and precise so that hardly a blade of grass or errant leaf could attest to his passing as he rushed ever onward. The wind whipped past his ears as he traveled faster and faster until the trees became a red-brown blur around him.

            A blue bird with a long feathered tail squawked in protest at his passing when the King of the Red Trees came too close and blew it off course forcing the bird to land awkwardly in a bush or risk crashing into a tree. The King turned his attention to his winged subject to make sure it had come to no harm. Forgive me my passing, the King of the Red Trees pushed the thought at the little bird, but did not slow his pace so that if there was a response he did not hear it. 

            Then as suddenly as he started, the elf stopped running and for a moment his dark, flowing hair shot past his face as if it was still trying to continue on without him. The King of the Red Trees knew he still had a great distance left to travel, but now he recognized the sound for what it was and what it implied gave him a chill down to the bone. The King drew his bow and hurried once more redoubling his efforts. He now knew he was following the sound of a babe crying… and the snarling of beasts.

            The King shimmied up a hardy red tree without slowing his pace and began to leap from one branch to the next. His feet unerringly found the strongest limbs and best footing as befitted one born of the forest all in an effort to gain a vantage point over the forest’s predators that were quickly surrounding the youngling.

            A grey wolf growled hungrily as it pulled at the calf of a dead elf woman. From her dress, the King of the Red Trees knew her to be a member of one the city clans. The elf-sister must have traveled a fantastic distance before finally being run down, but this could not be the work of a lone wolf. Even a city elf could avoid a single wolf.

The King moved closer being mindful of the living shadows below him. A pack of wolves closed in all around the elf’s corpse. The King notched an arrow and took aim at the one worrying at the mother’s calf. The crying was much louder now that he was so close to the source. His superior ears were nearly deafened by the child’s wails. It was clear that the sound was coming from underneath the dead elf and the wolf was determined to reach the babe protected under its lifeless mother.

            Let her go, the King whispered to the wolf, and I will let you live.

            The grey wolf looked up at the King of the Red Trees, but did not let go of the leg he held tightly in his maw. This is no concern of yours, elf. What is done is done. It is the cycle of life that your kind values so much. Is it not? We have our kill and there is nothing you can do to change that.

            It was true. There was nothing he could do for the city elf…

            You misunderstand me, wolf. I do not seek to take your kill. I only want the youngling.

            The other wolves began skulking surreptitiously in the King’s direction. He was safe from them in the tree, but they could prevent him from reaching the babe if they truly wished it.

            Maybe we want the elf-cub too, the wolf snarled, We will eat to our satisfaction.

            Then be satisfied with the one that you have already killed! I will not allow the elf-babe to die as well! The King snapped.

            At that the grey wolf did finally drop the leg he had been holding so tightly. His gaze was malicious and for a brief moment the King knew dread, but he did not fear for himself.

            The wolf considered for a moment and then made an offer. A compromise, then? What if we agree not to kill the young one, elf? The wolf’s demeanor was harsh and threatening. The idea of compromising did not sit well with a creature used to getting what it wanted without the need for debate even if the compromise was its own device. What if we choose to make her one of us instead? She could be a wolfen roaming the forest among us. She could be Pack. In Pack she would find strength and safety. In Pack she would find a new family to replace the one lost this day. Would you deny her that? With that last thought, the King felt a sense of pride shine from the wolf.

            I would, the King of the Red Trees answered without a moment’s hesitation. He released an arrow and it flew at the wolf before the predator could react. The air split just above the beast’s head and the arrow bit into the wood of a nearby tree with a loud thwump. A warning shot.

            The wolf growled and his pack joined in so that the forest was alive with the angry sound drowning out the crying youngling. We are Pack, elf! That may mean little to you, but to us Pack is all that matters. You can kill me, but my Pack-brothers and Pack-sisters will hunt you down. You cannot end us all.

            Can’t I? The King whispered nothing more. Instead, he let that thought with all of its self-assurance and calm sink into the wolf’s mind as he made a show of readying another arrow and took aim once more.

            After a long silence the grey wolf relented. Take the loud one. She grates on my nerves anyway.

            The King of the Red Trees stored his bow and moved from tree to tree until he was above the dead elf-sister and her baying child. Then he leapt nimbly down from his perch into the midst of the wolves. He pulled his knife and stood defensively between their pack leader and his prize as he lifted the mother’s body to uncover the elf-babe who continued her weeping unabated.

            The wolf snapped at the King and kept him from grabbing the child. The Pack advanced on the King forcing him to either ignore the exposed youngling or drop his guard.

            Foolish elf, the wolf whispered coldly, You threaten our Pack and moments later jump into our waiting jaws. You are brave, elf, but we are many. We are Pack.

            Another wolf snapped at the King of the Red Trees. This time it came from his right, but the animal bit nothing but air when the elf twisted away from him and delivered a kick to its body pushing the second wolf away.

            The grey wolves inched closer prepared to pounce in an instant. The King of the Red Trees smiled knowingly.

            Wolf, you mistake me for a human. I understand what it means to be Pack. I know your strength. The King raised his empty hand to the trees and lowered it again in a swift chop. In response a rain of arrows from unseen hands fell down all around the wolves causing many to jump back, but none were harmed. I am Shatala, King of the Red Tree Clan. We are not so different. You are Pack and we are a clan. We are an assembly of warriors sworn to protect the Red Tree Forest, but we are a family as well. We take strength from one another and defend each other as brothers and sisters in arms. Using the pack leader’s own words against him, the King added, You can kill me, but my Clan-brothers and Clan-sisters will hunt you down. You cannot end us all.

            The wolf nodded reluctantly. You are Pack. After a few moments more of thought, he added, Shatala, King of the Red Tree Clan, take the elf-babe, but leave the meat for us and there will be no more bloodshed between our kinds, indicating the elf woman’s body.

            The King gave a short nod in return. Very well. I will take the youngling and leave you to your meal. In one fluid motion, he grabbed the babe and bounded into the tree taking his leave of the wolves. He held the child securely against him as he bounced between trees, but she felt safe in his arms and stopped her howling turning to coos instead.

After a time the King stopped to regard the child. He held her up and away from him to get a good look at the youngling. Her legs kicked with strength that was surprising for one so small and she swung her arms at her sides enthusiastically. She would make a strong protector of the forest in thirty or so years.

“Welcome, daughter of the Red Tree Clan.”

Redesigning My Book Cover

My fantasy novel, Rogue Magician, was released about a month ago and for the first three weeks it did consistently well, but in the last week it took a big slump. Normally I would not be worried about a one week slump, but I really want this book to do well and am unwilling to just sit on my laurels and let it take care of itself.
So I decided to look at possible ways to improve my sales and as I have been interacting with other authors I have been learning a great deal through their nuggets of wisdom. One of the things that I took away was that a professional looking book cover is very important.
When I designed my first book cover I thought it would be fun to make the book cover the same as Sane’s (one of the book’s most powerful sorcerers) grimoire in sort of a meta way. The original was a direct interpretation of this grimoire. The original cover was very simplistic which I enjoy in book covers, because it reminds me of the old adage, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”
However, there were some problems with the original cover. It may have been a little too simplistic. The title was in simple block letters and the stretching vines from the grimoire’s emblem ran through the title and my name. The text was in red, which is a complimentary color to green providing the best contrast, but it still could use some clarification.

Overall, I did enjoy my original cover and thought it stood out from most other books. So in the update I wanted to stay true to my original design and just tweak it somewhat. The first thing I did was remove the “root” lines and the emblem’s circle. The roots were too busy looking and tended to keep the eye from focusing on the main parts of the cover. The circle was just a little plain and I planned to replace it with a more intricate circle made to look like roots to keep the cover’s theme.
I updated the text with a cursive script. It seemed more old fashioned and fitting for a fantasy novel. I also changed the text from red to black since I planned to have the new root design go around the title and my name.
The new roots were made to look much more root-like and now framed the title and my name instead of doing their own thing. The circle was also redone in a variation of the larger roots and formed around the tree emblem.
After that I adjusted the color shades just a little and voila. The new design looks more professional, but still stands apart from most of the other fantasy covers that tend to have similar designs and themes. Hopefully, it stands out enough to generate enough interest to get people to download the preview and eventually the book itself.
SO what do you think? Did I make the right decision?

My Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Review

Well, after five years of not so patiently waiting for the next installment of the Elder Scrolls series the wait is finally over. Actually the wait was over about two months ago, but it took me that long to fully complete a playthrough so I could write a complete review.
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was my favorite fantasy based game of all time and I can happily say that Skyrim takes everything I enjoyed about that game and improves upon them. Even better it takes most of the problems with that game and fixes them as well.

The Good

The biggest drawback to Oblivion was that the leveling system was broken so that if you chose skills that you actually intended to use and leveled them naturally, then you would end up with a very weak character, very quickly. The new system allows you to play however you wish and allows you to allocate special skill points any way that you want as long as you meet that ability’s requirements. So now leveling your character is no longer something to be feared.
I have always been a fan of mages in fantasy role-playing games, so this is the class I usually take for my first playthrough. The brute force bludgeoning talents of the warrior or sneaky tactics of the thief can be tons of fun in their own right, but I like the versatility and late game power that the mage provides. Of course, in previous Elder Scrolls games it was important to have some fighting skills as well for all but the most dedicated players looking to use every exploit at their disposal. In Skyrim, this is no longer the case. It is completely possible and, more importantly, lots of fun to play as a mage or any other specialized character. I am now playing a magicless thief quite successfully.
This game is big. There are more quests in Skyrim than you can shake a stick (or magic staff) at so you can play for literally a hundred hours and not run out of new quests or areas to explore. There are also lots of interesting set pieces and random encounters that seem like something out of a fantasy novel like the time early in the game when I was walking through the mountains and got attacked by a dragon. At the time I was severely outclassed by a dragon and was forced to hide in a cave to escape fiery death. Upon exploring that cave I discovered it was the home of a vampire coven.

The Bad

Now here comes the bad part. There is one glaring problem that fans of Fallout 3 are very familiar with: glitches. Skyrim can be at times very glitchy. Sometimes quest items would remain in my inventory after I finished the quest and could not be removed. Other times the next objective on a quest would not activate.
Although I only had it freeze up entirely one time it was rampant with stuttering later in the game from too much action going on at once. It became particularly bad after I mastered conjuration and would summon two permanent creatures in the open world. It got to the point that I decided to stop using the summoned creatures in the cities or open world. In other games this would be enough to write it off as being too buggy, but Skyrim excels in so many other aspects of its design and was so large that I found myself forgiving these bugs.

The Decision (9 out of 10)

Overall, Skyrim is a great game and should be in the library of anyone who loves fantasy genre games or even good games in general. I give The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim a 9 out of 10. The only thing keeping it from earning a perfect score were the glitches. If you love fantasy and video games, then why are you reading this? You already bought Skyrim and if you somehow managed to not buy this game because you have pinned under a large boulder for the last two months, then go out and buy this game. Right now. It’s ok… I’ll wait right here until you get back. Why are you still reading this? Go!
Fine. Just click here.

Rogue Magician Chapter 1 Preview

Here is chapter 1 of Rogue Magician to whet your appetite. I wrote the first chapter in an attempt to grab readers right out of the gate as well as to give them a good idea of what to expect throughout the story. Going in, I knew this series was going to be violent and would not be for everyone. Basically, I think if you enjoy the first chapter, then you will enjoy the rest of Rogue Magician and if you don't enjoy it... Well, it's better to know that right away rather than a hundred or so pages in.

So without further ado...

