The ropes on which the sandbags hung fell away, every sandbag plunged to the icy cobblestones, and the airship, like a tethered hawk suddenly set free, shot into the sky.
Eight centuries ago, the MageLords fled a foe they could not defeat, hiding themselves behind an impenetrable magical Barrier. For eight centuries, they have reigned there unchallenged, wielding their power to crush any rebellion by the oppressed Commoners. But the ancient spell that forged their fortress is fraying, and there are those seeking to hasten its demise.
Prince Karl, Heir to the Keys that maintain the Great Barrier, survives a sorcerous attack--and sees his assassin incinerated by rebounding magic. Desperate Commoners, or deeper treachery among the Palace elite? Minister of Public Safety Lord Falk hunts the truth, but his ambitions run far deeper and darker: he plans to execute a forbidden ritual to shatter the Barrier, seize the throne, and unleash the Mageborn on an unsuspecting world.
Yet what lies Outside is no empty wilderness. An airship crashes through the veil from a realm of steam and iron, its young pilot, Anton Carteri, bearing wonders--and warnings of empires that forgot the old wars, rebuilding without magic. Lord Falk seeks to magically enslave Anton to his cause, but Anton and Falk's ward, Brenna, escape him and flee across frozen lakes and savage wilds, pursued by ruthless Rangers and ancient clans nursing grudges older than the Barriers.
Unknown to all, a vengeful Healer weaves a darker spell from atrocity's ashes: a weapon to unmake the MageLords forever. As pacts unravel and loyalties fracture, one boy's survival ignites a spark that could burn two worlds to the ground.
In Magebane, saviour and destroyer blur. When magic collides with machine, who claims the ruins?
Chane, Lee Arthur: -
Lee Arthur Chane is a pseudonym for Edward Willett, who is the author of more than sixty books of science fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction for readers of all ages. Marseguro (DAW Books) won the Aurora Award (honouring Canadian science fiction and fantasy) for Best Long-Form Work in English; his young adult fantasy Spirit Singer won a Saskatchewan Book Award. Several other of his books have been shortlisted for those and other awards. His nonfiction runs the gamut from science books to biographies to history. He hosts the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers (theworldshapers.com), in which he talks to other authors about their latest books, and has Kickstarted five anthologies featuring guests of the podcast. In addition to being a writer, he is a professional actor and singer. He lives in Regina, Saskatchewan, with his wife, Margaret Anne Hodges, P. Eng., a past president of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan. They have one daughter, Alice, and a black Siberian cat, Shadowpaw. You can find Ed online at www.edwardwillett.com.
