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The Mechanics of Magic
The Royal family is dead. The line of Champions ended.
It shouldn’t have been possible.
Twenty-three years after the attack that killed his mother, Roy is looking for answers. Instead, he finds a weapon. A wand; imbued with unknown magic and carved with the symbol of Ardveld’s deceased royal family.
But the Arch Canlaw is on her deathbed, and fighting in the city, along with whispered doubts over the succession, has once again plunged Ardveld’s capital into turmoil.
What should have been a simple break-in pulls Roy into a new struggle for Ardveld’s leadership and, as voices from the past threaten to reveal history thought forgotten, the fate of the country itself hangs in the balance.
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A multiple point-of-view fantasy set in the fictional land of Ardveld; a semi-modern country where magic and technology have existed side by side in relative harmony since the destruction of the royal family twenty-three years earlier. It follows four characters that accidentally get caught up in a conflict over an unknown type of magic as they uncover the truth about Ardveld’s past.
Themes include overcoming trauma, tradition vs change, and found family. The book has no content warnings and is aimed at a new-adult/adult audience, but would still be suitable for young adults or teens.
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Please Note:
The Mechanics of Magic uses British English, and so some spellings may seem unusual to those used to American English.
It shouldn’t have been possible.
Twenty-three years after the attack that killed his mother, Roy is looking for answers. Instead, he finds a weapon. A wand; imbued with unknown magic and carved with the symbol of Ardveld’s deceased royal family.
But the Arch Canlaw is on her deathbed, and fighting in the city, along with whispered doubts over the succession, has once again plunged Ardveld’s capital into turmoil.
What should have been a simple break-in pulls Roy into a new struggle for Ardveld’s leadership and, as voices from the past threaten to reveal history thought forgotten, the fate of the country itself hangs in the balance.
---
A multiple point-of-view fantasy set in the fictional land of Ardveld; a semi-modern country where magic and technology have existed side by side in relative harmony since the destruction of the royal family twenty-three years earlier. It follows four characters that accidentally get caught up in a conflict over an unknown type of magic as they uncover the truth about Ardveld’s past.
Themes include overcoming trauma, tradition vs change, and found family. The book has no content warnings and is aimed at a new-adult/adult audience, but would still be suitable for young adults or teens.
---
Please Note:
The Mechanics of Magic uses British English, and so some spellings may seem unusual to those used to American English.
405 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2024
35 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
W.B.J. Martin
1 book4 followersWren Martin is a versatile writer, exploring a range of genres from contemporary fantasy to articles on astronomy for his local parish magazine. He is the author of Burning the Darkness, a thrilling and heartfelt queer paranormal romance that that follows Oren, a light magic user and ‘chosen one’ vampire slayer, who is forcibly turned and unwillingly bound to Julian, the heir to the vampire court.
Under the pen name W.B.J. Martin, Wren co-authored The Mechanics of Magic, a sweeping, multi-perspective fantasy set in an original world. Written with his partner, the novel chronicles the journey of a surviving prince from a magical royal family as he seeks to rescue his son while unearthing the secrets behind his family’s downfall.
Living in the UK with his loving partner, two children, and a spirited springer spaniel, Wren's personal experiences as an autistic, transgender, demisexual, and gay writer deeply inform his work. His stories delve into themes of identity, acceptance, and the power of love in unlikely places. Wren’s writing speaks to those who have ever felt out of place, offering narratives that celebrate the beauty of diversity and the strength found in our differences.
Under the pen name W.B.J. Martin, Wren co-authored The Mechanics of Magic, a sweeping, multi-perspective fantasy set in an original world. Written with his partner, the novel chronicles the journey of a surviving prince from a magical royal family as he seeks to rescue his son while unearthing the secrets behind his family’s downfall.
