When Angst turned 40, he knew it was over. Angst had longed to be a knight of Unsel, to make his mark in history, to be remembered for heroic deeds and wondrous acts. He grew up knowing he was destined for something great, but now it is too late. Not only is 40 far too old to become a knight, Angst is one of the few able to wield “the magics”.
For 2,000 years magic has been outlawed, repressed, even outright destroyed throughout the world of Ehrde. By law, Angst is reduced to using his great power only to file papers. His marriage is on the rocks, his friends are bored with him, and he hates his job. The one person that makes him happy is the young Princess Victoria who seems to adore him. Unfortunately, that makes his boss, the Queen, hate him.
Without warning, Unsel is besieged with dangerous monsters – birds with metallic beaks, monkey creatures that can dive through solid ground, mindless horse-eating giants. The world that shunned magic now turns to Angst for help, and he is happy to listen once his back stops hurting.
On the edge of a mid-life crisis, Angst drags his reluctant friends along with him on an adventure into the heart of magic. He’s not sure where they’re going, what they’ll find, or even if they’ll survive. But he knows this is his one chance to be a hero because the only way to fight magic is with magic.
Industry Reviews
Critical Blast: From the very first chapter, Pedersen demonstrates a mastery of the craft. Whether through his natural dialogue or his flair for narrative simile, ANGST draws the reader in. Actually, it does more than that. You don't read about this quest -- you go on it with them, a silent member of the adventure, partaking of the meals, laughing at the barbs they throw at each other as only longtime friends can. Every twist is unique, every encounter adds to the story. There is no padding, everything is driven by character, and you'll reach the end of the epic wishing that there was another book continuing this journey.
Pop Cults: I really enjoyed this novel; it was definitely fantasy comfort food. The characters, while typical, were still loveable and the story, while formulaic, somehow maintained to feel fresh and original. Pedersen was able to pour much of himself into this novel without inundating readers with his personal views on life, politics or religion. This book made me want to carry it with me so I could sneak a few pages in at every opportunity I could. I'll take a book that makes me do that over a critically acclaimed novel any day. Pedersen is a good writer who really understands his target audience and loves sharing his talents with the rest of the world.