Ever since magic caused his mother's death, Ha-Neul, crown prince of Balhae, hates witches and the magic they wield. He has instituted harsh laws against all magic users.
Lisa is a young witch working undercover as a servant in his palace, hoping to gain freedom for her people. The last thing the two expect is to fall in love. But when Ha-Neul learns that Lisa is not only a witch, but the daughter of the Prince of Vires, land of witches, he banishes her. Distracted by heartbreak, he is caught off-guard by a military coup.
In hiding and on the run, Ha-Neul swallows his pride and travels with his siblings to Vires, planning to beg Lisa's aid, only to learn that she has mysteriously vanished.
Now his only hope in reclaiming his kingdom and reuniting with Lisa lies in the remote Northern Mountains, a country no one has ever penetrated and rumored home of a powerful magic source. There, Ha-Neul learns that a being powerful beyond comprehension has been carefully guiding his destiny. But if Ha-Neul can't let go of his hatred of all things magic, and accept the new path offered to him, it will mean the destruction of his entire world.
Adam Gowans is the youngest of five Air Force brats, out of which his siblings have voted him the weirdest. He loves anything that deals with stories, including movies, novels, television dramas, music, video games, manga/manhwa, and webtoons.
In his mid-twenties, he lived and taught English in South Korea for four years before returning to the States to live, like many LDS authors, in Utah.
His first novel is On Angelic Wings, which has a planned sequel, but the sequel will be released after two other novels that are calling for his attention.
Excerpt 3:
Lisa barely seemed aware of Ha-Neul clearing his throat again as her eyes sought after Jae’s team until he started talking. “The prince or princess of Vires is always the most powerful witch, correct?”
She turned to him. “Not exactly.”
He became a little confused. “But Vires holds competitions every ten years to determine who will be the prince.”
“Yes, they do,” she nodded, “but competitions are not always won by strength alone.”
“Strategy is important too,” he consented.
“But it can only take you so far.” She pointed toward the game. “Strength, strategy, adaptability, and experience are all important. So is the talent to inspire a sense of safety.”
“So the current prince may not be the strongest witch?”
“That is correct, but he is definitely the most skilled that we know of.”
He was silent for a few moments. “What do you know about his gajok?”
Lisa hesitated for the briefest moment. “I know a bit.”
His patience ran short. “Well?”
She sighed in slight annoyance. “No one outside his gajok knows ‘the secret’ to their continued success in the competition.”
“Five hundred years is a long time for one family to hold the title.”
“Yes, it is.”
“What do you think of the past violence of the princes?”
“I think you cannot take it out of the context of the events that surrounded the violence.”
“What do you mean?” He leaned toward her, happier now that he had her full attention.
She looked at him as though the answer were obvious. “A prince is the champion of the people, for the people. He serves the will and best interests of the people. If the people are not happy with the prince, they overthrow him and install a new prince.”
“So if the people want war, the prince takes them to war.”
“Not always. Sometimes the prince can persuade them it is not in their best interest.”
“However, since the prince is chosen from among the people, he—or she—usually shares their views.”
“Usually.”
He smiled, feeling he’d won some ground. “Would you say the current prince reflects the views of his people?”
She did not look pleased. “That is too broad of a question and is very loaded to answer with one word, Wangseja-Mama, so I will answer it this way: his biggest concern is keeping Vires stable, and he will do what he must to ensure that. However, you and your abeoji are making it increasingly harder to do so.”
“So he’ll go to war.”
Lisa shook her head and glared at him patronizingly. “That is a last resort for anyone with any sense.”
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