“What about the Irtyshenan Empire?” Alex had asked Professor Jules. “You said they still bind elementals to use in golems?”
Professor Jules had sighed. “In a sense…their wizards devised a means to effectively destroy an elemental’s mind upon its binding, like if one had simply injected acid through the skull and into the brain. With the mind destroyed, the elemental spirit is still there to power the golem, but it has no mind to resist, or actually mo...
2023-10-11 20:08:37 +0000 UTC
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Flocks of birds startled, scattering to the four winds as four figures materialised in the sky beside them.
A hulking wizard was first to appear.
He was soon followed by a lean huntress beside a fearsome cerberus, as big as a workhorse and sheathed in bone armour.
A four-armed iron golem wielding a massive war-spear towered over the trio.
They floated in mid-air—held aloft by flight magic—in a blue cloudless sky, with the sun high above them.
And below…?
2023-10-10 22:38:03 +0000 UTC
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Hey hey everybody!
We're back with book 5! Absolutely wild, ain't it? Like over a year since book 1 launched and folks are already on book 5 with the polished amazon version. As always, thank you for supporting me on the way here. I could not be here without you :)
As it has been in the past, I could use a little bit of help.
If you have kindle unlimited, then a download of the e-book would help me out quite a bit. Amazon...
2023-10-09 16:12:41 +0000 UTC
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Several weeks had passed since the king of Thameland had pardoned the Fool. Several weeks had passed since Alex Roth was freed from the threat of chains, Thameish priests, and kings.
But he hadn’t spent that time resting, contemplating, or celebrating.
He’d spent it training.
By day, he’d attended class and studied with Professor Mangal in her tower, preparing for his first relational contract summoning. By night, his time was spent teleporting across the Prinean...
2023-10-07 19:54:23 +0000 UTC
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“Father, what does ‘harmony’ mean?” Prince Athelstan asked.
“Harmony is the music of civilization,” his father said. “It is the melody that binds mortals together under divine law and social contract.”
It had been a cold winter night some decades ago.
Athelstan had been in his bedroom.
He remembered the fire crackling in his hearth.
Its flickering light. The crack of burning wood. Its smell.
Even after all these years, that memory was as cle...
2023-10-06 20:03:36 +0000 UTC
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“Under the Regulations of the University of Generasi, all students of the school will have the freedom to attend—as long as they are of sound mind, pay tuition and follow both university regulations and Generasian law—until such time as they graduate or withdraw under their own will. Your god is not a Generasian authority, and therefore your forcible removal of a student from their studies not only breaks university regulation—”
Hobb took a step toward the High Priest.
T...
2023-10-05 21:51:12 +0000 UTC
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‘The Heroes are with the king.’
Prince Khalik’s words stunned the group waiting at Rockmoot, stopping all conversation for a time.
‘What?’ Alex wondered. ‘No one said they’d be here. They weren’t even mentioned.’
“Are you sure it’s them?” Theresa looked at Khalik sharply before turning back to their surroundings. “I don’t see anything.”
“Najyah is sure,” Khalik said grimly. “Drestra, Cedric, Hart and Merzhin all ride at the king’s ...
2023-10-04 22:02:21 +0000 UTC
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“It’s way too early for this,” Thundar grumbled, flying effortlessly through the early morning sky over Thameland. “Way too early.”
“The earlier the better,” Prince Khalik replied, Najyah was beside him. “The sooner this comes to an end, the sooner I shall be able to breathe easier.”
“You and me both, brother,” Alex said. “You and me both.”
Morning had found the delegation from Generasi leaving their castle in Greymoor as the sun barely crested the ...
2023-10-03 23:32:04 +0000 UTC
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“Well, we won,” Theresa smiled, taking Alex by the hand.
“I guess…so,” he said, squeezing her hand in his. “I guess we actually won.”
The huntress and wizard stood together, looking through a window in the ruling council’s dining hall.
The twelve wizards had already departed, after finishing their extended lunch, they’d returned to their duties.
They’d left the Roth family and Professor Jules behind.
“Unfortunately, we’re short on time, bu...
2023-09-30 20:06:14 +0000 UTC
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Alex fought the panic rising in his chest.
His face remained a mask of calm, but dread stalked through every fibre of his being.
The council had asked no questions.
Not one.
He’d had no opportunity to defend himself, explain his position, or even try to bargain.
They were ready to decide his fate, and from the way they were acting, it was clear which direction they were leaning toward. In desperation, he prayed to the Traveller, watching each member of th...
2023-09-29 23:18:08 +0000 UTC
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The council of wizards looked down from their floating thrones, considering the young wizard with eyes that held deep wisdom and great power.
