Accompanying his step-brother to the mages tournament, Syrdan is only an observer, a young human potter enjoying his first time in the city. But within the City of Mages, something is very badly wrong, and the young boy finds himself drawn into the politics of the city, and a scheme that was set up long before he was born. What was meant to be a brief trip quickly turns into a battle to save his brother, his new love and his own life from the most powerful of mages…

Well written, original and enjoyable, George Mazurak has crafted a wonderful and terrible world of wizards and politics. Told in first person from Syrdan’s point of view, the story holds you spellbound from the first page to the last. As an ebook it is well presented, and there are no formatting issues to detract from the story. There are a couple of grammar flubs, but these are possibly because English is not the author’s first language, and they are nitpicker’s issues, not obvious ones. This is a complete story: the main plot threads are all tied up, even though there is easily enough for a sequel.

A short but enjoyable fantasy, in a unique world. Fantasy fans should look this out, as it promises to be the start of an original and entertaining series.