Wrought by Fire

by Paul James Keyes

Ver’ati are wizards trained to use the Power for war…
Goblikans are dark wizards—twisted to fight for the enemy…
And Whunes…? Well… once, they were human…
Now, they’re your worst nightmare.
An Ancient Magic lingers from a Forgotten Era. Wizards Reign & Terrorize with Godly Powers.

A captivating world reminiscent of Game of Thrones and The Wheel of Time.
Salvine is sold to a madman who uses her flesh to form a beast with an unquenchable thirst for blood. She must do as her master commands—fetch the head of the bearer of the Mark of Kings.
Her target, a man plagued with haunting visions of a destroyed world, discovers he can bend both man and nature to his will as long as the moon hangs in the sky. The symbol etched into his bicep is more important than he realizes. He is fated to be king, but only if he can survive a perilous journey across lands ruled by powerful tyrants.
When a local boy named Javic discovers the future king on his farm, he doesn’t think his luck can possibly get any worse. If only he knew Salvine—the girl he secretly loves—is trapped in the mind of one of their hulking stalkers.
An epic tale of magic and mayhem spans a rich world brimming with danger.

488 pages, Paperback

First published July 20, 2015

About the author

Paul James Keyes was born and raised in Washington State between the beautiful waterways of the Puget Sound and the always majestic Cascade Mountains. Fascinated by the political and social workings of the world, he obtained degrees in both creative writing and economics from the University of Washington. In his spare time, he is an experienced pianist and composer, which has helped him bring a heightened sense of rhythm and emotional resonance to his written passages. Over the years, he has traveled everywhere from China to the Mediterranean, soaking in the many diverse cultures and histories. Throughout it all, there is no place he would rather be than back home, drifting on a boat somewhere between the San Juan Islands and his home port of Edmonds.

You can follow Paul on Twitter @PaulJKeyes, visit his website, ArcadianComplex.com, or like the series at Facebook.com/ArcadianComplex to become an honorary Arcadian!

Reviews

[Bryan Applegate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Competent perhaps over confident writing. There's a good central story wrapped in a mystery here. There is a reft of characters that could almost be treated as an ensemble. An ensemble cast requires a chosen leader to guide the crew and the audience. This story lacks one clear leader in the noble effort of lending quality to the lives of many. The Central story is thus inflated with side quests and alternate threads that suck some of the wind out of a satisfying conclusion. For a debut novel, the writing is great, but the approach was extremely ambitious. Consider this a 459-page prologue, and prepare to set aside a bunch of time to dive into the rest of The Arcadian Complex series. It could be four or five stars for you.

[H.M. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing

I had a hard time getting through this book. I wasn’t sure who the main character was. Salvine, even though she was mentioned in the book blurb, appeared in the book approximately four times. The story itself was bland, and Javic was a whiny teenager throughout the book.

[Christopher John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul James Keyes delivers another dark fantasy with excellent prose and a plot that keeps you guessing. This one's got serious elements of sci-fi and horror thrown into the mix. It's strange and unpredictable and definitely worth the read.

[Jeff Ayers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world is new and exciting, but not overwhelming, it has the perfect amount of twists and turns, excellent pacing, and the vivid descriptions of the world and the characters bring the story to life. I highly recommend, and can't wait for the sequel!