Masters of the Veil
by Daniel A. Cohen
Life can't get much better for Sam Lock. Popular, good-looking, and with a future as a professional football player. every guy at Stanton High School wishes he were Sam. That is, until his championship football game, when Sam accidentally links with an ancient source of energy known as the Veil and reveals his potential to become a powerful sorcerer. Sam is whisked off to Atlas Crown, a community of sorcerers who utilize the Veil as a part of everyday life. Once there, he trains beside a mute boy who speaks through music, an eternal sage who's the eyes and ears of the Veil, and a beautiful girl who's pretty sure Sam's an idiot. As it becomes clear Sam's meant for power magic-the most feared and misunderstood form of sorcery-people beyond Atlas Crown learn of his dangerous potential. An exiled group of power sorcerers are eager to recruit Sam, believing that he is destined to help them achieve their long-held goal. If they succeed, they could bring about the downfall of not only Atlas Crown. but all humankind.
Book Trailer
MAGIC FAQ + A
SHORT LESSON FROM BARIV THE CONDUIT
Congratulations! You can do magic!
Here’s what you need to know about your
exciting new ability:
Q: WHAT IS MAGIC? AND
WHY CAN I DO IT?
This can be a very thrilling, confusing, and
even frightening time for a young sorcerer, so let’s start with the
basics. Magic is just another way of saying, “Connecting with the
Veil.” As you may already know, the Veil is an ancient energy that lies all
around us that some fortunate few (YOU!) can even use.
The Veil gives the sorcerer communities
everything we need to survive. The more the Veil is used, the more She gives
us. All sort of wonderful plants, animals, food, clothing, and shelter… they’re
all there, waiting to spring forth.
There is no conclusive evidence explaining why
some people can use the Veil and some people cannot. Some speculate it’s
genetic, while others believe it’s spiritual. Alas, we will probably never be
sure, so just be thankful that you are one of the lucky ones.
Q: HOW DO I DO MAGIC?
There are two methods of doing magic: A
“grip” and a “drape”
A Grip: Connecting
with the Veil to perform a specific feat.
A Drape: Essentially it’s wrapping the Veil around an object to give it
extraordinary properties.
As you may have seen from the older sorcerers
in your magical community, we use something called a “Second-Skin” to access
the Veil. A second-skin is a covering for your hand that allows you
to grip the Veil. Second-skins must be made from materials
that have sprung from the Veil in order to work. One of the first things that
you will be instructed to do is create your own second-skin in order to create
the deepest connection. You can use anything from dried aansi leaves to the
bark from a zigzag tree, just know that attempting to do magic that
is beyond your reach with break your second-skin.
Q: HOW SOON WILL I BECOME A MASTER SORCERER?
Whoa there! Don’t get ahead of
yourself. Magic is extremely difficult and it’s going to take some
time for you to become proficient at it. You have a magnificent, bumpy road
ahead of you.
Q: BUT WHO IS GOING TO TEACH ME?
The sorcerer community doesn’t take your new
ability lightly. We will provide you with the finest teachers available. Train
hard enough and you might even get to be in Rona’s group (but don’t get your
hopes up)!!! You will be matched up by your skill level and organized by the
type of magic you’ll be pursuing.
Q: IS MAGIC DANGEROUS?
It can be if used wrong. To avoid causing
unnecessary pain, make sure you study hard, respect your clan elders, and eat
your vegetables.
Q: VEGETABLES?
Yes, vegetables.
Q: WILL I HAVE TO LEAVE MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY?
For a short time, yes. Whether you’re from the
flathand (those who can’t grip the Veil) world or a magical community, you will
be brought to Atlas Crown to study with Bariv. Bariv is the conduit to the
Veil, and he will be the first—and probably the most influential—teacher you
will have. After learning about your ability from Bariv, you will have the
choice of returning home or staying in Atlas Crown.
*Special note for those who come from the
flathand world. In the rare occurrence that you choose to return to the
non-magicworld, you will be draped with the inability to speak of our world or
perform magic outside of a magical community. Sorry. The good news is
that if you choose to join a magical community, your immediate family will be
invited to come with you and will be provided for.
NOW TAKE A SEAT AND ENJOY A QUICK LESSON FROM
BARIV ON THE THREE DISCIPLINES OF MAGIC
Welcome. Please have a
seat. Before you are three second-skins that I have created for choosing
purposes. As you may already know, there are three disciplines
of magic that come from the Veil.
First, there are
natural magics, which are best gripped with the aid of plants. The green
second-skin is made from the leaf of the grampith tree.
Natural magics are
very useful. They feed, they clothe, they help us interact with the world
around us. We would not survive without them. Nature is dough and you shape it
to your desires—if you are skilled enough. Mountains can be leveled and water
can fall upwards. Nature’s secrets will whisk you away to another plane where
you can realize the awe-inspiring connections we hold with the world around us.
Next, there are the
mystical magics. The metal second-skin you see on the left was mined from
beneath Grus’ pass and made from silver-palladium mixed by my own hand. A
mystical sorcerer would use this second-skin. The mystical magics keep true to
their namesake. Even I don’t fully understand all that can be
accomplished with this, and I have been close to the Veil for a very long time.
Those who excel at the mystical arts can reach into the deepest, darkest parts
of the mind and cast dreams into reality. They can navigate the vast and
powerful river of time. Reap gold out of metals like a glorious harvest.
Harness fear, and ride on its back until it tires.
And last… there
is the second-skin made from the hide of Sectus remisican, the skull-wolf. This
is a tool of power magics. These tools work best if taken forcibly. In Atlas
Crown, we do not kill when we do not have to; however, in this particular case
we had to. The power sect is a dangerous one, yet it brings with it the ability
to forge oneself into the greatest ruler and purveyor of dominance. Authority
is a given. Supremacy is taken. The true power sect is scarcely found here.
Those who have chosen it, or rather have been chosen, usually take the road
down another path, a false path that can only lead to death and misery.
However, when applied for good, the power sect can be the most useful of them
all. An iron body has no need for a suit. That is what the Veil is at Her
heart. She is power. She holds possibilities so grand, we can never understand,
only observe.
Now why don’t you try
one on?
PRAISE:
"This Book was brilliant, creative, and completely magical. If you want an amazing book to read in 2012, I would suggest you go to the bookstore and pick up a copy of Masters of the Veil."
~Julia @Inkbitten
"I loved this book. I could list all the reasons, but there is one piece of praise I think sums up the book best. My son grabbed it as soon as I was finished reading it and hasn't put it down since. Dan Cohen has a winner with this series."
~Author Michelle Pickett
"A funny, imaginative, and delightful read!"
~Author Kate Kaynak
"I loved this book. I could list all the reasons, but there is one piece of praise I think sums up the book best. My son grabbed it as soon as I was finished reading it and hasn't put it down since. Dan Cohen has a winner with this series."
~Author Michelle Pickett
"A funny, imaginative, and delightful read!"
~Author Kate Kaynak
LINKS:
BOOK TRAILER
BLOG
GOODREADS
AMAZON LINK
BN LINK
Daniel A. Cohen was just your average business student. Microeconomics, finance, marketing… you name it, he had to do a PowerPoint presentation on it. One dark and stormy night, he was bitten by the radioactive realization that memorizing business jargon could possibly be the most boring activity known to man.
After gaining eagle-eye vision, abs that could grate cheese, and a talent for imagining things (including his cheese-grating abs), he wrote his first novel and began his epic battle against the formidable business jargon. He continues to fight the good fight by playing saxophone and writing YA fantasy, forever hoping his Veil trilogy will help inspire others to join his cause.
Giveaway Details
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