Living in the UK with his loving partner, two children, and a spirited springer spaniel, Wren's personal experiences as an autistic, transgender, demisexual, and gay writer deeply inform his work. His stories delve into themes of identity, acceptance, and the power of love in unlikely places. Wren’s writing speaks to those who have ever felt out of place, offering narratives that celebrate the beauty of diversity and the strength found in our differences.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 19, 2025
The Mechanics of Magic is about Alex, the teenaged son of a man that was presumed dead by most of his realm when the rest of the royal line and their Champions were carefully wiped out years ago. But when magic artifacts start popping up, tensions raise and the family as well as close friends they’ve made along the way get entangled in the same problem they thought was left far behind.
This is an interesting read. It has a lot of complex and intriguing magic and magic systems at play with a unique societal structure and world. The characters are distinctly unique with their own relatable qualities and flaws. I especially like the autistic trait representation within Tamara. It was a thrilling tale that is filled with tons of action and adventure while also having more intense themes at the same time. I’d recommend to any fantasy lover.
This is an interesting read. It has a lot of complex and intriguing magic and magic systems at play with a unique societal structure and world. The characters are distinctly unique with their own relatable qualities and flaws. I especially like the autistic trait representation within Tamara. It was a thrilling tale that is filled with tons of action and adventure while also having more intense themes at the same time. I’d recommend to any fantasy lover.
July 19, 2025
I finished this book and actually cried out, "Really?" Which amused my husband, but still... well, we'll get to that. I suppose I should start with the basics, shouldn't I?
POV: Third person limited
POV Character(s): Multiple! Alex, Matthew, Oliver, Roy, Tamara
Verb Tense: Past
Trigger Warnings: multiple deaths, explosions, drained magical energy
Spice Level: none, not a romance at all
I picked this book up a while back on a Stuff Your Kindle event and finally began to read it for my Summer Reading Challenge. It reminded me a touch of A Song of Ice and Fire with the multiple POV characters, and I got more hints of that later .
The thing about multiple POV stories is you have to have a gripping opening for each character's intro chapter to keep your reader hooked. You need to make sure that your reader wants to get back to this or that character and find out what's happening next. And that's a tricky balance if you start things off slowly. Thankfully I don't mind if things are a little slow here and there, and so while some of these opening salvos were a bit slow--ahem, Alex's first chapter--others were not and brought us into an interesting world.
The kingdom of Ardeveld was taken over 23 years ago by Vailberg in a coup that still has people wondering how exactly the tech-savvy Vailberg ambassadors were able to kill the entire royal family of Ardeveld and their Four Champions in one fell swoop, but now that two decades has passed, things have changed dramatically. In its conquest of Ardeveld, Vailberg has brought technology to the country in the form of cell phones and electricity and automobiles and laptops. But things like mage lights and healing magic are still a necessity, so there's an interesting mix of magic and technology going in this world.
We meet four POV characters in the first half of the book and have no idea how they're going to be interconnected, which is always fun. The first one we meet is Roy, a thief who's breaking into a complex that's being renovated and is shying away from guards who might stop him from accessing the home beyond and seeing what a certain diplomat has been up to. Roy doesn't appear to have any real reason for his curiosity, which is a bit... well, perhaps a lack of plotting on the author's part, but it still gives us an introduction to Roy and his lock-breaking magic. Roy, it turns out, has spent years as a child before the takeover learning how to break into locking spells used by the royal family because his mother worked there. So we quickly get the sense that he's not happy with both the Vailberg government that destroyed the royal family or the royal family itself for not protecting his mother in the takeover.
Matthew, we learn, is a man who's been employed by the same diplomat to put a lock on a room in his home. A room Roy conveniently breaks into. Matthew is an interesting figure who has a close friend named Oliver that he trusts above everyone, including the mother of his son (who isn't named as his wife). He seems to keep things close to the chest, not trusting anyone except Oliver, and it's no wonder .
Alex we meet as he's doing his best to keep using magic to power a generator he's built and is using as an amp for his friend Eira's band while they perform a concert. He's exhausting his magical energy to keep the generator going and clearly has a head for both magic and engineering and considers how he can fix the generator for next time. He's 18 and just gotten accepted to university, and we learn later, he's Matthew's son.
