Hosted by: Mike Verant

Join us for a novel critique of Philip Thorne’s fantasy novel, The Sacrifice of Vows! The novel is 83,000 words. To join one of our novel critiques, you must have already attended at least one of our monthly critique sessions. Philip’s blurb for the book: Twice tested for a magical affinity, Caelum had resigned himself to a simple life, grateful that his wife possessed enough magic to become a baker. But when a traveling Magister uncovers his rare, previously overlooked affinity, Caelum seizes the chance to attend the Collegium Arcanis and train for the profession of teleporter. There he enters a rigorously disciplined, militarized program where rune magic is broken into theory, repetition, and battlefield application— and students are trained as future assets of the realm. At the Collegium, the formidable Princess Seliora takes an interest in him, exposing Caelum to the suffocating expectations of bloodline and marriages forged for strategy, where everyone is expected to fulfill the role assigned to them. Targeted by her attention and drawn toward another student, Caelum learns that in this world, loyalty has its own cost. In Book One of The Sacrifice of Vows, Caelum must lay the foundations of his craft, confront a world that demands violence, and endure the mounting cost of fidelity—for the true sacrifice is not breaking his vows, but everything he may lose by keeping them. Content Warnings: violence, death. To familiarize yourself with our critique style, please read our Rules of Engagement: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RKp0hisz-RSZgE1xF65DzUhOwRQZ6JqwAJ5fbAwrCwU/edit?usp=sharing To attend, you’ll need a registered Zoom account. Enjoy Philip’s story and please join our discussion!