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Michael G. Manning is an American USA Today bestselling author of young adult fantasy.

Born in Cleveland, Texas, he momentarily attended Sam Houston State University before joining the University of Houston Honors program where he earned a degree in pharmacy.

Being lawless and free spirited however weren’t the best qualities for a good pharmacist. Nonetheless, Michael persevered.

After holding different jobs in the pharmaceutical sector and teaching himself networking, programming, and database design and administration, Michael eventually got bored of it all and turned to fiction writing.

He made his debut as a novelist in 2011 with The Blacksmith's Son, the first installment of the Mageborn Series.

Michael currently lives with his stubborn wife, teenage twins, and several creatures within and without his head.

More about Michael G. Manning

Genres: Fantasy / SF, Young Adult

United States

Website: https://magebornbooks.com/index.html

Non Series

  • Thomas (2017)

Art of the Adept

  1. The Choice of Magic (2019)
  2. Secrets and Spellcraft (2019)
  3. Scholar of Magic (2020)
  4. Disciple of War (2020)
  5. The Wizard's Crown (2022)

Champions of the Dawning Dragons

  1. Thornbear (2014)
  2. Centyr Dominance (2016)
  3. Demonhome (2017)

Embers of Illeniel

  1. The Mountains Rise (2014)
  2. The Silent Tempest (2015)
  3. Betrayer's Bane (2016)

Mageborn

  1. The Blacksmith's Son (2011)
  2. The Line of Illeniel (2011)
  3. The Archmage Unbound (2012)
  4. The God-Stone War (2013)
  5. The Final Redemption (2014)

Riven Gates

  1. Mordecai (2018)
  2. The Severed Realm (2018)
  3. Transcendence and Rebellion (2019)
Non Series
Champions of the Dawning Dragons

Detailed book overview

Non Series

Thomas

Thomas was no one, an orphan with no past and no memories of his early life. The only clue lies in the strange birthmark on his chest, a mark that may or may not reveal his origin, but will certainly guide him to his destiny. Growing to manhood he will become a man of consequence and influence, yet the greatest gift he has to offer his people lies not in his power, but in his wisdom. 

As he strives to reach his potential he will face obstacles great and small and he will discover that some foes are too strong to defeat with power alone. The greatest of evils can only be stopped when those true of heart are willing to sacrifice blood, tears, and sometimes—their lives.

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2017
ISBN: 978-1943481088
Publisher: Michael G. Manning

Art of the Adept

The Choice of Magic

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.

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2019
ISBN: 978-1943481323
Publisher: Michael G. Manning
Secrets and Spellcraft

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.

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2019
ISBN: 978-1943481354
Publisher: Michael G. Manning
Scholar of Magic

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?

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2020
ISBN: 978-1943481385
Publisher: Michael G. Manning
Disciple of War

War looms on the horizon but Selene’s training as a wizard must begin, even though her age makes success nearly unattainable. Will searches for a solution, but their only hope may be a dangerous bargain with the king.

The fate of two nations lies on Will’s shoulders and the future is paved with violence. With few options, he needs the aid of uncertain allies and dubious friends. Traitors lurk among them, and soon he will be forced to choose who to trust—and who to sacrifice. For a terrible power has arrived in Darrow, and the price of victory will be paid in blood.

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2020
ISBN: 978-1943481415
Publisher: Michael G. Manning
The Wizard's Crown

Will’s journey from naïve apprentice to a mature wizard is almost complete and his ever-growing mastery has reached unseen heights. But his power does not exist in a vacuum. His rising star threatens to eclipse the existing powers and a new balance must be found, one that either accepts his primacy or extinguishes his light.

After Will’s resounding successes in the war with Darrow the king plots to eliminate his young rival. Driven to desperation, Will is forced to negotiate for scraps between four brokers of power.

An ancient lich driven by vengeance.

The fae queen to whom all are just pawns in a deadly game.

A nervous lord of Hell, because Will may have killed his predecessor, twice.

A primal beast, feared above all.

With mortal enemies as his allies, Will must survive to face the king—and the deadly secret he plans to unleash. Ancient foes have risen and the final battle has begun. With the world hanging in the balance, king and wizard clash, but only one can wear the Wizard’s Crown.

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2022
ISBN: 978-1943481453
Publisher: Michael G. Manning

Champions of the Dawning Dragons

Thornbear

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.

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2014
ISBN: 978-1502893390
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Centyr Dominance

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.

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2016
ISBN: 978-1943481040
Publisher: Michael G. Manning
Demonhome

Matthew is the first human wizard to possess the true heritage of the Illeniels, a secret gift no one fully understands. Alone, he travels to another world, seeking the source of their mysterious enemies. There he will discover the origin of their ancient foe, the mysteries of the past, and possibly the future of humankind. 