Last we meet Tamara, the new head of magical defense who's moved into the royal palace to aid Morgan, the Vailberg ambassador responsible for the takeover. He and his sister share power, but as Tamara is getting settled into her new role, she learns Morgan's sister is gravely ill. On top of that, she meets his nephew Aiden, a man whose interest in her increases when he learns about her background. Tamara comes from a minority group of people who seem to struggle with different neurodivergent tendencies, including selective mutism and sensory processing disorders, that they use magic to manage. His fascination with her seems neutral initially, but as she gets to know both Aiden and Morgan, Tamara learns that perhaps there's more to Aiden's interest in mages.
That's a HUGE amount of info just dumped into the beginning of the story, and honestly it works rather well. There are a few plot holes (like why Roy's gone poking around in Felix's house to begin with, since it comes across as rather a plot device for gaining Matthew's and Oliver's trust), but the story has a lot of things going on.
The crux of the story lies in an experiment Alex undertakes to improve on his generator. It goes incredibly awry, and he winds up under arrest and hauled off to the royal palace under Tamara's protection with his friend Eira in tow. This sets off a cascade of events that leads to some wild times for everyone involved. As Alex tries to figure out what went wrong and why there's a form of magic only he can feel, Tamara learns that Aiden has been researching the old Ardeveldian magic surrounding the appointment of Champions.
The Four Champions are the four most powerful mages in Ardeveld, and no one quite understands why their magic transfers from one person to the next or how it's appointed. As we read, we learn more about it, and it's kind of an interesting system, though not quite as fleshed out as I might have liked.
I have to say I did learn to like pretty much all of the characters. As things got heated in the second half of the book, we got a lot more information and I was loving some of the character interactions and banter they shared. I really liked Matthew, and Tamara's complicated feelings for both Morgan in a somewhat romantic sense and Alex in a protective sense got even more complicated after events inside the palace hit a fever pitch of chaos.
Overall, I was really enjoying this book and wanted to know more. It doesn't appear the author will be putting out a sequel, but if one does come out, I'll amend this review and the spoiler text below.
Anyway, I rounded this to 3 stars, and I might amend it if it does get a sequel that I read, but for now, that's where I stand.
POV: Third person limited
POV Character(s): Multiple! Alex, Matthew, Oliver, Roy, Tamara
Verb Tense: Past
Trigger Warnings: multiple deaths, explosions, drained magical energy
Spice Level: none, not a romance at all
I picked this book up a while back on a Stuff Your Kindle event and finally began to read it for my Summer Reading Challenge. It reminded me a touch of A Song of Ice and Fire with the multiple POV characters, and I got more hints of that later .
The thing about multiple POV stories is you have to have a gripping opening for each character's intro chapter to keep your reader hooked. You need to make sure that your reader wants to get back to this or that character and find out what's happening next. And that's a tricky balance if you start things off slowly. Thankfully I don't mind if things are a little slow here and there, and so while some of these opening salvos were a bit slow--ahem, Alex's first chapter--others were not and brought us into an interesting world.
The kingdom of Ardeveld was taken over 23 years ago by Vailberg in a coup that still has people wondering how exactly the tech-savvy Vailberg ambassadors were able to kill the entire royal family of Ardeveld and their Four Champions in one fell swoop, but now that two decades has passed, things have changed dramatically. In its conquest of Ardeveld, Vailberg has brought technology to the country in the form of cell phones and electricity and automobiles and laptops. But things like mage lights and healing magic are still a necessity, so there's an interesting mix of magic and technology going in this world.
We meet four POV characters in the first half of the book and have no idea how they're going to be interconnected, which is always fun. The first one we meet is Roy, a thief who's breaking into a complex that's being renovated and is shying away from guards who might stop him from accessing the home beyond and seeing what a certain diplomat has been up to. Roy doesn't appear to have any real reason for his curiosity, which is a bit... well, perhaps a lack of plotting on the author's part, but it still gives us an introduction to Roy and his lock-breaking magic. Roy, it turns out, has spent years as a child before the takeover learning how to break into locking spells used by the royal family because his mother worked there. So we quickly get the sense that he's not happy with both the Vailberg government that destroyed the royal family or the royal family itself for not protecting his mother in the takeover.
