The Alchemy of Chaos - (Maradaine Saga: Thorn of Maradaine) 2nd Edition by Marshall Ryan Maresca (Paperback)

About the Book

A dangerous prankster

A trio of assassins

A deadly vendetta

And only the Thorn can keep the chaos at bay.

Book Synopsis

The Maradaine Saga continues as the Thorn of Maradaine returns! New threats come for him on the streets of Aventil and on the University campus. Veranix continues his fight against Fenmere, and draws the attention of greater forces with ill plans for the city of Maradaine. "Fantasy adventure readers, especially fans of spell-wielding students, will enjoy these lively characters and their high-energy story." - Publisher's Weekly

Veranix Calbert is The Thorn: the street vigilante who became a legend to the people of Maradaine, especially the gangs that run the neighborhood of Aventil. The Thorn continues to harass Willem Fenmere, the drug kingpin of the Dentonhill neighborhood, determined to stop him and the effitte drug trade.

It's also Exam Week at the University of Maradaine, where Veranix is a magic student. With his academic career-and future as a mage-riding on his performance, Veranix needs to devote himself entirely to studying and participating in a fellow student's thesis experiments.

But with a series of dangerous magical pranks plaguing the campus, it becomes clear that there's someone with a vendetta against the university, and The Thorn may be the only one capable of stopping them. Between the prankster, a war brewing between the Aventil gangs, and the flamboyant assassins Fenmere has hired to kill him, Veranix may end up dead before the week is out.

Review Quotes

Praise for the Maradaine universe:

"Maresca's debut is smart, fast, and engaging fantasy crime in the mold of Brent Weeks and Harry Harrison. Just perfect." -Kat Richardson, national bestselling author of Revenant

"Veranix is Batman, if Batman were a teenager and magically talented.... Action, adventure, and magic in a school setting will appeal to those who love Harry Potter and Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind." ―Library Journal (starred)

"Marshall Ryan Maresca is some kind of mad genius.... Not since Terry Pratchett's Ankh Morpork have we enjoyed exploring every angle of an invented locale quite this much." -B&N Sci-fi & Fantasy Blog

"A well-conceived and well-written melange of popular fantasy sub-genres: there's a university with a magic department, there is some vigilante derring-do and thievery.... If you're looking for an action-and-adventure-filled new fantasy series, then The Thorn of Dentonhill will suit very well." -Civilian Reader

"The Thorn of Dentonhill is a light-hearted, fun read, and Maresca has introduced a hero with plenty of room to grow, a couple of villains who will provide plenty of conflict in upcoming books. And, most importantly, he's created a character that I care enough about to continue reading." -Relentless Reading

"Take the caped avenger of Batman, the teenage-superhero angst of Spiderman, the street-gang bravado of West Side Story, and toss in the magic of Harry Potter, and what have you got? Marshall Ryan Maresca's The Thorn of Dentonhill." -Kings River Life Magazine

"Maresca brings the whole package, complete and well-constructed. If you're looking for something fun and adventurous for your next fantasy read, look no further than The Thorn of Dentonhill, an incredible start to a new series, from an author who is clearly on his way to great things." -Bibliosanctum

"The Thorn of Dentonhill was a fast-paced read with action from start to finish. I loved every minute of it." -Short and Sweet Reviews

"Definitely a fun read, and one classic fantasy fans will likely enjoy." -Bibliotropic

"So much of it is terribly exciting and fun.... What I really liked about the ending was how it set up relationships and possibilities for the next book (which I definitely plan on reading)." -Tenacious Reader