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Makennan Novantumus, Book I: A Sorcerer's Onus by Conjurey Bound
Catastrophes do not simply occur overnight. For Makennan Novantumus it begins in the City-Kingdom of Loomdrake Thrakenscale where he takes Court post for the insanely hedonistic Queen Bladesinger. The sorcerer knew exactly what he was doing, not what he was in for! Makennan has deduced an ancient prophecy foretells the Queen is catalyst to a war that could not only engulf all the continent of Wynthal but the world of Ea'dred itself. Within the convoluted plans of the gods themselves, however, things are not as they seem. Ever. Malum Ooseth, deific Lich Lord of Corruption and Bane to Order, seeks to usurp the balance of power among the Pantheon. Makennan's petty machinations mean nothing to plans that have been in motion since the Age of Creation itself. The sorcerer finds himself deeper and deeper in the metaphysical rabbit hole as he is reshaped in ways he could never have imagined!
His co-conspirator is Arrinae Ot'Lythiust, a Dark Elf of the Everdeep. Makennan's greatest ally, betrayer, foe, and respected enemy. Even as he rises from the ashes of horrors that would cripple a lesser being, so does Arrinae advance in power and the methods of her goddess, the Mother of Drow. These two mortals become embroiled in divine conflict that will literally reshape the world as the Goddess of Magic is both defiled and untethered from her domains of Conjurey.
What can a single man of low birth, a sorcerer, do when facing such odds? Cling to that which he loves most, of course. Vishanti, his Goddess of Magic. And 'ware those who would stand in the way of this man! Cross him at your peril, for even gods learn to fear a mortal when one threatens that which he loves. His passion could, very literally, destroy the world or save it...along with Ea'dred's entire sphere of existence and all the Planes within.
Makennan's eternal adversary and ally, Arrinae Ot'Lythiust. The mad Queen Alodia Bladesinger. A deific Lich Lord born of chaos corrupted by evil. With far more than his soul at stake, he has but one choice. Outsmart everything and everyone standing between him and his goddess, and do it with class and style. Oh, and kick a certain Lich Lord where his dragon sleeps.
His co-conspirator is Arrinae Ot'Lythiust, a Dark Elf of the Everdeep. Makennan's greatest ally, betrayer, foe, and respected enemy. Even as he rises from the ashes of horrors that would cripple a lesser being, so does Arrinae advance in power and the methods of her goddess, the Mother of Drow. These two mortals become embroiled in divine conflict that will literally reshape the world as the Goddess of Magic is both defiled and untethered from her domains of Conjurey.
What can a single man of low birth, a sorcerer, do when facing such odds? Cling to that which he loves most, of course. Vishanti, his Goddess of Magic. And 'ware those who would stand in the way of this man! Cross him at your peril, for even gods learn to fear a mortal when one threatens that which he loves. His passion could, very literally, destroy the world or save it...along with Ea'dred's entire sphere of existence and all the Planes within.
Makennan's eternal adversary and ally, Arrinae Ot'Lythiust. The mad Queen Alodia Bladesinger. A deific Lich Lord born of chaos corrupted by evil. With far more than his soul at stake, he has but one choice. Outsmart everything and everyone standing between him and his goddess, and do it with class and style. Oh, and kick a certain Lich Lord where his dragon sleeps.
378 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 21, 2014
1 person is currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
John Sloat
4 books16 followersJohn W. Sloat is a former Presbyterian minister. He holds a BA from Denison University, an MDiv from Princeton Seminary, and a ThM from Pittsburgh Seminary. Several of his sermons have been included in Pulpit Digest, a national preaching journal.
He married a psychiatric nurse, Helen Burdick Sloat. They have three children and eight grandchildren.
Aside from being a pianist and organist, Sloat also plays the French horn. He is a scratch model builder and leads spirituality groups.
His other books include: Lord, Make Us One, The Other Half, A Handbook For Heretics, Moving Beyond the Christian Myth, Life Surprises, The Calm and the Strife, and A Historical Novel About Gettysburg.
He married a psychiatric nurse, Helen Burdick Sloat. They have three children and eight grandchildren.
Aside from being a pianist and organist, Sloat also plays the French horn. He is a scratch model builder and leads spirituality groups.
His other books include: Lord, Make Us One, The Other Half, A Handbook For Heretics, Moving Beyond the Christian Myth, Life Surprises, The Calm and the Strife, and A Historical Novel About Gettysburg.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 17, 2015
If you're a lover of high fantasy, this is definitely a book for you!
Makennan Novantumus is a sorcerer in the service of Queen Allodia Bladesinger, ruler of Loomdrake Thrakenscale. Everyone knows that Queen Bladesinger is odd, to put it mildly, and he watches her go mad the longer she is left to rule. Threatening to break the Compact made with the other kingdoms, Makennan works with the Drow, Arinnae Ot'Lythiust, to stop the mad queen. Arinnae, true to her Drow nature, has other intentions as she works with the honest Mak; the idea of holding a kingdom does not escape her.
But as this all goes on, there is a more foul plot afoot. The gods themselves are scrambling after a certain Lich Lord usurps a great power and disrupts a delicate balance; the very goddess whom Maknennan serves is affected the most. For the love he holds for her, Mak does everything possible to restore her and the balance...even if it means dying in the process.
Makennan Novantumus is a sorcerer in the service of Queen Allodia Bladesinger, ruler of Loomdrake Thrakenscale. Everyone knows that Queen Bladesinger is odd, to put it mildly, and he watches her go mad the longer she is left to rule. Threatening to break the Compact made with the other kingdoms, Makennan works with the Drow, Arinnae Ot'Lythiust, to stop the mad queen. Arinnae, true to her Drow nature, has other intentions as she works with the honest Mak; the idea of holding a kingdom does not escape her.
But as this all goes on, there is a more foul plot afoot. The gods themselves are scrambling after a certain Lich Lord usurps a great power and disrupts a delicate balance; the very goddess whom Maknennan serves is affected the most. For the love he holds for her, Mak does everything possible to restore her and the balance...even if it means dying in the process.
October 17, 2018
now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
March 1, 2015
Wow! What an amazing adventure. I felt like I had been dropped into a full-blown world of Advanced Dungeon's and Dragons, and that was just the beginning.
We are introduced to Queen Bladeslinger's Council of Ministers, a unusual assortment of human, dwarf, elf and more, with skills in areas of magic, fighting, sorcery, and more. The world is richly detailed with history, even to the point of the rival gods and other supra human entities that populate this world.
As we follow Makennan and his questionable ally, Arrianne, a drow elf with agendas of her own, the world continues to unfold with an extraordinary depth. Through a series of betrayals, we are led to a most satisfying conclusion, only to discover that it is the beginning of the rest of the book.
In the second half of the book, the scope of the plot elevates from beyond the 'normal' people to plots involving the very gods themselves. And many of the characters we already know are drawn into what follows.
This book was well thought out and edited. I was struck by an interesting writing style that occasionally deliberately left out certain words; I found it added an interesting quality to the way the story was told.
If you enjoy swords and sorcery and high adventure, you are going to love this one. Five stars, easy!
We are introduced to Queen Bladeslinger's Council of Ministers, a unusual assortment of human, dwarf, elf and more, with skills in areas of magic, fighting, sorcery, and more. The world is richly detailed with history, even to the point of the rival gods and other supra human entities that populate this world.
As we follow Makennan and his questionable ally, Arrianne, a drow elf with agendas of her own, the world continues to unfold with an extraordinary depth. Through a series of betrayals, we are led to a most satisfying conclusion, only to discover that it is the beginning of the rest of the book.
In the second half of the book, the scope of the plot elevates from beyond the 'normal' people to plots involving the very gods themselves. And many of the characters we already know are drawn into what follows.
This book was well thought out and edited. I was struck by an interesting writing style that occasionally deliberately left out certain words; I found it added an interesting quality to the way the story was told.
If you enjoy swords and sorcery and high adventure, you are going to love this one. Five stars, easy!
February 10, 2015
Gods and mortals. Nefarious deeds, treachery most foul and numberless creative ways to die. A sprawling canvas. Magic sizzling on every page. These are the raw elements of fantasy at its most epic, delivered here in a humourous, page-turning package that had me chuckling my way through. I like to rate stories on entertainment value, and this was 5 stars all the way.
Makennan Novantumus is a sorcerer of integrity, bound in service to his goddess but forced to partner with characters ranging from shady to lethal, from faithful to turncoat, in a world where little is as it seems and treachery is just a teleport - or a meddling god or demon - away. I was a little dubious about a book with such a mouthful for a title, but I have to say, the delivery blew me away. The author plays magic as much as words, and has no qualms about subjecting his characters to situations and fates ranging from brutal to hilarious.
That's not to say the story is perfect. Sometimes it felt as though the storytelling became mired in its own cleverness, and the editing was not as sound as it could have been. However for sheer pizzazz and clever plot twists all the way through, it kept my attention and my stomach is sore from laughing. Top class entertainment, and highly recommended.
Makennan Novantumus is a sorcerer of integrity, bound in service to his goddess but forced to partner with characters ranging from shady to lethal, from faithful to turncoat, in a world where little is as it seems and treachery is just a teleport - or a meddling god or demon - away. I was a little dubious about a book with such a mouthful for a title, but I have to say, the delivery blew me away. The author plays magic as much as words, and has no qualms about subjecting his characters to situations and fates ranging from brutal to hilarious.
That's not to say the story is perfect. Sometimes it felt as though the storytelling became mired in its own cleverness, and the editing was not as sound as it could have been. However for sheer pizzazz and clever plot twists all the way through, it kept my attention and my stomach is sore from laughing. Top class entertainment, and highly recommended.
January 3, 2015
Amazing adventure, reminiscent of the Lord of the Rings. Readers are introduced to quite a few characters, but the ones to watch are Allodia Bladesinger, a not to nice woman , Makennan Novantamus, Arrinae ot'lythiest and Tourm the dwarf, several others are included in this adventure of sorcerers, dwarfs, elves and others as the reader is taken to a different lad in a kingdom far away and readers are going to love every minute of their journey. Great writing style that sucks the reader in and doesn't let them out until the final page and then only to want more.
May 5, 2015
This book was exciting and highly engaging. The characters were likable and the storyline moved along well. There were a few times where I was unsure where the plot was going, but that was what made it exciting for me, that it was somewhat unpredictable. Readers who prefer a more formulaic fantasy might not enjoy it as much.
Epic fantasy is not usually my genre of choice but I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading the 2nd book in the series.
Epic fantasy is not usually my genre of choice but I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading the 2nd book in the series.
April 21, 2015
This is a intelligent, fun-to-read, intricate fantasy book. It will be appreciated by anyone that has every played Dungeons and Dragons, or read Tolkien, Rothfuss, or Pratchett. John Sloat's imagination seems to have no bounds. He's able to constantly put the heroes into the most inescapble dangerous situations and then somehow see that they get out. Mr. Sloat has an enjoyable writing style that is smooth, unique and intertwined with the right amount of humour, intelligence, and insight.
October 5, 2015
The descriptions are vivid and rich, the characters and dialogue fascinating and the plotting is out of this world quite literally. Everything you could want from a mystical Sorcery tale and so much more. The attention to detail this author brings to the table is outstanding. It's a long but incredibly satisfying read for fans of the genre or those looking to convert. Excellent effort !
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews