Terry Mancour

In a realm teetering on the brink of war, a young wizard's raw talent is their kingdom's last, desperate hope. As enemy… In a realm teetering on the brink of war, a young wizard's raw talent is their kingdom's last, desperate hope. As enemy armies mass at the borders and treacherous political machinations unfold within the royal court, this aspiring magic-user is thrust into the perilous role of a developing court wizard. Under the guidance of a seasoned but enigmatic mentor, they must rapidly master forbidden spells and ancient lore, discovering that true power demands a heavy price. With the fate of the realm hanging in the balance, they must navigate a deadly web of espionage and magic, battling not only external foes but the growing darkness within, to save their people from utter destruction. read more

Rock Star!Things were starting to look up for Magelord Minalan the Spellmonger - the magic mountain in his domain not on… Rock Star!Things were starting to look up for Magelord Minalan the Spellmonger - the magic mountain in his domain not only made him a wealthy man and the most powerful mage in history, it also produced a lode of magical gemstones with unique properties - properties the Alka Alon, the masters of magic on Callidore, are fascinated by. When Minalan gets his chance to trade some of his magic rocks for irionite, he finds himself in a position to raise hundreds more magi with the stones . . . making them High Magi.But as valuable as that bargain is for prosecuting the war with the Dead God and his sinister armies, such power comes with a hefty price. Every new High Mage Minalan raises presents potential new problems. The Magelords have inspired fear in their neighbors. The warmagi invent deadly new spells. The lower orders of magi are getting restless. The mage-led Sevendor Town wants a new charter. King Rard and the royal court are pressuring the nascent Arcane Orders politically. Some magi are crossing the Penumbra and taking stones from the goblins, as well as taking their service. And some are just starting to get a little crazy.It makes a nice, normal little raid on his lands seem refreshing in its simplicity.In trying to balance the needs of the war with the needs of a well-ordered Order, Minalan finds himself making compromises, cutting deals, and bargaining what power he has in a high-stakes game where Chaos seems to be the only player who knows the rules. The temptations of his position and the power he wields are great, but so, he discovers, are the responsibilities. But when his patience seems nearly exhausted and his alliances seem ready to crumble, a massive army emerges from the shadowy realms and strikes south, forcing the High Magi to rally around the Spellmonger in defense of the kingdom. As the genocidal goblin army marches toward the once-prosperous cottonlands of Gilmora, Minalan and his High Magi must defend a single bridge against them at all costs. read more

Young Roland dreams of mastering his burgeoning magical powers to become a true enchanter. But his world of peaceful stu… Young Roland dreams of mastering his burgeoning magical powers to become a true enchanter. But his world of peaceful study is shattered when a ruthless empire declares war, threatening to engulf his homeland in fire and shadow. Forced onto the battlefield, Roland must rapidly develop his abilities while navigating treacherous political intrigue and the grim realities of conflict. With his kingdom teetering on the brink of collapse, and guided by his mentor's fading wisdom, he embarks on a desperate quest to discover if his magic is potent enough to turn the tide of war and save everything he holds dear. read more

Lady Lenodara of Westwood, called the Hawkmaiden - Dara, to her friends - has had an adventurous life: she tamed a falco… Lady Lenodara of Westwood, called the Hawkmaiden - Dara, to her friends - has had an adventurous life: she tamed a falcon when she was twelve, learned she had magical Talent, discovered that she had a natural aptitude as a beastmaster, won her witchstone at the first Spellmonger's Trial, became the junior apprentice to Minalan the Spellmonger, Magelord of Sevendor, mastered the ancient magic of the Thoughtful Knife, fought goblins and a dragon, and was made a noble and richly rewarded for her heroics. Now that she's safe back home in Sevendor, everything should go back to normal . . . right?But a secret project with the Alka Alon Emissary, Ithalia, leads Dara to new troubles and adventures, as the Hawkmaiden assumes new responsibilities. Lady Ithalia wants to use magic to transform her falcon, Frightful, into a giant, so that she and other giant hawks can defend the Five Duchies against dragons in the air. Each hawk is to be ridden by a Sky Rider to aid the fight - and Dara is to be the first. When Minalan purchases twenty hawks and hires a falconer to aid her efforts, Dara is tasked with building a mews to house them in the Westwood . . . and encounters her most difficult opponent, yet: her father.Hawkmaiden vs. Master of the Wood, father vs. daughter, Castle Folk vs. Woodfolk, Dara has to choose sides and made compromises in order to see her task completed without bothering the Spellmonger. But fighting a dragon seems simple compared to challenging the Master of the Wood in his own land. With bandits milling around Sevendor and the threat of exposure for the giant falcon project, Dara has to learn new skills and understand an entirely different kind of magic if she's to become the first Sky Rider! read more