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Chapter 1

 The ogre slammed its clenched fists into the front door of the Sleepy Crow causing the wood to groan and splinter with each consecutive blow. It was utter panic as people ran for cover amidst the loud, deep bellow of horns blowing from the walls deep within the city as they fled the beast. After a few minutes of withstanding the rampage the inn's door finally gave in to the pounding as it splintered and then burst littering the doorway with it broken and splintered remains.

One crafty barmaid scampered out of a window as the ogre tried to squeeze its way through the doorway. The ogre spotted her climbing out and before she was all the way through the monster had abandoned the door and snatched the barmaid off her feet. Lifting her up the ogre regarded his prize with some interest. Taking her in two hands, the ogre held her tightly so she could not wriggle free, and then it drew her in close. Its breath was hot on the woman's face and she could smell the rot and death coming from its grimaced maw.

She shook in fear, as the ogre smelled her. “Do not scream, Trisha, do not scream,” the barmaid whispered to herself over and over fearing what might happen if she upset the creature.

Then as if from nowhere her savior arrived in bright white armor that shined in the morning sun. Brandishing his war-hammer he strode toward the ogre like the great hero everyone knew he was.

“Face me, you overgrown gray cow!” Kellen yelled trying to goad the monster into releasing its breakfast and attacking him instead. The beast squeezed the life from Trisha and she screamed in agony as her ribs broke and she was tossed aside as if she was no more than an afterthought. The ogre charged the proud warrior and it was difficult to guess which of them was more enraged.

Even in full armor taking the brunt of the ogre's charge hurt the warrior knocking him off his feet and sending him sliding until he came to an abrupt stop against the Sleepy Crow's stable behind him. As much as Kellen was hurt the ogre felt the pain even more. The creature was either too angry or too dumb to notice that the knight-captain had lifted his war-hammer like a battering ram and braced himself just before the impact essentially using the ogre's own strength, weight, and speed to bury the hammer deep in its gut. Brought to its knees the ogre was on all fours gagging and heaving. If it had not just awoken from its hibernation with an empty belly it would have vomited there in the street.

Kellen got up and prepared to finish the ogre off with a bludgeon to the head, but he did not expect the beast to recover so quickly. Using its massive forearm the ogre blocked the knight's attack, but not without some cost as its arm made an audible snap and the beast snarled its outrage. Using its club in the other hand, the ogre hit Kellen in the side. He was caught completely off guard and sent flying into the wall of the nearby stable once more. Stunned and unable to fight back, Kellen received blow after blow denting and crushing the once glorious armor as blood dripped from between the plates in the chest piece.

Kellen managed to roll free of the ogre's assault if only just barely and delivered a kick to its broken forearm forcing the giant beast back. Somehow the brave warrior managed to struggle back to his feet through sheer will alone. His war-hammer was lost to him as the ogre now stood between the man and his weapon. Kellen knew he had to press what small advantage he had. Any hesitation would lead to his death at the hands of the mighty monster. Kellen threw his plated fists into the ogre's belly aggravating its earlier injury with a series of quick, but powerful jabs, which caused more aggravation to the beast rather than actual damage. More out of anger than a sense of self-preservation the ogre grabbed Kellen by the arms and attempted to pull them free from their sockets. The pain was excruciating, but Kellen learned long ago how to block out physical pain. He swung his right leg up catching the ogre in the crotch with his steel plated boot. The ogre howled and made a face that would have been almost comical if the situation was not so dire. It dropped its prey giving Kellen the chance he needed. This time it was Kellen who charged the ogre knocking it on its back and jumping on top of its chest. Having no weapon readily available Kellen dug his thumbs into the ogre's eyes. Its scream rattled the knight's eardrums and sent a shiver through his bones, but he forced himself to push even harder. The beast flailed like a fish trapped on a boat as it tried desperately to shake the knight loose. Kellen would not be bucked off and the ogre blindly grabbed at the knight-captain in an attempt to pull him off with no luck.

