What do you think?
Rate this book
Tale of Eisengoth #2
Sorcerer’s Code
All 5 entries in THE ELEMENTS OF SORCERY are now available in a single omnibus edition, electronic and paperback. Search THE ELEMENTS OF SORCERY on Amazon and save $3 on the whole set for Kindle!"...an intriguing plot that holds the reader's interest until the end." -R. Nicholson, Amazon.com review"Anyone who picks up this book is bound to love it." -Amazon.com user reviewDiscover the SORCERER'S CODE...Edar Moncrief has a problem. As the city of Elenia's finest sorcerer (or so he would say) no one paid him any mind, until he trips over the body of an Arbiter - the legendary warriors who aren't supposed to leave corpses behind when they die. It gets even worse when he comes face-to-face with a real, live Arbiter who blames him for the death. With a literal sword hanging over his head, Moncrief must find and catch a murderer, before D'Arden Tal declares him responsible and kills him instead."This book was amazing." - DMoroi99, Amazon.com reviewIf you enjoy fantasy with a bleeding razor edge of humor from authors like Karl Edward Wagner, Jim Butcher or Mike Carey, put SORCERER'S CODE at the top of your TBR pile today, and find out why a sorcerer can never tell a lie...More books by Christopher Sorcerer's Crime (Lesson II of the Elements of Sorcery)ELEGY (Book One of the Arbiter Codex)LEGACY (Book Two of the Arbiter Codex) The Corpse King (A Tale of Eisengoth)
60 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 18, 2011
30 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 5, 2013
Christopher Kellen creates a wonderful seedy world of powerful wizardry and dark forces -- classical sword and sorcery with a dash of modern humor, somewhat reminiscent of Jim Butcher.
I enjoyed the character of Edar Moncrief - a witty, sometimes clumsy wizard, always willing to take the risk that's bound to get him into the most trouble. D'Arden Tal, the Arbiter, is delightfully chilling and deadly. (I'm still kind of wondering what, exactly, Arbiters do and why they do it, but since there is more to read in the series -- and I will read it -- I'm certain that mystery will soon be resolved.)
I put this at 4 stars in part because the prose felt a little choppy, and the dialogue anachronistic, in places. Also, if you're looking for a story with female characters, this ain't the place to go. But The Sorcerer's Code is, overall, a solid fast-paced adventure with a satisfying surprise ending. And there are moments of brilliance where Kellen's potential as a powerhouse author really shines through.
I enjoyed the character of Edar Moncrief - a witty, sometimes clumsy wizard, always willing to take the risk that's bound to get him into the most trouble. D'Arden Tal, the Arbiter, is delightfully chilling and deadly. (I'm still kind of wondering what, exactly, Arbiters do and why they do it, but since there is more to read in the series -- and I will read it -- I'm certain that mystery will soon be resolved.)
I put this at 4 stars in part because the prose felt a little choppy, and the dialogue anachronistic, in places. Also, if you're looking for a story with female characters, this ain't the place to go. But The Sorcerer's Code is, overall, a solid fast-paced adventure with a satisfying surprise ending. And there are moments of brilliance where Kellen's potential as a powerhouse author really shines through.
February 18, 2013
And just like that, a great character was created.
Edar Moncrief is believable. He is just like any ordinary person. He is a coward at times. Mumbles and says things without thinking when nervous or confronted, and lacks confidence more often than not. That's what made me care about him.
Edar Moncrief is also very dangerous and powerful, even though he does need preparation. He isn't a genius sorcerer, but he does possess an uncanny memory which allows him to prod for useful spells and information read throughout his life. He is a scholar that happens to get his hands dirty if need be. That's what made me respect him.
The only bad thing is that this is too short. I read through Sorcerer's Code in less than half an hour. Unfortunately that left me wanting even more. Luckily, Sorcerer's Crime is already out.
Highly suggested.
Edar Moncrief is believable. He is just like any ordinary person. He is a coward at times. Mumbles and says things without thinking when nervous or confronted, and lacks confidence more often than not. That's what made me care about him.
Edar Moncrief is also very dangerous and powerful, even though he does need preparation. He isn't a genius sorcerer, but he does possess an uncanny memory which allows him to prod for useful spells and information read throughout his life. He is a scholar that happens to get his hands dirty if need be. That's what made me respect him.
The only bad thing is that this is too short. I read through Sorcerer's Code in less than half an hour. Unfortunately that left me wanting even more. Luckily, Sorcerer's Crime is already out.
Highly suggested.
May 4, 2016
Interesting short story. Wish there had been more to it, though. I guess it just felt too rushed, and I would have liked the mystery to be a tad bit more involved. Liked the magic system they have going here, and would love to read a longer story either with these characters or just in the world. The twist at the end seemed a tad bit abrupt, though I guess I can see it in hindsight. Edar was a good character and D’Arden Tal, when he wasn't being all mysterious, was a nice addition. Overall, as short-stories go, not bad, not great, but enough to interest me in the author's other stories.
