Master of Sorrows
You've heard the story before: an orphaned boy, raised by a wise old man, comes to a fuller knowledge of his magic and uses it to fight the great evil threatening his world.
But what if that hero were destined to become the new dark lord?
The Academy of Chaenbalu has stood against magic for centuries. Hidden from the world, acting from the shadows, it trains its students to detect and retrieve magic artifacts, which it jealously guards from the misuse of others. Because magic is dangerous: something that heals can also harm, and a power that aids one person may destroy another.
Of the academy's many students, only the most skilled can become avatars--warrior thieves, capable of infiltrating the most heavily guarded vaults--and only the most determined can be trusted to resist the lure of magic. More than anything, Annev de Breth wants to become one of them.
But Annev carries a secret. Unlike his classmates who were stolen as infants from the capital city, Annev was born in the village of Chaenbalu, was believed to be executed, and then unknowingly raised by his parents' killers. Seventeen years later, he struggles with the burdens of a forbidden magic, a forgotten heritage, and a secret deformity. When Annev is subsequently caught between the warring ideologies of his priestly mentor and the Academy's masters, he must finally decide whether to accept the truth of who he really is ... or embrace the darker truth of what he may one day become.
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Justin Travis Call is a graduate of Harvard University and the author of Master of Sorrows, Book 1 of the Silent Gods series. In addition to being a novice screenwriter and voice actor, Justin is also the CEO of Broomstick Monkey Games and codesigner of Imperial Harvest and Royal Strawberries. When he isn't reading or writing books, Justin likes boxing, designing tabletop games, and playing League of Legends. He currently lives in Park City, Utah, with his wife, his two sons, his Great Dane (Pippa) and his Saint Bernard-mastiff (Herbie).
"A remarkable debut which I simply cannot put down...Master of Sorrows is a brilliant and riveting tale of having the courage to find and choose one's path, and it left me wanting more. I recommend this book for lovers of classic epic fantasy looking for a modern voice."
-- "Novel Notions""Reading Master of Sorrows is instantly entertaining, but it also lays the groundwork for something massively rewarding in the years ahead. It is a balanced mix of palpable action, inventive revelations, and flawed characters. It is respectful of the reader's intelligence and is impressive as it is ambitious. This is the start of a truly epic dark fantasy saga that is well worth jumping into on the ground floor."
-- "Fantasy Book Review""If you're a fan of coming-of-age stories, magic schools, and the idea of what's right and what's wrong, then Master of Sorrows is the book for you."
-- "The Fantasy Inn""Master of Sorrows is one of the most outstanding beginnings to a fantasy series I have ever read and I almost read this in one sitting. Justin Call's eye for fantasy is so pure and captivating that I was lost in these pages from the gut-wrenchingly emotional prologue ... to the liquid rage finale that left my jaw firmly on the floor."
-- "Always Trust in Books""If you loved Robin Hobb's Fitz in Assassin's Apprentice, you'll love Annev in Justin Call's Master of Sorrows!
-- "Adrian Selby, author of The Winter Road""A fast-paced and intricate coming-of-age story that shows that villains aren't born but forged."
-- "Nick Martell, author of The Kingdom of Liars""An astonishing first step along a dark descent that readers will want to see to the end."
-- "Christopher Ruocchio, author of Empire of Silence""Master of Sorrows is one of the best books I have read this year and a perfect example of grimdark fantasy. It isn't overly mired in negativity or cruelness. The rawer parts of grimdark and epic fantasy are there, but this story is tinged with hope in the best possible way. It is riveting, exciting, and one that is going to stick with me for a while."
-- "Grimdark Magazine""A modern take on the classic coming-of-age fantasies that embraces its roots amongst the likes of Eddings, Sanderson, Canavan, and Weeks, and dares to reach for the stars and carve out its own destiny."
-- "The Fantasy Hive""A classic coming-of-age tale meets a hero-to-be adventure with spiraling depth...Call writes a world of deep and profound mythology."
-- "Ed McDonald, author of Blackwing""Game designer Call inverts fantasy tropes...A late-stage reveal and violent climax nicely set up book two."
-- "Publishers Weekly""In a world where difference means death, can a boy with a secret find his own path?...Debut novelist Call plunges the reader directly into the action and never lets the pace flag. Even as we learn about the ancient battles, dark prophecies, and mystical assassins that are about to change the course of Annev's life, the stakes remain appealingly human: Can Annev achieve his goals without betraying his moral code? Will the people he cares about accept him for who he is? A fast-paced, action-packed epic fantasy to sink your teeth into."
-- "Kirkus Reviews""Call's debut, which kicks off the Silent Gods series, takes its time coming to a boil, but by the final act there is plenty of action and conflict. Readers of Mark Lawrence's Book of the Ancestor trilogy or Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicle will appreciate the depiction of a young conflicted hero coming of age in a fantastic school."
-- "Library Journal""Grim and melancholic, this book is an epic modern dark fantasy that will have you counting down the days until the next release."
-- "Get Literary""Artifacts, ancient secrets, and an aching desire to prove himself force neophyte Annev de Breth to contend with magical forces in Master of Sorrows, the first book in The Silent Gods series from Justin Travis Call...Master of Sorrows is a rousing and imaginative high fantasy novel--a promising beginning to a new series."
-- "Foreword Reviews"
