Magen is an outcast, exiled by his people, the mythical 'North Ice-Islanders'. Born without telepathy; he is abnormal, a regression. Conscripted as a Seaton Guard, he is ensnared in their 300 year interplanetary war with Es'stus. A dark shadow dogs his steps. Ancient prophesy hangs over him. A spy sleeps. Expect a motley crew, action, witty banter, romance and some provoked thoughts.
His arrival does not go unnoticed. The enigmatic Marshal Damoclus, guessing his unusual origin, makes him - 'Swordmaster'. This anachronistic position causes ripples to the highest level of command. Striving to adapt to living in a foreign culture, Magen is determined to make his mark.
Magen is "Of North Blood Drawn," that makes him different and slightly ties him in with some unfulfilled prophesies from several thousand years ago. The heros of old have left the job half done. A legend seems to be coming to life and has a more than a few loose ends. He has a sword that cuts through anything, a parting present from a senile old man - it got him the job. A red-haired girl in his squad has sword that sings - and turns her into a deadly berserker. He can't shake the feeling a shadow is watching him. He finds there are other, more ancient forces interested in his 'qualities' and they watch to see what he may become...
...or what they can make him be.
About the Author: Ciarán works as a Computer Engineer writing yards of code for an international chip manufacturer. After nearly ten years of working with and studying computers, his conclusion on the A.I. threat is that come the rise of the machines - they will probably destroy themselves through bugs 'cleverly' left by their designers. Our difficulty will be to survive without computers.
He began writing (human speak rather than machine code) in earnest when he realised that dull essay titles such as "What I did Last Summer" could be twisted to become any story. Stories played with Lego were used to knock out troublesome homework - the hard stuff that didn't involve calculus. Surprised by strong results, one idle summer, he began writing a prologue. That expanded into book, and the book became the first part of a series. So ironically, "What I did Last Summer" was already prepared in advance.
Widely read and with an interest in all things technical, scientific and obscure, he draws from varied source material for his books. Influential authors are David Eddings, Terry Pratchett, Alexander Dumas, Clive Cussler, C. S. Lewis and how could we leave out, William Shakespeare. Of course - he doesn't write literature - he writes light-hearted, entertaining Sci-Fi/Fantasy tempered with occasional serious notes.
