England, 1814

THWARTING MAGIC's storyworld is not Georgette Heyer's Regency England. King Arthur of old is revered, and King George III holds court at London's Camelot where worthy gentlemen who have completed a quest are dubbed Knights of the Round Table. Led by the Duke of Haverhorns, the Council of Mages continues the work of Merlin in protecting England. At the moment, the Council is concerned about disturbing holes in the atmosphere and suspect an unknown rogue magician is working evil magic.

Alas, Mr. James Treadway's rakish days are coming to an end. His father is even now arranging his marriage to a young virgin, though his taste runs more to her voluptuous, flirtatious widowed sister. Unfortunately, the young miss overhears Treadway say as much to his friend, Mr. Adrian Hughes, a possessor of magic.

Miss Margaret Ridgeway blames her step-mother for being forced into marriage. Margaret is the middle daughter of Sir Denison Ridgeway; a quiet miss, she has always been overshadowed by her older sister Christine and her puzzling younger sister Emma. Too bad the fathers wouldn't give Christine to Treadway; both sisters would be happier. But the thing is done. The contract is made, and wedding plans go forward apace.

Hughes notices the holes that mysteriously appear in the carpets and fabrics in the Ridgeway house and connects them to the holes in the atmosphere that threaten the fabric of the world. Is this house the seat of the bad magic, which seems to have a feminine cast? If he can identify the perpetrator, he could save the world and might very well earn a knighthood and a seat at the Round Table as well.

The Ridgeway daughters' real mother had been a member of a prominent family with magic in their blood. Even in this, Margaret inherited little of her mother's talent...right?

The marriage goes forth with mixed results, sometimes funny, sometimes sad. I have to say that Treadway is not the best of husbands; in fact, he's a flawed hero who would have a long way to go to redeem himself to readers of this novel. Or is he the real hero of the piece? Margaret grows as the story progresses and appears to finally come into her own. Minor characters are very important in the unfolding plot.

The publication of THWARTING MAGIC follows that of Ms. Marr's ROUND TABLE MAGICIAN of a year ago, but it's really a prequel that takes place earlier in time and introduces some of the characters featured in the first book. Ms. Marr's storyworld reflects true historical events, but with a twist. Both titles are highly original and fun and can be read in either order. THWARTING MAGIC can be downloaded from the publisher now and will be available in print from Amazon.com.

Best of all, there are still young, single mages with stories to tell. If Georgette Heyer were still with us, I'd like to think she'd approve of this alternate Regency. She loved her cant and would have enjoyed the mild Arthurian-flavored oaths.

Jane Bowers