Mage Errant

Into the Labyrinth (Mage Errant, #1) by John Bierce follows Hugh of Emblin, a struggling student at the magical Academy at Skyhold who is known for his frequent spell failures and lack of friends. Despite his shortcomings, Hugh is unexpectedly chosen as an apprentice by an unusual mage, setting him on a new path. The story centers on Hugh’s preparation for the final test for first-year students: navigating the dangerous labyrinth beneath the academy. This young adult fantasy explores themes of magic, personal growth, and the challenges of coming of age within a high fantasy setting.

In Jewel of the Endless Erg, John Bierce continues Hugh’s education far from Skyhold, sending him and his friends onto a sandship bound for the desert city of Theras Tel. What begins as a summer training expedition across the Endless Erg quickly turns into a struggle to stay alive amid pirates, monsters, and lethal sandstorms. As warring cults clash and a plot against Indris Stormbreaker, the dragon queen of Theras Tel, comes to light, Hugh must balance magical study with the demands of war, survival, and loyalty. This installment blends epic and progression fantasy with a darker coming-of-age tone, keeping its focus on friendship, growth, and the costs of power.

In A Traitor in Skyhold, John Bierce continues Hugh’s story as he enters his second year at the magical fortress-school of Skyhold, no longer an unnoticed student but a reluctant figure of interest after surviving the labyrinth and helping thwart a coup. While struggling with demanding coursework, intense magical training as a potential Librarian Errant, and the strain of a long-distance relationship, Hugh and his friends are pulled into a dangerous investigation within the school’s ruling council. A hidden traitor is collaborating with the demon Bakori, who waits in the labyrinth’s depths for an opportunity to strike back. The novel blends epic and high fantasy elements with a darker tone, focusing on survival, war shadows, and the pressures of coming of age amid escalating magical threats.

The Lost City of Ithos by John Bierce continues Hugh’s progression from student warlock to reluctant participant in continental power struggles. When the long-banished city of Imperial Ithos begins to reappear, its return threatens to unleash the Exile Splinter and other forgotten Ithonian magic, drawing rival factions, armies, and archmages into a dangerous race to find it first. Pulled from their studies into a high-stakes expedition, Hugh and his friends must survive hostile warlocks, monstrous creatures at sea and on land, undead horrors, and lethal magical storms. As they advance their abilities in this dark coming-of-age fantasy, they gradually uncover a hidden truth about the city that frightens even the most powerful beings in their world.

The Siege of Skyhold by John Bierce continues the Mage Errant series with a focus on escalating war and the costs of power. As the Havath Dominion advances with an army and Great Powers capable of destroying cities, the magical fortress of Skyhold faces a threat that outmatches its population and defenses. Hugh and his fellow students intensify their training and experiment with risky, unproven magic, hoping their growing abilities will matter in the coming siege. Blending epic and progression fantasy with elements of dark warfare, the novel follows these young mages as they struggle to survive while being drawn deeper into the ruthless strategies of beings far stronger than themselves.

Tongue Eater by John Bierce continues the story of Hugh Stormward and his friends in a continent reeling from war, betrayal, and the apparent death of the sphinx Kanderon Crux. As Skyhold’s traitors escape with the Tongue Eater, a magical weapon that can erase entire languages, Havath and its enemies edge toward catastrophic conflict, with monsters and rival nations ready to exploit any weakness. Hugh alone is convinced Kanderon survives, forcing him to balance his determination to save his mentor with the need to stop a weapon that could unravel the foundations of magic, scholarship, and power across Ithos. Blending epic and dark fantasy elements with a progression-focused coming-of-age arc, this volume also includes the bonus novella Gram of Clan Castis.

The Last Echo of the Lord of Bells by John Bierce continues the story of Hugh and his friends as they confront a new, airborne style of warfare reshaping the continent of Ithos. While city-liches, archmages, and rival powers escalate a magical arms race with superweapons and colossal monsters, a fanatic in the Havath Dominion announces the exact moment he intends to annihilate the capital. Tasked with preventing the activation of the ancient weapon known as the Tongue Eater, Hugh’s group must navigate collapsing lies, doubtful allies, and factions eager to seize the artifact for themselves. Blending epic and dark fantasy with elements of war, survival, and coming-of-age, this installment raises the stakes from school corridors to continent-spanning conflict.