A Way with Magic

The Draakonor Chronicles #1

by David E. Barber

Magic and sorcery clash in a land of enchantment.

A thousand years ago the veil separating the world of Ninavar from a fabled country known as the Dreamland was destroyed, releasing the denizens of myth and legend into the human world and sparking a war that would last for centuries. A hard-fought peace was eventually won, but now an old adversary has returned who seeks to stir up forgotten hatreds and reignite the conflict.

Portia, daughter to the tyrannical baron of Nachtwald, is about to be married—she just doesn’t know to whom. But Portia has her own ideas about what she wants from life and plots to run away so she can pursue her dream of becoming a wizard like her mother before her. Finn, Portia’s younger brother, is also trying to escape his destiny as heir to the kingdom and complete his goal of becoming a master thief and adventurer.

When a small band of heroes arrives in Nachtwald pursued by the vanguard of an approaching army, Portia and Finn see an opportunity. With the city on the verge of a siege, the siblings join forces with the heroes in a desperate bid to save Nachtwald and, at the same time, alter their fates. But first they must contend with the army at their gates and with the evil sorceress who, armed with a mysterious obsidian shard of glass, is bent on destroying them all.

388 pages, Paperback

Published June 3, 2017

About the author

David E. Barber grew up in the Midwest, surviving childhood on a steady diet of fantasy, science fiction, and horror books, movies, and comics. Inspired by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, George R.R. Martin, and countless others, he began writing stories of his own and is currently hard at work on his next novel. He lives in Colorado.

Reviews

[David Walsh]

Absolutely nails the genre!
Had a chance to read an advance copy, I thought it was great but I was really surprised how much I enjoyed reading the final edit!

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.
With "A Way With Magic," Barber has created a rich fantasy world, blending original characters within a framework of new and old mythologies. The story is well written and grabs you from the outset. It is a must-read for fans of the genre.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading A Way with Magic. It is a fast paced fantasy with interesting characters unexpected twists and turns. At the end of the book, I wanted to start the next one in the series and see what was going to happen next.

[Jason Hubbard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Technically, there's nothing wrong with "A Way with Magic." It's well written, thoughtfully laid out with interesting lore that ultimately doesn't get too complex, and there's a lot of action. Problem is, it's rather formulaic and unimpressive, full of characters with the bare minimum of sufficient characterization, some of whom seem downright invincible against overwhelming odds. There's plenty of magic to be had as the title suggests, but when you get right down to it, this story is a downscaled version of the battle of Minas Tirith in "The Return of the King." I've read more compelling books than this, where the characters seem truly alive and spirited and not cardboard cutouts. Maybe if this was my very first fantasy novel, I'd be enthralled with the great battle against orcs with the deus ex machina ending, but sadly that's not the case with me.