Art of the Adept

The world once flourished under the enlightened magic of wizards, a power that lifted humanity from superstition and the worship of fell gods. This era ended with the rise of sorcerers, whose easy elemental magic became the exclusive domain of a powerful, aristocratic elite, leaving the masses in ignorance. Yet, the deeper wisdom of true wizardry was not utterly lost. The last practitioner of this ancient tradition, a reclusive wizard, nurses old grudges and yearns for death. His solitude is broken by the stubborn arrival of a young apprentice, an unexpected imposition that rekindles hope and awakens dormant, powerful forces. The world stands at a precipice of profound change, and while its transformation is inevitable, the shape of the future remains anything but certain.

In Secrets and Spellcraft, the second installment of Art of the Adept, Will arrives at Wurthaven only to find that the grandeur of wizardry has been reduced to a supporting role beneath the dominance of sorcery. The magic his grandfather painstakingly taught him is viewed as an obsolete relic, yet the college still holds knowledge Will desperately needs. Everywhere he turns, sorcerers reign supreme while wizards are expected to be compliant, invisible, and obedient—a reality Will refuses to accept.

His refusal to submit makes him dangerous in the eyes of those who benefit from the existing order. Without allies or protection, Will faces a growing circle of enemies who are not content to simply outmaneuver him politically—they want him dead. Trained beyond what any ordinary student should be, he is something Wurthaven has not encountered in generations: a true wizard who will not be tamed. Whether he can grow into that power before his enemies close in entirely is the question that drives this tense, immersive second chapter in his journey.

In Scholar of Magic, the third book of Art of the Adept, Will's already precarious situation at Wurthaven fractures further when Selene's mysterious absence draws the wrath of her father, the king of Terabinia, directly onto Will. Blamed for his wife's disappearance, he must navigate royal hostility while simultaneously confronting a far more immediate threat: citizens of Cerria are vanishing, and something predatory is circling his sister Laina.

Stretched to his absolute limits, Will finds himself fighting to protect the very people and institutions that have rejected him—including a king who would prefer him dead. When he turns to the fae for help, their offer of assistance comes weighted with a dangerous price. Evil walks the streets of Cerria after dark, hunting his family and threatening to destroy the city from within. Will must decide what Terabinia can afford to lose—and whether saving its ruler is even worth the cost.

As war looms, Selene must begin her wizard training, even as her age makes success nearly unattainable. The fate of two nations rests on Will's shoulders as he searches for a solution, their only hope a dangerous bargain with the king. The future is paved with violence, and with few options, Will needs the aid of uncertain allies and dubious friends. Traitors lurk among them, and he will soon be forced to choose who to trust—and who to sacrifice. For a terrible power has arrived in Darrow, and the price of victory will be paid in blood.

His journey from apprentice to master wizard almost complete, Will's power has reached unseen heights. But his rising star threatens the existing powers. After resounding successes in the war, the king plots to eliminate his young rival. Driven to desperation, Will must negotiate for survival with four treacherous brokers of power:

An ancient lich driven by vengeance.
A fae queen, for whom all are mere pawns.
A nervous lord of Hell, since Will may have killed his predecessor, twice.
A primal beast, feared above all.

With these mortal enemies as his only allies, Will must survive to face the king—and the deadly secret he plans to unleash. Ancient foes have risen, and the final battle has begun. With the world hanging in the balance, king and wizard clash, but only one can wear the Wizard’s Crown.