Matthew, we learn, is a man who's been employed by the same diplomat to put a lock on a room in his home. A room Roy conveniently breaks into. Matthew is an interesting figure who has a close friend named Oliver that he trusts above everyone, including the mother of his son (who isn't named as his wife). He seems to keep things close to the chest, not trusting anyone except Oliver, and it's no wonder .
Alex we meet as he's doing his best to keep using magic to power a generator he's built and is using as an amp for his friend Eira's band while they perform a concert. He's exhausting his magical energy to keep the generator going and clearly has a head for both magic and engineering and considers how he can fix the generator for next time. He's 18 and just gotten accepted to university, and we learn later, he's Matthew's son.
Last we meet Tamara, the new head of magical defense who's moved into the royal palace to aid Morgan, the Vailberg ambassador responsible for the takeover. He and his sister share power, but as Tamara is getting settled into her new role, she learns Morgan's sister is gravely ill. On top of that, she meets his nephew Aiden, a man whose interest in her increases when he learns about her background. Tamara comes from a minority group of people who seem to struggle with different neurodivergent tendencies, including selective mutism and sensory processing disorders, that they use magic to manage. His fascination with her seems neutral initially, but as she gets to know both Aiden and Morgan, Tamara learns that perhaps there's more to Aiden's interest in mages.
That's a HUGE amount of info just dumped into the beginning of the story, and honestly it works rather well. There are a few plot holes (like why Roy's gone poking around in Felix's house to begin with, since it comes across as rather a plot device for gaining Matthew's and Oliver's trust), but the story has a lot of things going on.
The crux of the story lies in an experiment Alex undertakes to improve on his generator. It goes incredibly awry, and he winds up under arrest and hauled off to the royal palace under Tamara's protection with his friend Eira in tow. This sets off a cascade of events that leads to some wild times for everyone involved. As Alex tries to figure out what went wrong and why there's a form of magic only he can feel, Tamara learns that Aiden has been researching the old Ardeveldian magic surrounding the appointment of Champions.
The Four Champions are the four most powerful mages in Ardeveld, and no one quite understands why their magic transfers from one person to the next or how it's appointed. As we read, we learn more about it, and it's kind of an interesting system, though not quite as fleshed out as I might have liked.
I have to say I did learn to like pretty much all of the characters. As things got heated in the second half of the book, we got a lot more information and I was loving some of the character interactions and banter they shared. I really liked Matthew, and Tamara's complicated feelings for both Morgan in a somewhat romantic sense and Alex in a protective sense got even more complicated after events inside the palace hit a fever pitch of chaos.
Overall, I was really enjoying this book and wanted to know more. It doesn't appear the author will be putting out a sequel, but if one does come out, I'll amend this review and the spoiler text below.
Anyway, I rounded this to 3 stars, and I might amend it if it does get a sequel that I read, but for now, that's where I stand.
April 3, 2022
This was recommended to me by a friend, and I wasn't sure I wanted to read it. I LOVE fantasy but it is hard to find a fantasy book that I enjoy - especially with so many out there just aren't good and the few that are just phenomenal!
Once I was a couple of chapters in, I could NOT put the book down. The plot is great, the characters are unique. Additionally, some of character relationships are complex - and not in a gratuitous dramatic sense. There is a real story with them - these are the things that make great stories.
Without giving anything away, It's a great combination of magic, family, and duty. I am very hopeful that the author continues the book and makes it a series, there is room for more - even a prequel to the book!
I highly recommend and I am a very picky reader!
