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The Circle #1

Shadowmancer

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Jules was born with a gift, but until now, he's only used it for small and selfish reasons.
That will all change as he's inducted into The Circle, a secret international organisation that takes the magickally gifted and puts them to work, fighting the forces of darkness, saving an unknowing world from malevolence that hide in the shadows.
And Jules knows shadows all too well; he can command them to do his bidding...

But it's not just The Circle that has their eye on Jules. There's another Magickian that watches him, intervening in his life, trying to put him on a path to discover the truth.

Because The Circle is not what it seems. The world is not as it seems.
And soon, Jules will have to choose between the status quo or the greater good.
Either way, the lives of everyone he loves will hang in the balance.

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 6, 2017

12 people are currently reading
61 people want to read

About the author

Lee Isserow

57 books43 followers
Lee Isserow is an award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker, with over fifteen years spent trawling the back streets and dark alleys of the 'entertainment' industry.

Lee lives in Liverpool, England because they accidentally bought a house there. Don't ask how that happened - they used to drink a lot.

You may read more about the Book A Month project at ABAM.info

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5 stars
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19 (35%)
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11 (20%)
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for E. .
337 reviews281 followers
July 16, 2019
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley

3,5★

Representation: MC is a gay black man married to an Arab man

Let’s start with that this is a very fast read. I was just turning pages effortlessly and if not for the fact that I was a bit busy lately I would be done with it in 1-2 days. It’s one of those books that just flows naturally most of the time and short chapters help with that for sure.

I also like the worldbuilding. I loved the shadow based powers and even though with some things connected to the Circle I felt like I had to suspend my disbelief (yes, it’s a magical society. I know. But still, there were some ‘huh?’ moments where I didn’t want any) - it was really interesting.

I liked the contrast between Jules’ grandmother’s philosophy and teaching and the Circle’s ways. It felt really fresh and the mental image of one old woman strong enough to oppose the biggest institution of her world in any way was one hell of a mental image. Also, I liked how she had a sort of mentor position even though we mostly hear about her in Jules’ stories.

Nevertheless, I felt like it started with a prologue that lasted 3 chapters and then the action was pretty slow for the first half of the book.

When we finally got to the first battle I didn’t really know what was going on because there was little build up towards it and then all those characters introduced just before it left me confused. I just couldn’t keep track of them all.

I had no idea what’s Jules’ goal most of the time? He constantly claimed he just wants a normal life with his husband and son but a) he kept circling around the Circle (I couldn’t help myself, sorry…) and that left him a bit indecisive which I really don’t like in a MC and b) most of his relationship with his husband focused on Jules keeping him in the dark about his powers (...and yet again with the puns) so this wasn’t 100% believable.

I liked the social issues which were brought up but the way in which this was done made me feel like I was reading an essay? I hoped it would be woven into the story instead of just kind of stated.

The story was set in modern times but I kinda felt like I was in an 80s movie for some reason? I have no idea why (maybe it's the shady government and a bit cheesy dialogue but who knows) but it was something. I think it gave the story a special feeling, at least for me.

The story had some flaws but I would like to read more of it and see how it develops.

__________________________

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Profile Image for Elissa.
Author 39 books109 followers
March 5, 2017
I had the pleasure of LISTENING to a copy of this book read by the author. Initially a bit flat, as the story takes off the author gets more involved in his narration and does some terrific voices including quite a credible accent for his American-born hero. I almost always enjoy when authors read their own books as you get to hear the characters as s/he does--sometimes quite differently than you might have imagined them from the words on the page or the characters on a screen (movie/TV adaptations). After finishing the audiobook I did go back and read the first few chapters, surprised to learn that the head of The Circle is Beryn rather than Baron Comstock--pronounced, after all, the same, and, as the primary setting is London, noble titles would not be unexpected at CEO levels. In fact names are often my biggest challenge in a narrated book as I am a rather visual person, but the freedom to do other things (driving, laundry, riding a bike) while educating and entertaining one's mind is a real joy.

Now let's talk about the story. The particular talent of our hero is new to me and the style of "magick" used, involving sigils, and the various nonhuman creatures were, largely, as well, at least in their present adaptations. I am, of course, familiar with both the Disney and 1001 Nights (well, at least one of the English translations of the "Golden Age" Arabic original) versions of the Aladdin story of the genie/djinn) and was delighted with the spin Mr. Isserow put on the tale. Having not read Lovecraft, my knowledge of Cthulu is severely limited but he/it gets to play, too. Imaginative, creative and fast-paced, blown up bridges and chases, this adventure does call out for a Hollywood treatment but also does quite well in its present formats and I would recommend it for middle school (no sex; some graphic violence but well within tolerance for any who already read science fiction/fantasy; PG-13) on up.
Profile Image for Rosemary.
3,881 reviews71 followers
February 23, 2018
Shadowmancer - a review by Rosemary Kenny

Jules Nichols is a 5th level adept who can control shadows to fight evil, in this exciting adventure from Master of the Fantasy Thriller, Lee Isserow - a story that shows the hidden world in a tense and exciting way to fans of amazing stories of the unexpected and seriously unmissable tale of the supernatural and the mundane.

Jules' husband Akim and their adept-aware son Natan, are in serious danger when Jules is inveigled into accepting the Circle's mission for him. What is the mission and why is it so dangerous for all involved? What are the folklore stories that Jules passes on to Natan and where did he learn them in childhood? Is there any truth in them?
Later on, who helps Jules with extra abilities and who is this person to Jules? Talika Rez, a Circle employee also helps Jules, but in what way? When they go to the Villa de Vecci, what do the team find there?
As the tale moves between the ordinary world where people like Akim have no powers and the Shadow Realm, where Jules and his team members, Isiah Faith, Shana Kanta and Sabre have much more - but so do their enemies, the danger increases exponentially and the tension is almost unbearable. Grab your copy now and join in the thrills!
Profile Image for Baron Bruce.
80 reviews8 followers
March 30, 2017
What has Mercenary Mages working for a secretive government agency, a reluctant adept and Cthulhu? If you answered Lee Isserow's Shadowmancer you would be correct. Yes, that Cthulhu. Jules has spent all 0of his life avoiding contact with the Circle on the advice of his grandmother but when a demigod takes over an Italian village and wipes out the first response team he ends up drafted into service.

Lee Isserow gives the fantasy buff everything they crave, a secret Illuminati agency protecting the Earth from Arcane threats with a hero who's equal parts, Harry Potter and Harry Dresden. Jules is that mage, master of an eclectic sorcery he has to rise to meet the threat of Cthulhu's Loins (you didn't expect the whole demon, did you? C'mon it's just the book). Jules has enough on his plate after he finds out his hero is the biggest disgrace in the Circle's history! If you like magic, shadowy organizations and Elder Gods of the universe, this is your book.
Profile Image for LOLA.
643 reviews2 followers
April 16, 2018
A fast paced paranormal mystery. There is very little if any sexual contact and that didn't detract from the story at all.
So caught up in the magic aspect. The circle is a behind the scenes fixer for all magic to hide from the mundane.
A nasty Djinn has reappeared and the circle needs help from
a shadow adept. Who doesn't want anything to do with them.
Reluctantly he helps and events unfold that you didn't see coming. This tale is very well done. Fast pace. Good characters. World building is very well done.
So luckily book #2 is available.
Happily jumping right into the next episodes which deals with dreams. Should be interesting.
Mostly this tale is paranormal. Only reference to MM is that the family is two guys and a kid.
A good read.
(Given a copy for an honest review)(NetGalley)(Thanks)
Profile Image for Monique.
907 reviews1 follower
May 4, 2017
Wow! Where to start? This is certainly a very original story, with fascinating characters. Quite different in many ways, like the protagonist being the anti-hero, and to be (initially at least) almost unlikeable. He has many endearing characteristics though, which just proves how multifaceted this character is. An intriguing new world created by Lee, one I would definitely be happy to revisit. It is, overall, a fantastic read. I would be very interested in seeing where this story is taken to next.
Profile Image for Stine Hopsdal.
120 reviews4 followers
May 7, 2018
*copy received from netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This was a very pleasurable read indeed! I found the magic system to be something fresh and new-ish, which is a rare thing for me. The characters are fun and cool and varied in their powers, which is cool.

