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Rogues of Magic #1-3
Rogues of Magic
Forsaken to be a killer and sent to be a destroyer, Sviska must choose his own path.
Sviska is a man of the shadows, an assassin without any one place to call his own. But in the Far North, he discovers a secret. Magic, long thought lost to the world, is alive. The genocide to destroy every elf, wizard, and sacred being of old is not yet complete. Sviska's masters work the strings of the world and he has been sent for a task he does not even fully understand yet. When at last he feels he has what he has always wanted, darkness falls upon the world.
Forced to rise up to face an enemy more terrible than any he has ever met, Sviska comes to a moral crossroad. The Rogues of Magic rise but will Sviska be the blade that unites them all or strikes those of magic from the world forever? In this Tale of the Dwemhar trilogy, prepare yourself for a war that will bring about the gods of old, the remnants of the many races of magic, and follow a man in his journey to awaken that which sleeps deep within himself.
Sviska is a man of the shadows, an assassin without any one place to call his own. But in the Far North, he discovers a secret. Magic, long thought lost to the world, is alive. The genocide to destroy every elf, wizard, and sacred being of old is not yet complete. Sviska's masters work the strings of the world and he has been sent for a task he does not even fully understand yet. When at last he feels he has what he has always wanted, darkness falls upon the world.
Forced to rise up to face an enemy more terrible than any he has ever met, Sviska comes to a moral crossroad. The Rogues of Magic rise but will Sviska be the blade that unites them all or strikes those of magic from the world forever? In this Tale of the Dwemhar trilogy, prepare yourself for a war that will bring about the gods of old, the remnants of the many races of magic, and follow a man in his journey to awaken that which sleeps deep within himself.
644 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 24, 2018
1361 people are currently reading
330 people want to read
About the author
J.T. Williams
93 books392 followersUSA TODAY Bestselling author J.T. Williams writes fast-paced sword and sorcery along with dark epic fantasy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
June 23, 2018
A great epic saga which pits the usual good against evil but apart from the poetic and descriptive narrative which I really enjoyed I loved the fact that the author made our great heroes often show their emotions and cry even though these where hardened warriors. This was a refreshing aspect to encounter in such an epic sword and sorcery saga. The descriptions are so vivid that the reader feels totally immersed in this beautiful trilogy. I do not think I have ever read such fine detail descriptions in any other book and this goes on throughout the whole set. The Saints of Wura are chosen and they are the last of their magical races as in the last elf, Berie, the last dwarf, Slats, the last Dwemhar, Sveska and the last rusis, Garoa and the quest to return magic to the land and to rid the land of all evil of the order, the protectorate and the man of mists, the Itsu priest and this is such a daunting task. So much action takes place throughout the story, great battle scenes as well those which are magically enhanced after this was brought back to the world make this book a real thrill. Each of the saints of Wura had a role to play and they all did their job really well even when the situation turned so dire! In the final battle these are aided by many other creatures and it was amazing to see all fighting together even those who were usually enemies of one another to rid their world of evil. This series is one which just needs to be read, guaranteed not to disappoint.
August 4, 2018
I have not given up on a book in a very long time but this one I just could not finish. It had all the major elements for a great story as well as all the different races and gods one can imagine. The world was described well and I liked the different points of view of the min characters.
What absolutely deterred me from the book was the choppy transitions between different scenes, locations, parts of the journey. The characters were also VERY flat (no major issues, no real internal tournaments, no...well character). It felt like I am reading a kids book where everything is very simplified just plain black and white.
It is a shame, I really wanted to like the story.
What absolutely deterred me from the book was the choppy transitions between different scenes, locations, parts of the journey. The characters were also VERY flat (no major issues, no real internal tournaments, no...well character). It felt like I am reading a kids book where everything is very simplified just plain black and white.
It is a shame, I really wanted to like the story.
July 8, 2018
Really enjoyed this trilogy and it was easy to read. In the first book I felt the story took time to develop but the other two books were really well written and delivered a complex and well structured storyline. The action sequences in particular were excellent. Always positive when you reach for a book when you have a spare hour or so and that’s exactly what happened with this set. Look forward to reading some of the authors other material.
November 1, 2018
The Struggle
The opening chapter is the best and then the narrative drops off the face of the earth and drags like no other. I gave the book the benefit of the doubt, but I'm finding it exceptionally difficult to keep reading page after page of background scenery. The descriptive writing is the best I've encountered, TJ Williams can really make you feel like you're in the scene. Only the heavy description sidetracks the characters. I often forgot I was reading a story about a guy named Sviska because the narrative gets amnesia and forgets he's there.
