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Mark of the Least
After the Darkness
Magic destroyed the world...but her power might be the key to protecting what's left.
It has been ten months since the Darkness lifted and the eclipse that toppled civilization ended. The mighty Vemiir Empire that once stretched from coast to coast, now lies in ruins. Aurelia’s family is all she has left. They surround her with love, they fight to protect her, but they do not understand her. No one does. No one but another magi would. And as far as she knows, she might be the last of those.
Magic was the downfall of the Empire, but magic is all Aurelia has to offer in this new world. A magic that her family fears and misunderstands. All she can do is hide it, bury it, and forget it and everything she went through to earn it. But the world is dangerous now, as well as full of possibilities. And Aurelia can’t help the feeling that magic not only has a place in it—it could be the key to learning how to survive, to grow, and to thrive in a world that’s been made completely new.
It has been ten months since the Darkness lifted and the eclipse that toppled civilization ended. The mighty Vemiir Empire that once stretched from coast to coast, now lies in ruins. Aurelia’s family is all she has left. They surround her with love, they fight to protect her, but they do not understand her. No one does. No one but another magi would. And as far as she knows, she might be the last of those.
Magic was the downfall of the Empire, but magic is all Aurelia has to offer in this new world. A magic that her family fears and misunderstands. All she can do is hide it, bury it, and forget it and everything she went through to earn it. But the world is dangerous now, as well as full of possibilities. And Aurelia can’t help the feeling that magic not only has a place in it—it could be the key to learning how to survive, to grow, and to thrive in a world that’s been made completely new.
- GenresYoung AdultFantasy
155 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 24, 2020
13 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Kendra Merritt
28 books85 followersBooks have been Kendra’s escape for as long as she can remember. She used to hide fantasy novels behind her government textbook in high school, and she wrote most of her first novel during a semester of college algebra.
Older and wiser now (but just as nerdy) Kendra writes retellings of fairytales with main characters who have disabilities. If she isn’t writing, she’s reading, and if she isn’t reading, she’s playing video games.
Kendra lives in Denver with her very tall husband, their book loving progeny, and a lazy black monster masquerading as a service dog.
Older and wiser now (but just as nerdy) Kendra writes retellings of fairytales with main characters who have disabilities. If she isn’t writing, she’s reading, and if she isn’t reading, she’s playing video games.
Kendra lives in Denver with her very tall husband, their book loving progeny, and a lazy black monster masquerading as a service dog.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 22, 2024
Another excellent addition to the Mark of the Least series. If you know me, you know i'm obsessed with this series and Aurelia's story is no exception to that. I loved how this talked about all different forms of fear and how that can both hinder and help to make people grow on different levels throughout this story. It mirrored a lot of things that I can tell when this was written that the real world had a lot of influence in the struggles the characters were facing. If you haven't already started this series, don't sleep it on, read these books.
March 3, 2023
An enjoyable, emotionally intelligent YA fantasy dystopian story of healing from hurt and accepting those with differences. A magical stand-alone that requires no knowledge of any other books in the series.
Our story is of Aurelia and her military family as they look for somewhere to settle in the post-magical world. Their society was literally held together by magic - everything from buildings to clothing - so when an event known as the Darkness causes magic to fail, their Empire falls down around them. Survivors blame the magi, those who wield magic, and so any who show signs of being magic sensitive are attacked and killed. Bad news for Aurelia who hadn't even graduated from her "Tempering"; in a family of warriors, she's a lone magi. They think to build themselves a haven in an old military fort whose only surviving resident is a holy man with a broken mind. But as new people arrive it's only so long before suspicions arise and enemies gather at their gates.
First things first: this needs to be a novel. Like right now. It's a good read, yes, but it begs for so much fleshing out. It could be the new Curse So Dark and Lonely as it has all the elements just waiting. The world building is perfect, the tortured characters with their physical and/or mental issues, the family (and possibility of found family) dynamics... It is enough to make a fantasy dystopian fan salivate. My only problem with the book as-is is how it time skips and leaves the conflicts a little shallow for not giving them the page count to really brew and have the full emotional punch behind them. The first 50% I really didn't notice so much, but the second half where things really kick of... I wanted it to go on longer!
Aurelia's struggles with her trauma and her reaction to holy man Cassian's problems mark this as one of those new and enlightened sort of YA books that wants to make a point of being understanding. While the description calls this a fairy tale, I didn't see it as a retelling (unless it is and I'm missing what) but as a moralistic tale. There's something of a comfort read to it, even if it does go to some starkly sad places. All YA appropriate I hasten to add.
The writing is very easily readable, barring the odd amount of sentences starting with "And" that could disrupt the flow a little for me. Aurelia's narration is clear and concise, descriptive enough where it needs to be without getting bogged down in musings. I would have liked to have known some of the other characters better, like her many siblings,Cassian, even Titus ( but in novella form there's enough to go on.
I love me a good stand-alone, and this one wraps things up nicely at the end with nary even a hint that it's part of a series or bigger world that you'll have to read more from - because you will have to it's that good.
Great world, great characters, great messaging, and maybe just the tiniest smidgen of romance - all the things a good original fairy tale could do with.
Our story is of Aurelia and her military family as they look for somewhere to settle in the post-magical world. Their society was literally held together by magic - everything from buildings to clothing - so when an event known as the Darkness causes magic to fail, their Empire falls down around them. Survivors blame the magi, those who wield magic, and so any who show signs of being magic sensitive are attacked and killed. Bad news for Aurelia who hadn't even graduated from her "Tempering"; in a family of warriors, she's a lone magi. They think to build themselves a haven in an old military fort whose only surviving resident is a holy man with a broken mind. But as new people arrive it's only so long before suspicions arise and enemies gather at their gates.
First things first: this needs to be a novel. Like right now. It's a good read, yes, but it begs for so much fleshing out. It could be the new Curse So Dark and Lonely as it has all the elements just waiting. The world building is perfect, the tortured characters with their physical and/or mental issues, the family (and possibility of found family) dynamics... It is enough to make a fantasy dystopian fan salivate. My only problem with the book as-is is how it time skips and leaves the conflicts a little shallow for not giving them the page count to really brew and have the full emotional punch behind them. The first 50% I really didn't notice so much, but the second half where things really kick of... I wanted it to go on longer!
Aurelia's struggles with her trauma and her reaction to holy man Cassian's problems mark this as one of those new and enlightened sort of YA books that wants to make a point of being understanding. While the description calls this a fairy tale, I didn't see it as a retelling (unless it is and I'm missing what) but as a moralistic tale. There's something of a comfort read to it, even if it does go to some starkly sad places. All YA appropriate I hasten to add.
The writing is very easily readable, barring the odd amount of sentences starting with "And" that could disrupt the flow a little for me. Aurelia's narration is clear and concise, descriptive enough where it needs to be without getting bogged down in musings. I would have liked to have known some of the other characters better, like her many siblings,Cassian, even Titus ( but in novella form there's enough to go on.
I love me a good stand-alone, and this one wraps things up nicely at the end with nary even a hint that it's part of a series or bigger world that you'll have to read more from - because you will have to it's that good.
Great world, great characters, great messaging, and maybe just the tiniest smidgen of romance - all the things a good original fairy tale could do with.
June 1, 2023
The Magi were made by force and cruelty, and those suspected of being able to become Magi were sent to the Forge. It is where their life was threatened by death, and their bodies reacted to the danger. They either responded to the threat and used magic to save themselves or came close to dying, but this was not a one-and-done trial. No, the candidates underwent several of these trials until it happened because they were so sure of the bloodlines involved. So sure of the methods used, they only had five or six failures a year. Aurelia was going to be one of those failures, but she refused to leave the Forge without them trying one more time, and so they did. They put her in the pit, closed the door, and forgot about her as the darkness came and magic failed. Her family was a family of warriors. Once old enough, they joined the Legion. It was unknown if her family’s bloodline could be converted into Magi, but because she was born with one leg shorter by a couple of inches and her father was a General, she became destined for the Forge. She was the youngest of the immediate family, and her father found her in the pit at the Forge next to death. Her family nursed her back to health, and when the darkness finally went away, she found out she was Magi, but by then, the Magi were hated because the darkness came and magic failed. This magic failure caused death, destruction, and chaos all across the empire. Now could her family find a place to put down roots and thrive?