The battered knight punched the monster's face over and over again until his arms, still sore from nearly being ripped clean from his body minutes before, felt like wet noodles. No longer attempting to get up the ogre lied there. Its face was bloody and disfigured, but the beast still breathed. The once shining knight retrieved his hammer and marveled at how heavy it suddenly felt in his hands. Barely able to stand he stumbled back to the ogre after retrieving his weapon. Lifting the war-hammer for the last time in his life, Kellen delivered the killing blow.

Once Kellen was certain that the ogre would trouble his city no more he gave into his injuries. His trusted weapon fell useless at his side clattering on the stoned street. A second later his body collapsed as well. Kellen fell to his hands and knees before rolling over onto his back. The knight stared up at the sky realizing that he did not have long to live.

His vision was clouded with blood and every inch of his body throbbed in agony, but strangely the world seemed to be at peace. For thirty-seven years he served as a protector to Aurelia and now his time had passed. Perhaps it was time for a new generation, he mused.

Kellen smiled as he finally let go answering Kassani's song calling him to the underworld.

***

Sane woke with a start. Sweat covered his face and chest. It dripped on the soft linen sheets in tiny pools. His body shook in a mixture of fear and rage at the impending tragedy he just saw.

Several minutes passed before his wits returned enough for him to move. He walked to the window to feel the cool morning breeze. It was cold against his wet skin sending a shiver down his spine. The sun was just breaking past dawn and Sane became keenly aware that he had little time to act before his old friend would die, but there was more. Something else eluded him. After Kellen died Sane saw a young man though it appeared to be some time later. He grasped at the image, but could not bring it fully to the front of his mind. It was a maddening feeling and Sane was sure this boy was the key, but whether for good or for ill he could not say.

In his mind's eye he could see the city of Colum even though he was more than fifty miles away. The castle of Warlord Gustian Firebrand and the guardsman watchtower sat to the east atop a hill with the city built around it at its base. There was a wall erected around the area near the castle and watchtower, but most of the city sat outside the protection of the walls as the warlord deemed building a second larger ring an unnecessary expense. To the north was the market district filled with artisans of all manner of trades and goods. The majority of living quarters was located at the south side of the city which was further split into smaller groups by class with the wealthier citizens living closer to the center and extending outward to the poorest denizens on the outer edges of the city. The western region of the city was the center of trade with many inns for the traveling merchants. In the center was located the temple of Ashura, the goddess of nature and life. Her priests with their healing powers were the only ones in all of Aurelia that were permitted to openly use magic unattended, thought they called it the goddess’ blessing rather than run the risk of being labeled as magicians, fore they knew nothing of violence and had taken a vow to never harm another person.

The sun cast an orange glow on the capital below as Sane stood at his window in Farreach castle overlooking Mollifas. The city had not yet fully awakened. Some would no doubt be about their business already. The bakers prepared their morning bread and the smiths were lighting their forges already. There were surely some rogues about who were just now getting to bed after a long night of debauchery. However for the most part the city seemed quiet. He imagined that Colum must look much the same, as its citizens were blissfully unaware of the trouble heading their way.

Sane stepped away from the window. There was little time to spend lost in thought and the dream was already fading from his memory. Sane dressed himself in a finely made hooded green robe with a slightly darker green tree on the back. Its roots spreading across the rest of the fabric in deliberate swirls covering the rest of the material. It was similar to the robes worn by Ashura's priests as the sorcerer found it much easier to get around undetected dressed in the garb of a healer. He cinched a bark colored leather belt around the robe keeping it in place.

He grabbed his staff that looked to be made of intertwining wooden branches culminating into two large loops at the top. Normally he preferred another staff to the right of the one he chose with a steel blade on the bottom, but it had an enchantment placed on it that would make the staff appear as an intricately carved spear to any who could not see through the magic. However, the idea of a priest carrying around a spear tended to cause more questions than a magician in disguise would like asked.

The door slammed behind Sane as he hurried down the hallway connecting to the main castle.          A few minutes later the sorcerer was standing outside of King Kale's lavish bedchamber. He hoped that his lord would be awake already. Kale was considered to be a tough, but fair ruler. However, having been an adviser to the king for the better part of a decade Sane knew that waking him in the early morning tended to make him a little more tough than fair.

