The Wizard's Apprentice- Now Available!
About the Book
The Kingdom of Colonodona has been peaceful for years. A new generation flourishes under the watchful eyes of Queen Sitnalta and King Navor. Prince Lucas studies magic from his mentor, the Wizard Kralc, while his older sister, Princess Audrina prepares for the day when she'll take on the mantle of Queen. With the prince and princess preoccupied by the everyday concerns of magic and politics, the excitement and adventures of their mother's youth seem long past- until Prince Lucas finds himself plagued by nightmares that he fears are premonitions of a deadly future.
When a young woman enters the lives of the royal family begging for help, she quickly becomes Prince Lucas' unexpected confidant. Meanwhile, Princess Audrina gravitates towards her in ways that place her in a difficult situation for an heir to a throne. As an investigation unfolds for the truth, the prince's nightmares become increasingly horrifying, the princess’ feelings grow more complicated, and the newcomer’s intentions are cast into doubt. The royal family must discover the stranger's secrets before hearts are broken and events reveal whether or not Prince Lucas' dreams are leading to a deadly future in The Wizard's Apprentice.
When a young woman enters the lives of the royal family begging for help, she quickly becomes Prince Lucas' unexpected confidant. Meanwhile, Princess Audrina gravitates towards her in ways that place her in a difficult situation for an heir to a throne. As an investigation unfolds for the truth, the prince's nightmares become increasingly horrifying, the princess’ feelings grow more complicated, and the newcomer’s intentions are cast into doubt. The royal family must discover the stranger's secrets before hearts are broken and events reveal whether or not Prince Lucas' dreams are leading to a deadly future in The Wizard's Apprentice.
Recognition
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Preview Excerpt
Lucas frowned. His brown eyes crinkled in concentration as he stared at the flame flickering in front of him. Sweat beaded his brow as he listened to Kralc drone on about the power of will, and tapping into his inner energy. The old wizard had made it all sound so simple, but to a ten year old boy, it felt impossible to do. He huffed in frustration, his breath blowing out the candle’s flame, and he groaned, bracing himself for the lecture he was sure would come. He had entered, fully intending to tell the wizard of his dreams, but Kralc had dove right in to the lesson. Seeing the candle, his heart had started racing, and the young Prince had become distracted. He had been supposed to be focusing on the flame, changing it’s colour to one he wished to see, but watching it dance before him, all he could picture was the trunk of the burning tree falling towards him. He remembered the pain of the fire creeping over his body, the smell of the acrid smoke that had filled the air. But it had only been a dream! Or had it? He was no longer so sure.
In the morning light, the dark stains on his sheets seemed minimal evidence at best. He had tried to rationalize it. After all, he had been gardening the day before. Maybe he hadn’t washed his hands thoroughly before bed. Maybe it was soil, not soot. But the repetitive nature of the dream, the fact that he could swear that he had actually felt the heat of the fire, smelled the smoke, felt the pain of his burns. It felt too real.
“Are you even here at all?” The sharp snap of Kralc’s voice jerked Lucas back to reality.
“I… I’m sorry Master Kralc,” Lucas stammered. He turned to see Kralc’s cold grey eyes boring into him.
“I don’t know why I’m bothering wasting my valuable time with you if this is the attention you are giving to your lessons.” Kralc sniffed disdainfully and turned away. The years had done little to take away from his stiff posture and tall frame. He towered over his apprentice, using his height to intimidate.
Lucas studied the wizard. The lines on his face giving him an air of wisdom, the bald dome of his head making him seem learned to the young Prince. He sighed to himself. He wished to prove that he could accomplish greatness. He longed to earn Kralc’s respect, although he was never sure as to why. Everyone spoke about the wizard in a tone of awe, and yet they all agreed that the old man was cantankerous on even his best days. No one seemed to actually like him, except for Lucas’s mother Queen Sitnalta. She was forever telling him that there was more to his teacher than he knew, and that maybe, one day Kralc would share his story. She always insisted that it was not her tale to tell; and Lucas felt that he needed to respect that. And yet… he was impatient to learn his master’s secrets. If there was a story there, he longed to hear it. He didn’t understand why Kralc kept so much of himself hidden away; especially if it would help him be better understood by those around him. He hated feeling as if everyone was keeping things from him.
In the morning light, the dark stains on his sheets seemed minimal evidence at best. He had tried to rationalize it. After all, he had been gardening the day before. Maybe he hadn’t washed his hands thoroughly before bed. Maybe it was soil, not soot. But the repetitive nature of the dream, the fact that he could swear that he had actually felt the heat of the fire, smelled the smoke, felt the pain of his burns. It felt too real.
“Are you even here at all?” The sharp snap of Kralc’s voice jerked Lucas back to reality.
“I… I’m sorry Master Kralc,” Lucas stammered. He turned to see Kralc’s cold grey eyes boring into him.
“I don’t know why I’m bothering wasting my valuable time with you if this is the attention you are giving to your lessons.” Kralc sniffed disdainfully and turned away. The years had done little to take away from his stiff posture and tall frame. He towered over his apprentice, using his height to intimidate.