Opposites Attack!When the Magelord Minalan the Spellmonger's two apprentices, Tyndal and Rondal, were knighted after the… Opposites Attack!When the Magelord Minalan the Spellmonger's two apprentices, Tyndal and Rondal, were knighted after the battle of Timberwatch, they were dubbed Knights Magi: a new class of nobility for distinguished High Magi. Designed to combine the pursuit of arcane knowledge with the noble aspirations of chivalry, it elevated them above common warmage . . . in theory. The problem was they had no idea how to be a Knight Mage . . . because no one had ever been one before. And as a couple of half-trained rustic apprentices from the Mindens they did not feel up to the task or the high ideals of their title. But Master Minalan the Spellmonger decided to cure that ignorance. He arranges for Tyndal and Rondal to be tutored and trained together in their new vocation, learning the arts of magic, the craft of warfare and the subtleties of chivalry from the finest masters in the kingdom. If they didn't kill each other, first.The two young spellmonger's apprentices from the Minden mountain domain of Boval Vale have much in common: both had their homes destroyed, they were both sent into exile by the goblin invasion, and they both serve the same master. Yet they could not be more different. Rondal is quiet, bookish, and introspective, dedicated to the disciplines of academic magic and anticipating a future of study, service, and, perhaps, romance. Tyndal is bold and brash: an extroverted over-achiever with dreams of glory, gold, and girls. Fate, circumstance, and the whims of the gods have forced them together, but the raw emotions of adolescence and the trauma of war put them at each others' throats with depressing frequency. Master Minalan can't have that, especially not in his fragile new domain with another baby on the way . . . so he sends them on the road. Jealousy, anxiety, passion and frustration conspire to make them rivals - but if they don't figure out a way to learn to work together, and quickly, then their stubborn feud could end up affecting the fate of the ent read more

Kaelen discovers he possesses a rare and feared talent for shadow magic, a power long suppressed and deemed dangerous by… Kaelen discovers he possesses a rare and feared talent for shadow magic, a power long suppressed and deemed dangerous by the ruling mages. Forced to flee his home, he embarks on a perilous journey to understand and master his volatile abilities. As ancient evils stir and threaten to plunge the land into darkness, Kaelen must choose whether to harness his forbidden magic for salvation or succumb to its corrupting influence. His progression as a Shadowmage will decide the fate of kingdoms, for if he fails, the world will fall. read more

A young mage dreams of mastering arcane power, but the world around him plunges into chaos. When a brutal war threatens… A young mage dreams of mastering arcane power, but the world around him plunges into chaos. When a brutal war threatens to consume his homeland, he is thrust onto the front lines, forced to quickly hone his burgeoning abilities amid the clang of steel and the roar of battle. From an untested novice to a formidable force, he must journey through perilous battlefields, confronting dark magic and relentless foes to protect his people. The fate of his kingdom rests on his shoulders and the evolving power he can unlock within himself. read more

MINALAN GETS MEDIEVAL! When you defeat the invading goblin army, get knighted on the field of battle, gifted with lands… MINALAN GETS MEDIEVAL! When you defeat the invading goblin army, get knighted on the field of battle, gifted with lands and gold, usually your happily-ever-after is . . . happy. But now that Minalan the Spellmonger has been ennobled and enfiefed, Sire Minalan has a task cut out for him that makes defeating goblins seem like child's play: moving his very pregnant bride and a few thousand refugees from Boval Vale into the remote, sparsely-peopled Domain of Sevendor. But when he arrives, he finds the land withered from neglect, filled with superstition and suspicion, a third of his domain has been conquered before he got there, and the castle he now owns hasn't been maintained in decades. As Minalan manages the challenges of being a noble, being a mage knight, being the lord of the manor, being a landlord, and fending off a belligerent (and well-armed) neighbor, he also has to learn how to be a husband, father, and a leader of a people. Then the fateful night his son is finally born, Minalan learns the nature of fear, as he, his family, and his very realm are forever changed when the spell he casts to save their lives transforms the land. Minalan, his apprentices Sir Tyndal and Sir Rondal, his dour but efficacious castellan Sir Cei, and his moody wife struggle through the winter and defend their domain in his attempt to prove what a Magelord can do for his people when he puts magic in their service. But in the distance, the threat of a renewed war with the goblins looms as they approach the Riverlands, the Gilmoran baronies that are the heart of the Duchies. The contentious High Magi convene to constitute the new Arcane Orders, while the fanatical Royal Censorate of Magic plots defeat them and the thousands of hedgemagi, witches and footwizards they terrorized now see Minalan as a hero. The sinister Family schemes to promote Duke Rard II to become King Rard I of the newly-united Kingdom of Castalshar - over a pile of bodies, if necessary. And suddenly, out of the sky f read more

