The Omega Artifact

The North Valley Grimoire Series #1.5

by Blake Northcott

SPYCRAFT MEETS SPELLCRAFT in the thrilling follow-up to the Canada's #1 crowdfunded novel of all time, The North Valley Grimoire.   From Blake Northcott (DC Comics' Catwoman, Heavy Metal Magazine's Synap$e, and the international bestselling Arena Mode trilogy) comes The Omega Artifact, a short story that bridges the gap to the upcoming sequel, THE CELESTIAL KILLSWITCH (2021). Agent Malek's mission to Colombia is supposed to be a simple locate a target, bag them, and lock them in an off-grid black site. Just another day at the office ... if the office you happen to work at is a clandestine division of the CIA dedicated to tracking and subduing magickal threats. But when Malek is paired with a rival agent who suspects he's a double agent, he discovers there's more than one threat to deal with. THE STORY SO FAR In the remote town of Gravenhurst, Arizona, a server farm suffered a meltdown. At the time no one knew who or what had caused the disaster, but it tore a hole in the fabric of reality. A mysterious energy source began leaking through the magick. Left unchecked, it could fall into the wrong hands. The CIA formed a black-ops team to eliminate mystical threats both domestic and abroad. Thanks to FATHER Division, few are aware magick exists, but as the rift expands and spells continue to spread, a catastrophic event is imminent. The Agency claims their endgame is to mend the tear, shutting magick off at the source, though some—including Agent Malek—believe their true motives are far more politicians at the highest level want the rift to remain open so they can weaponize magick, launching the next industrial complex. Acting as a double agent, Malek continues to work his way up the chain of command until he can close the rift and expose FATHER Division for what it really is. Then he’ll be free of his contract … and his hex will be lifted. REVIEWS FOR THE NORTH VALLEY GRIMOIRE “I love this book. Blake Northcott has seamlessly shifted genres and proven she’s as masterful in magic and fantasy as she was in science-fiction. Don’t pick this up unless you’re prepared to not put it down.” - Mark Millar (Writer of Kick-Ass, The Secret Service, Marvel's Civil War, Old Man Logan) "There is world-building going on all throughout fiction these days -- and then there is Blake Northcott taking it to another level. Telling the story of a magical conspiracy through the lens of teen adventure." - Scott Lobdell (Hollywood screenwriter of blockbuster Happy Death Day, Marvel Comics writer of Uncanny X-Men and X-Factor) "From the first paragraph, The North Valley Grimoire grabs the reader. Successfully fusing a spy thriller and supernatural adventure is not easy, not without losing key elements that make both genres so entertaining, but Northcott delivers in full, face-melting force, all while building an immersive world that you will not want to leave." - Cullen Bunn (NYT bestselling author, The 6th Gun, X-Men, Deadpool) "A razor sharp page-turner that seamlessly blends two worlds--a late 90s teen horror film, and a cat-and-mouse spy thriller where magic is a weapon. It's electric, and I've never read anything like it.

72 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2020

About the author

Blake Northcott is a Canadian author and comic book writer.

Northcott's 'Arena Mode Saga' is Kickstarter's most-funded science-fiction series of all time, and the first book in the series was nominated for Britain's prestigious BSFA (Best Novel of 2013).

The series went on to sell over 250,000 copies worldwide and has received over a thousand five-star reviews across multiple platforms.

Blake was a semi-finalist in James Patterson's 2017 Masterclass contest.

In 2018 Northcott's magical spy thriller 'The North Valley Grimoire' was the most-funded and most-backed original fiction novel on Kickstarter; in the first week of pre-orders, it was funding at the pace of a New York Times bestseller.

In addition to writing novels, Northcott has written 'Michael Turner's All new Fathom' and 'Executive Assistant Iris' for Aspen Comics, as well as 'Vampirella' for Dynamite Comics.

She was also an editorial writer for Millarworld, where her columns appeared in a number of comics; Millarworld is the company responsible for 'Kick-Ass', 'Wanted', 'The Magic Order', and 'Kingsman: The Secret Service'.

Her columns have appeared in Comic Book Resources (CBR), Geeks of Doom, CBS Man Cave Daily, and Verily Magazine.


http://www.BlakeNorthcott.com

Reviews

[Graham Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good pulpy fantasy series, some language and violence. An interesting novella in an ongoing adventure.

[Paul Baumeister · Rating 5 out of 5]

So action packed, has to be Magic

A follow short to Blake Northcott’s North Valley Grimoire, this one takes us on a hunt for an artifact that gives its holder a Midas-sized appetite for shiny stuff. The CIA’s magic control division, FATHER (it’s a really long acronym)sends two of their top men (Top. Men) on the chase... but what’s the real mission? Read to find out.

[Kyle Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been two years since I read the North Valley Grimoire and jumping into this short story was perfect to get me excited for Book 2 coming out soon. I enjoy the world Northcott has built and look forward to more magikal adventures.

[Jason Prugar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written piece expanding on North Valley Grimoire. Blake spins a great tale of magick that could be real.