Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Jeffrey Bardwell to my blog and his book Rotten Magic! And he is also giving someone the opportunity to win a signed copy of his dark fantasy epic Rotten Magic! Thank you!
So what is the book about?
Rotten Magic by Jeffrey BardwellSeries: The Artifice Mage Saga #1
Published by Twigboat Press on August 9 2017
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 116
Amazon UK, iBooks, Kobo
Goodreads
Would you sacrifice your future to practice magic?
Artificers are the gilded princes of the Iron Empire. Mages are violent criminal outcasts. Devin competes to become the best artificer in the empire . . . but he's secretly a mage.
All the apprentices in the Artificer's Guild compete by building crude prototypes of powered armor for mock battles. When Devin transforms himself into a mechanical dragon to slaughter the competition, his rival Benson steps into the role of dragon slayer. But Devin's secret grows heavier as he claws his way to the top. He's started hearing eerie voices in his head: the stout words of the being he calls 'the artificer' and the oily voice of 'the mage.' How long can Devin be satisfied with fake dragon armor when the promise of true arcane power whispers in his ear?
Embark on Devin's dark epic journey in Book One of The Artifice Mage Saga. Join the fantasy steampunk brawl of metal vs. magic where sorcery is bloody, science is greasy, and nobody's hands are clean.
To me, this has piqued my interest. It is not my normal read but it is always good to get out my comfort zone once in a while and this book looks like it could do a good job of it!
Splitting Subgenre Hairs
Rotten Magic, Book 1 of The Artifice Mage Saga, would fit the ‘magic school’ trope made famous by the likes of the Harry Potter series except that Devin already knows he’s a mage, the school is a guild apprenticeship, and he goes there to learn about machines, not magic. It’s also a dark epic rather than an urban fantasy. On the topic of genres, I feel I must address the young adult issue. There are no sex scenes in this book, strong violence is off screen as it were, and the cursing is of the mild epithet variety (I drew inspiration from classic second world fantasies.) The story is as a friend of mine would describe it, clean fantasy, a term I did not know existed until she enlightened me. However, I did not write it specifically for the young adult market, but rather for a widespread general adult audience.
I meant for this book to be enjoyed by everyone who appreciates a good epic fantasy yarn. I suppose my objection to the phrase ‘young adult’ is semantic. I dislike
This novel has been described as a dark version of Ender’s Game with explosions, and the themes within it are certainly no darker
Thank you Jeffrey for your post!
So what are people saying about the book?
The Wood between the worlds says
Told in an engaging style with suspense, wry
humor , and a strong undercurrent of magic, Rotten Magic is a thrilling roller coaster of a ride up to the top – where I expect we can catch the next book and set off on an even more thrilling journey. Bring it on!
Goodreads reviewer says
This was a thoroughly enjoyable novella. Quick, but helping flesh out a character, I thought it was great. It’s convinced me to continue with the series as I’m invested in Devin’s future and what is to come of him. Not to mention the whole mechanical dragon thing. I’m also super interested to learn more about this world!
Goodreads reviewers says
Talk about no walk in the park. This is one exciting, action packed, fast paced, nailbiting, pulse racing, page turning tale that captivates from the start. All the twists and turns, ins and outs, ups and downs, along with a few glitches and bumps make for one enjoyable experience. You get pulled in so deep that everything else ceases to exist. The characters and their personalities are unique with traits that flow along smoothly. You feel what the characters feel, be it disappointment, anxiety, pressure or just try to get through. The scenes are so graphic and detailed it’s easy to picture each scenario as it plays off one another perfectly. Jeffrey did a remarkable job bringing this read to life flawlessly. Fantastic job Jeffrey, thanks for sharing this bad boy with us.
If these reviews have piqued your interest, then go on enter the giveaway!!
Giveaway time
Check out his other books here
Until next time xx
jenchaos76 says
Because I read Stephen use a YA myself, I don’t usually hold books back from my kids. However, I do have a problem with sex being overt in a story.