This story is fascinating, how magic is powered, its limitations, and its durability. However, the physical world-building leaves a lot to be desired. The ambient portion is well-defined by newfound prejudices of the people from what had happened to them. The reaction to traumatic events also influences the character’s interaction and is done well.
This story has a certain morality to it and a moral lesson, but not sure if it is appropriate to be called Juvenile Fiction. Maybe young adult fiction, as there is murder contained within. (NOTE: Google Books has it listed as juvenile, while Goodreads has it listed as a young adult.) It may be self-defense, but there are descriptions of one human taking the life of another because they are angry at everything falling apart or want what the other has. This is however a great book. I give it five stars out of five stars.
This story is fascinating, how magic is powered, its limitations, and its durability. However, the physical world-building leaves a lot to be desired. The ambient portion is well-defined by newfound prejudices of the people from what had happened to them. The reaction to traumatic events also influences the character’s interaction and is done well.
This story has a certain morality to it and a moral lesson, but not sure if it is appropriate to be called Juvenile Fiction. Maybe young adult fiction, as there is murder contained within. (NOTE: Google Books has it listed as juvenile, while Goodreads has it listed as a young adult.) It may be self-defense, but there are descriptions of one human taking the life of another because they are angry at everything falling apart or want what the other has. This is however a great book. I give it five stars out of five stars.
June 17, 2020
What happens when rebuilding requires trust from people who just met and your identity is partially wrapped up in a skill set that’s been vilified? How does society begin again with the threat of a new kind of slavery on the doorstep? After the Darkness muses through several aspects of living through trauma and learning to thrive on the other side. Sacrifices are required, but which ones lead to thriving and which ones just promulgate the old order without learning anything?
I thoroughly enjoyed this glance into a broken society and sincerely appreciated the bravery which led to healthy solutions.
I thoroughly enjoyed this glance into a broken society and sincerely appreciated the bravery which led to healthy solutions.
May 30, 2020
Easily my favorite of the Mark of the Least short stories. Who knew that fantasy post-apocalypse would be such a fun genre?
July 30, 2020
The story takes place in a reality that had grown up with the use of magic, incorporating magic into virtually everything including the construction of buildings. Something happened (a negative deus ex machina?) which blotted out their sun for a while and took away all the magic from the world (a magic eating space monster?)
Anyhow, society fell apart as the buildings they were in fell apart and everything else that had anything to do with magic fell apart. It's basically an apocalypse.
The story is about a family of survivors, one of whom can now use magic which seems to be returning to the world. Because of what happened before, though, non-magic people.
The family locates an abandoned fortress and they work to fix it, with the result that other people gradually appear and a new society starts forming. There is one magic user, though, that is a fanatic and plans to take over the world. So the few people from the new society who can use magic face a dilemma; do they work to stop the fanatic and thus reveal themselves to be magic users and probably be exiled forever, or do their fight to protect those who might soon hate them?
Anyhow, society fell apart as the buildings they were in fell apart and everything else that had anything to do with magic fell apart. It's basically an apocalypse.
The story is about a family of survivors, one of whom can now use magic which seems to be returning to the world. Because of what happened before, though, non-magic people.
The family locates an abandoned fortress and they work to fix it, with the result that other people gradually appear and a new society starts forming. There is one magic user, though, that is a fanatic and plans to take over the world. So the few people from the new society who can use magic face a dilemma; do they work to stop the fanatic and thus reveal themselves to be magic users and probably be exiled forever, or do their fight to protect those who might soon hate them?
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews