Magebane

by Stephen Aryan

Overview

Magic is the only weapon against the gods in the powerful final novel of this epic fantasy trilogy about battlemages and sorcerers in a world that fears their powers.

A plague rages in the streets of Perizzi. City guards rally to deal with riots while the young magicians of the Tower pool their healing powers to find a cure.
Elsewhere, new alliances are formed to stem the rising darkness strengthening a deity who feeds on pestilence and decay. Gods, Sorcerers and Battlemages must set aside the past and their vendettas to work together or risk unleashing greater suffering than they can possibly imagine...
For more from Stephen Aryan, check out:
The Age of DreadMagebornMagefallMagebane
Age of DarknessBattlemageBloodmageChaosmage

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316554855
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	08/06/2019
Series:	The Age of Dread , #3
Pages:	528
Sales rank:	328,079
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Stephen Aryan was born in 1977 and was raised by the sea in northeast England. A keen podcaster, lapsed gamer and budding archer, when not extolling the virtues of Babylon 5, he can be found drinking real ale and reading comics.


He lives in a village in Yorkshire with his partner and two cats.

Editorial Reviews

"A propulsive combination of thrills, mystery, and magic."—B&N's Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog on Mageborn

"[Stephen Aryan] enlivens his tale with abundant politics, intrigues, double-crossings, and plot twists to keep the pacing brisk and whet readers' appetites for future installments."—Publishers Weekly on Mageborn

"A vivid and rousing adventure with the kind of magic that punches you right in the face"—Jenn Williams on Battlemage

"This is epic fantasy for readers who appreciate extra helpings of carnage with their backstabbing."—Publishers Weekly on Battlemage

"Stephen Aryan puts the epic into Epic Fantasy. This is a ground-shaking debut, full of fiery promise"—Den Patrick, on Battlemage

From the Publisher

2019-08-19
Gods, mages, warriors, and sneaky politicians battle for the lives of mortals and the survival of magical knowledge in the final installment in the Age of Dread trilogy.

In previous volumes (Mageborn, 2017; Magefall, 2018), the assassin goddess Akosh stoked prejudice against those born with the ability to do magic, harnessing hatred and fear to gain new worshippers and increase her power. But her work has attracted a dangerous ally-turned-treacherous competitor, the older and far more dangerous Kai, a god who feasts on pestilence. Kai seeks to dominate on two fronts. In Zecorria, the ever suspicious Regent Choilan, who previously banned all magic, now plans to strengthen his political position by creating his own army of mages. Unfortunately, these young magic-wielding guards are ignorant of the full use of their powers, forcing Choilan to rely on the unsavory assistance of the mage Marran, who may have more magical skill but is also a secret devotee of Kai. Kai has also spread a particularly vicious plague in Perizzi, capital of Yerskania. Tammy, leader of the Guardians (an elite Yerskanian law enforcement agency), works to contain the plague even as former magic students Wren and Tianne lead a small group into the isolation zone in an attempt to cure it. Meanwhile, a group of strong mages aided by the warrior god Vargas and Danoph, who previously believed himself to be a human student mage but is actually the most recent incarnation of the Weaver, a god who sees into the past and all possible futures, must defeat Kai and undo the damage he and Akosh have caused. While drawing these storylines to an acceptably satisfactory conclusion, Aryan leaves matters open-ended enough to suggest that he still has tales to tell about these people and their world.

A reasonably, if not spectacularly, interesting exploration of the poisonous consequences of prejudice and the wider effects of small choices.

Kirkus Reviews