For a first novel in a series, I did feel that I didn't get to know the characters as well as I would've liked, but again - that makes me want to read more from this series, so...point author I guess. *lol*

A solid 4 stars for this one, and a definite recommendation.
Profile Image for Katie.
228 reviews35 followers
April 14, 2017
Received in exchange for honest review
this is an awesome book, intriguing plot, cool characters,
Shadows...Magick,
recommend Everyone go and read !
Profile Image for Fangs for the Fantasy.
1,449 reviews195 followers
August 26, 2018
Jules is a powerful magician… but has spent much of his life avoiding the greater magical community living as normal a life he can with his husband and child

His magical skills are rare - and when a new supernatural threat those are in demand. The Circle needs his magic and his help - the world needs it. But Jules’s grandmother warned him about the Circle and how it was falling to selfish corruption… can Jules work with them even for the sake of humanity?


This book had a really excellent foundation, especially with some really good characters and world. We have Jules, a Black gay man with a strong grounding in social justice and considerable suspicion of authority. At this point it would be easy to create a shell character who exists more as a PSA than a character - but he isn’t; his opinions and vehement beliefs are worked well into the character and his story. We also have some really neatly incorporated world building through children’s stories which does an excellent job of introducing the world, his family - both his son and his infamous grandmother - and giving us some insight into magic. It was really neatly done and is an excellent example of how good the writing is

The actions scenes are fun and excellently written, well paced and nicely knife edged and in even the brief time we have we do get surprisingly amounts of information about the characters. Again with brief words we get a better shape of the world, the circle and the how magic works.

Unfortunately in addition to all that it was also… really short? And kind of undeveloped because of it. Like I love that Jules is gay and has a relationship with Akif and a son. But Akif is a name, I think he has three lines in the whole book. Yes there wasn’t a lot of chance to showcase this relationship but that, again, is part of how short this book was. The actual chance to develop Jules, Akif, his relationship, his history, who he is, who they are are all somewhat missing. We get Jules’s history with his grandmother and a brief reference as to why they’re in London but then we kind of hit the ground running, Akif is forgotten which is a shame because it clearly should be a major part of Jule’s life. It would have been nice to build more of a base line for Jules and Akif et al before the plot got moving, maybe introduced his powers, some concepts of magic etc. Because the author already did a really good job with the stories he tells his child (giving us some magical world building) which makes me think the that more world building would be really well done

Albeit there’s just a little side line of gross-out and obsession with orifices in the magic world we could probably do without.


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Profile Image for  B. Sinsational.
167 reviews12 followers
November 11, 2017
🌹 Unique Excellence!! 🌹
With the very magic golden pen of his he did it again. He hit the very perfect spot! So stating the very obvious here; Intriguing, creative, and a outstanding story is whats hidden inside the cover of this book.
Many people search for a book with good intrigue, characters that engage, and a storyline that is credible. That is constant features in all the books from this author, and he always delivers that in abundance. The HUGE PLUS comes in a form of a treasure trove of uniquely varied, brilliant stories.
If I am to draw a parallel; This Author is equivalent of Vivaldi, amped up with fingertip sensibility of the exact perfect mesmerizing, outstanding story. With a range that spans this whole genre, and then some other too, thats gigantic proportions.
Most Authors stick to a narrow niche, so this is not your Average run of the mills type of book or Author .
Even if you never have read a single book from this author before, I’d be more than surprised if you would not find your special “flavour” that you consider to be awesome, and that before reading three books. They are so
Unique, rich and full of things that qualify as OMG! -worthy and/or AWESOME!
Obvious by now Is that I am most definitely a fan, and have exceptionally high expectations, almost to the level where it should be impossible to meet or supersede them. But with magical ease my admiration and high hopes were met, interest captured and mesmerized, and my craving for the unique, and exceptional, well and thoroughly sated with the excellence i craved. A genuine exclamation that burst from me as I finished reading; “WOW! What a story”. I can hardly wait for the next book, even if they are stand alone.
I L❤️VE IT !
Profile Image for soda.
475 reviews47 followers
June 18, 2017
I'm putting this down for now. I might pick it up later, but I tried to read it 4 times and I kept putting it back down.

I like the premise of the story, but to be honest it was hard to even get to the story. Every other page there's a political message. The lead character left "Trump's America", he's gay,married, and his husband is apparently having to lie about his obvious muslim heritage.

