Marked
by Fortune
Ann
Gimpel
Dream
Shadow Press
95K
words
Release
Date: 11/10/15
Genre:
Urban Fantasy Romance
Tumble
into a dystopian world where magic rules and hope is hard to find.
Book
Description:
Magic
levies a steep price on anyone brave enough or stupid enough to
dabble in it.
Wizards
never forgave Ned for not being one of them. They didn’t exactly
come out and say his life was expendable, but they didn’t have to.
He figured it out fast enough when they conscripted him into their
long-running war the second he was old enough to fight. Isolated,
different, he puzzled out how his brand of magic worked on his own.
When he’s finally, finally sent on a solo mission, he vows to make
the most of every single moment of freedom.
Fleeing
the tide of doom wiping out humanity, Amanda and her family escape to
a remote corner of California, where they eke out a hardscrabble
existence. With her parents at each other’s throats and her brother
mysteriously gone, Amanda runs up against malevolent power beyond her
wildest imaginings. Captured by the undead, she’s about to join
their ranks when Ned shows up.
Attraction
ignites—hot, urgent, delicious—but celibacy may well be the price
of Ned’s magic, and he can’t risk his power. Or can he? Even
though he stands to lose everything, Ned doesn’t hesitate after
Tantalus—one of the insidiously beautiful dark gods—kidnaps
Amanda. Defying a direct order from his wizard battle lord, he goes
after the woman he loves. Even if she can’t ever be his, he’ll be
damned if he’ll leave her to the dark god’s whims.
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Excerpt:
Ned
crouched amid the remains of what was once downtown Sacramento, using
a convenient, partly-decimated building as cover. The rest of his
unit hid in close proximity—at least he hoped they did. A low,
whistling noise ratcheted his heart into hyper drive. Enemy magic.
Maintaining his crouch, he spun, searching the late afternoon gloom
for clues. Not quite sure what tipped him off, he leapt out of the
way just before a concrete block exploded, showering him with debris.
“Whew!
Way too close.” The words tore out of him before he could stop
them.
He
drew his lips into a disgusted snarl and wondered for the thousandth
time how he, a human mage, ever got mixed up with the wizards’ war.
Because
the bastards didn’t give me a choice.
Sweat
trickled down his forehead. His leather headband caught some of it,
but a few drops fell into his eyes. They stung like hell, and he
shook his head to disperse the salty liquid. The beginnings of a
headache throbbed behind one temple.
“Landarik.”
Ned focused his commander’s name into his mouthpiece. “Where are
you?”
“Right
behind you.” A voice dripped sarcasm into Ned’s ear.
“Son
of a bitch.”
Ned
whipped around. Landarik stood so close, Ned’s braids slapped
against the wizard’s helmet. “I wish you wouldn’t do that,”
Ned sputtered through clenched teeth. “I hate when you sneak up on
me. Especially when it could’ve been one of them. You’re lucky I
didn’t blast you.”
“Like
your puny human magic would’ve made a dent. Cut the shit. What do
you want?”
Speaking
through the slit in his bronzed helmet, Landarik looked like a robot.
Only his blond braids, with debris tangled in them, ruined the
automaton image. He must’ve noticed Ned’s stare because Landarik
gathered his ratty braids and tossed them over his shoulders.
“I’m
beat. Request permission to return to the caves.”
“Mage
or no,” Landarik grunted, “you humans are more work than you’re
worth. I have no fucking idea what the goddess had up her sleeve
when she created those like you.”
“Fine.
Neither do I. Now can I go?”
“I
release you—but only because you’re more worthless than usual.
Return no later than first light.” Whistling sounded again. Without
apparent thought or effort, Landarik raised a hand. A bolt of power
flew from his fingertips and vaporized a small building a hundred
yards away.
“How
can you know so…precisely?” Ned sputtered.
Landarik
tipped the visor of his helmet up. Extraordinary blue eyes shot darts
at Ned, and the sharp-boned features characteristic of the wizard
race twisted in irritation. “I’ve told you and told you,” he
lectured in a patronizing voice that grated on Ned’s nerves. “Hold
your inner parts still, human. If you managed yourself better, you’d
hear where the enemy is hiding.” He snorted. “Sometimes I find it
difficult to fathom how you’re still alive.”
“You
and me both,” Ned mumbled.
Sketching
a rectangular portal in the hot, dusty air, he jumped through into
the Ways, picturing the wizards’ caves as he did so. Wizards
developed the Ways thousands of years ago so they could travel to
distant locations. Their harmonics were so well matched to galactic
magnetics, they remained fully functional despite minimal
maintenance.
As
he sped through the dimension carrying him to a few hours of safety,
Ned’s empty stomach clenched in anger. It wasn’t fair for
Landarik to expect him to know everything the vetted wizard warriors
did. Most of them were hundreds—if not thousands—of years old,
while he was a mere…well, something. Young, anyway. In truth, he
wasn’t precisely sure of his age. Wizards lived so long they didn’t
bother keeping those types of records.
Ned
didn’t know if it was fortune, or her opposite, but he’d drawn
his first breath in a wizard stronghold. He had little memory of his
first few years, but around the time he turned five, one of the
wizards—the acolyte master, Karras—took notice of the little
human who carted power after him the same way other youngsters
dragged beloved toys.
The
discovery he held magic within him turned out to be a two-edged
sword. His mother was a normal human, and the wizards kicked her out
of their stronghold after she refused to divulge his father’s name.
Ned offered her points for courage. If she’d given up his father’s
name, the wizards would’ve hunted him down and probably killed
him—for having the temerity to be intimate with one of their
servants.
Once
his mother was out of the way, his lessons in mage craft took off
like a shot and never really stopped, but catching up with the
wizards proved impossible, particularly since they reminded him about
his inferiority on a regular basis.
Things
may well have gone differently had his teachers been other human
mages. Perhaps they would’ve been more sensitive to his skills—and
less critical of his efforts. Come to think of it, maybe their
teaching style would’ve suited his magic far better. It took
several years, but Ned finally figured out that his gifts manifested
quite differently than the wizards’. He fought off a wave of
bitterness and severed his line of thought. Surely other human mages
existed—his father, for example—but he’d never met one in the
flesh.
He
sent magic spiraling outward to make certain he was still on course.
Infernals might try to sabotage the Ways, despite maintaining their
own traveling portals. “They’d have to get in here, first,” Ned
said, talking to himself. “It wouldn’t be easy.”
The
Ways required special spells and an affinity established by one of
the wizards. Without those things, they’d refuse to open. Ned
wished he knew more about other races, like humans for instance. Or
elves. All his history lessons had focused solely on wizards, which
made sense because everyone else in his classes was one. He’d felt
quite the misfit. Worse, wizards weren’t fond of humans and rarely
missed an opportunity to pound the point home.
The
deceleration presaging his arrival began, tugging at his midsection.
Ned summoned magic to call up a portal. It formed slowly because he
was so tapped out. How long since his last rest? He did some quick
calculations and came up with sixty-five hours. Wizard physiology was
different. They could last five or six days on the battlefield
without a break. No matter how hard he tried, Ned had never managed
much more than three. Even then, the last hours turned into such a
struggle, they were hardly worth it. Ned set his teeth in a grim
line. Like he’d told Landarik, he was surprised he was still alive
too.
His
portal glowed. Warm and inviting, it radiated a soft blue light, the
color of many of his workings. Ned peeled the door back and jumped
through, so dead on his feet his eyes were half-shut.
The
minute he stepped into the flickering, magic-driven torchlight of the
sloppily excavated cave the wizards used as a re-supply station, Ned
knew something was wrong. He felt the subtle presence of something
malevolent in the air currents moving through their subterranean
quarters. He didn’t close off the portal—just in case. Sibilant
swishing from deep in the shadows dragged a last bit of adrenaline
into his bloodstream. He felt sick, jittery, but at least he was
wide-awake again.
A
horny snout came into view, accompanied by a hissing shriek as the
thing raced out of the darkness right at him. Running on nerves and
instinct, Ned didn’t stop to examine his adversary. The thing
intended to kill him. He jumped backward—body surprisingly nimble
given his exhaustion—and sealed off his portal before he
resurrected the spell that had carried him from the battlefield.
Because the Ways required a destination, he visualized Sacramento. He
could always correct his course en route.
What
in the nine hells was in the cave?
Ned
cleared his mind. He examined the feel of the wrongness. He didn’t
sense Infernals. Not exactly. No, it was more like one of the trogs:
a cross between trolls and warthogs. Infernals kept them for pets. It
was a safe bet if a trog were in the entry hall of the wizards’
cave, its masters weren’t far distant.
Ned
shuddered. He’d fought trogs more than once in this war. Their
highly poisonous bite could kill on contact if it hit a key spot. His
Comparative Zoology instructor at the wizard stronghold in the
Carpathian Alps had taught him about genetic catastrophes developed
in the Infernals’ labs. Trogs were only one of the perverted
creatures born from those unnatural experiments. Closing his eyes,
Ned visualized the wall chart with trogs, wargs, the undead…
Why
bother?
Can’t
change any of it.
Where
can I go? Not back to the battle. I’d be worth about as much as a
drowned dragon.
He
needed to pick a destination, and fast, so he could grab a couple
hours of badly needed sleep. Sacramento wouldn’t do it, even if he
skirted the worst of the fighting. The large urban areas weren’t
any worse than anywhere else, but he’d need to stay sharp to avoid
danger. Right now, he wasn’t.
Ned
racked his mind, calling up the geography of California. He’d
almost decided to head for the Sierra Nevada Mountains—a place
Karras took him years ago—when he rethought things. No matter how
much he wanted to retreat somewhere safe, he needed to let Landarik
know about the breach in their cave. With a great deal of reluctance,
he linked what was left of his magic to the frequency of the Ways,
and reiterated his command for them to take him back to Sacramento.
Ned
didn’t like the wizards any more than they cared about him, but
they were the only family he’d ever known. Despite all the times
he’d wished Landarik would die a slow, painful death, he did value
the concept of duty. Ned shook his head to jar himself into a more
wakeful state. Thinking pain might rouse him, he bit his lower lip
until he tasted blood, but it didn’t help much.
He
still felt like one of the undead.…
My Review
I can't help it, I love this author's writing. So, basically everything she touches, I like. LOL And this was such an interesting mix of a dystopian fantasy feel. There was devastation that has removed most of the people from our planet, there's not too many resources let to live, and there's unrest everywhere. And then, the humans find out that they are the only "being" sharing this planet. Human dwindle and the other beings are riding, and there's Ned, who was raised by wizards, he wants to save the world. Literally. There's been wars and he's been fighting, but now he is sent to find another person like him. He's a half breed- half human and half magical being. No one really likes the half breeds, but they need them. And now, it's time to end the war, before everything is destroyed.
Ned was a cool character. He was courageous and loyal and set on doing his duty. He wasn't all that powerful, but when sent on a journey to find another like him, he meets others that will help him with his cause. Lori is like him, and he needs to find her. But he also meets Amanda. He doesn't know exactly who Amanda is, but he saves her, because he had to. Or he felt like he did. He likes Amanda, as he gets to know her, and he is tempted, to let everything else go and not return to the war. But then, there's some complications, with someone from his past, and someone from Lori's past, and Amanda... I hated that Ned was treated as below everyone else. But I am so glad he found his place, especially growing into himself with Amanda's family. I can't go into more detail because I would ruin things.
The writing is well done, as usual. This author surprises me every time I read her books. It's definitely got a cool dystopian feel, but it also reads like a fantasy. And there's so many aspects, mystery, suspense, action, the magic. I would totally wish for a series, but this is a stand alone and it's all wrapped up all pretty. :) I think anyone could enjoy this one, so get it! LOL 5 PAWS!!
Ann
Gimpel is a national bestselling author. A lifelong aficionado of the
unusual, she began writing speculative fiction a few years ago. Since
then her short fiction has appeared in a number of webzines and
anthologies. Her longer books run the gamut from urban fantasy to
paranormal romance. Once upon a time, she nurtured clients, now she
nurtures dark, gritty fantasy stories that push hard against reality.
When she’s not writing, she’s in the backcountry getting down and
dirty with her camera. She’s published over 30 books to date, with
several more planned for 2015 and beyond. A husband, grown children,
grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out her family.
Find
Ann At:
@AnnGimpel
(for Twitter)
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