Synopsis | Reviews | Excerpt
Before he rose to power, the signs of his evil genius were present. Only a few noticed.
Seemingly ordinary parents give birth to a boy with god-like powers—and soon discover that his magic is matched only by his propensity for evil. When the boy's mysterious grandmother appears and takes him away to a distant place, the parents are filled with relief.
But the boy named Invictus does not like taking orders from anyone. Very quickly, even his grandmother—a demon in disguise—cannot control him.
Eventually, Invictus learns that he has a younger sister, purposely hidden from him -- but hidden no longer. And so he returns to his birthplace, obsessed with winning her over ... no matter what.
Jim Melvin is the author of the six-book epic fantasy The Death Wizard Chronicles. He was an award-winning journalist at the St. Petersburg Times for twenty-five years. As a reporter, he specialized in science, nature, health, and fitness, and he wrote about everything from childhood drowning to erupting volcanoes. Jim is a student of Eastern philosophy and mindfulness meditation, both of which he weaves extensively into his work. Jim lives in Upstate South Carolina in the foothills of the mountains. He’s married and has five daughters.
Visit him at: Jim-Melvin.com and Facebook.com/TheDeathWizardChronicles
"Melvin shows his literary mastery as he weaves elements of potential and transformation; his tale dances among literal shape shifters and more subtle powers of mind." —Ann Allen, The Charlotte Observer
"Adult Harry Potter and Eragon fans can get their next fix with Jim Melvin’s six-book epic The Death Wizard Chronicles . . . Melvin’s imagination and writing equal that of J.K. Rowling, author of the fantastically popular Harry Potter series, and Christopher Paolini, author of Eragon and Eldest. Some of his descriptions—and creatures—even surpass theirs." —The Tampa Tribune
TONIGHT, AS ALWAYS, Invictus would have
his way. Tonight, he would make Laylah his prisoner, taking her away from her
world and forcing her to become part of his. No one—not even Vedana—was strong
enough to stop him. Tonight, he would destroy everything Laylah held dear. He
had babied his little sister long enough.
The sun had set in a blaze of red, as if
angry over relinquishing control. Invictus watched the approach of dusk from a
thousand fathoms in the air while riding on the back of a winged dracool, the
lizard-like creatures commonly known as baby dragons. Dracools were much
larger than humans—maybe four times a man’s weight—but just a fraction of the
size of a great dragon. But then, what wasn’t tiny when compared to those
behemoths? Invictus didn’t care either way. All creatures would bow before him,
big and small. He was the first Sun God to ever exist, having been born with Akanittha,
which meant Highest Power in the ancient tongue. Although he was only 20
years old, his might already dwarfed all others’.
Despite this, he still
retained a few irritating limitations. With the barest of efforts he could have
incinerated the beast to which he clung. Yet he could not fly like a dracool.
About the best he had managed thus far was to float with modest success. Again,
he didn’t really care. The powers he did possess, such as his ability to
obliterate anything that stood in his way, outweighed the ones he did not.
Another dracool flew nearby.
This second one would bear his sister on the return journey to Kilesa. He
already had a hidden prison in place to hold Laylah that not even Vedana would
be able to uncover. Once Laylah was locked away, he would force her to love
him.
Invictus and the dracools came
to the ground in a wooded field on the outskirts of Avici, the small village
where he and Laylah had been born—ten years apart—and where Laylah still lived
with their parents, Gunther and Stēorra. Invictus waited beneath the trees
until twilight succumbed to full darkness. Night was not his favorite time, to
be certain. It lessened him and left him feeling a little squeamish. But all
things were relative. Even at his weakest, he was stronger than any other. Nam icikicchasi? He thought in the ancient
tongue. Do you doubt it? It would not
be wise to do so.
Ignoring a touch of nausea, he
left the dracools behind and began the short walk to his parents’ small
cottage. If they had had any knowledge of his approach, they would have fled
with Laylah. But Invictus had long ago made certain that they would never
become aware of his frequent visits to his sister the past five years. The
spell he had put on Laylah—taught to him by his demon grandmother—caused his
sister’s mouth to dry up and her fingers to shake violently if she tried to
tell anyone about him. He found it amusing that Vedana, who would not have
approved of his visits, had provided him with the spell that enabled him to
keep them secret.