I swear there's like fifty straight pages of this dude walking through the snow encountering your bog standard innkeeper and jaded townsfolk and he hardly says more than five words the entire time. This is at the beginning of the trilogy in book 1 and it felt like I read a 300-page tome of a guy on a quest for warmth.
There's a plot somewhere behind the solid description. I tried to reach it but it's a struggle. I have another book from this author: Half-Bloods Rising, to which I'm trying to gain ground in. I may or may not continue this trilogy.
The opening chapter is the best and then the narrative drops off the face of the earth and drags like no other. I gave the book the benefit of the doubt, but I'm finding it exceptionally difficult to keep reading page after page of background scenery. The descriptive writing is the best I've encountered, TJ Williams can really make you feel like you're in the scene. Only the heavy description sidetracks the characters. I often forgot I was reading a story about a guy named Sviska because the narrative gets amnesia and forgets he's there.
I swear there's like fifty straight pages of this dude walking through the snow encountering your bog standard innkeeper and jaded townsfolk and he hardly says more than five words the entire time. This is at the beginning of the trilogy in book 1 and it felt like I read a 300-page tome of a guy on a quest for warmth.
There's a plot somewhere behind the solid description. I tried to reach it but it's a struggle. I have another book from this author: Half-Bloods Rising, to which I'm trying to gain ground in. I may or may not continue this trilogy.
August 30, 2018
Captivating
Action packed fantasy with a great complex storyline. Worth while read. A little bit of romance exploration of various races and how they interact. Magical and non magical beings.
Action packed fantasy with a great complex storyline. Worth while read. A little bit of romance exploration of various races and how they interact. Magical and non magical beings.
August 10, 2018
Enjoyed
September 7, 2018
Maybe if I had been able to get past Sviska - but he was such a tepid MC. I just couldn't engage. I thought the dwarf had potential. *sigh* Sorry. I tried, DNF at 42% of first book. *frowns* I am crossing my fingers, hoping your half-elf series suits me better.
September 2, 2018
An awesome fantasy adventure
This is a great epic fantasy. The story grabbed a hold of me right from the beginning and hasn’t let go even after the last chapter was read. I’m looking forward to reading more stories from this world.
This is a great epic fantasy. The story grabbed a hold of me right from the beginning and hasn’t let go even after the last chapter was read. I’m looking forward to reading more stories from this world.
June 10, 2018
Good Read.
Three books in one read. The beginning, the middle and the end. Magic is weak in the world. A new wine maker is sent to a out of the way city. His help is needed to hinder a curse. This leads to magic coming back with evil needing to be stopped. This is a good long read full of action and adventure.
Three books in one read. The beginning, the middle and the end. Magic is weak in the world. A new wine maker is sent to a out of the way city. His help is needed to hinder a curse. This leads to magic coming back with evil needing to be stopped. This is a good long read full of action and adventure.
June 10, 2018
A good read.
A great read about the battle of good and evil. Kind of gas a feel of the Lord of the Rings, but just in the characters. The world of the story is greatly described. I really enjoyed this series and will look for more by the author.
A great read about the battle of good and evil. Kind of gas a feel of the Lord of the Rings, but just in the characters. The world of the story is greatly described. I really enjoyed this series and will look for more by the author.
July 19, 2018
Couldn’t make it beyond the first chapter. Far too difficult to read, had to read and re-read sentences to understand what was happening. There may be a good plot to this series, but it’s hard to get to.
July 20, 2018
A great story about an assassin with a conscious. Very enjoyable read!
July 28, 2018
Destiny awaits
I absolutely loved this series. The characters were well written and the story was amazing. Lots of different supernatural and human allies against a common evil.
I absolutely loved this series. The characters were well written and the story was amazing. Lots of different supernatural and human allies against a common evil.
November 5, 2018
It started off with a bang...and ended with an explosion of awesomeness!! I absolutely LOVED the first book—it’s actually one of my fave JT Williams books, next to Half-Bloods Rising...and to end the trilogy with almost an entire book dedicated to a battle!! Now THAT’s MY kind of book!!
