Minalan gave up a promising career as a professional warmage to live the quiet life of a village spellmonger in the remote mountain valley of Boval. It was a peaceful, beautiful little fief, far from the dangerous feudal petty squabbles of the Five Duchies, on the world of Callidore. There were cows. Lots of cows. And cheese.
For six months things went well: he found a quaint little shop, befriended the local lord, the village folk loved him, he found a sharp young apprentice to help out, and best yet, he met a comely young widow with the prettiest eyes . . .
Then one night Minalan is forced to pick up his mageblade again to defend his adopted home from the vanguard of an army of goblins – gurvani, they call themselves – bent on a genocidal crusade against all mankind. And that was the good news. The bad news was that their shamans were armed with more magical power than has been seen since the days of the ancient Imperial Magocracy – and their leader, a mysterious, vengeful force of hate and dark magic, is headed directly to Boval Vale, along with a massive invading army of gurvani. The good people of Boval and their spellmonger have only one choice: to hole up in the over-sized Boval Castle and hope they can endure a siege against hundreds of thousands of goblins.
When the people look to him for hope, Minalan does his best, but the odds are depressing: there are multitudes of goblins, and they want Boval Vale as a staging ground for a vengeful invasion of the whole Five Duchies.
Add to his troubles a jealous rival mage, a motley band of mercenaries, a delusional liege lord who insists victory is at hand despite the hordes at his door, a dour castellan, a moody, pregnant girlfriend and a catty ex-girlfriend who specializes in sex magic - all trapped in a stinking, besieged castle with no hope of rescue, and you’ll understand why Minalan is willing to take his chances with the goblins.
All that stands between the gurvani horde and the people of the Five Duchies is one tired, overwhelmed baker’s son who wanted nothing more than to be a simple village spellmonger.
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21 books in catalog
The sprawling epic fantasy landscape of the Spellmonger series has gained a dedicated following through its detailed world-building, blending traditional feudal fantasy elements with practical magery and military strategy. American author Terry Mancour established this expansive universe in 2011 with the release of the inaugural novel Spellmonger, embarking on an ambitious multi-book narrative projected to span dozens of volumes.
Born in Flint, Michigan in 1968, Terry Mancour relocated to North Carolina in 1978. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he majored in Religious Studies. Mancour's early writing career included media tie-in work and sci-fi continuations published under his own name and pseudonyms such as T. L. Mancour. In 1992, he authored the tie-in novel Star Trek: The Next Generation #20: Spartacus, and later created sequels to H. Beam Piper's 1963 novel Space Viking, publishing Prince of Tanith and Princess Valerie's War in 2011.
Following his early publishing ventures, Mancour transitioned into self-publishing, which allowed him full creative control over high-volume series. His focus shifted primarily to the Spellmonger saga starting in 2011, while also branching out into time-travel fiction with his Casanova's Butterfly sequence beginning with Bad Penny in 2017. He resides in Durham, North Carolina, with his family, managing an extensive output across epic fantasy and science fiction.
Mancour's work is characterized by detailed feudal politics, economic systems, and tactical military engagements embedded within high fantasy settings. Drawing upon his background in Religious Studies, his narratives frequently explore the institutional impact of magic on ordinary agrarian societies. His prose balances realistic logistical challenges—such as domain management, troop movements, and resource allocation—with immersive, character-driven storytelling.
The Spellmonger
