Customer Reviews

Arcana Universalis: Terminus

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After reading "Stars Rain Down" a few months ago, I was curious to check out the author's other work since I enjoyed that book so much. I wasn't disappointed. I really like Randolph's writing style. He paints detailed pictures with his words and the setting of "Arcana Universalis: Terminus" is very imaginative, combining magic and space. The storyline and characters were great and it's a fun, quick read; I finished it in three days, where I didn't have much free time. Looking forward to the next installment.

Arcana Universalis: Terminus is the first of a five part serialized novel by Chris J Randolph that follows the adventures of Caleb Gedley, an apprentice wizard aboard the Imperial spaceship Ashkalon.

That's right, wizards in space. What now?

Caleb and his friend and fellow apprentice Bibbs are ordered to investigate the disappearance of another Imperial spaceship around an idyllic and mysterious planet. There, they discover Alia, a pixie who has been trapped in a magical vault for millennia, only to return to base camp to find themselves under attack by a war party of the Imperium's enemies.

This first episode seems mostly to set up the cowardly and inept Caleb for a grander adventure in the coming installments, but the world here is rich enough to keep the reader engaged throughout. The author's descriptions are as vivid and colorful as you'd expect, although they can make occasional scenes seem like a slog. Otherwise, the pacing is generally good, particularly after we meet Alia. Don't be fooled by the overwrought beginning; the language is crisp and imaginative, and will pull fantasy fans in right away.

An hour, or two at most, should be enough to get through Arcana Universalis: Terminus and will leave the reader anxious for the followup.

First of all, you should know that whe you buy this novella, what you're really getting is the first few chapters of a book, with later chapters to be released at a later time. The author doesn't hide this fact, but some folks might miss it anyway. That said, this is a very interesting start to a novel. The world reminds me a little of the world in Jim Butcher's "Codex Alera" series, where people use magic instead of advanced technology to achive modern living. The main difference(at least so far) is that in this world, magic has been taken to a much higher level, to the point of using magic to power starships, transporters, and other ususally high-tech devices. The effect is something like a traditional fantasy world crossed with space opera, and it's pretty interesting. To give an example, at one point the main character is summoned to the audience chamber on his starship, only to travel through hallways lit by torches hung on the walls! Anyway, if you don't mind a short read with an as yet unresolved ending, pick this up, you'll be gald you did.

Very good book-I'm always looking for new authors to read and this book really caught my eye. The beginning few pages were a bit detailed but I'm not adverse to it and I really look forward to the following chapters of this book. I loved it enough to immediately go buy another book from this same author.