In a land of strange beasts, haunted forests and fiery magic the Fire Mage is a legend no one believes in any more.
Especially not Jena, an orphaned ex-slave who has finally found a safe haven with her master and mentor, the Great Mage Thornal. When royal assassins murder Thornal while trying to steal his powerful Book of Spells, Jena vows revenge on the man responsible—Prince Lothar, the next king of Ignisia.
It’s a dangerous quest that will likely mean her life, but Jena has help in the form of her master’s familiar, an enormous raven, and also her own—completely forbidden—mage skills. If she can keep her secrets hidden, she might just get close enough to Lothar to obtain justice for Thornal’s death.
Meanwhile failed mage Nate is a salt collector in the notoriously dangerous volcano mines, using his unique ability to call demons to keep himself alive. He emerges from his latest run to find everyone at the outpost dead, and royal assassins waiting to finish him off. He barely escapes with his life, but his elation is short-lived—Prince Lothar is convinced Nate is a threat to his claim to the Flame Throne of Ignisia, and will stop at nothing to eliminate him.
When Nate and Jena meet, they’re literally heading in different directions. But destiny—and the prophecies of the last Fire Mage—throws them onto the same path. They must work together if they are to save the kingdom—and themselves—from the machinations of a ruthless royal prince.
Two unlikely heroes, one unscrupulous prince, and a swathe of dark and mysterious beasts—who will survive this encounter?
MEET JENA
Jena was orphaned as a baby, raised by the gypsies who found her, then sold as a slave. By rights, she shouldn’t have any magic flowing through her veins. Except it turns out that Jena is a powerful mage who can manipulate fire like it’s putty in her hands.
The only problem?
She lives in a kingdom where it’s illegal for women to cast mage magic. If anyone finds out what she can do, she’ll be put to death, no questions asked.
She was bought off the slave block by the Great Mage Thornal, who promptly freed her, and set her to work as his assistant. She’s smart, quick on her feet, and can’t bear injustice, which can be a problem when you’re trying to lay low and pretend you don’t have mage magic at your fingertips.
The burns scars down one side of her face and body attest to the fact that she’s lived a difficult life, but these days she has it good – she gets to do what she wants, with three good meals a day (although she’s usually the one making them), and she gets to study and learn from a master… as long as she keeps her knowledge hidden.
She’s got long dark hair that she wears over her face to hide the scars, and she mostly prefers her own company to the company of others. She makes a mean rabbit stew (usually with rabbits she’s caught herself) and she’s almost better than her master at mixing up many of the compounds that they need for mage magic.
But the Kingdom of Ignisia is changing, and not for the better. Someone wants the power of the mages all to themselves, and they’ll do anything to get it. When disaster strikes, Jena must summon all of her grit and determination to keep her promise to her master Thornal and protect the Kingdom from the one man who could destroy it completely.
MEET NATE
Nate comes from a family with high expectations. A long line of powerful mages looks down disapprovingly at him from the portrait hall in the family castle. His grandfather is the head of the Ignisia Mage Council, and Nate went to the most prestigious mage school in the Kingdom.
Unfortunately, he’s a terrible mage.
So instead of living with the smoldering disappointment in his grandfather’s eyes, he left home and is now working in the volcano salt mines, the best paid occupation in the kingdom – but also the most dangerous. They usually have a fatality every week or two, with someone falling into the hot lava pits, being crushed by the unstable rock falls, or simply disappearing into the warren of tunnels and caves. Nate has survived longer than most… but it’s basically just a matter of time.
Nate hides his real emotions behind a joking demeanor and a quick wit. He’s determined to show that he’s not the lame horse everyone in his family thinks he is, but he’s already heading for an early death.
Instead of mage ability, Nate has two talents that he mostly keeps to himself. One of them is more of a pain in the butt than a talent. He can see and talk to ghosts; but it turns out ghosts are mostly cantankerous a-holes who just want something from him. And helping them never turns out well for him.
His second talent is more useful… sometimes. He can call forth demons from the inbetween realm. They come unwillingly, they hate helping him, and they’ll do anything to destroy him. But they have to do his bidding when he calls them. As long as he can keep on top of them, he’ll be okay.
The same dark powers that threaten Jena’s world are coming for Nate. If he’s going to survive, he’s going to have to figure out what’s different about him – and quickly – before the assassins on his tail catch him and fulfill their mission.
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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT FIRE MAGE
" Loved it! I first "met" Trudi Jaye through her carnival series, so I knew this book had to be great, and it is! Four adventurers must keep one of their own safe to become king. Lots of attention grabbing action that kept me reading straight through. "
"Fun and exciting! Fire Mage is a well-told epic fantasy tale of adventure, magic, and excitement. Loved the characters and their journey. "
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