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Thank You For the Journey
A Maker of Magic follows an Enchanter whose inability to cast magic conventionally pushes him to think outside the box and discover a new way to build magic into weapons and armor. What first inspired Levi Richter and the idea of an Enchanter who struggles to cast magic conventionally?
The idea behind the book came to me during a difficult time. My father died on Christmas Eve in 2023. In the months that followed, I traveled between my home in Virginia and my family home in NJ to help with funeral planning, care for my mom, and handle other issues. Sitting in that empty house, my mind started to turn with grief and love. This story just flowed out of me. I wrote the entire book in those three months. I think Levi came from my own feelings of inadequacy. Since both my father and I served in the military, I created a similar connection between Levi and his father. The villains of the story, the undead horde of the Ebon Abyss, came from my childhood love of Universal movie monsters, like Dracula, the Wolfman, etc. I even had glow-in-the-dark models in my bedroom. I wrote it with family love in mind during a time of grief.
How does Levi’s identity change as he moves from student to inventor, soldier, nobleman, and leader?
Levi always knew he had to step up because of his unique ability. He was different from the others, who deemed him weak. He never thought of himself as a leader or even a true noble son, since he was the third-born. He only wanted to make an impression on Danielle, someone he’d loved since childhood, but soon his crazy ideas began to garner attention. I think that’s when Levi knew he needed to step it up even more. He wasn’t just experimenting for the fun of it. He was finally making an impression and an impact on the kingdom. He soon realized that he had to grow up rather quickly.
How do faith, prophecy, and personal choice interact throughout the story?
I like to think faith is at the heart of all my stories. I put my faith in God to carry me through my journey as an author, and that shows up in the pages of my books. The fact that they’re fighting against an undead horde of the Ebon Abyss brings their faith to the forefront. They’re fighting for the people in this life and the ones who fought and died before them. As a veteran, that’s part of my own history and heritage right there. The Richter family puts their faith in God and each other to get them through this. It’s Levi who has a moment of doubt. Some believe in him, his abilities, and the prophecy, but he isn’t sure. It takes life-and-death situations that threaten his family and friends to make him take it seriously finally.
Will this novel be the start of a series, or are you working on a different story?
Honestly, I wrote this as a standalone as a nod to my parents. My mother passed away eight months after my father, so I lost both within a year. This was my way of saying thank you for the journey. I might do more, but right now it is a standalone.
I am currently working on sequels to my other book series, Corsair and the Sky Pirates and Gwen Iver and Pendragon’s Puzzle. I hope to release the sequels next year. I am also getting ready to publish the fifth and final book in my Forever Avalon series. Forever Avalon was my first published book, so this is the final chapter in that series.
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In the kingdom of Engressia, every gifted child is tested and assigned a path in service to the crown. Levi Richter, youngest son of the Duke of Stormwind, is named an Enchanter at the Dawnstar Academy. Yet unlike the mages around him, Levi cannot cast spells through ordinary means. What others see as a limitation drives him toward a different kind of power: forging magic into devices, weapons, and armor.
Years later, Levi discovers Mysterium, a rare ore threaded with Violet Amerlyte and capable of transforming the way magic is made. His breakthrough could give Engressia a decisive advantage in its endless war against the undead legions of the Ebon Abyss. It also places Stormwind, Levi’s family, and everyone he loves in the path of enemies who will murder, manipulate, and betray to control it.
As an undead incursion threatens Fortress Drakmire and a conspiracy closes around his home, Levi must unite his talents as an Enchanter, swordsman, inventor, and reluctant heir. Alongside the formidable Blademancer Danielle Greyson, he faces vampires, dark mages, political rivals, and the devastating consequences of a feud generations in the making.
To protect Stormwind and end the forever war, Levi must become more than the mage his teachers expected. He must fulfill an old prophecy and prove himself a true Maker of Magic.
A Maker of Magic
A Maker of Magic by Mark Piggott is an expansive military fantasy built around Levi Richter, a rare Enchanter who can create spells and magical weapons but struggles to cast magic conventionally. Alongside Danielle Nichols, the formidable Blademancer known as the Sword of the Lawgiver, Levi grows from a gifted student into an inventor, soldier, nobleman, and possible fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. The long war between Engressia and the undead Ebon Abyss gives the story its scale, while Levi’s loyalty to his family gives it a clear emotional center. At heart, it’s a heroic adventure about turning an unusual talent into a source of strength.
The book’s most enjoyable material involves magical engineering. Levi’s rune dial, Mysterium armor, repeating ballistae, specialized weapons, and Violet Amerlyte explosives make invention part of the action instead of background decoration. That approach recalls Brandon Sanderson, particularly Mistborn, in the way established magical properties become tools for solving tactical problems. Piggott’s version has the atmosphere of a forge and an armory, with considerable attention paid to how each weapon is constructed, tested, and used. Readers who enjoy watching a protagonist think through a problem before smashing through it will find plenty to appreciate.
The emotional side is equally earnest. Levi and Danielle’s lifelong romance anchors the story, while his relationships with his parents, siblings, Lapis, and the people of Stormwind reinforce its interest in family, service, faith, and inherited responsibility. The dialogue is direct and often playful, especially when Levi trades insults with his brothers or corrects Lapis’s mangled expressions. Characters regularly state their motives and feelings plainly, giving the novel a broad, accessible storytelling style. Its villains are vividly cruel, its heroes openly principled, and its battles carry the moral clarity of classic quest fantasy.
A Maker of Magic is a bighearted and action-heavy fantasy for readers who like detailed combat, magical craftsmanship, loyal companions, bold romance, and heroes willing to carry enormous responsibilities. Levi’s progression from underestimated Enchanter to genuine force of change is satisfying because his victories grow from curiosity, preparation, and devotion to others. The final revelation also casts the apparent triumph in a more complicated light and opens an intriguing path beyond this volume. It’s an energetic tale with the confident sweep of a saga that has more story left to tell.
Pages: 309 | ASIN : B0HC9TSPZ7
