Ward of the Philosopher

"I was hooked right from the first chapter..." -- Ray Nicholson (Amazon top 1000 reviewer)"... an engaging story that creates questions you'll be dying to know the answers to." -- Jared J."Witty, well paced and intelligent when it needs to be, I'm looking forward to reading more." -- Craig Whitby"For a novella to inspire a need for more, in me, is quite a surprise. I am off to acquire the whole series!" -- James J. Hughes"This short is outstanding, simply stated it was one of the best reads that I've been exposed to in a while." -- Christopher T.Deacon Shader is a child out of time, removed as a baby from his Ancient world parents and raised on the Isle of Maranore.On his seventh birthday, the philosopher Aristodeus arrives to commence the boy's training with sword and mind. Nothing short of excellence will suffice, if Deacon is to fulfill his destiny and avert the Unweaving of all things.But as Aristodeus pushes him to the limits, reavers are spotted approaching the coast, and a cloud of horror descends upon the village.For these are no ordinary pirates. They sail under the Impaled Man, the grisly flag of Verusia, land of the undead and realm of the Lich Lord. "Derek Prior always produces masterpieces of storytelling, with great characters full of life, relentless plots, and gripping and intense fight scenes." Mitchell Hogan"Like Bernard Cornwell on 'shrooms!" Dinorah WilsonInternationally bestselling and award winning author Derek Prior excels in fast-paced, high stakes epic fantasy adventure stories in which good ultimately triumphs, but always at a cost.Taking familiar fantasy tropes as a point of departure, Prior expands upon them to explore friendship, betrayal, loyalty and heroism in worlds where evil is an ever-present reality, magic is both a curse and a blessing, and characters are tempered in battle.Winner of best fantasy novel 2012 (The Nameless Dwarf: The Complete Chronicles)Fantasy Faction semifinalist for the SPFBO 2018 (Ravine of Blood and Shadow) The origins of the Templum knight Deacon Shader