Wish I remembered where I got this, 'cause I can't remember if this was just supposed to be straight fantasy or m/m. Not knowing is going to bug me, what with my anal-retentive shelving habits.
Wish I remembered where I got this, 'cause I can't remember if this was just supposed to be straight fantasy or m/m. Not knowing is going to bug me, what with my anal-retentive shelving habits.
January 11, 2013
i loved this book! Short and sweet!
April 22, 2012
"Sorcerer's Code" is the second book in Christopher Kellen's "Tales of Eisengoth" series. However, having read The Corpse King (book 1 of the series), I can attest that this novelette stands completely on its own. It is the tale of Edar Moncrief, a sorcerer who discovers a magical artifact and inadvertently attracts the attention of a dangerous warrior/priest known as an Arbiter.
Technically, "Sorcerer's Code" is probably dark fantasy, but the humor Kellen weaves into the story lightens up the dreary backdrop of the city in which Moncrief lives and the gravity of the Arbiter's personality. I found the book to be an enjoyable read, and I'd recommend it to any fan of classic Swords & Sorcery fantasy.
The story was short but satisfying. The plot proceeded logically, if somewhat chaotically. Don't get me wrong; the chaos is one of the fun aspects of this adventure. Readers get a glimpse into the shadowy fantasy world of Arbiters, who are sworn to protect Manna, which is essentially "life force" and the source of all magic. It left me wanting more.
The entire story is written from Moncrief's first-person point of view, which gives you an intimate and often amusing perspective on events as they happen. Moncrief is a sorcerer of questionable character living in a city populated with people of questionable morals. Kellen does a good job of revealing the personalities of Moncrief and the Arbiter, D'Arden Tal, through dialog and action. In contrast to The Corpse King, D'Arden Tal comes off a bit one-dimensionally in this story because of the POV, but I felt his treatment was sufficient given the brevity of the book.
Kellen's editing was solid and clean. I encountered a few places with questionable use of punctuation, but that is often a matter of opinion. No typos or grammar errors stood out to me.
The formatting of the ebook was good. The things I found were pretty nit-picky: indented paragraphs at the beginning of a chapter, inconsistent use of single quote versus apostrophe, and spacing of em-dashes and ellipses. I doubt most readers would even notice these things.
I look forward to reading more of Kellen's work. I really enjoy his natural sense of humor and his skill at integrating it into a story in an unforced manner. I hope to see more of that in his future works.
Technically, "Sorcerer's Code" is probably dark fantasy, but the humor Kellen weaves into the story lightens up the dreary backdrop of the city in which Moncrief lives and the gravity of the Arbiter's personality. I found the book to be an enjoyable read, and I'd recommend it to any fan of classic Swords & Sorcery fantasy.
The story was short but satisfying. The plot proceeded logically, if somewhat chaotically. Don't get me wrong; the chaos is one of the fun aspects of this adventure. Readers get a glimpse into the shadowy fantasy world of Arbiters, who are sworn to protect Manna, which is essentially "life force" and the source of all magic. It left me wanting more.
The entire story is written from Moncrief's first-person point of view, which gives you an intimate and often amusing perspective on events as they happen. Moncrief is a sorcerer of questionable character living in a city populated with people of questionable morals. Kellen does a good job of revealing the personalities of Moncrief and the Arbiter, D'Arden Tal, through dialog and action. In contrast to The Corpse King, D'Arden Tal comes off a bit one-dimensionally in this story because of the POV, but I felt his treatment was sufficient given the brevity of the book.
Kellen's editing was solid and clean. I encountered a few places with questionable use of punctuation, but that is often a matter of opinion. No typos or grammar errors stood out to me.
The formatting of the ebook was good. The things I found were pretty nit-picky: indented paragraphs at the beginning of a chapter, inconsistent use of single quote versus apostrophe, and spacing of em-dashes and ellipses. I doubt most readers would even notice these things.
I look forward to reading more of Kellen's work. I really enjoy his natural sense of humor and his skill at integrating it into a story in an unforced manner. I hope to see more of that in his future works.
August 24, 2012
Before I read this novella, I had not come across Christopher Kellen’s work before. However, now that I have read it, I am extremely glad that I have done so. It is an extremely accomplished work of dark fantasy with a very nice line of dark, sharp-edged humour.
The basic story is a relatively simple one – a hedge magician gets caught up in the consequences of murder. However, the victim, the person who comes investigating the murder and the murderer all add together to make it so much more.