Meeting those eyes wasn’t quite as intimidating as holding Baelin’s gaze— especially if you didn’t know him—but it was uncomfortably close.
The Fool of Thameland tried reading their body language, looking for clues on how they felt toward him.
He called on the Mark, watching them closely, and…
…got little in return....
2023-09-28 22:01:50 +0000 UTC
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Alex already felt like a criminal.
The army of wizard-warriors’ eyes were fixed on them as the young wizard and his companions stepped from the floating disk. Alex could almost feel suspicion emanating from them as their eyes followed him.
The two iron golems watched Claygon and Theresa, titanic iron fists clenching and unclenching in preparation to protect the wizard-council.
Around them, enough wizard-warriors to stop an army of demons, stood at the ready.
2023-09-27 19:58:51 +0000 UTC
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Relief ran through the breakfast crowd as they watched the backs of the annoying Uldarites go through the bakery door. Customers could finally relax, and they did; some were laughing, some murmuring to one another, others were busy thanking Troy, Alex and the mutton-chopped patron for pushing the irritants to use the door. Some made a point of offering the young wizard their sympathies, while others wanted to know all about ‘this Fool business’.
Alex answered, satisfying the crowd...
2023-09-26 20:52:43 +0000 UTC
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“Erm, I’m not being flippant, it’s just—” He gestured to the customers standing in line. “—these people are buying breakfast before they have to get to work; a lot of them don’t have extra time, so I was simply thinking that we could stop interrupting their morning.”
There.
A reminder that many of his customers were on their way to work, and didn’t have time to waste on religious zealots taking up their morning, making them late for work, or having to leave wit...
2023-09-23 21:28:46 +0000 UTC
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Alex Roth had been in his bakery’s kitchen since well before sunrise, preparing for the day. Truthfully, he wasn’t needed, there was no emergency and Troy and the rest of his staff were more than capable, but this morning, he’d been glad to be busy. He’d made it a point to hire staff who were creative, eager and willing to learn.
He was no McHarris, who used to simply grab any enthusiastic, job seeking, desperate, young person who came through his door, then crush them wit...
2023-09-22 21:34:42 +0000 UTC
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“We’re in your debt!” Fan-Dor leaned across the table in the portside taproom as a tall hearth cast flickering light across the selechar’s face. The ship’s captain slid a foaming tankard of ale to Alex. “Three cheers, for Alex Roth! The best wizard that ever set foot on the Red Siren!”
A roar of approval erupted from a grateful crew now filling the taproom to bursting.
“Uh,” Alex muttered. “Thanks!”
“‘Uh, thanks’, he says?” Gel-Dor laug...
2023-09-21 22:29:50 +0000 UTC
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Alex didn’t know which was the bigger shock; finding Gel-Dor in the middle of a storm at sea, or seeing the crewman wash overboard. Whichever it was, the lost sailor took priority.
“One of your crew fell overboard!” he shouted, immediately feeling stupid.
‘Of course he knows that, you fool!’ he thought. ‘Why else would he be half- way over the side?’
“I sent him some help!” he shouted again. “But I don’t know how fast it’ll find him!”
Gel-Dor ...
2023-09-20 20:18:43 +0000 UTC
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“Speaking of friends,” Thundar said. “What about the Heroes? Do they know what’s happening? I think they’d have something to say about all this.”
“Professor Jules sent Tyris to tell them,” Alex said. “But they haven’t answered her yet. I’m wondering how they’ll react.”
“I can tell you that Cedric will be very unimpressed,” Isolde said.
“Drestra even less impressed,” Thundar said.
“But what will they do?” Alex said. “A message lik...
2023-09-19 19:01:54 +0000 UTC
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Alex’s question for Isolde didn’t come easy. In a way, he’d never wanted to ask it, too frightened of what her answer might be. It was a question he’d even avoided asking himself for the longest time, but eventually he had, finding peace with himself. The attack on Patrizia DePaolo’s ball—which felt like a lifetime ago—was what he’d wrestled with, wondering if he was to blame. He knew for certain that the attack never would have happened if he hadn’t left Thameland’s shore...
2023-09-16 23:43:18 +0000 UTC
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Prince Khalik Behr-Medr’s villa suited him perfectly.
Peeking from behind a stone wall was an older grey building situated near the southern wall, standing at the end of a quiet boulevard on a hill, offering its occupant a fine view of much of the district. A copper roof—long turned green—capped rough walls thick with ivy.
Alex stepped through the open gate and was greeted by gardens abundant with shrubs, grapevines, fruit trees, patches of fragrant herbs, and flowers. A mag...