Two guards were stationed outside the king's bedchamber door. When they saw Sane approaching they immediately stiffened. “Greetings, Sir Sane,” said one of the guards.

Sane thought the guard's name was Dernen, but was not sure. “And to you, guardsman,” he said avoiding addressing the man by name, “Tell me is his Highness up and about? I need to speak with him urgently.”

As if in response the door swung open. A man in his early fifties stood in front of Sane dressed in a purple silk nightshirt. “Sane, what brings you to my bedchamber this morning?” asked King Kale. His voice sounded rough as usual, but not particularly angry and Sane felt a little lucky that the king was already up for the day.

“It is a matter of grave importance. Some information has come into my possession that we must discuss,” said Sane.

“Of course. Attend me,” the king said casually as he strode past Sane who could not help noticing that even dressed in his night clothes the king still moved with the grace and confidence befitting his stature. To the guards he added, “Keep a good distance so we can talk openly,” not bothering to look back.

Sane hurried to catch up to his liege as they put distance between themselves and the king's personal guard causing his green robe to swoosh back and forth as if the root design was alive burrowing through the earth.

“I take it you had another of your visions,” King Kale said as Sane caught up with him.

“Yes, your highness, although I must admit that my motives are personal in this case. I had a vision of my old friend Kellen, the knight-captain in Colum. He will be dead before midday if I do not intervene on his behalf...” The image of Kellen's broken body still fresh in his mind drove the seer to silence.

“I know Kellen is a very brave and skilled warrior, Sane,” the king put his hand on the sorcerer's shoulder sympathetically, “It is hard to imagine him being defeated. Is the foe magical in nature?”

“He will perish in single combat with an ogre,” answered Sane, “but there is a chance that magic is involved. Ogres do not usually attack cities without some sort of provocation. After Kellen has been saved I intend to investigate the matter further.

“By your leave of course, your majesty.”

“I suppose I can deal with the bickering in the high court on my own for one day without executing the lot of them,” joked the king hoping to lift his trusted adviser's spirits. Sane flashed a weak smile and King Kale added, “You have my leave. Go and aid the knight-captain.”

“Of course, my king... and thank you.” Sane bowed and left the king's side.

The sorcerer hurried to his study where he opened a small black trunk filled with dozens of round cuts of wood about an inch thick each and small enough to fit snuggly in the palm of a man's hand. On the front of each one was a unique symbol carved into it and on the back was carved the name of a city or place. Sane searched through piles of the wooden pieces flipping them over and reading the name of each one until he found one that said Baj. He squeezed it firmly in his fist.       

Reaching Kellen would be a simple task for the sorcerer. Colum was a day's travel by horseback, but Sane was not confined to such mundane means of travel. However, he feared that casting the spell could disrupt the vision. His visions were not always clear to begin with and like most dreams the details tended to fade in time, but using magic hastened the process and could make him forget the vision completely. Coming only in dream form they were often laden with symbolism and subconscious messages that would have to be sorted through for meaning. It was possible that Sane's vision of his dead friend had a non-literal interpretation, but he was certain that it was real. He could still see Kellen's body lying beaten and bloody staining his once bright and shining armor.

Enough. There was no other choice. The only way Sane could make it to Colum in time was through magical means. It would do him no good to know that Kellen faced death if he could do nothing to prevent it. Forgetting the vision was a risk that he would have to take. 

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To read more of Rogue Magician, download the ebook at:

Rogue Magician

My new novel, Rogue Magician, was released on Kindle over the holiday break. Be sure to check it out and if you don't have a kindle, you can still read it on your PC, iPad, or other device with a free Kindle application. For Nook users, it is being reformatted for proper viewing on the Nook and should be available later this week.

For those of you interested in reading more stories of Aurelia, new content prior to and during the events in Rogue Magician will be released once per month. You can follow me on Twitter @CurtisCornett for updates and my odd musings.