Spell Master

Luca is having an identity crisis. His magic is behaving strangely, his emotions are out of control, and training to be a Master Mage is tougher than he ever expected. The support of his boyfriend, Devin, is one of the few things Luca can depend on. Then Luca and Devin learn the terrible secret behind the High Council’s smiling public face. The magical dimensions are in the final stages of an ancient curse. Supplies of magic are disappearing. Everyone could die. And the only clue points to Light Mages. As Luca’s training progresses, some members of the High Council become convinced he is mixed up in the curse. Loyalties are pushed to the limit. And when Luca and Devin finally uncover the truth behind the history of their world, everything they thought they knew about Light Mages is turned upside down. The price for breaking the curse is a deadly one. But which of them will pay it? Spell Master, the third and final book in the Light Mage series, is a contemporary fantasy story with m/m romance and no cliffhanger. Recommended for 14+

Since he began to practice at the age of seven, Xie Aoyu has been hit again and again. His practice is the hardest, and his family uses the most medicinal materials for him, but others have cultivated quarrelling in one year. What about him

You can’t orchestrate true love…can you? Spellmaster Geraldine Hartford has everything she could want — a successful spell shop and close friends and family — but she’s still waiting on her own swoon-worthy romance. Her friends think their matchmaking efforts are helping, but it’s the tall, handsome stranger in town who immediately catches Gerry’s eye. Basil Thorne’s life has turned upside down. After his father’s death, he’s found himself uprooted from Bath to become the head of a family he barely knows. Overwhelmed by responsibilities, not to mention the clamor of Tutting-on-Cress locals wishing to befriend him — only the lovely spellmaster with a twinkling smile seems to soothe Basil’s heart. And he’s not the only one who’s noticed… Soon it seems as though everyone in Gerry and Basil’s lives is determined to match them up. But Gerry is waiting for the surefire spark of romance and Basil is waiting until his life settles down. They may be perfect for each other, but it will take some meddling — and a bit of magic — to bring them together. This book is the fifth installment in the series Meddle & Mend. It can be read after Dear Bartleby or as a standalone.

Ye Fantian was dressed in black and was in tatters. In his right hand, he held a sword full of blood, and his determined face was full of disdain. He looked at the leaders of various factions around him

This volume is the first in-depth study of a recently discovered Sanskrit dharani spell text from around the 5th century CE surviving in two palm-leaf and three paper manuscript compendia from Nepal. This rare Buddhist scripture focuses on the ritual practice of thaumaturgic weather control for successful agriculture through overpowering mythical Nagas. Traditionally, these serpentine beings are held responsible for the amount of rainfall. The six chapters of the Vajratundasamayakalparaja present the vidyadhara spell-master as a ritualist who uses mandalas, mudras and other techniques to gain mastery over the Nagas and thus control the rains. By subjugating the Nagas, favourable weather and good crops are guaranteed. This links this incantation tradition to economic power and the securing of worldly support for the Buddhist community.

Koichi Shinohara traces the evolution of Esoteric Buddhist rituals from the simple recitation of spells in the fifth century to complex systems involving image worship, mandala initiation, and visualization practices in the ninth century. He presents an important new reading of a seventh-century Chinese text called the Collected Dharani Sutras, which shows how earlier rituals for specific deities were synthesized into a general Esoteric initiation ceremony and how, for the first time, the notion of an Esoteric Buddhist pantheon emerged. In the Collected Dharani Sutras, rituals for specific deities were typically performed around images of the deities, yet Esoteric Buddhist rituals in earlier sources involved the recitation of spells rather than the use of images. The first part of this study explores how such simpler rituals came to be associated with the images of specific deities and ultimately gave rise to the general Esoteric initiation ceremony described in the crucial example of the All-Gathering mandala ritual in the Collected Dharani Sutras. The visualization practices so important to later Esoteric Buddhist rituals were absent from this ceremony, and their introduction would fundamentally change Esoteric Buddhist practice. This study examines the translations of dharani sutras made by Bodhiruci in the early eighth century and later Esoteric texts, such as Yixing's commentary on the Mahavairocana sutra and Amoghavajra's ritual manuals, to show how incorporation of visualization greatly enriched Esoteric rituals and helped develop elaborate iconographies for the deities. Over time, the ritual function of images became less certain, and the emphasis shifted toward visualization. This study clarifies the complex relationship between images and ritual, changing how we perceive Esoteric Buddhist art as well as ritual.

Devin is a Light Mage on the run. When his boyfriend is accused of murder and sentenced to death, Devin manages to rescue him just in time. The two boys escape the magical dimensions for Tudor England, hoping to remain anonymous while they figure out what’s going on. But witchcraft is a capital offense in the sixteenth century. It’s not the best place for a pair of seventeen-year-old Light Mages to hide, especially when one of them doesn’t know he’s carrying a deadly tracking spell. In order to have any chance of clearing their names, they’ll have to accept help from some unlikely sources and push the limits of their combined magical abilities. The alleged murder could change things forever. Light Mages are the trusted protectors of the earthbound dimension. Discrediting them could turn magical society upside down. The stakes are high, and the potential prize is more than enough to turn any magician’s head. All Devin has to do is stay alive long enough to uncover the truth… Spell Mason, the second book in the Light Mage trilogy, is a contemporary fantasy story with time travel, m/m romance, and no cliffhanger. Recommended for 14+.

After studying for two years, the voice in his mind gradually faded, but he was used to the sound and words. Every night, he still read it, stayed up all night, and was refreshed the next day. If he didn't read it, he would feel uncomfortable the next day, just like being addicted. Even in his spare time during the day, he would unconsciously read it.