Arcturus is just an orphaned stableboy, when he discovers he has the ability to summon demons from another world. As the first commoner to have this skill, he is sent to Vocans Military Academy, where the lost arts of summoning, spellcraft and demonology are taught to the noble children of the Hominum Empire. With no one but his demon Sacharissa to help him, Arcturus must survive the gruelling challenges of the Academy, whilst navigating the political fallout that his discovery set in motion. ************************************************************************************ This is the first part of THE OUTCAST, prequel to THE NOVICE, but you don't need to read them in any particular order. You can buy THE NOVICE now in all good bookstores and online, including Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, Amazon, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo and Nook. THE OUTCAST will be available in the same places in May, 2018.

There is no night in the Everburning City. There can never be. ***** For four hundred years the Everburning City has withstood the advance of the life-strangling fog known as the Gloam. Its walls have held back five invasions, but on the eve of the sixth, the city's inhabitants know things have changed. Golems are coming out of the mist, and the bodies of the dead are rising at the Gloam's bidding. The city's last and most desperate line of defence comes in the form of the Crafters, individuals who can channel the power of fire, though they risk their sanity each time they do. The brightest of these valiant heroes are Tabitha a'Loria and her apprentice Gerald Reath. Risking their lives, they mount their airships, determined to save the last bastion of humanity - the Everburning City. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]