Hello!

The results of the poll I ran in my last newsletter produced some unexpected results. 33% of the respondents prefer audiobooks to ebooks and paperbacks. This was an eyeopener for me. But it made me realise that I need to add another section to the book recommendations at the bottom of the post: so from now on, I’m adding a section for Audiobooks to the list. One of my readers also kindly pointed out that my audiobooks can be read for free with an Audible Plus subscription. Thank you, Susan, for that reminder . Hope you all find your next exciting read from the selection below.

Now on to this week’s fantasy creature…

W is for Warlock

Few magic users carry the same characteristics of danger and mystique as the warlock. Often driven by ambition, warlocks are male wielders of powerful, often forbidden, magic. Unlike traditional wizards who gain their abilities through scholarly study, warlocks are typically portrayed as gaining their powers through pacts with powerful beings, such as spirits, demons, the fey, or ancient gods. This pact grants them access to devastating spells, knowledge beyond mortal understanding, and sometimes strange transformations.

In many fantasy settings, warlocks are bound to the terms of their agreement with their patron, which may involve performing dark deeds, protecting certain secrets, or spreading chaos and fear. The nature of the pact also shapes the warlock’s abilities, personality, and fate.

In fantasy, warlocks are frequently anti-heroes—as incredible power carries the risk of corruption. Some use their magic to exact revenge or control others. A few struggle to break their bonds or use their powers for good, despite its origin.

Warlocks often play the role of shadowy advisors, cursed wanderers, or lone figures misunderstood by the world around them.

The warlock symbolises a number of powerful ideas in fantasy:

The pursuit of forbidden knowledge – Warlocks embody the allure and danger of seeking power beyond one’s limits.Moral ambiguity – Their reliance on external forces often places them in grey areas of ethics and loyalty.The burden of choice – They remind us that all power has a price, and every pact is a gamble with fate.

Defined by ambition, shaped by their patrons, and walking a fine line between power and peril, warlocks enhance fantasy tales. Their character ensure a story which is full of tension, purpose, and danger. Whether feared, pitied, or revered, the warlock’s journey poses the eternal question: is power worth the price?

References: https://www.morethancharmsgifts.com/collections/warlock; https://monster.fandom.com/wiki/Warlock  

Books You Might Like

For lovers of all things fantasy… FREE BOOKS

HUMANITY’S LAST HOPE…

An Elliot Adams Adventure

The clock is ticking to stop a second asteroid from striking Earth, and Elliot Adams is humanity’s only chance. But saving his home world will push him and his friends to their limits as they return to a planet torn apart by devastation. Beneath the ruins, salvation may lie—if they can survive long enough to find it. Earth, however, isn’t the only battleground. On Lunar, strange occurrences threaten the fragile peace, and the Telvanni’s thirst for vengeance burns brighter than ever. With deadly secrets uncovered and enemies closer than they appear, Elliot must face the terrifying truth: death is just the beginning.

Packed with pulse-pounding action, high-stakes intrigue, and a race against time, The Aftermath: Terra is a thrilling sci-fi epic where survival demands more than courage—it demands sacrifice.

And Free through KU…

And Audiobooks!

Some self-promo!

The Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy: (Dawn of Purple and Grey, Days of Wind and Snow, Night of Rites and Wraiths)

When sixteen-year-old Shael helps a mortally wounded messenger, he entrusts her with delivering to the queen three magical statuettes stolen from the Hyllethans, her country’s feared enemies. But Shael accidentally cuts her fingers while handling the statuettes and magic links her to them—any breakage or pressure on the clay is felt on her flesh. Shael’s fate is now inexorably tied to the Hyllethans, the statuettes, and the political turmoil in the land.

Fire Dance

In the sacred temple of Basica, Maia is about to achieve everything she has worked for: becoming a Sentinel, one of the Goddess’s elite protectors. But she harbours a dangerous secret—fire bends to her will, a power that would see her condemned as demon-born if discovered. Worse still, the flames carry echoes of memories that are not her own, whispering of a past she cannot remember and a destiny she never chose.

When an Imperial envoy arrives for the Summer Solstice ceremony, he claims to know who she is and what she is capable of, threatening to unravel everything Maia has built. His knowledge could shatter her future—or unlock a destiny greater than she ever imagined.

Torn between the lure of safety and power within the temple and the dangerous truths hidden in her past, Maia must decide: will she cling to the life she has fought for, or risk everything to uncover the truth? And when the boy who has always stood by her offers a different kind of future, will she follow duty—or her heart?

Perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes and From Blood and Ash, Fire Dance is a tale of ambition, tainted love, and the fire that burns within.

Fire Storm

Haunted by memories that are not her own, Maia and her love, Ryse, are desperate to leave the world that has shaped her and return to Phaen. Only their presence there can stop their homelands from plunging into a devastating war. But duty comes at an unbearable cost: losing a brother who refuses to flee, a child who carries the past in his veins, and an enemy who wields a stolen weapon that could change the fate of civilizations.

But when she risks their cover to save a galley under attack, an Imperial princess and a ruthless general entangle Maia in a dangerous game of power and betrayal. In a world of shifting allegiances, hidden truths, and long-buried treachery, the race to escape turns into a battle of wits, deception, and impossible choices.

With time running out, Maia must choose: surrender to the lure of power which this world offers and risk losing those she loves, or reclaim the future that was stolen from her.

Perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes and From Blood and Ash, Fire Storm is a tale of fate, forbidden power, and the fire that binds past and future.

Colours of Fantasy (FREE DOWNLOAD)

Not enough time to read, but love fantasy?

Colours of Fantasy is an anthology of short stories that range from magical realism to sci-fi fantasy. They are short enough to be easily read while commuting or during a lunch break. Read about paintings that are truer than true-to-life, or the heart-wrenching decision Poseidon’s human son-in-law has to take, or perhaps you’ll prefer a glimpse of life after an apocalypse, or a story about a space pirate with an uncomfortable past. 

And if you like longer reads, Colours of Fantasy gives you a taste of Book One of two series: The Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy and Fire Dance Chronicles.

Till next time! Wishing you a great two weeks with a good book!

Caroline