Catalyst
by Brandon Crilly
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Pub Date Oct 11 2022 | Archive Date Mar 08 2023
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Description
Old friends. Older secrets. The truth is hidden under the Aspects' gaze.
Street magician Mavrin Leed doesn’t believe in what he can’t see or prove. His performances are mere tricks; the only true magic in Aelda comes from the benevolent, god-like Aspects circling it. As long as They keep the Lifesphere intact, he stays out of Their way.
Labeled a heretic, Eyasu Temergon is convinced that Aelda’s true history was hidden, even from the Aspects. He scours forgotten shadows for proof of the Raw, creatures of energy tied to the fracturing of his world. When their sudden emergence leads to destruction and chaos, Eyasu puts aside his estrangement with his old friend, and hopes Mavrin can do the same.
Ex-soldier Deyeri Renn has a mystery of her own: why are her city’s leaders so interested in the Raw? She spent too long fighting in the Winds to let a myth harm her city, and too many years alone to accept the life-worn man who bumbles back into her home, with no right to ask for her help.
As Deyeri, Mavrin, and Eyasu unpack the secrets that once drove them apart, every seal in their relationship means one more crack that could unravel Aelda’s very existence.
Catalyst is the stunning debut by Ottawa author Brandon Crilly, a fantasy tale of magic, friendship, and holding a broken world together.
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
“Imaginative worldbuilding at its finest. Crilly manages to not glaze over, while still infusing every character with deep humanity. Catalyst is a buffet for epic fantasy readers!” – Hugo-winner Brent Lambert, author of A Necessary Chaos
“Brandon Crilly’s debut novel is a beaut. A fast-paced, character-rich, highly entertaining romp that soars on the wind over a shattered realm with more wonder in each paragraph than most books give you in a chapter. Bravo! Highly recommended.” – Julie E. Czerneda, author of The Gossamer Mage
“Epic worldbuilding meets layered characters in this not-to-be-missed debut novel. Hopeful and with lots of heart, pick this up if you love an engrossing read. Can’t wait for the next one!” – Marie Bilodeau, bestselling author of the Heirs of a Broken Land
“Pack your bags: you’re going on an adventure. CATALYST is an exciting journey into a world of marvels. This book stole my heart.” – Kate Heartfield, Aurora-winning author of The Embroidered Book
Marketing Plan
Catalyst is written for adult audiences, exploring themes of faith and trust.
The novel release date is 11 October 2022, and as a struggling small press with stories to tell, we welcome any opportunity to promote this title in advance.
The author, Brandon Crilly, lives in Ottawa, Canada, and the cover artist, LA (Olajide Ajayi) lives in Lagos, Nigeria.
We welcome blog posts and reviews. The author is available for interviews and podcasts. We encourage interested booksellers, libraries, schools, or clubs to request print ARCs.
Thank you so much for your interest and support.
[Cover Image Description: A black and neon-blue squid flies overhead a land of bent trees and starry skies. A chunk of the planet is seen overhead. In the distance, the sun breaks through.]
Available Editions
| ISBN | 9781945009907 |
| PRICE | |
Featured Reviews
Marissa L, Reviewer
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<p>Review copy provided by the publisher. Also, the author is a convention/online friend.</p>
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<p>There's an entire subgenre of books that look like fantasy on the surface but are actually science fiction when you look close. Or straddle the line: are these energy beings aliens? are they a magical race? does it matter?</p>
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<p>Brandon's book is one of those: you start with a stage magician called Mavrin, doing what is clearly stage magic. Sleight of hand. Tricks. And then things unfold: the objects Mavrin has, are they magic, are they a kind of technology he doesn't fully understand. Are they trouble: oh yes, definitely that.</p>
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<p>This is a world that humans have altered beyond recognition, and they--and others--are still learning to live with the fallout of their alterations. And as has been the case so often in history, sometimes humans have no idea what they've done. Crilly does an admirable job of showing a variety of characters with different reactions to their world and its implications, always making sure that the humans are comprehensibly human (and the aliens are consistently themselves). This was fun to read, and I'm excited to see what he does next.</p>
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