The gripping conclusion to the saga that started with a desperate woman in a tower and the Dark Wizard who freed her…
The time has come…
With the hidden archives unlocked and their explosive secrets waiting to be deciphered, the Convocation teeters on the edge of chaos. Alise Elal, rescued from her evil father’s clutches by an unlikely hero, faces the ultimate test of her hard-won powers—if she and Cillian Harahel can fight their way to Convocation Center. There they will be joined by old friends and new in the final attempt to solve the riddle of the fall of House Phel.
Only in an insane world would a young wizard find herself battling monsters and automatons one day and returning to Convocation Academy to cram for finals the next. But this is the world Alise Phel lives in.
Like it or not, Alise must face the consequences of ditching out a second time and dealing with the crushing workload assigned to her as a punishment. Worse yet, succeeding at the Academy means Alise must learn to master her powerful and unusual magic—the same magic that caused her to accidentally murder her own mother.
But graduating is her only way to protect the family she has left—and perhaps save the Convocation itself.
Cillian Harahel is a wizard of the mind. An archivist. A disciplined thinker. Thus, he absolutely cannot be in love with Alise Phel. Apart from the fact that he is faculty and she’s a student—one destined for far more greatness than a lowly librarian like him—the provost has told him in no uncertain terms that Alise is off limits, which would be much more of a problem if Alise actually remembered he was alive.
Cillian has resigned himself to being Alise’s friend and mentor, but when she cuts off even that much contact, in the coldest way possible, he suspects that darker forces than either of them imagined are haunting her. Alise has made it clear she wants nothing to do with him, but how can he abandon her to the demons clawing at her, from her House’s enemies to the doubts plaguing her own heart?
Their love makes them stronger together… Unless the world rips them apart
Jadren El-Adrel knows he’s a mess. He’s a cobbled-together monster pretending to be a wizard, still unable to master the magic that makes him pretty much immortal and is useless for anything else. Though he’s tried to learn to work with his familiar, Seliah, he’s still terrified to discover what might happen if he gives himself full access to the depths of her powerful magic. Some questions should never be answered.
Seliah Phel got her happy ever after. Jadren loves her; they’re together in a safe and beautiful place; and they’re finally learning to work together as wizard and familiar. But even she must recognize that Jadren continues to stew in his black moods, brooding that only worsens when he receives a missive from home, his horrible family demanding the unthinkable: that they both return to House El-Adrel.
As the denizens of House Phel fight an increasingly pitched battle against the enemies determined to destroy them forever, Jadren and Selly fight their own war—against the past and to overcome their own failings. To become truly stronger together.
TWISTED MAGIC is done and coming tomorrow! Also, the ROGUE FAMILIAR audiobook is free on YouTube. I’m also talking gratitude for being alive and about my writing/publishing plans for the next year.
TWISTED MAGIC is finally (almost) here! Releasing on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, the book is available for preorder now – including in print!
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Their love makes them stronger together… Unless the world rips them apart
Jadren El-Adrel knows he’s a mess. He’s a cobbled-together monster pretending to be a wizard, still unable to master the magic that makes him pretty much immortal and is useless for anything else. Though he’s tried to learn to work with his familiar, Seliah, he’s still terrified to discover what might happen if he gives himself full access to the depths of her powerful magic. Some questions should never be answered.
Seliah Phel got her happy ever after. Jadren loves her; they’re together in a safe and beautiful place; and they’re finally learning to work together as wizard and familiar. But even she must recognize that Jadren continues to stew in his black moods, brooding that only worsens when he receives a missive from home, his horrible family demanding the unthinkable: that they both return to House El-Adrel.
As the denizens of House Phel fight an increasingly pitched battle against the enemies determined to destroy them forever, Jadren and Selly fight their own war—against the past and to overcome their own failings. To become truly stronger together.
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And yes, there will another trilogy in this world! I haven’t set dates yet, or even titled the trilogy, but I hope to have all three out in 2024. Stay tuned!
How to graciously answer that invidious question: “Have I heard of you?” Also, some lovely early feedback on ROGUE FAMILIAR – just released!!! – and how we don’t always know what we’re writing.
He left to save her from herself… But who will save him from her?
When Lady Seliah Phel wakes from a drugged sleep to find herself abandoned by her newly bonded wizard, she vows revenge—and to hunt him down. Tracking him through the familiar wilds of the marshlands of her home is the easy part; learning to use her nascent magical skills is something else entirely. So is facing the vast, uncaring society of the Convocation in a time of brewing war.
Jadren El-Adrel is not known for doing the right thing, but getting as far away from Seliah as possible before he drains her dry will be his one noble gesture. So what if she weeps a few tears. Better than her dying in his service—or enabling him to become the ravenous beast that crawls beneath his skin. Unfortunately, in his self-imposed exile, and without the power of his familiar, Jadren quickly runs afoul of the enemy.
As her vengeful quest for recapture becomes a rescue mission, Selly faces all she still doesn’t know about the greater world of wizards and familiars. And Jadren, once determined to walk his own path and stay far, far away from the idealistic fools of House Phel, finds himself aligning with them against the house of his birth. War is coming to the Convocation, which means a clever wizard should pick the side most likely to win.
If you preordered ROGUE FAMILIAR on the Zon, you will have gotten a notice that I’ve postponed the release to March 25. Alas! The good news is that I don’t think it will really be that long. I picked that date because it was the full 30 days out that Amazon allows me to postpone, just to give myself some breathing room. I expect I’ll be ready ahead of that date and will keep you all informed. Better to release ahead of that than push again! I know you all understand, which I greatly appreciate.
THE LONG NIGHT OF THE RADIANT STAR is out today! I’m burbling about that, controlled chaos, the importance of female friendships, and also story structure and applying screenwriting tricks to writing novels.