Hawklady!When Lenodara the Hawkmaiden - Dara, to her friends - was made an apprentice to the foremost wizard in the worl… Hawklady!When Lenodara the Hawkmaiden - Dara, to her friends - was made an apprentice to the foremost wizard in the world, Minalan the Spellmonger, Magelord of her native land of Sevendor, she thought that the adventurous life was behind her. She looked forward to a long, boring career of learning how to read and taking magic lessons . . . but Dara's life as the Spellmonger's new apprentice is anything but boring! Within days of assuming her new duties, a goblin invasion in the distant land of Gilmora compels Minalan to gather his forces to repel it . . . and that means Dara, too. Her unique ability to use the ancient Alka Alon weapon, the Thoughtful Knife, may be the only way to thwart the invasion - and combat the dragons that have ravaged the castles of the land. But the battlefield is just the beginning of her new adventure, and she finds the aristocracy of the city of Barrowbell is as challenging as a goblin attack. But new adventures lead Dara to new friends in the unlikeliest of places on her way to becoming the Hawklady! read more

The Falcon's Call! From the moment Dara of Westwood spied the Silver Headed Raptor nesting in Rundeval Peak, the precoci… The Falcon's Call! From the moment Dara of Westwood spied the Silver Headed Raptor nesting in Rundeval Peak, the precocious redheaded twelve-year-old girl was enchanted. The youngest daughter of the Master of the Wood lived in ramshackle Westwood Hall, in the independently-minded Westwood estate of Sevendor. Her determination to capture a baby falcon and train it wasn't hampered by the fact that Dara had never climbed a mountain, had never been trained in falconry, or even remotely had permission from her father to do it. Dara wanted the falcon . . . and the only thing in her way was the mountain, an angry mother falcon, and her own fears. But the daring climb up Rundeval and actually capturing the fledgling falcon is just the beginning of her troubles. Actually learning falconry and training the willful bird is a responsibility she had barely considered. Worse, there is trouble afoot in the domain: a new lord has come to rule over Sevendor and all of her people, replacing the corrupt old Sir Erantal. While everyone welcomes the change, the new lord is a wizard: a magelord, the first of his kind in four hundred years: Lord Minalan the Spellmonger. And he's not alone. He's brought thousands of oddly-dressed Wilderlanders with him, families escaping the wars in the west . . . and settling in Sevendor. Within weeks of holding his first court as lord of Sevendor, the wizard's magic begins to cause problems. Magelord Minalan turns Sevendor Castle, the entire mountain of Rundeval, and a good portion of the Westwood -including Dara's home - into enchanted white stone when a spell goes unexpectedly awry one fateful night. As a result, Dara learns that she, too, may become a mage someday. Soon after she discovers that she can see through her falcon's eyes and share her thoughts, the talents of a beastmaster, opening up a brilliant new world for her. The folk of the valley have enough to eat for the first time in a generation, there are wizards all over Sevendor, and the cast read more

Minalan gave up a promising career as a professional warmage to live the quiet life of a village spellmonger in the remo… Minalan gave up a promising career as a professional warmage to live the quiet life of a village spellmonger in the remote mountain valley of Boval. It was a peaceful, beautiful little fief, far from the dangerous feudal petty squabbles of the Five Duchies, on the world of Callidore. There were cows. Lots of cows. And cheese. For six months things went well: he found a quaint little shop, befriended the local lord, the village folk loved him, he found a sharp young apprentice to help out, and best yet, he met a comely young widow with the prettiest eyes . . . Then one night Minalan is forced to pick up his mageblade again to defend his adopted home from the vanguard of an army of goblins - gurvani, they call themselves - bent on a genocidal crusade against all mankind. And that was the good news. The bad news was that their shamans were armed with more magical power than has been seen since the days of the ancient Imperial Magocracy - and their leader, a mysterious, vengeful force of hate and dark magic, is headed directly to Boval Vale, along with a massive invading army of gurvani. The good people of Boval and their spellmonger have only one choice: to hole up in the over-sized Boval Castle and hope they can endure a siege against hundreds of thousands of goblins. When the people look to him for hope, Minalan does his best, but the odds are depressing: there are multitudes of goblins, and they want Boval Vale as a staging ground for a vengeful invasion of the whole Five Duchies. Add to his troubles a jealous rival mage, a motley band of mercenaries, a delusional liege lord who insists victory is at hand despite the hordes at his door, a dour castellan, a moody, pregnant girlfriend and a catty ex-girlfriend who specializes in sex magic - all trapped in a stinking, besieged castle with no hope of rescue, and you'll understand why Minalan is willing to take his chances with the goblins. All that stands between the gurvani horde and the people of the Five Duchies is o read more