2023-09-15 21:05:06 +0000 UTC
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“In turn, I have a question for you,” Professor Jules said, stepping away from Alex and meeting his eyes. “Could you answer mine first?”
“Of course,” Alex agreed readily.
“Have you taken leave of what little sense you have left?” she shouted, startling him. “I swear that old goat has completely ruined your mind, Mr. Roth! In all the long and miserable history of terrible ideas, this is quite possibly one of the worst I’ve ever heard—and trust me—th...
2023-09-14 18:51:57 +0000 UTC
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Alex had to be meticulous, checking a diagram for the summoning circle he was drawing.
It had to be perfect.
The afternoon had found the young wizard in his laboratory, bent over his desk, sketching a magical circle for a new fifth-tier spell…
…Summon Planar Ally, the very first relational contract summoning spell he would ever cast. And he was almost ready to cast it. Professor Mangal had worked with him, helping him prepare for this next—very important step...
2023-09-13 20:07:23 +0000 UTC
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“You spoke of your soldiers being avenged.” Professor Vernia Jules advanced on Sir Sean Swift. “You said that we destroyed the monsters who’d killed them. Well, would you care to know how that came to be? It was because of—”
Her finger formed quotation marks.
“—that ‘fool’ you people keep referring to—like he was the vilest, lowest form of life ever born. It was Alex Roth who did that. He worked with me to organise a strikeforce to find Carey London....
2023-09-12 21:41:14 +0000 UTC
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‘Mother Charity’.
The irony of the name made Professor Jules sick to the core.
It implied goodwill, mercy, and other kindly virtues; virtues attached to compassionate deities, mortals, and rulers. Did this Mother Charity represent any of those qualities, or did she represent a monstrous god who gladly sent children to fight monsters of his own making?
Professor Jules wanted to show Lord Reginalrd—and every other member of this delegation—exactly wha...
2023-09-09 21:28:50 +0000 UTC
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There were only four times in the life of Professor Vernia Jules that she’d wished she was more like Chancellor Baelin.
For the most part, she found the barbaric and likely insane—by modern standards—colleague fascinating, highly intelligent, and filled with an abundance of wisdom.
But, he was also a monster.
His casual disregard for the safety of young wizards, and his alien view on justice often unnerved her, and she also found his warmongering and t...
2023-09-08 23:00:57 +0000 UTC
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One instant Alexander Roth was hovering high above the sun-blasted wasteland known as the Barrens of Kravernus.
The next, he was gone, appearing in clear skies high above sun-kissed waves rolling along the Prinean sea.
“Holy hells,” he whispered. “That was far. I think I’m nearly ready.”
In the months since Carey’s death, the Fool of Thameland kept practising, preparing for the Irtyshenan Empire.
Weeks earlier, he’d broken through to fifth, then ...
2023-09-08 00:12:53 +0000 UTC
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When stalking prey, maintaining proper distance was important.
If one followed too closely, they risked scaring it away. Deer would startle and flee. Squirrels would race up nearby trees. Foxes and rabbits would disappear in the brush.
And people?
People would ask awkward questions or throw around accusations.
But if one followed at too big a distance?
They risked losing their prey, whether they were in Coille forest, or the metropolis that was Generasi.
On...
2023-09-06 23:15:52 +0000 UTC
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“Good morning, young miss.” A voice called. “Could you do something for an old lady and please tell her what this ‘Fool’ business is about?”
Theresa Lu froze, slowly turning around, squinting in the early morning sunlight. Brutus, who had been sniffing a barrel of fletching nearby—looked up, suddenly alert—one head watching the old woman, sensing his master’s distress through their blood link.
And Theresa was very distressed.
The h...
2023-09-05 16:53:57 +0000 UTC
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“So that is what I saw!” Mother Charity suddenly cried, half-rising from her seat. Surprising strength seemed to lay in her aged body, as her eyes shone with a sudden revelation. “Holy one—” She turned to High Priest Tobias. “—I was attending to my duties in my study earlier when my attention was called to the window. Outside, among the trees, a great fog bank that had covered the forest all evening suddenly began moving aside like it was being parted by som...
2023-09-02 21:28:20 +0000 UTC
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The church messenger rode through the night surrounded by an honour guard of Thameish soldiers. There was a fog that evening—as thick as a witch’s brew—and a full moon that cast the entire countryside in an eerie light.
Her heart pounded in her chest as gnarled branches reached from the fog, seeming like Ravener-spawn claws grasping for her throat. All she wished for was to return home and find safety by the fire.
But the message in her satchel was too important.
The F...
2023-09-01 20:16:25 +0000 UTC
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