If he can survive long enough. In a land beyond death and suffering, he finds the true source of evil, within the heart of humanity, and their newest creation. In the search for knowledge, some doors, once opened, can never be closed.

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2017
ISBN: 978-1943481101
Publisher: Michael G. Manning

Embers of Illeniel

The Mountains Rise

From the dark depths of the past, comes the tale of the first wizard of Illeniel. Daniel Tennick lived simply, a young shepherd with few troubles and little to occupy his mind, until the warden appeared. Daniel’s power awakens, and he finds himself hunted by the servants of the cruel and uncaring forest gods. 

Trapped by his gift, Daniel will uncover the secrets of the deep woods and those who live there, a civilization created from the grave of an older one. What he discovers will light a vengeful flame within him, consuming everything he touches.

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2014
ISBN: 978-1500272395
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
The Silent Tempest

The story of the first Illeniel wizard continues. Tyrion’s life among the She’Har had become quiet, but the sins of his youth have returned to haunt him. The Mordan wardens have discovered one of his children, and the other groves are racing to find and claim the rest of his illegitimate offspring. 

Unable to stand by and watch as his children are used as pawns against one another, Tyrion makes a hard choice, one that will set him against everyone and everything he cares for. Others’ love had made his children strong, but his hate would make them powerful.

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2015
ISBN: 978-1512158809
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Betrayer's Bane

Tyrion was a good person who had been born to a simple family and raised with love, but the world has shaped him for a different fate. 

Twisted by violence and torture, he is obsessed with a relentless desire for vengeance, and he has sown the seeds of wrath in his children. The She’Har have offered him the opportunity to be a great leader and usher in a new era of prosperity and peace, but despite his gentle beginnings, Tyrion is no hero.

Heroes are born to build, and while many laud the efforts of such leaders, others will work to bring them down, for all good things must come to an end. Every forest must inevitably face the flame.

Destiny has chosen Tyrion for a different path and given him the spark that will burn the world to ashes. Embracing the evil within, he will reap a harvest of hatred, and no one will find safety in the purge of fire that he brings; even the betrayer has his bane.

Will anything be left to rise from the ash?

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2016
ISBN: 978-1943481064
Publisher: Michael G. Manning

Mageborn

The Blacksmith's Son

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.

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2011
ISBN: 978-1463684341
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
The Line of Illeniel

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?

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2011
ISBN: 978-1466419896
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
The Archmage Unbound

Mordecai’s growing power and success have made him a threat, not just to the gods and their minions, but also to the king of Lothion. An unholy bargain has been struck to bring him to heel and increasingly it seems that victory may not be worth the price, not if the cost is measured in the blood of his family. 

Wizard, lord, husband, father, and now archmage...no man can balance so many roles without sacrificing something. Will the world be worth saving if it costs him the very reasons he has for living in it?

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2012
ISBN: 978-1477595657
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
The God-Stone War

Seven years have passed since Mordecai’s battle with the Shining God, Celior, and since that time his control of his abilities has vastly improved. He has at last envisioned a use for the ‘God-Stone’, but the gods want vengeance and now seek to destroy everything he has built. 

The secrets of the past threaten the future of his kingdom, his family, and perhaps humanity itself, unless Mordecai can discover the meaning of ‘Illeniel’s Doom’. How far will a desperate wizard go to protect his children… or will his efforts merely damn them all?

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2013
ISBN: 978-1484838723
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
The Final Redemption

Mordecai has made the ultimate sacrifice to keep his family safe, and now struggles to understand what he has become. Rejected by all, he must learn to master the darkness within if he is to stop Mal'goroth from destroying humanity. 

Alone, he battles to control the malevolent magic that has consumed him as he searches for some way to turn his destructive new powers against the Dark Gods themselves. To win, he must somehow transform his own damnation into mankind's salvation.

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2014
ISBN: 978-1943481248
Publisher: Michael G. Manning

Riven Gates

Mordecai

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.

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2018
ISBN: 978-1943481125
Publisher: Michael G. Manning
The Severed Realm

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.

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2018
ISBN: 978-1943481262
Publisher: Michael G. Manning
Transcendence and Rebellion

The world is on the cusp of destruction as Mordecai’s power grows beyond the limits of his own control, yet most of the powers that rule the world are oblivious. 

The only hope of salvaging their civilization lies with his children, but they have been scattered and branded outlaws. Meanwhile Tyrion continues to march toward his own goals, heedless of whether they will help or harm their efforts to stop the apocalypse, as even the Queen begins to doubt the archmage’s sanity.

Mordecai is trapped by his own strength, a power too great to wield. Can his children stop the end of everything, even if it means sacrificing their father?

Author: Michael G. Manning
First Release: 2019
ISBN: 978-1943481293
Publisher: Michael G. Manning