Menaced by Magic

The last thing former soldier Mark Armstrong knew, he'd been on his way home from work. He certainly wasn't expecting to wake up in a totally different world! In the Duchy of Palma chaos has struck – the duke is dead and his heir, Marcus, missing. Without them the duchy has lost its means to defend itself with the Gift, although that hasn't been used in centuries. So when the search for Marcus turns up a complete stranger in his stead, at first army commander Rufus and his friend Elias, the spy, are more worried about keeping the news quiet to avoid a diplomatic incident. Mark must pose as Marcus to keep the peace. Only when the stone mythical beasts around the palace of Al-dushara start moving is the truth of the Gift gradually revealed – and it's bad news, because now no-one can control them! Alongside Rufus and Elias, Mark begins a desperate attempt to save the people on the island of Dushan, but they are facing unknown enemies with powers of a kind they don't begin to comprehend. Which of the neighbouring countries is behind these attacks? Or is it none of them? Yet who else has a motive for trying to bring the duchy to ruin? Even the motive is shrouded in mystery, and things only begin to be revealed when they also tackle the traitor in their midst. With assassins on the loose, and an unseen enemy who seems to be able to control even the wind, the dangers just keep rising! The Prisoner of Zenda meets Game of Thrones in this fast-paced opening to a new series.