Chronicles of Svalen

by Stella Voskan, Andrew Baltasar

Hi, my name is Stella Voskan. I am a young mother and a piano player. You can follow me on
I’ve been a fan of The Thaumaturge series for some time and reached out to the author to learn more about the universe and subplots that didn’t make it into the final version. After discussing Mythos, the Thaumaturge Council, and the Supremes with Andrew Baltasar, I realized that we could publish these stories as a standalone collection.
I hope you’ll like it!

42 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 5, 2025

About the author

https://www.instagram.com/stel_author/

Reviews

[Katy Wimhurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories in Chronicles of Svalen by Stella Voskan are based on the fantasy setting that Andrew Baltasar developed for his Thaumaturge series. In that world, there is a specific magical system and a type of wizard known as a thaumaturge. Some of the context was unclear to me because I haven’t read the original series, but Svolan’s book, at 37 pages, is tense and engaging. Despite the brevity of the book, the world-building is clearly rich and the setting effective. There are four stories—Sacrifice to Gods, Thaumaturge Council, The Supremes Talk, and Mythos. In them we witness violent scenes, political intrigue, and even a tense escape. Undoubtedly, the book stimulates curiosity about the wider cosmos. My favorite of these four tales featured Mythos, an intriguing and complex character.

[Gary Stringer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Chronicles of Svalen is an interesting book to review, because it’s not a novel as such, or even short stories, but more a quartet of scenes. It reads like the literary equivalent of DVD extras. Additional snippets of colour to Andrew Baltasar’s novel, The Puppet of the Omnigods.

I would love to know how the writing and editing was split between Stella Voskan and Andrew Baltasar, because the tone and voice of the writing was spot on. It would be possible to have a kind of ‘director’s cut’ of Puppet of the Omnigods seamlessly incorporating these scenes. Writing in someone else’s universe like that is an impressive thing for an indie writer to achieve.

Given such short scenes, there’s no way to discuss plot without spoilers. I think it’s fair to say that this book would mean little to anyone as a standalone, but then it’s not designed to be. As a partner/love letter to the ‘parent novel’ it works very well.

So, if you’re a fan of Puppet of the Omnigods and you fancy spending an extra hour or so in that world, you’d do well to pick up The Chronicles of Svalen.

[Suede Goldmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went in blind and had no knowledge of the other books in the Thaumaturge series, so a few bits of context flew over my head—but Chronicles of Svalen still managed to grab me. For a slim 37-page collection, it’s surprisingly tense and immersive. The world feels bigger than what’s on the page, with four bite-sized stories—Sacrifice to Gods, Thaumaturge Council, The Supremes Talk, and Mythos—that together paint a vivid, sometimes brutal portrait of this universe.

This isn’t cozy fantasy; it’s sharp, smart, and occasionally stomach-clenching. The author wrote the violence in such detail that it might be too much for some, but it made Mythos’s resilience hit even harder.

The philosophical debates about collective thought and “informational strength” were an unexpected twist, and honestly, I rather enjoyed it. It sometimes veered deliciously into sci-fi territory in a way that really worked for me.

Even without full context from the main series, I found this collection engaging, thoughtful, and packed with emotion—a fierce little book with a surprising amount of depth—solid 4 stars from me. I’ll definitely have to check out Andrew Baltasar’s Thaumaturge series now.

[Linda Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chronicles of Svalen was my first introduction to The Thaumaturge series, and although I have not yet read the main books, I found this collection to be both immersive and thought-provoking. The writing is sharp, and the worldbuilding feels deep and well-established, as if there is a lot more going on beneath the surface.

My favorite parts were the stories that explored the Thaumaturge Council and the character Mythos, who is mysterious and layered in a way that pulled me in. Some details felt like they would carry more weight if I had the full series context, but I still found the stories engaging and easy to follow overall.

This collection definitely piqued my interest in reading more from the series. I am glad the authors chose to publish these stories. There is a lot of imagination and emotion packed into just a few chapters.

[Nico Featherwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chronicles of Svalen surprised me in the best way. From the very first chapter, the atmosphere pulls you in — moody skies, political tension, and a main character who’s quietly powerful but clearly haunted. Stella Voskan’s writing is vivid and elegant, making it easy to picture the towering city of Svalen and its secrets.

What stood out most was the balance between action and introspection. The pacing is steady, the world-building rich without being overwhelming, and the emotional moments really land. You can tell there’s a deeper history behind everything, and I loved piecing it together bit by bit.

If you’re a fan of fantasy with layers — complex characters, a believable world, and writing that feels almost poetic at times — definitely give this one a read.

[Micki Mirello · Rating 5 out of 5]

The atmosphere hits right from the start, kinda moody but also just cool to see a fantasy world feel so alive. The city of Svalen sounds awesome, and there’s this political drama going on that kept things interesting without getting confusing. The author’s got a knack for writing characters that actually feel layered and real. Mythos and the Thaumaturge Council stand out, especially Mythos, who just has that mysterious vibe you want in a fantasy book. The pacing is good, nothing drags, and you get a mix of action and those moments where characters are actually thinking and dealing with their own stuff.

[Razvan-Gabriel Popa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an imaginative piece of science fantasy that takes place in the larger Thaumaturge universe. It's rich in worldbuilding and the plot is pretty cool: think spies colliding with mind-reading wizards in a world that simmers with war and vengeance. Looking forward to Mythos' next mission.

[Andy Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chronicles of Svalen is a collection of outtakes from the fantasy world of Svalen. It warms you up for the 1st book.

[Liliya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book,got really into it as i was reading. Highly reccomend!