Blinded by Power: 5 (The Death Wizard Chronicles)

“Melvin shows his literary mastery as he weaves elements of potential and transformation; his tale dances among literal shape shifters and more subtle powers of mind.”

—Ann Allen,
The Charlotte Observer

“Adult Harry Potter and Eragon fans can get their next fix with Jim Melvin’s six-book epic The Death Wizard Chronicles
 . . .
Melvin’s imagination and writing equal that of J.K. Rowling, author of the fantastically popular
Harry Potter
series, and Christopher Paolini, author of
Eragon
and
Eldest
. Some of his descriptions—and creatures—even surpass theirs.”

—The Tampa Tribune

“Jim Melvin’s
Death Wizard Chronicles
crackle with non-stop action and serious literary ambition. He has succeeded in creating an entire universe of interlocking characters—and creatures—that will undoubtedly captivate fans of the fantasy genre. It’s a hell of a story
 . . .
a hell of a series
 . . .
”

—Bob Andelman, author of
Will Eisner: A Spirited Life

“Jim Melvin is a fresh voice in fantasy writing with a bold, inventive vision and seasoned literary style that vaults him immediately into the top tier of his genre. The Death Wizard Chronicles
 . . .
is scary, action-packed and imaginative—a mythic world vividly entwining heroes, villains and sex that leaves the reader with the impression that this breakthrough author has truly arrived.”

—Dave Scheiber, co-author of
Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob
and
Surviving the Shadows: A Journey of Hope into Post-Traumatic Stress

“Action-packed and yet profound, The DW Chronicles will take your breath away. This is epic fantasy at its best.”

—Chris Stevenson, author of
Planet Janitor: Custodian of the Stars
and
The Wolfen Strain

“Triken truly comes alive for the reader and is filled with mysteries and places that even the most powerful characters in the book are unaware of. That gives the reader the opportunity to discover and learn with the characters
 . . .
Melvin has added to the texture of the world by integrating Eastern philosophies, giving the magic not only consistency but depth. He has worked out the details of his magical system so readers can understand where it comes from and how it works.”

—Jaime McDougall, the bookstacks.com

Novels

Book 1: Forged in Death

Book 2: Chained by Fear

Book 3: Shadowed by Demons

Book 4: Torn by War

Book 5: Blinded by Power

Short Stories

Torg’s First Death

The Black Fortress

Rise of the Sun God

(Coming 2014)

by

Jim Melvin

Bell Bridge Books

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events or locations is entirely coincidental.

Bell Bridge Books
PO BOX 300921
Memphis, TN 38130
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-61194-484-6
Print ISBN: 978-1-61194-507-2

Bell Bridge Books is an Imprint of BelleBooks, Inc.

Copyright © 2014 by Jim Melvin

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

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Cover design: Debra Dixon
Interior design: Hank Smith
Photo/Art credits:
Background (manipulated) © Leeloomultipass |
Dreamstime.com
Battle (manipulated) © Dusan Kostic |
Dreamstime.com

:Mpbh:01:

to Robin,

my one

and only sibling.

Sister, you are dear

to my heart.

In Book 1 of
The Death Wizard Chronicles
, the sorcerer Invictus imprisons Torg in a pit bored into the frozen heights of Mount Asubha. After his escape, Torg and several new friends make their way toward Kamupadana, commonly known as the Whore City, where Torg hopes to learn more about Invictus’s plans.

Meanwhile, Laylah, the sister of Invictus, appears briefly as a sorceress whom Invictus also has imprisoned. Unlike Torg, she has not yet managed to escape. In fact, she has been her brother’s captive for more than seventy years.

In Book 2, the tale is told of Laylah’s escape. Under the guidance of the demon Vedana, she flees to Kamupadana, where she eventually meets and is healed by Torg. Along with the Asēkhas, Torg and his companions flee into the wilderness, with Mala, a.k.a. the Chain Man, and an army of monsters in hot pursuit.

In Book 3, Torg, Laylah, and their companions work their way west toward Duccarita, known as the City of Thieves. There they destroy an evil being that uses the power of its mind to control thousands of slave creatures called the Daasa. Once freed of the evil being’s sway, the Daasa, which number more than 10,000, join with Torg and the others as they continue their journey toward the safety of the White City. Meanwhile, the Asēkhas are ordered by Torg to travel eastward to join in the defense of the fortress Nissaya.

As Book 3 develops, three great wars begin to take shape: Mala and his army advance toward Nissaya, the druids of Dhutanga prepare to invade the White City, and an army of zombies marches into the desert Tējo, where they encounter the few Tugars who have remained there to defend their own land.

In Book 4, the zombie army is defeated in Tējo, though at great loss of life to the desert dwellers. The druids also are destroyed, but the Jivitan army that inhabits the White City pays a terrible price. Meanwhile, Mala’s army—led by the bloodthirsty golden soldiers—manages to achieve the unthinkable, surmounting the three great bulwarks that have protected the Nissaya for millennia before going on a killing rampage that only a few, including Torg, manage to escape.

In Book 5, the final war—between Mala’s army and what remains of the Jivitan army of white horsemen—takes place on the Green Plains. At stake? Torg’s life and Laylah’s freedom.