Books with author Michael G. Manning

Moira Illeniel was the name she lived by, but her true heritage was more complicated than that. From birth, she was the secretly adopted daughter of the most powerful wizard in the world, but few knew that her true birthright came from the Centyr lineage. Traveling to Dunbar to discover the fate of her vanished father, Moira must face the darker aspects of her power. Forced to fight a foe unlike anything seen before in Lothion, she will learn the reason for the warnings her mother’s shade gave her—why certain abilities should never be used and some lines never crossed—for some doors once opened, might never be closed again.

Now a student at Wurthaven, Will is confronted with the truth of the present. The powerful magic embodied by wizards like his grandfather is but a distant memory, while the practice of the current day is timid and uninspired, and yet he needs the knowledge still preserved and managed by the college. At every turn he finds that sorcery is supreme, while wizards are trained merely to assist and support those who hold the real power—a power based on an evil so deep that few living know the truth of its foundation.As a student of wizardry, he’s expected to know his place and stay in it, but Will isn’t like the other students. His grandfather’s teaching has made him into something different, something forgotten—something they will learn to fear.If he can grow into his power. With every choice, every refusal to submit, Will creates more enemies, enemies who aren’t content to let him live in peace. Without friends or support, Will must survive the knives in the dark, for Cerria is no place for those who refuse to follow the rules.

The ancient magic of wizards was anything but dark. It was the enlightenment that lifted humanity from the squalor of superstition, and the worship of fell spirits and capricious gods, but those days are gone. The shining glory of the sorcerers burned away the subtlety of wisdom, replacing it with easy power, held only in the hands of the elite—a new age built upon the elemental supremacy of aristocrats and the ignorance of the masses.But this will change, for the greatest power comes with knowledge, and the deeper teachings of wizardry have not been utterly lost. The last wizard of the old tradition still survives in solitude, nursing tired grudges and waiting for death.His passing might have gone unnoticed, but for the imposition of a youth too stubborn to accept his refusal to take an apprentice. With a new student comes new hope, and that hope has caused old powers to stir again. That the world will change is inevitable, but the shape of the future is anything but certain.

Gram lives in the long shadow cast by his father, the late-hero, Dorian Thornbear. Struggling to find his place in a world where politics and wizardry appear to have replaced the need for men of might and main, he must make his own mark. Trapped within the seemingly safe confines of Castle Cameron, Gram faces both love and tragedy. His choices will define not only himself, but serve to remind others of his family's legacy, and the reason only a fool threatens those a Thornbear protects.

Mordecai has discovered his heritage and must take up the mantle of a lord of the realm, while figuring out what it really means to be a mage of the line of Illeniel. He is beset on both sides by allies and enemies trying to control or destroy his future. Gods and kings both seek to manipulate him for their own ends, and no matter what he chooses his loved ones will suffer. Will he risk destroying his love with a bond that might be her death, or face the madness that comes to wizards who embrace power without restraint?

Now a student at Wurthaven, Will is confronted with the truth of the present. The powerful magic embodied by wizards like his grandfather is but a distant memory, while the practice of the current day is timid and uninspired, and yet he needs the knowledge still preserved and managed by the college. At every turn he finds that sorcery is supreme, while wizards are trained merely to assist and support those who hold the real power--a power based on an evil so deep that few living know the truth of its foundation.As a student of wizardry, he's expected to know his place and stay in it, but Will isn't like the other students. His grandfather's teaching has made him into something different, something forgotten--something they will learn to fear.If he can grow into his power. With every choice, every refusal to submit, Will creates more enemies, enemies who aren't content to let him live in peace. Without friends or support, Will must survive the knives in the dark, for Cerria is no place for those who refuse to follow the rules.

Only a fool threatens those a Thornbear protects. Mordecai’s shattered family is in chaos, but the world won’t wait for them to recover. Trapped by a fiendish plot he didn’t foresee, Mordecai finds himself powerless to redeem himself or defend his family. Alone and surrounded by enemies, Lady Rose has only her wits to protect those she loves. Though every hand turns against her, Rose Thornbear refuses to give up, and she will sacrifice whatever is necessary to save Penny’s family, whether the price is her rank, dignity, or even her life.

Years have passed since the last of the Dark Gods was defeated, and Lothion has entered an age of peace and prosperity. Mordecai’s oldest children have already begun to make a place for themselves, and his youngest are on the cusp of adulthood. By every outward measure, his life has been a success; he has earned his reward. However, Tyrion, the first wizard and brutal liberator of mankind, has returned with an agenda of his own, and dark things continue to stir at the edges of civilization, threatening to undo Mordecai’s accomplishments. He must meet the expectations of his queen, his family, and his people, all while finding a way to protect them from the ancient enemy of the She’Har, but his greatest challenge may be dealing with the lingering darkness that is growing within his own heart.

The looming war with Darrow has faded to a distant shadow, but Will’s continued studies at Wurthaven are disrupted by an unforeseen threat. Selene’s absence has raised suspicion among her friends and Will’s father-in-law, the king, who is now directing his ire at the obvious culprit, his daughter’s new husband. Meanwhile the citizens of Cerria have begun disappearing and a shadowy figure is stalking Will’s sister, Laina.With his power pushed to the limit, Will finds himself attempting to preserve a family that rejected him and trying to save a city whose king might rather see him dead. Desperate for help, he may not be able to trust the powers that have supported him in the past, for though the fae could be the source of the catastrophe; they only offer their assistance—for a price.Evil stalks the streets of Cerria at night, seeking the blood of his family, the destruction of the city, and the death of the king. Will may have to decide what is most important for Terabinia: preserving the people of its most prosperous city, or saving its questionable ruler?

Mordecai's simple life as the son of a blacksmith is transformed by the discovery of his magical birthright. As he journeys to understand the power within him he is drawn into a dangerous plot to destroy the Duke of Lancaster and undermine the Kingdom of Lothion. Love and treachery combine to embroil him in events he was never prepared to face. What he uncovers will change his understanding of the past, and alter the future of those around him.

The looming war with Darrow has faded to a distant shadow, but Will's continued studies at Wurthaven are disrupted by an unforeseen threat. Selene's absence has raised suspicion among her friends and more importantly the king, who is now directing his ire at the obvious culprit, her new husband. Meanwhile the citizens of Cerria have begun disappearing and a shadowy figure is stalking Will's half-sister, Laina.With his power pushed to the limit, Will finds himself attempting to preserve a family that rejected him from enemies he never knew existed-all while trying to save a city whose king might rather see him dead. Desperate for help, he may not be able to trust the powers that have helped him in the past, for the fae could be the source of the catastrophe, even as they offer their assistance-for a price.Evil stalks the streets of Cerria at night, seeking the heart's blood of his family, the destruction of the city, and the death of the king. Will may have to decide what is most important for Terabinia, preserving the people of its most prosperous city, or saving its questionable ruler?

The ancient magic of wizards was anything but dark. It was the enlightenment that lifted humanity from the squalor of superstition, and the worship of fell spirits and capricious gods, but those days are gone. The shining glory of the sorcerers burned away the subtlety of wisdom, replacing it with easy power, held only in the hands of the elite--a new age built upon the elemental supremacy of aristocrats and the ignorance of the masses.But this will change, for the greatest power comes with knowledge, and the deeper teachings of wizardry have not been utterly lost. The last wizard of the old tradition still survives in solitude, nursing tired grudges and waiting for death.His passing might have gone unnoticed, but for the imposition of a youth too stubborn to accept his refusal to take an apprentice. With a new student comes new hope, and that hope has caused old powers to stir again. That the world will change is inevitable, but the shape of the future is anything but certain.