Lucas studied the wizard. The lines on his face giving him an air of wisdom, the bald dome of his head making him seem learned to the young Prince. He sighed to himself. He wished to prove that he could accomplish greatness. He longed to earn Kralc’s respect, although he was never sure as to why. Everyone spoke about the wizard in a tone of awe, and yet they all agreed that the old man was cantankerous on even his best days. No one seemed to actually like him, except for Lucas’s mother Queen Sitnalta. She was forever telling him that there was more to his teacher than he knew, and that maybe, one day Kralc would share his story. She always insisted that it was not her tale to tell; and Lucas felt that he needed to respect that. And yet… he was impatient to learn his master’s secrets. If there was a story there, he longed to hear it. He didn’t understand why Kralc kept so much of himself hidden away; especially if it would help him be better understood by those around him. He hated feeling as if everyone was keeping things from him.
Reviews
Chanticleer Reviews
Younger readers of sword and sorcery books will find kinship with the characters in this novel. Good and evil, trust and distrust, the need to heal wounds and find belonging in a family on the verge of being torn apart are as central to this novel as the fantasy world of magic. It is an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
The true magic of The Wizard’s Apprentice is found both in its imaginative fantasy world, and its celebration of family love, trust, and self-identity.
Younger readers of sword and sorcery books will find kinship with the characters in this novel. Good and evil, trust and distrust, the need to heal wounds and find belonging in a family on the verge of being torn apart are as central to this novel as the fantasy world of magic. It is an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
The true magic of The Wizard’s Apprentice is found both in its imaginative fantasy world, and its celebration of family love, trust, and self-identity.
Literary Titan
The nightmare that opens the book is not just a spooky hook, it turns into a question about fate and choice, about what it means to see a terrible future and then decide how you will live with that knowledge. Lucas’ fear that he will be the one who burns his own home felt very raw to me, especially in a world where he has real power and no full control over it. The book also plays with class in a simple, clear way. Lettie carries the anger and shame of growing up poor and illegitimate, and when she walks into this kind, shining royal family it’s easy to see why she wants both love and payback. The story is also about legacy. Kralc’s bond with the dead Learsi and the magic coin that holds pieces of all three of them gives the ending a quiet, emotional punch. Their little conversation in the green field, and her message to Sitnalta, gave me that warm ache you get when a fantasy story lets its ghosts speak with love instead of just horror.
I would recommend The Wizard’s Apprentice to readers who enjoy classic, character-driven fantasy with a strong family focus and a light, hopeful tone. It feels right for teen readers who are ready for themes of grief, guilt, and complicated loyalty, and also for adults who grew up on older school series and want something familiar yet emotionally honest. The Wizard’s Apprentice reads a bit like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, with a young hero learning magic and facing a dark destiny, but it trades the bustling school setting for a more intimate focus on royal family drama and personal legacy. If you like training sequences, prickly mentors, messy siblings, and magic that always has a cost, this is a solid pick.
Chrysalis BREW says:
Earnest. Atmospheric. Character-led.
There is a particular moment early in this novel when a young prince lies down on a forest floor and decides to let the flames take him. The world is burning, the smoke stings his lungs, and every spell he has practiced deserts him. He wakes up safe in his bed—but soot stains his palms. It is in that small, unsettling detail that the book declares its true interest: not spectacle, but consequence. What happens when power arrives before maturity? What happens when responsibility comes disguised as a dream?
The nightmare that opens the book is not just a spooky hook, it turns into a question about fate and choice, about what it means to see a terrible future and then decide how you will live with that knowledge. Lucas’ fear that he will be the one who burns his own home felt very raw to me, especially in a world where he has real power and no full control over it. The book also plays with class in a simple, clear way. Lettie carries the anger and shame of growing up poor and illegitimate, and when she walks into this kind, shining royal family it’s easy to see why she wants both love and payback. The story is also about legacy. Kralc’s bond with the dead Learsi and the magic coin that holds pieces of all three of them gives the ending a quiet, emotional punch. Their little conversation in the green field, and her message to Sitnalta, gave me that warm ache you get when a fantasy story lets its ghosts speak with love instead of just horror.
I would recommend The Wizard’s Apprentice to readers who enjoy classic, character-driven fantasy with a strong family focus and a light, hopeful tone. It feels right for teen readers who are ready for themes of grief, guilt, and complicated loyalty, and also for adults who grew up on older school series and want something familiar yet emotionally honest. The Wizard’s Apprentice reads a bit like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, with a young hero learning magic and facing a dark destiny, but it trades the bustling school setting for a more intimate focus on royal family drama and personal legacy. If you like training sequences, prickly mentors, messy siblings, and magic that always has a cost, this is a solid pick.
Chrysalis BREW says:
Earnest. Atmospheric. Character-led.
There is a particular moment early in this novel when a young prince lies down on a forest floor and decides to let the flames take him. The world is burning, the smoke stings his lungs, and every spell he has practiced deserts him. He wakes up safe in his bed—but soot stains his palms. It is in that small, unsettling detail that the book declares its true interest: not spectacle, but consequence. What happens when power arrives before maturity? What happens when responsibility comes disguised as a dream?