Magic No More

Interested in reading an ARC?

Do you like dragon stories? Or dark academia in fantasy? I like both, so I’ve written a Joss Stirling fantasy novel with a version of Oxford in a post-apocalyptic age where magic has risen and fallen. And then it gets burnt down by dragon fire…

Magic No More fits in the new adult/adult space and is the first in a planned short series. I’m looking for readers who would enjoy an advanced reader copy (ARC) and are happy to review it online soon after it comes out on 28th February.

Here’s the blurb:

Marah never set fire to Oxford.
But no one believes her.

Accused of burning the city to the ground, Marah is exiled and embarks on a perilous journey across the Mediterranean in search of her missing father. Her only chance at redemption? Joining an expedition to unravel the mystery of magic’s slow decay. But the voyage isn't easy. She's stuck with Lord Druze, her insufferable rival, and a troublesome dragon whose behaviour is as unpredictable as the seas they sail.

Yet, among the chaos, Marah discovers unexpected allies—including Hal, a dangerously charming sailor who tempts her more than she cares to admit.

But as magic's influence seeps into her soul, Marah realises that nothing, not even herself, is as it seems. With every passing day, she changes. The question is: will she still recognise who—or what—she becomes?

If you like my Peril series, you will recognise some themes from that as I imagine a world where sea levels have risen and we are adapting to climate change. The future has taken a big step back to the past. I had thought I was going to do a follow up to the Savant series but I found myself doing this instead! Apologies to those who are waiting for that. I have to get this out of my system first :)

I’m publishing this independently while also writing historical thrillers with HarperCollins (history in the morning, fantasy in the afternoon…). Those of you who know me will recognise I do this from time to time as I like experimenting with different routes to market. There are a lot of books in this fantasy dragon space but I hope you like my take on the theme. It grew out of an exercise we did as part of a seminar for the Oxford Centre for Fantasy a couple of years ago; but, with Fourth Wing cutting a dash in fantasy, I thought it was high time I launched it as the readership might be out there. There are some salty characters and star-crossed lovers, all aboard a ship on a voyage through a sea-changed Mediterranean.

If you’d like to be a reader, just message me.