From its rich world building, fast-paced scenes, and the whirl of adventure I've come to expect from each of his books, it's an adventure you don't want to miss! Sviska is not your average assassin, and with all the lies, secrets, and betrayal surrounding him, he must decide what side he's on.
If you're a fan of Richard Knaak, Brandon Sanderson, and Jeff Wheeler, immerse yourself in this epic tale and be transported into a world of magic and adventure!
From its rich world building, fast-paced scenes, and the whirl of adventure I've come to expect from each of his books, it's an adventure you don't want to miss! Sviska is not your average assassin, and with all the lies, secrets, and betrayal surrounding him, he must decide what side he's on.
If you're a fan of Richard Knaak, Brandon Sanderson, and Jeff Wheeler, immerse yourself in this epic tale and be transported into a world of magic and adventure!
August 31, 2018
Great editing!
Hope your future books are of the same quality!!! Was very frustrated reading the others, but struggled on... Glad I did! Really enjoyed the quality of The Rogues of Magic!!!
Hope your future books are of the same quality!!! Was very frustrated reading the others, but struggled on... Glad I did! Really enjoyed the quality of The Rogues of Magic!!!
August 26, 2018
Totally epic!
First time reading this author. Fell in love with this realm. Looking to continue exploring more of this rich world!
First time reading this author. Fell in love with this realm. Looking to continue exploring more of this rich world!
August 19, 2018
three good books in this series
I read all three of these books and thoroughly enjoyed them. To me they were very well written and the author tells a great story that keeps you reading. after the first one I had to get the other two. the bonus to all of this was three good books with no profanity in them.
I read all three of these books and thoroughly enjoyed them. To me they were very well written and the author tells a great story that keeps you reading. after the first one I had to get the other two. the bonus to all of this was three good books with no profanity in them.
January 11, 2020
This book was bad. I like to finish a book if I start it, but you won't see me near books 2 & 3. Powerfully bad. Let's go into detail. The entire book felt like it was written in Eastern Europe and you got a poor translation to english. The characters showed no growth and you really did not like them very much. Worse, their interactions were weak. Conversations were not very comfortable and natural. The beginning concept, which you finally discovered about 70% into the book, was not awful, but it was just a plot device. Descriptions were hazy. The entire book needed a good editor. In one paragraph there is a naked body in the snow. In the next paragraph the characters are searching the body and it's tunic to see what he is carrying. Suddenly a character is shouting and glaring angrily at the others. You can search, but you won't find out why. I was highly surprised to see how much has been published by this author. I was not surprised to see he had written a decology. I thought possibly he could not come to the point. However I was surprised to see he had written short stories because there every word should count. In short, I will be avoiding future offerings by this author.
August 1, 2018
Lacks smooth transitions
Transitions from locations are very unrealistic. Main characters have no real issues moving around the world. Almost feels if the cities are just miles apart not across the seas or major land. The book overall is like a draft of a really great book. Cant recommend this book to others. I will not read any other books from this author. Needed more depth in story line and someone needed to analyze if any parts of the story fit the time period and world. Did everything make since. The main character is suppose to be a highly trained assassin but at times fights like a beginner making stupid mistakes against lesser warriors and yet against demons and experienced fighters he holds his own (this bugged me the most).9 He dropped his weopen more times then i care to say. Really an experienced fighter can't hold onto his weopen throughout all the books. All the main characters in the book seem to be both terriable fighters and then amazing fighters. Bummed that unrealistic characters ruined a possible great book. Find a different author.
Transitions from locations are very unrealistic. Main characters have no real issues moving around the world. Almost feels if the cities are just miles apart not across the seas or major land. The book overall is like a draft of a really great book. Cant recommend this book to others. I will not read any other books from this author. Needed more depth in story line and someone needed to analyze if any parts of the story fit the time period and world. Did everything make since. The main character is suppose to be a highly trained assassin but at times fights like a beginner making stupid mistakes against lesser warriors and yet against demons and experienced fighters he holds his own (this bugged me the most).9 He dropped his weopen more times then i care to say. Really an experienced fighter can't hold onto his weopen throughout all the books. All the main characters in the book seem to be both terriable fighters and then amazing fighters. Bummed that unrealistic characters ruined a possible great book. Find a different author.
September 2, 2018
Worst ever
Everything about this series is bad. Horribly written, mistakes in grammar and homonyms abound. It reads like it was written by a 5th grade kid for whom English is a second language. And there are obvious mistakes in the content! The story wanders aimlessly, and the dialogue is infantile. Literally this review is better written. Worst of all, the main job of a writer is to paint pictures in the reader’s head. But I rarely saw anything, and most (90%?) of the time I wasn’t sure what the writer was trying to convey. Did anyone read this thing? I KNOW no one edited it!
Everything about this series is bad. Horribly written, mistakes in grammar and homonyms abound. It reads like it was written by a 5th grade kid for whom English is a second language. And there are obvious mistakes in the content! The story wanders aimlessly, and the dialogue is infantile. Literally this review is better written. Worst of all, the main job of a writer is to paint pictures in the reader’s head. But I rarely saw anything, and most (90%?) of the time I wasn’t sure what the writer was trying to convey. Did anyone read this thing? I KNOW no one edited it!
July 23, 2018
I'm 2/3 through the first book, and I just can't get into it. The main issue for me is that Sviska, the lead character, has no agency - he just flops along through the story, with stuff happening to him to keep the story going. I also found the writing is a bit awkward, and I often needed to reread sentences to follow what was happening.
I liked the idea of this story - just think it needed a bit more development.
I liked the idea of this story - just think it needed a bit more development.
May 4, 2020
Excellent read..I did via audible books.. a lot of twists , great story telling, a little bit too much of magic that was to far fetched .. I get it , it’s magic but there’s a point where it’s a bit Much. Over all, good read and entertaining. Sviska should have been more bad ass than goroarah... just saying ...
October 8, 2018
December Trilogy 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is a very interesting tale. Great characters, lots of action, strengths and weaknesses. Good verses evil with different races some magical and non magical along with creatures of all kinds!
The Story line is great and holds your attention from first to last. The only thing wrong with it was that it ended! All things must end though. It's a great read!
This is a very interesting tale. Great characters, lots of action, strengths and weaknesses. Good verses evil with different races some magical and non magical along with creatures of all kinds!
The Story line is great and holds your attention from first to last. The only thing wrong with it was that it ended! All things must end though. It's a great read!
January 18, 2020
I hated this after reading almost all of the first book of the trilogy, so I decided to stop reading it. However, it took me month and months to come to that decision, so it pretty much made me read zero books in full for all of 2019, as a result of thinking 'do I want to read right now, or do something else', and 'something else' always winning out over continuing reading this.
October 30, 2018
Reading this trilogy has been a grand undertaking to say the least
Book 1 Winemaker of the North
This is the first book in Mr. Williams trilogy and an epic read it is! Very interesting plot and some surprises along the way. This is very well written which has improved greatly from the author’s Stormborn novella. I liked the idea of the bad guy going soft. Sviska learned to appreciate the magic of the town he was assigned to by the ‘Order’ and came to regret the deceitfulness he was ordered to maintain while he was there. He learned to feel kindness toward the people and wished he could help them with their curse and plagues. He continued to reflect on the Order’s motives and wanted to find a way out of his assignment. The ending came with a fierce battle between the evil Order and the god Wura. An action packed battle at the end very well described! Very exciting!
Book 2 Rogues of the North
Pack your bags and get ready to go. You’re goin on an ‘advencha’. But unlike Bilbo Baggins, you’ll be going with the last elf, the last dwarf, a healer, A magic user, and the Winemaker. Plus sometimes picking up another traveler here and there. Adventure after adventure these Rogues continued on. Two, the dwarf and the elf, went seeking the sacred book and magical jewel hidden since the last war that extinguished all the dwarves and all of the elves. The other two Rogues went in search of Garoa’s long lost wife and daughter. This second book in The Rogues of Magic series continues with some extreme world building. Each area that the travelers come to is very well described as if you were right along with them. This part of the series you don’t just read. You travel.
Book 3 Reckoning of the North
This third book of The Rogues of Magic trilogy is jam packed with almost all kinds of magical creatures both good and evil. The Rogues continue to fight the evil darkness of the Itsu and cleansing of the land continues. This story just keeps going on and on with no end in sight. There is some relaxing celebrations after some battles but no sooner do they celebrate, then they are off again to fight another enemy that has come forth. There is enough action going on that it is almost madness. The good guys develop stronger magical powers as they continue on. The one thing I found lacking in this story is the development of the characters. We have not many clues as to what each character is feeling and what they think about whatever is happening around them. We are only told what they are doing. Because of this, I felt no investment with any of them.
All in all, if you like looonnnggg epic fantasies then this will be perfect for you.
