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The Mechanist's Die
Roll the dice. Change your fate.In the city of Margrave, dice don’t just decide games—they decide lives.
Eugene House has always played it safe. Growing up in the crumbling South End, he’s seen what happens when luck turns against you. When the dice system enforced by the Chamber rolls against your favor. But when he finds one of his missing father’s old dice—a strange, enchanted automaton that seems to roll whatever he needs—Eugene takes a chance that lands him inside Harelby Academy, where Margrave's elite train to shape the future.
What he expected was lectures, machines, and maybe a bit of prestige.
What he finds instead?
Secrets. Magic that defies probability. And maybe, his first friends.
As Eugene navigates a world of brilliant inventors and hidden histories, he uncovers the ancient secrets of the Mechanists—wondrous users of the Ether, magic rooted in the city’s very bones. And the more he learns, the more he discovers that his father's fate wasn’t a matter of simple bad luck... but something far more deliberate.
Mystery, magic, and machines collide in the first book of a dazzling new fantasy series.
For readers who believe in underdogs, enchanted dice, and the power that a single impossible roll can have on your fate.
Eugene House has always played it safe. Growing up in the crumbling South End, he’s seen what happens when luck turns against you. When the dice system enforced by the Chamber rolls against your favor. But when he finds one of his missing father’s old dice—a strange, enchanted automaton that seems to roll whatever he needs—Eugene takes a chance that lands him inside Harelby Academy, where Margrave's elite train to shape the future.
What he expected was lectures, machines, and maybe a bit of prestige.
What he finds instead?
Secrets. Magic that defies probability. And maybe, his first friends.
As Eugene navigates a world of brilliant inventors and hidden histories, he uncovers the ancient secrets of the Mechanists—wondrous users of the Ether, magic rooted in the city’s very bones. And the more he learns, the more he discovers that his father's fate wasn’t a matter of simple bad luck... but something far more deliberate.
Mystery, magic, and machines collide in the first book of a dazzling new fantasy series.
For readers who believe in underdogs, enchanted dice, and the power that a single impossible roll can have on your fate.
451 pages, Paperback
Published July 10, 2025
1 person is currently reading
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 21, 2025
Let me get this out of the way. Cullen is a close friend. So I admit that I have an incredible bias. Deal with it.
I’m the kind of person who feels extreme performance anxiety for my friends. If someone I know is up on a stage doing something, my palms are sweaty and my heart is racing. It’s worse than if I were doing it myself. So when my friend Cullen decided to write a novel, I was of course plagued with terrible fear. What if it sucks? What if it’s cringey? What if it reads like a weird online fan-fiction that should never have been released to the public?
Thankfully Cullen did me a solid and avoided all of that by writing a legit book. What a relief.
And you know what? I think it’s a pretty good book at that. Do you like Attack on Titan? Give The Mechanist’s Die a read. Do you like the wholesome friendship of Harry, Ron, and Hermione? Give it a read. Do you like games that involve chucking large quantities of dice across a table? Give it a read. Do you like YA steampunk fantasy novels? Come on now. You know this is for you.
In conclusion, my friend wrote a book and I’m super proud of him. I think it’s a pretty fun read. You should try it.
I’m the kind of person who feels extreme performance anxiety for my friends. If someone I know is up on a stage doing something, my palms are sweaty and my heart is racing. It’s worse than if I were doing it myself. So when my friend Cullen decided to write a novel, I was of course plagued with terrible fear. What if it sucks? What if it’s cringey? What if it reads like a weird online fan-fiction that should never have been released to the public?
Thankfully Cullen did me a solid and avoided all of that by writing a legit book. What a relief.
And you know what? I think it’s a pretty good book at that. Do you like Attack on Titan? Give The Mechanist’s Die a read. Do you like the wholesome friendship of Harry, Ron, and Hermione? Give it a read. Do you like games that involve chucking large quantities of dice across a table? Give it a read. Do you like YA steampunk fantasy novels? Come on now. You know this is for you.
In conclusion, my friend wrote a book and I’m super proud of him. I think it’s a pretty fun read. You should try it.
December 22, 2025
An incredible debut novel! If you like Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Divergent and other similar series, you will love this! So much intention and detail given to the character arcs, world-building and the history of the city of Margrave to set the stage for the story and move the plot forward. I loved the strong themes of grace, forgiveness and love for others. Can’t wait to continue this new fantasy series!
August 28, 2025
An excellent debut!! From the storytelling to the character development to the engaging plot; I couldn’t get enough
October 29, 2025
This is a very good debut novel - perhaps a little choppy in places - but full of imagination and lovable characters. I am excited to see how this story and author will develop!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews