Emaneska Series by Ben Galley

Game Of Throne meets Die Hard in this explosive epic fantasy, packed with tattooed mages wielding unbridled spells, meddling gods, dragon-riders, and twisted Norse mythology.Only half the recruits that undergo the Ritual survive to become Written mages. Only they can wield the fiercest of magics, to protect the Arka, until either death or the madness takes them.Five scholars of Arfell have been assassinated... moreGame Of Throne meets Die Hard in this explosive epic fantasy, packed with tattooed mages wielding unbridled spells, meddling gods, dragon-riders, and twisted Norse mythology.Only half the recruits that undergo the Ritual survive to become Written mages. Only they can wield the fiercest of magics, to protect the Arka, until either death or the madness takes them.Five scholars of Arfell have been assassinated. A spellbook has gone missing – a powerful summoning manual from the time of elves and fire-born daemons. The Arkmages are running out of time and options, and the world is once again on the brink of war with the Siren dragon-riders.It falls to Farden – one of the Arka's most powerful yet troubled Written mages – to keep Emaneska from falling into chaos. Entangled in a web of lies and politics, Farden is tasked with hunting down the assassin, and recovering the spellbook before it falls into the wrong hands, and the world is cast into shadow.It will mean fighting his way across savage Emaneska and back, a land infested with wyrms, marauders, and betrayal. It will take every fibre of his will, every scrap of magic in his bones, and if he falls, so shall the world.Welcome to Emaneska.The Written is the first volume in The Emaneska Series, a fast-paced, epic and norse-inspired fantasy saga perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, Steven Erikson, Will Wight, and George R.R. Martin. Join over 100,000 other readers and delve into the iron world of Emaneska. less

Farden is a Written mage: a living weapon, the brutal fist of the Arka, trained in the schools of magick and forged in fire and blood. There are few that would dare to trifle with a Written, but there are always those too stupid or too ambitious to heed the warnings.Driven from the city of Krauslung and the Arka by family shame and gossip, Farden hopes the far-flung land of Albion will give him the peace and anonymity he craves... moreFarden is a Written mage: a living weapon, the brutal fist of the Arka, trained in the schools of magick and forged in fire and blood. There are few that would dare to trifle with a Written, but there are always those too stupid or too ambitious to heed the warnings.Driven from the city of Krauslung and the Arka by family shame and gossip, Farden hopes the far-flung land of Albion will give him the peace and anonymity he craves. Shunned by the rest of Emaneska, Albion is a land of cruel dukes, rolling hills, and narrow minds who have rarely seen true magick.When his new and unusual superior Durnus immediately dispatches Farden on his first mission to recover a valuable weapon, the mage’s hopes of lying low are dashed by the Weaver: a grifter with poisonous ambition and other ideas for the weapon.Battling bandits and a hunter with a score to settle, Farden not only has to claim and keep ahold the weapon, but he must find out why it has half of Albion – and the Arka – chasing its tail.––––––The Weaver & The Wyrm is a brand new novella set before the events of The Emaneska Series and Scalussen Chronicles. This new norse fantasy adventure of Emaneska’s most dangerous mage is a completely self-contained standalone. less

The Marshes of Efjar have never been conquered. The scholars say it is the inhospitable terrain, the mazelike bogs, or insects the size of a fist. But any warrior who's ever trod these lands know the true danger: the minotaur clans that call them home.Twice the height of a human and fond of raw flesh, the Efjar minotaurs have repelled the Arka armies time and time again. It now falls to The Iron Keys – a famed regiment of the finest soldiers and mages – to put an end to the war... moreThe Marshes of Efjar have never been conquered. The scholars say it is the inhospitable terrain, the mazelike bogs, or insects the size of a fist. But any warrior who's ever trod these lands know the true danger: the minotaur clans that call them home.Twice the height of a human and fond of raw flesh, the Efjar minotaurs have repelled the Arka armies time and time again. It now falls to The Iron Keys – a famed regiment of the finest soldiers and mages – to put an end to the war. And for fresh recruit Farden the Written, it is his first glimpse of the terrors of Efjar.Death awaits all who enter the Marshes.———This new short story is set before The Emaneska Series, and tells the tale of Farden and his role in the Efjar Skirmishes. For more from the dark world of Emaneska and to follow Farden's journey, read The Emaneska Series and Scalussen Chronicles. less

Emaneska is crying out for a saviourThe only question is:Can they kill a child to save a world? While Farden the Written mage busies himself digging up his past in the strange deserts of Paraia, the storm-clouds begin to gather for Durnus, Elessi, Cheska, and Modren.Together with Farfallen and his dragon-riders, they must fight to survive against the Long Winter, the vicious machinations of the new Arkmage, and the arrival of something much deadlier than both combined... moreEmaneska is crying out for a saviourThe only question is:Can they kill a child to save a world? While Farden the Written mage busies himself digging up his past in the strange deserts of Paraia, the storm-clouds begin to gather for Durnus, Elessi, Cheska, and Modren.Together with Farfallen and his dragon-riders, they must fight to survive against the Long Winter, the vicious machinations of the new Arkmage, and the arrival of something much deadlier than both combined. War, deception, and murder are quickly becoming the only paths to salvation… less

The sky is falling. The world trembles beneath it.Emaneska is crying out for a saviour. Somebody is hunting down the Written mages in the wilds. Murdering and skinning them alive. Who? A mere girl. A girl who was born to rip the stars from the sky and bring them crashing down to earth. The direst enemy Emaneska has ever faced.In the wake of the Battle of Krauslung, the world has changed. For the darker. For the stranger... moreThe sky is falling. The world trembles beneath it.Emaneska is crying out for a saviour. Somebody is hunting down the Written mages in the wilds. Murdering and skinning them alive. Who? A mere girl. A girl who was born to rip the stars from the sky and bring them crashing down to earth. The direst enemy Emaneska has ever faced.In the wake of the Battle of Krauslung, the world has changed. For the darker. For the stranger. Magic swells like a storm, spilling from the stunned lips of farmboys and milkmaids, burning spell books to cinders at the lightest of touches.As Krauslung unknowingly balances on a knife-edge, tension mounts. Insidious whispers have begun to spread, drawing new enemies to the surface. Discontent, fear, betrayal... it seems that the girl is not the only enemy Emaneska faces.Who can stand in their way? Will it be a pair of struggling Arkmages, one blind, one Written? An Albion maid, on the cusp of her wedding day? Three shadows of gods? Or will it be a ghost, a bloody rumour, lost in a dark world of murder and bitter memories? One question above all lingers on their lips: where in Emaneska is Farden? less

North, is where the battle will take place.North, is where Farden must go.But to death, to glory, or to both? The Arka have chosen their champion, and now he must lead them to the top of the world - The Spine, where the black mountains belch fire, and where the battle against cataclysm will take place upon the ice.As they travel north in a warship clad in iron, the Krauslung they leave behind is crumbling... moreNorth, is where the battle will take place.North, is where Farden must go.But to death, to glory, or to both? The Arka have chosen their champion, and now he must lead them to the top of the world - The Spine, where the black mountains belch fire, and where the battle against cataclysm will take place upon the ice.As they travel north in a warship clad in iron, the Krauslung they leave behind is crumbling. Not under the onslaught of the girl and her daemons, but from within, under the force of greed and poisonous ambition. It seems there are too many battles to fight.Now, with the Sirens silent, the frozen north in uproar, and the responsibility mounting, Emaneska's champion must face a choice. Can he tread the tunnels of Hel to save the world? To save a woman more ghost than alive? To claim the armour he has always longed for? For salvation lies in the hands of a Knight fifteen-hundred years dead, and in the red-gold armour of a certain mage.Salvation lies with Scalussen. less

Only half of all recruits survive to become Written mages. Only they can wield the fiercest of magics, the powers needed to protect the Arka, until death or madness takes them.Five scholars of Arfell have been assassinated. A spellbook has gone missing – a powerful summoning manual from the time of elves and fire-born daemons. The Arkmages are running out of time and options, and the world is once again on the brink of war with the Siren dragon-riders... moreOnly half of all recruits survive to become Written mages. Only they can wield the fiercest of magics, the powers needed to protect the Arka, until death or madness takes them.Five scholars of Arfell have been assassinated. A spellbook has gone missing – a powerful summoning manual from the time of elves and fire-born daemons. The Arkmages are running out of time and options, and the world is once again on the brink of war with the Siren dragon-riders. It falls to Farden – one of the Arka's most powerful Written mages – to keep Emaneska from falling into chaos.Entangled in a web of lies and politics, Farden is tasked with hunting down the assassin and recovering the spellbook before it falls into the wrong hands and the world is cast into shadow. It will mean fighting his way across the savage realms of Emaneska, a land infested with wyrms, marauders, and betrayal. It will take every fiber of his will - not to mention every scrap of magic in his bones - to survive.And if Farden should fall... so shall the world. less

