Countess Celest: Tales of the Five Realms

by James Beffa

Bookkeeper at nine, Seneschal at fourteen, and now a fourth-order magician at twenty, Celest is extraordinary by any measure. After three hard years at the Magician Academy, she has finally caught up with her classes, survived a harrowing mission assignment, and risen to the top of the school’s black-market potions operation. With friends, an adventuring party, and a secret crush, her life is more peaceful than it’s ever been.

But trouble is brewing in the Five Realms. Celest’s discovery of the Zarba, the alien race whose experiments enhanced her magical abilities beyond reckoning, has left her with more questions than answers. Why have they done this to her? How many others have been enhanced? And what is the Hive Mind’s ultimate goal?

As the threat of war looms on the horizon, some see Celest’s growing power as a tool for their own advancement; others believe she is the harbinger of a being destined to destroy the world. Under the silent watch of the Magician Council, the Zarba, and agents yet unknown, Celest the Magician will unlock her full potential – but can she learn to control it before darker forces control her?

293 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 7, 2023

About the author

James Beffa is a retired microwave engineer and senior manager from Lockheed Martin Space. He took up writing as his second career and is an avid traveler. His focus is the swords and sorcery genre. His first book, “Wone the Magician,” was based on stories he created for his stepdaughter's bedtime.

Reviews

[Lauren Scheibal · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was great seeing Celest’s growth throughout the book. I finished the second half of the book in one sitting and can’t wait for the next part to come out.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fun fantasy adventure. I hope the author continues with the series. Good for those interested in rpg type adventure, but with (mostly) humans.

I would like to see more emotion and interaction in the relationships and friendships in the book though. The character personalities feel a bit flat. For example we sometimes get exclamation points but without much context to describe the characters emotion: angry? furious? frustrated? hard to say. Why are Celeste and Herom interested in each other from a personality perspective? However, the plot is engaging so I think you really have something here.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Countess Celest

A girl on the brink of becoming a woman. Attending classes to better her magic abilities with others like herself. But what no one knows is how special she is. She is able to teach herself skills that no other person can teach themselves. As she discovers her skills, she keeps finding herself in positions to use the knowledge she has gained. While doing so, she finds out that there are boundaries that need respected.

#GoodreadsGiveaways

[Sarah True · Rating 5 out of 5]

love Celest!

I love Celest’s story! Actually had tears in my eyes at the ceremony at the end. The character development and growth is exactly what I’m looking for. From defeating the old god to saving the silver blade, to the alien race watching from afar, I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Joanna C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of magic

This book is perfect for younger kids that are into magic/magicians. Not only is it a fun story filled with magic students on their journey to become great magicians there are some important life lessons as well.

[Jen Fritz · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a great character development story with some intrigue tossed in, this story is for you.