What sets Cursed Mage apart from the Renegades Epic?
The Renegades Epic might be a shared universe, but Cursed Mage is in outer orbit. That said, there’s always a method to the madness.
Cursed Mage is part of that book series in my Renegades Epic that you can read without realizing it’s in a shared universe. Sure, it shares more than a few similarities with the Epic, but you see far less crossover from one series to the next. And even when you do, you’ll think they’re exclusive to the entire Catenarian Chronicles series.
But that doesn’t mean you won’t see crossover. Hell, in Deceived Mage, the two-year prequel to Cursed Mage, that crossover’s in there. And no, I’m not talking about the Huotaja, who appear in just about every other one of the Five Worlds.
Let me just say that, if you read Sentrys of Terrene (not a typo), and then read Deceived Mage, which also takes place before the events of Sentrys, if you want the ultimate timeline, you’ll meet a familiar face.
Why put Cursed Mage and its sequels in a shared universe, anyway?
Why not? Marvel inspired it, and it’s something I’d always found pretty fucking epic. So, yeah, every book listed in the Renegades Epic, in one way, shape, or form, crosses over. Some more than others, obviously.
But Deceived Mage has not one, but TWO familiar characters making grand appearances. One is a chess master, and no, I don’t mean that literally, and the other is an assassin. Read Cymraeg Tales, of all series, and you’ll find out who they are.
As for how they got there? Oh, don’t worry. I know the answer to that, and it’ll blow your mind. Think Captain America, but a medieval version, if you want a nice little hint. That’ll help you put two and two together.
Likewise, there are characters who get extended “screen time” in the Catenarian Chronicles making their first appearance in earlier series. And that means they might play a more prominent role somewhere else. If you read Chronicles of Rondure, you’ll meet one of them since they make multiple cameo appearances.
The Catenarian Chronicles can still stand alone even if you don’t read the Epic
If you don’t like reading in shared universes, I don’t dive too deeply down the rabbit hole here, so you don’t need to worry about me throwing in random characters without them having an arc.
I’ll do that to a degree in Sentrys of Terrene, but there are plenty of scenes where my main character, Sabre Kjaergaard, is made aware of the Five Worlds. Plus, she’s a Maalivahti – someone who can control a classical element plus spirit – much like Kaija.
Hell, there’s a scene in The Last Sentrys when Sabre has a vision of Kaija. And if you’re looking for early insight on Kaija’s dad’s death at the beginning of Cursed Mage, Sabre actually sees the aftermath before she whisks her consciousness back to Terrene.
As you can see, it’s complex as hell. And I did for a reason: I don’t want shallow thinkers reading my work. If that’s you, then get the fuck outta here. But if you’re a deep thinker who loves complex plots reminiscent of ABC’s Lost, then you earned a chance.
Head over to my store, grab Cursed Mage, and start reading today at a discount that you won’t get at the ‘Zon, and it better supports the work that you, my bright, liberty-minded reader, want more of.
