Old Sorcery by James Callan is the story of three heroes (and one badass necromancer) captured by machinations of the most powerful sorcerer in the wide world of Garden. Witty and hilarious, deep and nuanced, this is a tale for the ages.
In the days of yore, when the old sorcery still raged through the ether, wizards grasped for power with blood... and souls.
Old Sorcery by James Callan is the story of three heroes (and one badass necromancer) who have all fallen into the machinations of Melorin, the most powerful sorcerer in the wide world of Garden.
Only with the power of the four lost demon shards can Melorin hope to again walk free, away from the grasp of his scorned former-apprentice who would unleash legions of the dead upon the realms of the living if she succeeded in gathering the shards.
Witty and hilarious, deep and nuanced, Callan brings a masterful command of prose to a rich world inspired by pulp classics. Following in the footsteps of legendary writers like Samuel Beckett, Terry Pratchett, and Jack Vance, Old Sorcery is an unforgettable contribution to the Fantasy genre.
Read the first section of the book for free on The Literary Fantasy Magazine. Get the full eBook the day the campaign successfully concludes!
"Old Sorcery captures a dark cosmos within its pages, leading the reader through realms of esoteric magic and into the paradoxical frailty and strength buried in the hearts of heroes and villains. A powerful work of imagination."
"A book of wit and irreverent humour, weird characters, talking crystals, dangerous liaisons and dastardly intrigues, rendered with a colourful style that blends Terry Pratchett with George R.R. Martin while incorporating all the best elements of dark fantasy with a delicious sprinkling of bright new worlds. Old Sorcery will bring you cheer on cold nights and transport you into a world of high adventure, wondrous magic and ultra violent ravens. It's as if "The Wizard of Earthsea" was written by an actual wizard. Seldom has darkness been delivered with such a delightful touch. James Callan presents a unique voice in the canon, mindful of his influences, but stylistically and imaginatively ploughing his own furrow, and with some aplomb. This is a thoroughly enjoyable piece of storytelling that leaves you with a lasting warmth in the core of your being. I wish that all books were made of such stuff for the mind to delve into." — Alistair Rennie, author of BleakWarrior.
Though inspired by the fantasy tropes we all know and love, Callan has brought to life a diverse cast of flawed and multifaceted characters.
Wrenna dreams of a day when she can free herself from her royal brother's ceaseless expectations. When she travels to a mysterious wizard's tower in the woods, she realizes that the cost of sorcery is more than she bargained for.
Leafe's orchard of orange trees is dying after generations of bountiful harvests. Haunted by a dream wraith, he travels into the desert to find power that can once again bring the rain, accidentally starting a cult in the process.
Fleeing a lifetime of abuse, Aisling follows a magical magpie from a bad situation to a horrific fate. Through ceaseless torment, she hardens into the fiercest warrior to walk Garden in centuries and discovers ancient power to punish those who have harmed her.
Lady Wisteria has lived alone in her castle for decades, accompanied only by the rotting bones of her late lord husband. Driven mad by grief, she searches for the power to resurrect her love and will stop at nothing in order to find it.
Melorin is the greatest sorcerer since the great Permsimmon and his corrupted scion, Tamarillo. Unfortunately, his prospects are dead in the water until the bearers of the demon shards unite.
Old Sorcery takes the reader through the lush forests of Hyacinth, flying above the amber deserts of Dahlia, sprinting for dear life through the hills of Zinnia, and freezing to bloody death in the peaks of Dianthus.
The world is threatened by the usual sort of rabble—goblins, ogres, pirates—but also boasts a wide array of strange beings, such as the Jackali Dogmen of Dahlia, who pray for the day the rains once again bless their arid homeland.
The stakes are high, and ever rising. Our heroes shall rise, but they'll be beaten and torn and challenged at every turn.
Add The Spring Arcanist Bookclub Box to your pledge and get a box full of fantasy. In addition to your copy of Old Sorcery, you will receive A Valley of Shadow, a Sword & Sorcery tale by Lee Patton, The Literary Fantasy Magazine: Spring 2026, our latest magazine, and a unique audio dramatization of The Beast of Averoigne by classic author Clark Ashton Smith.
With your box, you will be formally invited to a thriving Discord community with 100+ other passionate readers where you will have the opportunity to talk Old Sorcery with James Callan!
He is a father, madman, wannabe wizard, wannabe warrior, environmentalist, and a passionate animal lover. Originally from the Midwest in the United States, he's found his home and family in New Zealand.
James D. Mills is an author and Editor-in-Chief of The Arcanist: Fantasy Publishing, LLC in Bloomington, Indiana. He partnered with Callan to bring Old Sorcery to print after publishing several of his short stories in The Literary Fantasy Magazine. Mills has worked with dozens of authors to bring their dreams to life.
Every spell needs a catalyst, and every book needs a boost. We don't just want to bring Old Sorcery into print, we want to do so in style.
Crowdfunding allows us to go above and beyond and bring to readers not only a great paperback, but also a gorgeous premium hardcover. Printing and shipping costs are exponential, and this campaign will allow us to smoothly introduce this book to market.
Shipping costs are not included in your pledge amount and will be calculated by BackerKit once you enter your delivery address during fulfillment. You won't be billed for shipping until that time. This approach ensures shipping is priced fairly and accurately, reflecting current domestic and international rates.
To keep shipping costs as low as possible, we'll consolidate your order into a single shipment from the closest available location. Paperbacks can be printed and shipped from facilities in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, while hardcovers are printed exclusively in the U.K. and will ship from there.
Bookclub Boxes are packed and shipped from our location in Bloomington, Indiana. If you've added a Bookclub Box to a Hardcover tier, please note that your hardcover may arrive in a separate package from the U.K.
This book is already written, edited, and ready for retail production. Callan is an experienced professional author with a long-running record of excellent publication credits. Mills is an industry professional with one successfully funded Kickstarter under his belt that just fulfilled its first round of rewards.
The only risk is delay—printing speeds vary from location. Hardcovers will be printed in the U.K. and sent over seas to the U.S. and other countries. These shipments will be subject to customs, which will slow down the process.
Paperbacks will be printed regionally in either U.S., U.K., and Canada, Anyone ordering from outside those countries will subject to international shipping speeds.
We have already approved our paperback proofs and resolved any glitches ahead of time.