Come on! I don't care what side of the fence you're on - If I want to read about politics and agendas that's what facebook is for. Give me a GOOD STORY, not an obvious agenda (again, talking to both sides here).

642 reviews4 followers
April 25, 2018
I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review. This is the first book I have read from this author but it won't be the last. It starts with a man on a bus, but not an ordinary man. He is a Shadowmancer. This book has shadows; goblins and ghouls, blood drinkers and marrow suckers. We really don't want to forget the djinns.. I was captivated by the imagery and creativity. This book is a labor of love.
'As with all things , love is all that matters, love for all and for every living thing.'
Profile Image for Deedra.
3,932 reviews40 followers
June 23, 2017
Lee Isserow has a magical voice for narration.He is also the author.A nice combo.I liked this book.Jules was born with magic.He always kept it low profile but one day he decides to just let it go.He is then taken to an agency where they put the magical to work fighting evil.I was provided this book by the Author or publisher.
Profile Image for Neil.
1,593 reviews14 followers
May 21, 2019
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
I really struggled to get into this and just found the whole story confusing.
It might just be me but I won't be reading any more of this series.
Profile Image for Carlos Trevino.
130 reviews2 followers
June 11, 2018
With all the occult Easter eggs throughout the novel and the Lovecraft-like origins of all the baddies, this book wasn't long enough
Profile Image for Bonnie Dale Keck.
4,677 reviews58 followers
June 19, 2017
Kindle Unlimited or got on freebie day depending on which story/collection. Very odd writer, not a bad thing, unusual, and for someone such as me that read, a LOT {10-20 or more book, a DAY} that's saying something. See the list of books below? That's just not a be nice and list them all, that's the list of books am reading at this sitting, pretty sure that was all of them. If I missed any or it says not verified {because no matter how many hundreds have spent over the last 3 years, plus ku, never says verified on mine unless freebie day etc} the writer can feel free to send them to me lol {serious not serious but mostly serious}. The more I read of him, the more the southern 'bless his heart' kicks in, wondering just how many times and ways that poor boy was dropped on his head, how hard, and if on purpose. Interesting reading though...because of?

Murder at Raven's Lodge (The Freelancers case files)
The Loiterers (The Freelancers case files)
The Freelancers case files (2 Book Series)

The Spirit Box (The Freelancers #1) - out now
The Roving Death (The Freelancers #2) - out now
The Prince Of Darkness (The Freelancers #3) - out now
Spirited Words (The Freelancers #4) - July 2017
Snakeskin (The Freelancers #5) - August 2017

Shadowmancer (The Circle #1) - out now
The Knowledge (The Circle #2)- September 2017
Red Rain (The Circle #3) - October 2017
Family Ties (The Circle #4) - November 2017

Touch Sensitive - A Sensitive Time
The APEX Cycle series - @ 1 - The Whistle 2 - NLI-10 3 - Testing Ground 4
What A Day To End The World {spin off is Tangents}
also I Hate Time Travelers - Dead City- Due Date - Murder by Natural Causes with follow up Simon & Emily Are Going To Hell: A love story (sort of) - Footprints: A short fantasy tale - Shadowmancer -- Unknown: A Science Fiction and Fantasy Anthology (Hidden Worlds Book 1) {Testing Ground} is Anthology writer is & so is Vernal Equinox: Short Stories from the Worlds of KP Novels (Kindle Press Anthologies Book 2){A Sensitive Time}
Profile Image for Saundra Wright.
2,898 reviews13 followers
August 11, 2019
Seeking a life surrounded by less prejudice, magical Jules, his mundane Islamic husband and their son move from New Orleans to London. His husband employed, Jules still has trouble finding work until approached by The Circle, the very same Circle of the fabulous bedtime takes from his Grammy. However the stories came with a warning that the Circle, originally designed to protect humans from all types of dangers, had been corrupted. Now they needed Jules and his special skills. Lives are at stake, Jules needs a job but he wants a normal job for his normal family. It's the first of many moral dilemmas Jules will face in this exciting paranormal adventure where more than lives but the fate of the world may be at stake and the outcome lies in the hands of a man that simply wishes for happy family life!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

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