March 10, 2022
That. Was. FREAKING. AWESOME!! Such an original magic system, world, characters…everything! I absolutely loved it. Eira, Alex, Oliver are such interesting individuals and then throw in the unlikely Tamara and the unusual Roy. This is going to be a phenomenal series!
May 23, 2022
WOW JUST WOW
Once I started reading I couldn't put it down, I even lost sleep because it is so good lol. I really really hope the authors continue with these characters I am so invested.
Once I started reading I couldn't put it down, I even lost sleep because it is so good lol. I really really hope the authors continue with these characters I am so invested.
December 29, 2024
This incredibly clever fantasy debut boasts one of the strongest magic systems I’ve read about in a long while, and a cast of characters you’ll think about long after the last page.
It follows Matthew, the last surviving member of Ardveld’s overthrown royal family, who has kept his identity secret from everyone but his trusted Champion. Not even his son Alex knows who he is – or that he has inherited the ability to sense ancient magic. That is, until Alex accidentally causes a magical explosion, and the palace’s Head of Magical Affairs gets involved. When Alex is arrested, Matthew must reluctantly ally with a part-time thief to break into the palace and get him back.
The thing I love most about this story is how the magic works. Everything has been thought out so well, from the types of magic to how magic users (and those without magic) would relate to it in their everyday lives. The boundaries are clearly defined, the logic of the magical weapons is sound and the connections between magic and machinery are believable. If you’ve ever wondered how power got into a magic wand in the first place, this one’s for you.
Another element I love is the idea of the Champions – a group of four protectors with amplified powers and the ability to hear from their predecessors in order to protect a particular royal. They are chosen based on how close they are to the royal in question, so it’s a great way of incorporating found family into the magical narrative.
Finally, the neurodivergent representation is very well done. Tamara, the Head of Magical Affairs, is brilliantly complex and I’m so glad to see a strong, compassionate, powerful autistic woman as a central character. And what’s more, the authors have even thought about how she would use magic to minimise sensory overwhelm. I loved her POV in particular.
I did finish the book with lots of questions, so I’m really hoping for a second volume that will continue the thoroughly engaging story.
It follows Matthew, the last surviving member of Ardveld’s overthrown royal family, who has kept his identity secret from everyone but his trusted Champion. Not even his son Alex knows who he is – or that he has inherited the ability to sense ancient magic. That is, until Alex accidentally causes a magical explosion, and the palace’s Head of Magical Affairs gets involved. When Alex is arrested, Matthew must reluctantly ally with a part-time thief to break into the palace and get him back.
The thing I love most about this story is how the magic works. Everything has been thought out so well, from the types of magic to how magic users (and those without magic) would relate to it in their everyday lives. The boundaries are clearly defined, the logic of the magical weapons is sound and the connections between magic and machinery are believable. If you’ve ever wondered how power got into a magic wand in the first place, this one’s for you.
Another element I love is the idea of the Champions – a group of four protectors with amplified powers and the ability to hear from their predecessors in order to protect a particular royal. They are chosen based on how close they are to the royal in question, so it’s a great way of incorporating found family into the magical narrative.
Finally, the neurodivergent representation is very well done. Tamara, the Head of Magical Affairs, is brilliantly complex and I’m so glad to see a strong, compassionate, powerful autistic woman as a central character. And what’s more, the authors have even thought about how she would use magic to minimise sensory overwhelm. I loved her POV in particular.
I did finish the book with lots of questions, so I’m really hoping for a second volume that will continue the thoroughly engaging story.
May 12, 2023
"The Mechanics of Magic" is a thrilling fantasy novel that combines mystery, action, and intrigue to deliver a gripping tale of revenge and redemption. The story follows two main characters, Matthew and Roy, whose paths intersect in unexpected ways as they uncover the secrets of Ardveld's past. Martin's writing is sharp and engaging, with vivid descriptions that bring the magical world of Ardveld to life. The characters are well-developed and relatable, each with their own motivations and secrets. Matthew's struggle to reconcile his past and present selves is especially poignant, and Roy's journey from novice mage to seasoned adventurer is both exciting and satisfying. The plot is well-paced, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Overall, this is a highly entertaining and well-crafted fantasy novel that will appeal to fans of the genre. Martin's imaginative world-building and skillful storytelling make this a book that is hard to put down. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling and immersive reading experience.
June 18, 2025
"The Mechanics of Magic" is a gripping, high-stakes fantasy that blends political intrigue, magical heists, and emotional depth. The story opens with the theft of a powerful magical weapon and quickly unfolds into a series of heists that drive the plot forward.
At its heart, the novel is the story of a father, secretly a prince, desperately trying to protect his son. Woven through this narrative is the Awakening of the four Champions, a larger magical phenomenon that promises sweeping consequences for their world.
The worldbuilding is compelling, blending magic and science. Magic is primarily a form of human energy, somewhat like electricity, which also exists in the world. The political backdrop is equally rich: a country taken over by non-mages who were once the oppressed underclass.
The prose is sharp, the pacing brisk, and the stakes always feel real. Now that the Champions have awakened, I’m eager to read further adventures in this world.
At its heart, the novel is the story of a father, secretly a prince, desperately trying to protect his son. Woven through this narrative is the Awakening of the four Champions, a larger magical phenomenon that promises sweeping consequences for their world.
The worldbuilding is compelling, blending magic and science. Magic is primarily a form of human energy, somewhat like electricity, which also exists in the world. The political backdrop is equally rich: a country taken over by non-mages who were once the oppressed underclass.
The prose is sharp, the pacing brisk, and the stakes always feel real. Now that the Champions have awakened, I’m eager to read further adventures in this world.
Read
August 1, 20259.5/10
very interesting read, the magic system was very intriguing.
I was deeply immersed in the plot and was trying to figure out the past of the characters along with themselves. I cried and laughed with them and even tried to do research on the story so I can get my theories straight, but was highly disappointed that I could not find any information on the series online - seriously underrated series!
Would definitely continue reading the series
very interesting read, the magic system was very intriguing.
I was deeply immersed in the plot and was trying to figure out the past of the characters along with themselves. I cried and laughed with them and even tried to do research on the story so I can get my theories straight, but was highly disappointed that I could not find any information on the series online - seriously underrated series!
Would definitely continue reading the series
January 2, 2023
Bringing fantasy up to date!
Enjoyed reading this, there are some great new ideas that feel fresh and exciting in the established fantasy genre – no mean feat to pull off for a debut novel. I’m eager to read more about Alex and the champions and would love to see more exploration into the emotions and relationships as well as the action in future instalments. I want more magic, too!
Enjoyed reading this, there are some great new ideas that feel fresh and exciting in the established fantasy genre – no mean feat to pull off for a debut novel. I’m eager to read more about Alex and the champions and would love to see more exploration into the emotions and relationships as well as the action in future instalments. I want more magic, too!
January 24, 2024
We are proud to announce that MECHANICS OF MAGIC by W.B.J. Martin has been honored with the B.R.A.G. Medallion (Book Readers Appreciation Group). It now joins the very select award-winning, reader-recommended books at indieBRAG.
July 6, 2025
Interesting
This was an interesting book to read. I liked the elements of magic and the level of suspense. Enjoyable read.
This was an interesting book to read. I liked the elements of magic and the level of suspense. Enjoyable read.
July 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Amazing. I love the plot and the cast of characters, the neurodivergent representation was also nice to see, would definitely recommend !
Amazing. I love the plot and the cast of characters, the neurodivergent representation was also nice to see, would definitely recommend !
June 19, 2022
The Truth is Out There
As you follow seemingly unrelated characters discovering the world about them, you start to realise their understanding starts to unravel. As you gain an understanding with them, you grow to love them as flawed individuals, and rich variety and depth. Loved it.
As you follow seemingly unrelated characters discovering the world about them, you start to realise their understanding starts to unravel. As you gain an understanding with them, you grow to love them as flawed individuals, and rich variety and depth. Loved it.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews