Magi’s Curse is the first novel that I plan on publishing and am currently seeking representation for. I will include some cut chapters of the first novel along with the prologue and chapter 1 of the book in this section. Magi’s Curse has undergone several rounds of alpha and beta readers. In addition, much of the world-building will eventually be posted in this section. If I do not secure an agent or an offer to publish, it will be self-published in 2025. I have worked with a professional editor to help me polish the book and can give references to that editor if interested parties contact me at [email protected].

Few fantasy books deal with mental illness in a nuanced and compassionate way. How would the world’s heroes inhabit—devoid of therapy or medication—treat those who are struggling and as fallible as the rest of us? How could those heroes support each other through dark times, with so much at stake?

I’m seeking representation for the first book of an epic fantasy series, Magi’s Curse (90,000 words) which thrusts readers into a magical world without peace. The gods have bet among themselves that humans would self-destruct without their assistance. So far, they’ve been right, as this isn’t the first time the country of Emestria has waged war against its southern neighbor, Rouke. Fifteen years ago, Rouke led an alliance to take the Emesterian town of Lynnfield using an apocalyptic magical weapon. But something went catastrophically wrong—it not only wiped out most of Emestria’s army but many in the armies of Rourke and its allies as well.

Now Bronwyn Amyna, Captain of the Emesterian Guard, has a fierce hunger to not only defeat Rouke for taking her father’s life at Lynnfield, but to prove her abilities aren’t limited by her gender. When the king commissions her for a questionable mission to find the gods’ legendary artifacts, she eagerly accepts; it is said whoever possesses the artifacts could stop all conflict between nations. Forced to accompany her in exchange for her freedom is Clara, a captured spy who claims to know the location of the artifact Alcide’s mantle. Together with the help of Miro, a disillusioned magical scholar, the misaligned and mistrustful trio also seeks another artifact, the Soul Gem, a ruby that gives its owner the inherited power and madness of the god Defurge.

As in the Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson, Miro’s mental illness is an antagonist. However, instead of waiting until the fourth book to reveal it, in Magi’s Curse, Miro’s erratic behavior is evident from the start. His companions worry that his increasing obsession with the legendary artifacts could hint at some sort of vendetta behind his cooperation, rather than a desire to help save Emestria. But he wouldn’t do anything to stand in their way . . . would he? While no one’s intentions are as pure as they claim, the three must work together to save themselves and the world from humanity’s determination to end it all in bloodshed.

I had been developing the ideas within Magi’s Curse for a video game, the light novel series Legend of the Legendary Heroes by Takaya Kagami, Greek mythology, and was originally playing around with the idea of a video game in which the characters’ quest was to obtain powerful artifacts. But during COVID I experienced a significant manic phase and had to stop taking one of my prescriptions. That experience inspired the idea of a character struggling with mental illness in a world without medication and took the world building of that game and used it to craft a novel that could address mental illness in a better format.Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson meets The Blacksmith Queen by G. A. Aiken, Magi’s Curse blends modern dialogue with a world where technological advancement has been stymied by the power of magic.