Master of Sorrows

You have heard the story before - of a young boy, orphaned through tragic circumstances, raised by a wise old man, who comes to a fuller knowledge of his magic and uses it to fight the great evil that threatens his world.

But what if the boy hero and the malevolent, threatening taint were one and the same?

What if the boy slowly came to realize he was the reincarnation of an evil god? Would he save the world . . . or destroy it?

Among the Academy's warrior-thieves, Annev de Breth is an outlier. Unlike his classmates who were stolen as infants from the capital city, Annev was born in the small village of Chaenbalu, was believed to be executed, and then unknowingly raised by his parents' killers.

Seventeen years later, Annev struggles with the burdens of a forbidden magic, a forgotten heritage, and a secret deformity. When he is subsequently caught between the warring ideologies of his priestly mentor and the Academy's masters, he must choose between forfeiting his promising future at the Academy or betraying his closest friends. Each decision leads to a deeper dilemma, until Annev finds himself pressed into a quest he does not wish to fulfil.

Will he finally embrace the doctrine of his tutors, murder a stranger, and abandon his mentor? Or will he accept the more difficult truth of who he is . . . and the darker truth of what he may become . . .

“A remarkable debut which I simply cannot put down ... Master of Sorrows is a brilliant and riveting tale of having the courage to find and choose one's path, and it left me wanting more. I recommend this book for lovers of classic epic fantasy looking for a modern voice.”

A remarkable debut which I simply cannot put down

A wonderful mix of the old and the new, and the ending had me begging for just one more chapter. If you're a fan of coming-of-age stories, magic schools, and the idea of what's right and what's wrong, then Master of Sorrows is the book for you

Justin Call graduated from Harvard University in 2012 with a Master's in Literature and Creative Writing. He has studied fantasy literature for over a decade and is co-designer of the board games Imperial Harvest and Royal Strawberries. Justin currently lives in Utah with his wife, two sons, his Great Dane and St. Bernard-Mastiff.

Learn more by following @Justin_T_Call

You have heard the story before - of a young boy, orphaned through tragic circumstances, raised by a wise old man, who comes to a fuller knowledge of his magic and uses it to fight the great evil that threatens his world.But what if the boy hero and the malevolent, threatening taint were one and the same?What if the boy slowly came to realize he was the reincarnation of an evil god? Would he save the world . . . or destroy it?Among the Academy's warrior-thieves, Annev de Breth is an outlier. Unlike his classmates who were stolen as infants from the capital city, Annev was born in the small village of Chaenbalu, was believed to be executed, and then unknowingly raised by his parents' killers.Seventeen years later, Annev struggles with the burdens of a forbidden magic, a forgotten heritage, and a secret deformity. When he is subsequently caught between the warring ideologies of his priestly mentor and the Academy's masters, he must choose between forfeiting his promising future at the Academy or betraying his closest friends. Each decision leads to a deeper dilemma, until Annev finds himself pressed into a quest he does not wish to fulfil. Will he finally embrace the doctrine of his tutors, murder a stranger, and abandon his mentor? Or will he accept the more difficult truth of who he is . . . and the darker truth of what he may become . . .

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