The Goblin Invasion Is On... ...and a wizard's work is never done! After facing a hopeless siege, an implacable foe and… The Goblin Invasion Is On... ...and a wizard's work is never done! After facing a hopeless siege, an implacable foe and an impossible escape, you would think that Minalan the Spellmonger would be able to rest -- but the armies of the undead goblin shaman Sheruel (known as the Dead God to his human victims) are rolling over the western reaches of the rustic Duchy of Alshar and is headed toward the heart of the Duchy of Castal. Thousands are fleeing for their lives as hordes of goblins pour out of Boval Vale and devastate the rugged fiefs of the Alshari Wilderlands. And the super-charged shamans of the Dead God are making defending the realm almost impossible for the outnumbered Alshari country knights. While the two Dukes play feudal politics to further their own ends, the only people who seem to care about the invasion are Minalan and his outlaw warmagi friends -- and they're busy dodging agents of the sinister Royal Censorate of Magic. But if someone doesn't organize an army in northern Alshar soon, then there will be nothing to stop the armies of the divinely-powerful Dead God from conquering all five Duchies in his genocidal quest for vengeance. But things are just not that simple: he has to cope with a sexy young Shadowmage assassin who works for a mysterious spymaster, a cocky new manservant, a dysfunctional group of suddenly-powerful warmagi, the Censor General, and a bunch of whiny nobles before the Dukes will grant him the troops and money he will need -- and the Dukes have plans of their own. If Minalan the Spellmonger can't lobby the courts of Alshar and Castal to work together -- and quickly -- the hordes of the Dead God will sweep over the frontiers of both states. Worse, the mysterious Umbra veil he has erected around Boval Vale may come to imperil all Five Duchies. Minalan would rather just go home and let the Dukes handle it, but his conscience won't let him. Someone has to stop the Dead God . . . and that someone happens to be him. Beyond politics an read more

A young heroine learns that, when you hide in the shadows, something darker may be waiting there for you . . . as the fa… A young heroine learns that, when you hide in the shadows, something darker may be waiting there for you . . . as the fantasy adventure saga continues. Having discovered her true heritage, young Gatina is embracing her evolving role as an apprentice shadowthief. It turns out procuring things that don't actually belong to you can be rather exciting. But the first thing a good thief must learn is how to not get caught. If the evil usurper Count Vichetral snares Gatina or her beloved family, a truly unpleasant fate awaits. So her defiant father has deposited Gatina and her brother in the last place Vichetral's men would think to look for them: stately Palomar Abbey. Under the alias of Maid Avorrita of Dentran-a purposely dull, bucktoothed maiden studying to be a novitiate-Gatina quickly comes to enjoy her new life among the elite. And then the trouble truly begins . . . When Gatina's father takes her along with him to Inmar to meet a fence who can handle their stolen goods, they discover a new threat to their Shadow Council: the checkered-cloaked Royal Censorate of Magic, dedicated to the ruthless enforcement of centuries-old laws pertaining to the use of magic. Later, Gatina's dormant rajira unexpectedly emerges at the abbey, and she's secretly tutored in shadowmagic by the mysterious Lady Silva. What Gatina doesn't realize is that very soon she'll need every trick in her secret book. For a sinister new threat has arisen, one that will doom any who oppose its growing power. While Minalan the Spellmonger toils in distant lands to save humanity, Gatina must prove her skills in steel, sorcery, and the stars in order to save herself, her family, even freedom itself, by pulling off the ultimate SHADOWHEIST! The Spellmonger: Legacy and Secrets trilogy introduces a younger Gatina, Kitten of the Night, as she comes into her own as a shadowmage. read more