The Darkest Amethyst
Alexander C. Duck II
Paperback
(Independently published, Sept. 4, 2017)
In a land where every person is born with an arcane gift, it may seem only natural that society would assume a class hierarchy. Those with the most powerful abilities are destined to rule over those with more mundane powers. Those who can control fire make deadly soldiers, while those who can grow crops are sent to tend the fields. But what happens when the despotic ruler of this magical kingdom discovers a way to erase these magical gifts, effectively being able to choose which powers will remain and which will be eliminated forever? Dieter Weiland has already had a difficult life: his parents sold him into servitude, his master is involved in a dangerous political rebellion, and a cruel emperor recently destroyed his vocal chords. To compound his misfortune, his sister, perhaps the only person who has ever really cared for him, has been abducted to a foreign land. As this mute teen makes his way across the sea to rescue his only sibling, his path continues to inexplicably cross with other ill-fated individuals. Now, with the help of a criminal, an enchantress, and a demon-conjuring warlord, the young man and his sister must fight to save their nation from a malevolent ruler before even more young people are judged as being worthless.