The story is told from the point of view of Edar Moncrief. Initially, he appears to be a relatively lowly magician and part-time conman, peddling ‘love potions and wart removers’. However, as the story continues it becomes apparent that he is much more than this. The slow reveal of Edar’s abilities and the wily intelligence he uses in utilising - and at the same time hiding – makes him a rare character in fantasy, one that has multiple dimensions and comes across as realistic. Most of the humour in this story comes from the thoughts and asides that Edar makes and his reactions to the events of the story.
The other characters, while less vividly drawn than Edar (understandable as they are seen from Edar’s point of view) are all well-written and believable, from the fear-inspiring Arbiter, D’Arden Tal (the protagonist of the short story ‘The Sorceror’s Code’ and Kellen’s ‘Arbiter Codex’ trilogy – of which volume 1, ‘Elegy’ is currently available) to the self-serving and somewhat slimy fence Jahain Torthanas.
The setting in which Sorceror’s Code takes place is brilliantly evoked. You get an excellent sense of the world and, without any hint of info-dumping, learn things about how it all works. There is obviously a complex and well-thought history of the world which is mentioned here and there without needing any further explanation. The city in which the story takes place seems to be in a seriously disputed area which is constantly changing hands and consequently ‘the name changes twice a year’. As a result, the city seems to have sunk into squalor and become a sinkhole of crime and corruption where even the City Guard are just another gang.
Overall, The Sorceror’s Code is an excellent, well-written and extremely enjoyable story. It works well both as a stand-alone story and as an introduction/extension to Kellen’s Eisengoth series.
The basic story is a relatively simple one – a hedge magician gets caught up in the consequences of murder. However, the victim, the person who comes investigating the murder and the murderer all add together to make it so much more.
The story is told from the point of view of Edar Moncrief. Initially, he appears to be a relatively lowly magician and part-time conman, peddling ‘love potions and wart removers’. However, as the story continues it becomes apparent that he is much more than this. The slow reveal of Edar’s abilities and the wily intelligence he uses in utilising - and at the same time hiding – makes him a rare character in fantasy, one that has multiple dimensions and comes across as realistic. Most of the humour in this story comes from the thoughts and asides that Edar makes and his reactions to the events of the story.
The other characters, while less vividly drawn than Edar (understandable as they are seen from Edar’s point of view) are all well-written and believable, from the fear-inspiring Arbiter, D’Arden Tal (the protagonist of the short story ‘The Sorceror’s Code’ and Kellen’s ‘Arbiter Codex’ trilogy – of which volume 1, ‘Elegy’ is currently available) to the self-serving and somewhat slimy fence Jahain Torthanas.
The setting in which Sorceror’s Code takes place is brilliantly evoked. You get an excellent sense of the world and, without any hint of info-dumping, learn things about how it all works. There is obviously a complex and well-thought history of the world which is mentioned here and there without needing any further explanation. The city in which the story takes place seems to be in a seriously disputed area which is constantly changing hands and consequently ‘the name changes twice a year’. As a result, the city seems to have sunk into squalor and become a sinkhole of crime and corruption where even the City Guard are just another gang.
Overall, The Sorceror’s Code is an excellent, well-written and extremely enjoyable story. It works well both as a stand-alone story and as an introduction/extension to Kellen’s Eisengoth series.
April 1, 2014
Sometimes you stumble across a book and think 'yeah, your influences are apparent and I appreciate them for being that way.' The author even states to the effect that he wears them on his sleeve prior to the tale's commencement.
Sorcerer's Code is very honest from the outset about the authors that helped shape the tale. You have a snarky first person perspective of a wizard who gets in over his head. Only this wizard doesn't hail from Chicago.
No, instead we have our second influence: pulp fantasy. That golden Weird Tales period of history right before the first World War.
The unfolding tale is what happens when a leading man that could have starred in any of those early Sword and Sorcery works runs into the humorous and calamity-prone protagonist that wouldn't be out of place in any of the modern Urban fantasies littering the bookshelves these days.
The clash of characters makes for an entertaining romp, and the tone is humorous throughout, though it certainly doesn't skimp on the action or suspense.
It's clearly a gateway novella into the rest of Christopher Kellen's work, but this brief tale is worth a lot more than the nothing you have to pay in order to read it.
Overall if you're a fan of Sword and Sorcery or you prefer Sword and Snarkery, Sorcerer's Code is well worth a read.
- J.R.
Sorcerer's Code is very honest from the outset about the authors that helped shape the tale. You have a snarky first person perspective of a wizard who gets in over his head. Only this wizard doesn't hail from Chicago.
No, instead we have our second influence: pulp fantasy. That golden Weird Tales period of history right before the first World War.
The unfolding tale is what happens when a leading man that could have starred in any of those early Sword and Sorcery works runs into the humorous and calamity-prone protagonist that wouldn't be out of place in any of the modern Urban fantasies littering the bookshelves these days.
The clash of characters makes for an entertaining romp, and the tone is humorous throughout, though it certainly doesn't skimp on the action or suspense.
It's clearly a gateway novella into the rest of Christopher Kellen's work, but this brief tale is worth a lot more than the nothing you have to pay in order to read it.
Overall if you're a fan of Sword and Sorcery or you prefer Sword and Snarkery, Sorcerer's Code is well worth a read.
- J.R.
February 14, 2014
This is a short swords & sorcery novella (52 pages) where the quest is to solve a magically impossible murder. (Nice genre crossover, that.) It's told in first person by a snarky but not unlikeable narrator, the sorcerer Edar Moncrief, who teams up with a powerful Arbiter (cleric? warrior priest?), D'Arden Tal. Another Arbiter has been murdered, his crystal sword stolen, and that's impossible; nobody can even remember the last time an Arbiter died, much less fell victim to foul play. Besides, they aren't supposed to leave corpses behind.
With Tal breathing down his neck, Moncrief has no choice but to investigate the Arbiter's death (doesn't help that he literally tripped over the body). In true detective fashion, they ask questions and look for evidence. The solution they find is a bit convenient (as in un-foreshadowed, the evidentiary ground not fully prepared for the reader) and the twist at the end satisfies even though it's a tad predictable (to widely-read mystery readers, that is).
This is a well-written story by a talented author who knows his business. The snark fell flat for me, but that's probably because I'm kinda tired, here at the end of winter. Even without that element, the story's enjoyable. We'll call this one four stars.
With Tal breathing down his neck, Moncrief has no choice but to investigate the Arbiter's death (doesn't help that he literally tripped over the body). In true detective fashion, they ask questions and look for evidence. The solution they find is a bit convenient (as in un-foreshadowed, the evidentiary ground not fully prepared for the reader) and the twist at the end satisfies even though it's a tad predictable (to widely-read mystery readers, that is).
This is a well-written story by a talented author who knows his business. The snark fell flat for me, but that's probably because I'm kinda tired, here at the end of winter. Even without that element, the story's enjoyable. We'll call this one four stars.
May 4, 2015
Short story I got for free off of Amazon. Easy, quick read (life kept me from finishing it in a reasonable amount of time) and at first, I didn't care for it. It felt a little.. typical fantasy. Mysterious guy stumbles upon a body, seeks answers at a fence and a brothel. A few terms were reused several times (enough that I noticed), but well written.
One of the things that annoyed me and seemed overly amateur was the use of 'azure' to describe eyes. It's blue. It's just.. blue.
The ending did catch me a little by surprise (I was figuring Tal and Edar were going to team up for then on out) mostly because Tal was written to seem a sort of hulking dude without much up in the head. I'd be willing to read the next in the series (it's 99 cents on Amazon, but I honestly don't even have that to spare right now. Maybe in a week!) Or maybe what appears to be a prequel? The Corpse King, focuses on Tal.
One of the things that annoyed me and seemed overly amateur was the use of 'azure' to describe eyes. It's blue. It's just.. blue.
The ending did catch me a little by surprise (I was figuring Tal and Edar were going to team up for then on out) mostly because Tal was written to seem a sort of hulking dude without much up in the head. I'd be willing to read the next in the series (it's 99 cents on Amazon, but I honestly don't even have that to spare right now. Maybe in a week!) Or maybe what appears to be a prequel? The Corpse King, focuses on Tal.
December 30, 2012
I read this because it was a small sized book, and I love magic. This wasn't magicky at all. It didn't feel like a book either, instead felt like a chapter, as it starts the story off. Whether I'll buy the next book, I'm not sure, maybe for my curious side, I don't know. But I was rather disappointed.
January 12, 2014
Excellent beginning to what seems will be a good story
If the authors purpose was to hook me for another book, I'm in. Well paced story that provides bodybuilding in parts. I would love to see more of the world and have it explained further, which is why I'll be reading the next one.
Give it a read. Good stuff.
If the authors purpose was to hook me for another book, I'm in. Well paced story that provides bodybuilding in parts. I would love to see more of the world and have it explained further, which is why I'll be reading the next one.
Give it a read. Good stuff.
January 7, 2014
Great fast paced sword and sorcery fiction! Although short, made me want to read more from this author! He handles pacing and characterization very well! A great time if you just wanna chill for awhile one night and enjoy a quick story without committing to an entire novel.
September 22, 2017
Just a fun, short, Sword & Sorcery tale revolving around a sorcerer and an Arbiter, which is essentially a darker, take-no-chances paladin. It was enjoyable and fairly well-written, but the ending was just a tad bit rushed for my liking. Still, it had a decent twist, and I'd recommend the story.
July 12, 2014
Not the best, but a pretty good short story
Read
January 15, 2014Entertaining sorcery
If you have a penchant for fantasy and sorcery, this is the one for you. It left me wanting more.
If you have a penchant for fantasy and sorcery, this is the one for you. It left me wanting more.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews