J.G. Gardner
From outer space to inner space, from realms of the never-were to those of the here-and-now and the soon-to-be, the twenty-four authors in this fifth and final collection of science fiction and fantasy by writers featured on the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers plunge readers into fantastic worlds filled with unforgettable characters.
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Shapers of Worlds Volume V showcases stories by Brad C. Anderson, Edo van Belkom, J. G. Gardner, Olesya Salnikova Gilmore, Chadwick Ginther, Evan Graham, M. C. A. Hogarth, M. J. Kuhn, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Kevin Moore, Robin Stevens Payes, James S. Peet, Omari Richards, Lawrence M. Schoen, Alex Shvartsman, Alan Smale, Richard Sparks, P. L. Stuart, Brad R. Torgersen, Hayden Trenholm, Brian Trent, Eli K. P. William, Edward Willett, and Natalie Wright. Every story is illustrated with an original black-and-white drawing by Wendi Nordell.
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Travel into the past, the present, and the future in stories set in our world, in deep space, in the land of dreams, and in worlds of pure imagination, shaped by an outstanding roster of authors featuring many bestsellers and award-winners. All you have to do is turn the page.
"Magic That Cannot Be Undone by J. G. Gardner is very good. It’s a simpler yet deeper tale — no blood and gore, just uncomfortable realisations by a postulant wanting to have their magic unlocked." - Tangent Online
As part of the secret Paragon program, Thorne is a mage trained to summon his mana as a weapon. However, as he chose to have his mind unlocked to magic, rather than being someone born with arcane talent, Thorne is looked down upon by more powerful mages. While he completes menial courier tasks within the city, his comrades are dispatched across the continent as influential agents of the Archive.
When Esen, a frontier farmer, arrives desperately seeking help, Thorne finally sees an opportunity to prove himself. Esen claims that his wife was kidnapped by a mage, but Thorne is skeptical. After he prevents an assassination attempt on Esen, Thorne realizes that the abduction is part of a larger scheme. Deserting his Paragon duties, Thorne and Esen leave the city to search for the kidnappers.
During their pursuit, they discover that Esen’s wife is the lynchpin in a plot to upset the tenuous balance of power between the provincial princes and the influential merchant guilds. More worrisome to Thorne is that some of his fellow Paragons may be involved. Now questioning the true intentions of the Paragon program, Thorne’s impulsive attempt to distinguish himself leads him on a bloody quest for revenge.
“Gardner pulls you into a well-formed world of races and guilds, magic and intrigue, and compelling plot of ambition and deceit. A satisfying read from an exciting new voice in fantasy fiction.” - Brandon Ying Kit Boey, author of Karma of the Sun
Thorne is a Paragon, a mage with the rare ability to wield his mana as a weapon. Despite knowing powerful magic, he lives a life of despair, continually fighting a losing battle against his inner demons and the specters of the people whose lives he could not save. Finally reaching his breaking point, Thorne decides to seek out an old lover, Celeste, who has the power to erase memories.
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After a disastrous attempt to find Celeste destroys part of the mages’ guild, Thorne tries to make amends by volunteering to find an influential mage that has disappeared. During his investigation Thorne discovers that the missing mage was the victim of a conspiracy led by Reihana, a former Paragon and bitter rival.
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Recruiting unlikely allies including a disgraced cavalier, a farmer turned mercenary, and a corsair captain who lost his ship, Thorne chases after Reihana in an attempt to stop her plans for sowing the seeds of rebellion and war across the continent. Along the way Thorne will need to continue his search for Celeste, and perhaps more importantly, decide if wiping his mind clean of past mistakes is really his only option.
“High fantasy at its best, The Path From Regret immerses the reader in a colorful world full of outlandish creatures, rough-and-ready mercenaries, and mysterious mages capable of wielding terrible power for good or evil. Steeped in lore and brimming with compelling characters that are complex yet relatable, J.G. Gardner shares with us an epic story about one man’s quest to free himself from the ghosts of his past. With a fast-tempo plot teeming with action and intrigue, it’s easy to get lost in its pages.” - Mark Reefe, author of Spindle Lane and The Road to Jericho