Book 1 Winemaker of the North
This is the first book in Mr. Williams trilogy and an epic read it is! Very interesting plot and some surprises along the way. This is very well written which has improved greatly from the author’s Stormborn novella. I liked the idea of the bad guy going soft. Sviska learned to appreciate the magic of the town he was assigned to by the ‘Order’ and came to regret the deceitfulness he was ordered to maintain while he was there. He learned to feel kindness toward the people and wished he could help them with their curse and plagues. He continued to reflect on the Order’s motives and wanted to find a way out of his assignment. The ending came with a fierce battle between the evil Order and the god Wura. An action packed battle at the end very well described! Very exciting!
Book 2 Rogues of the North
Pack your bags and get ready to go. You’re goin on an ‘advencha’. But unlike Bilbo Baggins, you’ll be going with the last elf, the last dwarf, a healer, A magic user, and the Winemaker. Plus sometimes picking up another traveler here and there. Adventure after adventure these Rogues continued on. Two, the dwarf and the elf, went seeking the sacred book and magical jewel hidden since the last war that extinguished all the dwarves and all of the elves. The other two Rogues went in search of Garoa’s long lost wife and daughter. This second book in The Rogues of Magic series continues with some extreme world building. Each area that the travelers come to is very well described as if you were right along with them. This part of the series you don’t just read. You travel.
Book 3 Reckoning of the North
This third book of The Rogues of Magic trilogy is jam packed with almost all kinds of magical creatures both good and evil. The Rogues continue to fight the evil darkness of the Itsu and cleansing of the land continues. This story just keeps going on and on with no end in sight. There is some relaxing celebrations after some battles but no sooner do they celebrate, then they are off again to fight another enemy that has come forth. There is enough action going on that it is almost madness. The good guys develop stronger magical powers as they continue on. The one thing I found lacking in this story is the development of the characters. We have not many clues as to what each character is feeling and what they think about whatever is happening around them. We are only told what they are doing. Because of this, I felt no investment with any of them.
All in all, if you like looonnnggg epic fantasies then this will be perfect for you.
October 30, 2019
I liked this series, the first two books were really fast paced and interesting. The third book was a little bit slower, until almost half-way through the book then it picked up and was fast paced and came to its conclusion, which left you gasping for more about the world. There is a prequel, called the Rogue Elf of Urlas, which I am currently reading. I recommend this series, just persevere with book 3 of the Rogues of Magic it is worth it, most great authors have a part where it slows down a bit, which only means that they are only going into detail a bit more, which is what happened with this series. A lot of people might not agree with me, but it is what I have found, during the many many years of reading fantasy novels, since I was 15 actually now im 66. Enjoy! the books
August 4, 2018
God wars
You should let your characters be at least powerful enough to face there antagonists. These characters can only survive if a God intervenes at the climax. Why have them? After the first book you pretty much know they are powerless and the Devine will interfere so they can make it through the series. Poor form
You should let your characters be at least powerful enough to face there antagonists. These characters can only survive if a God intervenes at the climax. Why have them? After the first book you pretty much know they are powerless and the Devine will interfere so they can make it through the series. Poor form
September 29, 2018
Better than a 3, but not worthy of 4
OK story, but flowed oddly. The rhythm of the wording at times flowed like a bad translation, making me go back and reread the same section a few times to understand it. That really detracted from the story.
Not something I'd read again, nor will I continue the series
OK story, but flowed oddly. The rhythm of the wording at times flowed like a bad translation, making me go back and reread the same section a few times to understand it. That really detracted from the story.
Not something I'd read again, nor will I continue the series
May 6, 2020
I started listening to these books because Tim Gerard Reynolds narrated it. Until these books I had a theory that his reading skills might be the reason I have liked so many of the books he’s performed (notably: Red Rising and Theft of Swords). This book proved that wrong. These books were flat, emotionless stories with no real conflict. I do not recommend.
March 27, 2023
Interesting characters, some grammatical errors.
Usually read more sci-fi than fantasy but enjoyed these three books. Admittedly a stickler related to grammar and vocabulary so made several comments related to both as I read. None were so egregious the story was adversely affected. Read and enjoy.
Usually read more sci-fi than fantasy but enjoyed these three books. Admittedly a stickler related to grammar and vocabulary so made several comments related to both as I read. None were so egregious the story was adversely affected. Read and enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews