Spellmonger Short Stories/Novellas

Just days after the end of the Battle of Timberwatch and the death of Duke Lenguin of Alshar, the new-made Magelord, Sir Minalan the Spellmonger and his apprentices are headed toward their reward in Wilderhall in the company of Captain Rogo Redshaft, when a disturbing report from the road sends them on an action-packed detour in the Wilderlands. But despite riches, fame, and his own wedding to look forward to, Sir Minalan cannot merely ignore the rapt attention a band of aggressive goblins seems to be giving one particular tree . . .

Before the dramatic events at the Battle of Timberwatch - as told in Warmage - Tyndal of Boval was on a secret mission: to take Master's intended (and expecting) bride to his hometown to live with his family until he returned from the war, and then protect her in the unlikely event that the sinister Royal Censorate of Magic would find them . . . and use them as leverage against Master Minalan the Spellmonger. Tyndal is out of his element - just barely a mage, he's far more adept with a pitchfork than a wand. But then the gods never asked his opinion, and he sets to his task with the determination of a mountain-born lad. And the attractive daughter of a local innkeeper persists in distracting him from his charge, an attention that Tyndal desires even as he recognizes the danger of such an entanglement. What's a young apprentice mage to do . . . especially when the worst of his fears are realized, and the checkered cloaks of the Censorate warmagi appear on the docks of Talry. Then Tyndal's only hope to save his master's bride and his family - not to mention his own life - is to trust in the River Mists of Talry!

COME DANCE AT THE SPELLMONGER'S WEDDING! When the battle is finally far behind him, Sir Minalan the Spellmonger makes a quick detour to Wilderhall to select his new domain, learn how to be a noble, and then claim his pregnant bride -- it's time to start his well-deserved Happily Ever After, and he can't wait. But along the way down the river he stops to buy a bag of smoke and discovers that he might be receiving some unexpected guests at his wedding. After everything he's been through, he's not about to let his bride's one perfect day be ruined. And he's willing to start a peasant's rebellion to protect it, if he has to. With the power of the Witchsphere now in his hands, and with the help of family and friends, he can't take a chance that something will go amiss -- because he's worked too hard for it, fought too long for it, and because you just can't get your deposits back easily in a feudal economy. Join Min as he, Pentandra, Alya, Tyndal, and the rest of his family contend with unexpected guests, welcome and unwelcome, in this prequel to Magelord!

O! The wizards weep and witches leap On the Road To Sevendor! The adepts smile, footwizards beguile, On the Road To Sevendor! Gleaming castle, enchanted mountain Skyward spires, dancing fountains More magi than a man can count on The Road To Sevendor! The very first Spellmonger anthology! Contains the full and complete versions of the previously-published short stories The River Mists of Talry, Victory Soup, and The Spellmonger's Wedding! But wait! There's MORE! Also contains FOUR PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED SPELLMONGER STORIES! You'll get: "The Wizard of Birchroot Bridge" "The Secret of Westwood Hall" "The Road to Sevendor" and "The Iron Ring"! All for ONE LOW PRICE! So while you're waiting for Spellmonger Book 4, enjoy a few of these scraps from the Spellmonger's table, and enjoy the fantasy world of Callidore - where they put the evil back into medieval!

It was a simple ryhme, a honeymoon folk blessing from the Riverlands, Minalan's home. Seven bottles of mead to share For seven nights or more. Each cup a toast, each sip a wish To bind their lives forevermore: A bottle first for happiness, a bottle then for health A bottle for togetherness, a bottle next for wealth A bottle sipped for harmony, the equilibrium of desire A bottle savored for purest lust, which brings the marriage fire! A bottle last for love to endure as long as life shall last, Saved for they who toast their love when five full years have passed! But those seven bottles of mead were more than just a folk blessing. As Lord Minalan the Spellmonger began his honeymoon on a decadent river barge with his very pregnant bride, he had no idea that the occasion would have anything more complicated than eating, drinking, and making love on the agenda. But a frantic message from one of the Tree Folk indicating he and Alya may be in danger compels him to skip the lazy repose and travel to a far away ruin to speak with a possibly-crazy Alka Alon mage - Lilastien, the Sorceress of Sartha Wood. After river pirates, trolls, and the sheer difficulty of adjusting to married life, the answers to the questions he has for her may be more than he, his wife, and his marriage can handle. Come sail down the languid Burine river with the Spellmonger, and see how seven bottles of mead and a pregnant bride can turn a holiday jaunt into a potential interspecies disaster! (NOTE: This novella fits chronologically just before the events of Magelord. And it's 52,000 words)

Drink the mead. When such odd advice comes from the lips of a friend in a moment of peril, it sticks with you . . . and Minalan the Spellmonger, Baron of Sevendor, desperately needs some hope, right now. The mind of his poor wife, Alya, is damaged beyond repair after a selfless sacrifice, and Minalan has vowed to make her whole. Yet even the gods are powerless. As Yule approaches and Minalan contemplates despair, and a life without his beloved wife, he has run out of options . . . and hope. When magic and the gods themselves fail, a man will cling to any shred he can . . . such as a whispered phrase in the middle of battle. But following that advice means coming to terms with his loss - perhaps even remarrying, to fortify his domains and give his children stability. That seems beyond the power of the Spellmonger to do in his grief. Opening the bottle meant for an anniversary they will never share symbolizes saying good-bye to his beloved forever, and Minalan knows it. But what else can a man do when he's run out of hope?

Min and His Dad, On The Road! Setting out into exile is never much fun, but Minalan wants to publicly comply with Prince Tavard's order to leave Sevendor for three years, to spare his home any retribution. But instead of using magic to transport himself to his new lands, Minalan decides to leave cross-country, in a wagon with his father. Down the Bontal River, Min and his dad make a stop at Robinwing, get snowed in at Barrowbell, and enjoy a few days as guests of Baron Astyral. Along the way Minalan comes to terms with many things in his life, and with his father's advice and some introspection he prepares for the great challenge ahead in distant Vanador. No one knows what the future holds, but as the stakes for Callidore grow higher, and weigh more heavily on Minalan's shoulders, it might be possible for Min to find inspiration on the Road to Vanador! INCLUDES 4 NEW SHORT STORIES!