************************************************************************************** An outcast rogue must break a curse put on his fate, or die on his nineteenth birthday. To survive, he'll need the sword of a maiden, the aid of an immortal, and the power of forbidden magic that could cost him the only girl he ever loved. ************************************************************************************ *** THE JACK OF SOULS won a Silver IPPY this year! *** THE JACK OF SOULS won 1st place in the PNWA Competition in Fantasy! * *** THE JACK OF SOULS won 1st place in the Southwest Writers competition! * *** A "Featured Book" on Wattpad! * *** Now a "Staff Pick" on Kickstarter! * *** Available on Amazon in paper, hardback, and ebook ! * *** My contract with Kindle Select won't allow me to post more than 3 chapters here, but... *** Sign up for my newsletter on stephenmerlino.com for alerts when it's free on Amazon! * MY INSPIRATION I wrote this out of pure love of trickster rogues; I love the wit over brawn motif -- Odysseus over Achilles, Raven over Eagle -- so I like to play with it in my stories. In JOS I set the rogue and con-artist Harric against a foil of warriors in a land threatened by magic and civil war. Whenever possible I turn familiar tropes on their heads: instead of a handsome young Lancelot, I cast a broken-down ex-champion addicted to pain-killing herbs; instead of a dashing Squire Brian, the old knight reluctantly takes an ambitious young woman as squire. Similarly, I re-imagine the standard medieval milieu by infusing aspects of two of my favorite historical periods, Elizabethan England, and The American Frontier. Both eras boast a kind of nationalistic arrogance that borders on hubris, and a magnificent spirit of resourcefulness and re-invention that is fun to play with. SERIES The Jack of Souls is first in a series. I am posting parts of the sequel here now (The Knave of Souls), to help me refine the story.

Desperate to keep her magic hidden, Katerina goes to great lengths to avoid dragons and mages. When she gets cornered by evil mages, her only chance at escape involves freeing a trapped dragon. * * * Katerina's biggest fear is that unscrupulous mages or dragons would discover her magic and use her as a living magical battery. When she stumbles into a group of evil mages trying to magically enslave a dragon, she releases the dragon to act as a distraction, hoping he would attack the mages while she escaped. But magic has rules, and when you free a dragon mage, it creates magedebt that they must repay, lest their magic fade. Forced to travel together, Katerina struggles to hide her magic as she accompanies Rakota and his friends while they hunt down the Shadow Mages. Rakota is one of many dragons who detest humans due to how many have tried to slay him, steal his treasure, or control him with magic. He has no desire for a rider, but when his childhood sweetheart shows up, she won't consider courtship unless he has one. As if evil mages with ancient spells aren't enough, word comes from the coast that the nagas are planning to invade and wipe out the humans. Goals and secrets clash as Katerina strives to keep her magic hidden, yet that very magic might be the key to stopping the war, and becoming Rakota's rider would give him the family he's always dreamed of. But all magic has a price, and to become a rider, she'd have to forfeit her freedom. Copyright November 2022. All Rights Reserved. Readers may not copy or steal this story. Fanfictions are allowed to use my *world* and *magic rules* as long as credit is given.

Assassin Lilia Cortova was given a simple task: kill a rich lord at a festival. The last thing she expected was to be betrayed by the leader of her own Guild in the process. Cassandra Cortova believes Lilia has deserted her, and is planning to marry the very man who secretly betrayed her sister. Now, Lilia must decide between her lust for vengeance and love of family as she joins forces with the dangerous and handsome man she was supposed to kill, and Cassandra must wrestle with finding the truth before it's too late. Two deadly sisters. Two intertwined fates. And a secret that may bring them back together-or destroy them both.

Ramin Zubof can feel what others hide. He is the Avalok. Fear. Anger. Guilt. Desire. As a special agent with a rare ability, he investigates cases where ordinary methods fail. But even an Avalok has secrets. Ramin knows exactly where his gift comes from, and he has spent his life making sure no one else discovers the truth. When a powerful noble family is brutally murdered, he encounters something he has never experienced before. A person he cannot read.

At Valor Academy, power decides who matters. Amira Castania was never supposed to belong among the wealthy elemental heirs, beautiful fae, and demigods raised to rule. She is a sharp tongued girl from the slums of Ithican with no influential family, no protection, and absolutely no intention of letting anyone see how terrified she is. But the more Amira learns to control her Fire, the more her magic refuses to follow the rules. Keeping her head down becomes impossible. Especially when she catches the attention of Drax Umbranox, the dangerously powerful son of the High Enforcer. Cruel, arrogant, and impossible to ignore, Drax seems determined to discover every secret Amira is trying to bury. Every argument between them burns too hot. Every threat feels too personal. And beneath his hatred lies something neither of them is willing to name. As forbidden abilities awaken and powerful families begin watching her, Amira realizes Valor Academy was never simply a school. It is a battlefield built upon bloodlines, secrets, and magic powerful people would kill to control. Amira came to Valor to master one element. She may leave with the power to destroy its entire order.