After the Last War, the world has all too easily forgotten the time of the Written and the Arkmages. In their place, an iron-fisted empire has arisen, one that has finally brought order to the war-torn lands. An empire that has outlawed magick for anyone but itself.At last, it seems that peace has come to Emaneska. Or, that is what the emperor would have Emaneska believe. On the fringes of the Arkan Empire, a different story is being written... moreAfter the Last War, the world has all too easily forgotten the time of the Written and the Arkmages. In their place, an iron-fisted empire has arisen, one that has finally brought order to the war-torn lands. An empire that has outlawed magick for anyone but itself.At last, it seems that peace has come to Emaneska. Or, that is what the emperor would have Emaneska believe. On the fringes of the Arkan Empire, a different story is being written. Those who show magick talent must join the empire, live as an outlaw, or hang for their crimes.The Last War is still being fought, homestead by homestead, and a young peasant girl is about to be thrust into the violent world that exists beneath the lies of empire.Welcome back to Emaneska. less

Revenge loves company. Mithrid Fenn wants nothing to do with magick. Magick is a curse word, banned by the vast Arka Empire and punishable by death. Its purging has finally brought peace to war-torn Emaneska. Only a stubborn rebellion, led by the warlord Outlaw King, raids and pillages the empire’s northern fringes. To cliff-brat Mithrid, this is an age of tranquility and childhood games... moreRevenge loves company. Mithrid Fenn wants nothing to do with magick. Magick is a curse word, banned by the vast Arka Empire and punishable by death. Its purging has finally brought peace to war-torn Emaneska. Only a stubborn rebellion, led by the warlord Outlaw King, raids and pillages the empire’s northern fringes. To cliff-brat Mithrid, this is an age of tranquility and childhood games. That is until an illegal spellbook washes up on her shores, and she finds herself thrust into a war she never knew existed. Now hunted by daemons and mages, she is dragged inexorably north to Scalussen and its rebels fighting doggedly to preserve a memory of freedom. Mithrid holds no such ideals. She fights for revenge and nothing nobler. If spilling blood means helping the Outlaw King, then so be it. Even if it means all-out war.———The Forever King is the first book in a new trilogy – The Scalussen Chronicles – set in the dark and nordic world of The Emaneska Series. A breathless and emotional tale of revenge that crisscrosses a vast world, The Forever King is an epic fantasy ideal for fans of Joe Abercrombie, Steven Erikson and Mark Lawrence. less

You don’t have to save the world, you just have to survive itThe battle for freedom has left Emaneska reeling and desolated. Both Scalussen and Arka are scattered to the winds. With the Blazing Throne now empty and the Arka Empire for the taking, the race to claim Emaneska has begun.Farden and Mithrid have been stranded alone in strange eastern lands by errant magick, They battle not to return home, but to uncover an ancient weapon capable of defeating a god. A god who desires nothing but chaos... moreYou don’t have to save the world, you just have to survive itThe battle for freedom has left Emaneska reeling and desolated. Both Scalussen and Arka are scattered to the winds. With the Blazing Throne now empty and the Arka Empire for the taking, the race to claim Emaneska has begun.Farden and Mithrid have been stranded alone in strange eastern lands by errant magick, They battle not to return home, but to uncover an ancient weapon capable of defeating a god. A god who desires nothing but chaos.In Emaneska, Elessi leads the survivors of the Rogue’s Armada to safer havens, something rare and lacking in the uncharted waters of the south.Treachery and pain await them both, but the price of failure is steeper. New enemies lie in wait on those foreign paths. Dark creatures born of nightmares and forgotten powers. Warlords set on mastering magick. And an old threat reborn, doggedly pursuing one fate:The death of Farden.“Absolutely loved it. Epic fantasy with a contemporary twist, characters that you feel for or love to hate, and a cool nordic-inspired world… Sharp prose and a storyteller’s touch.” – John Gwynne“Entertaining fantasy that is epic in scope, filled with imaginative magic, thrilling adventure, and some evil bastard antagonists to hate on.”– Out Of This World Reviews“Ben Galley is one of the best voices in the dark fantasy genre.”– Fantasy Faction“An epic page turner at its finest.”– Amazon Review less