Dix, the only son of Sheridon's Top Commander, is ready to try anything to escape assignment in the bowels of the Guard, even if it means facing another three months of fire blisters and ox tongue ointment.
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Prologue
It was hidden - well hidden - deep beneath spells and stone. He clawed his way out of the cave into the equally dark night. A light breeze shivered through the trees. Someone had taken his map, his guide to the three spells, but he had still found them.
If he had ever made a map. He was no longer sure. Memories, places, people kept sinking from his mind like the spell. That’s why he had to keep coming back to check the spells. How many trips was this?
Something snapped in the forest and he looked up. What trees were these? Had he come out the wrong tunnel again? Was this the side facing the mountains? Something nestled and nudged at his brain. He’d left something incomplete.
A musty smell hit his nose. The creatures! His lips curled into a snarl. If he had been allowed on the inter-kingdom council, the borders would already be in place, the creatures locked away on the other side. He laughed. One of each kind stepped from the forest, blocking his way. But no men - no man dared face him. Did these creatures think they could defeat him? Another chuckle escaped from his lips.
His mind lurched, searching for the spell. The spell he had just read. The spell he had just held in his hands. But where was it? He cursed. It was leaving him again, sinking away into the soft, muddy darkness near the front right corner of his brain.
He would still defeat them. He rolled back dark blue sleeves. A paper thin man stepped forward. Not really a man. Another creature disguised as a man. The creature-man raised its hands to cast a spell. What was the counter spell? Up and out? Frustrated, he curled his fists. He didn’t recognize the hand motions.
A strange red glow circled the creature-man. A red glow? That had sunk away too. He couldn’t remember such a thing. A blast hit him and he lost his breath. He could feel his bones crunch as he slammed against the cave’s wall. He could hear his own laughter as he struggled to his knees.
Wouldn’t they rejoice at his death? He looked for the slim, grotesque form that was always with him but it was gone. That’s right. He had left it behind this time. He’d had a good reason but that had sunk away too.
A second blast hit him.
He gasped for air. A dark wind enveloped him. They’d thought he was crazy, finding new spells. It just wasn’t done. But look what he’d done. He’d created an empire that would forever carry his name. His legend wouldn’t die. The spells he had hidden were powerful. They would be sought after. They would be used again.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Quick paced and fun,
By Jeanette Cottrell (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Magic For Hire (Paperback)
Everyone knows that if you're going to take the Royal Magician's entrance exam, you absolutely must know the basics: Sleeping mist, Truth Serum, Weather Control, --all that mundane, average stuff. Dix Claudel, thirteen, knows he hasn't got what it takes, but having failed the Guardsmen's test, he has to do something. And after all, he can control bees, and that's a lot like mob control, isn't it?
Naturally, he fails the test. So do four other teenagers. Licking their wounds later, they discover that between them they know all the basics. Why don't they go into business for themselves, and meantime, teach each other what they need for next year's test? In the course of these lofty pursuits, they are embroiled in a mystery involving ancient sorceries, a kidnapped archeologist, and deadly creatures trying to sneak across the border. Just when they've got their backs to the wall, they discover that one of their number is not who he seems. "Magic for Hire" is filled with adventure and eerie situations. Mr. Greene juggles his characters and plot threads with care, skill, and blithe humor. When Dix tries desperately to perform mob control with a calming spell, he finds that his spell doesn't work as he'd hoped. The villains still plan to kill him --but very calmly. This young adult book is well-suited to teenagers, perhaps grades six through nine. The pace is quick and the story interesting, with enough twists and frustrations to keep a reader guessing. Nice work, Mr. Greene. Keep writing! Jeanette Cottrell, author of At Risk of Being a Fool
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