Rise of the Shadow Mage

By: James Haddock

Narrated by: Daniel Wisniewski

When Robert’s mother dies, his whole world caves in on him. Fatherless, he has no one, and nowhere to go. The royal mage shows him kindness by putting him on the royal guard as a “boot” to keep a roof over his head. Robert’s quick wit and willingness to help others serve him well in the guard. He becomes friends with the king’s second son, Randal, who was placed in the guard by the king to teach him discipline. As he ages, he develops mage abilities but keeps them secret.

While on a weekend pass in the city, Robert saves Randal’s life and is rewarded by being made Randal’s liegeman. Robert is moved from the guard to the royal castle and begins specialized training to serve as Randal’s liegeman. Robert sees this as a step up in life and is doing well until he has a run-in with Randal’s brother Raymon, the crown prince.

Prince Raymon is a vindictive bully and tries to blind Robert while sparring. Though Raymon misses, enemies are made. To keep them separated, the king sends Robert to work for the royal spymaster, then on to train as a spy and assassin with the Congee spy guild. Robert returns home after five years of training, where his mage abilities continue to grow, and finds that Raymon has killed his father the king.

Raymon is now the new king. His friend, the royal mage, is in the dungeon, and Prince Randal is being held in the tower awaiting the new king’s pleasure. Robert visits the royal mage in the dungeon to find out what is going on. They decide that the kingdom, and a lot of people, will not survive Raymon’s rule.

©2024 James Haddock (P)2024 James Haddock

Reminds me of “The Lies of Loch Lamora!”

Don’t be thrown off by the art for this book. It is exceptional, and has a great future as a series. Highly recommended!

incredible

another incredible book. i am hooked. i can’t wait for book 2 and hope there are more. thanks for your creative passion

Surprisingly good in a strange way.

In many fantasy books the main character second guess a bunch of his decisions and abilities. Not here. It was almost strange how the main character just did things. He wanted something he just bam went and got it. He just gets down to buisness. Only reason I knocked off a star is because it is just really easy for him the entire time. He did go through some specialized training, but his power is nuts. Also while it is a nice change of pace having a character just power through everything it does leave the other characters behind as background characters.

Once again, an excellent story.

I love the stories written by this author however, most of them tend to follow the same plot line and use many of the same features in the story. My criticism is not with the store itself, which is excellent store. My issue is I want to see a sequel. The author keeps telling the first book in what could be an excellent series. But it would be nice if we had some more of this excellent storyline in a sequel book.

really good

another good book by the author. if you liked any of his other books you'll like this one. kinda hope there will be another book to continue this story but it also has a good ending so if there isn't a second book you aren't left with a big cliffhanger

A Witty and Mature Tale of Growth and Magic

James Haddock’s *Rise of the Shadow Mage* is a masterclass in combining progression fantasy with a mature tone and sharp wit. With its well-balanced blend of slice-of-life moments and steady power-building, the novel immerses readers in a story that feels grounded while delivering on the exhilaration of magical growth.

The story follows a protagonist whose journey is as much about self-discovery as it is about mastering shadow magic. Haddock skillfully portrays the inner struggles and triumphs of a character navigating complex moral dilemmas in a world where power comes with a cost. The writing is intelligent, with witty inner dialogue and interactions that feel natural and unforced, providing humor that never undercuts the stakes of the story.

Haddock’s world-building is rich and immersive, but what truly stands out is the character progression. Each new skill or ability the protagonist acquires feels earned, with slice-of-life elements showing the daily grind of training, learning, and adapting to a challenging and often unforgiving environment. These moments of quiet determination are juxtaposed with bursts of action that are as thrilling as they are meaningful.

The mature tone of the novel doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of the protagonist’s journey, but it does so with nuance and restraint. Themes of sacrifice, ambition, and the cost of power are explored in a way that feels both personal and universal. Despite the heavy themes, Haddock keeps the story engaging with his sharp prose and the occasional witty observation that makes the characters feel vividly real.

*Rise of the Shadow Mage* is a must-read for fans of progression fantasy who appreciate a story that doesn’t rush but instead savors the process of growth. It’s a tale of grit, humor, and magic that stays with you long after the final page. Highly recommended for readers looking for a mature, well-crafted fantasy with a touch of wit and a lot of heart.

Better than most of thi author’s work and greet voice acting by D.W.!

Most of this author’s works are similar in nature and have a pattern to them that’s easy to understand, this book/story was a little different and more enjoyable. When I saw the author released this one to audible and D.W. was telling the story, I bought it immediately and it was pretty excellent!

Another Great One, Familiar but just different enough.

Haddock has a wheel house that he likes and stays with and I appreciate it, it's exactly what I'm looking for each time. I don't understand why someone will comment about it being to similar to the other ones. That's the wheel house, and the OP styled magic.

I love your books, keep em coming. Would love to see some part 2's for the magic ones but if that's not in the wheel house and they all keep being 1 offs I'm good with that!

His best to date!

I have been reading James Haddock for a while now and enjoy his style of writing. This book shows his improvement in writing female characters and relationships. My only complaint, Mr. Haddock, is when are we going to get the conclusion to Wizard's Alley?

Another rerun of his other stories

Time to write something new. This is another rerun of the same story elements from his previous books. Boy from nothing, gets magical powers that grow far beyond all other magicians, easily kills all his enemies and gathers up the spoils and more spoils.
I don’t mind repurposing themes from one series to another but it is time to realize that once the hero grows more powerful than every other character there’s no where to go. James needs to focus on telling a different story and continuing the series with a main character who grows in strengh along side other characters and his adversaries have similar power levels.