In a world inspired by 16th century Italy, magic is a common occurrence. Everyone in the realms of Epidalio and Zafiria is gifted with it at birth, but with every spell cast, their power wanes.
Gaiane Asares is the result of an accurate selection by her mother, the queen of Zafiria. She’s infinitely powerful; a weapon of mass destruction kept segregated in a tower and used against her will to conquer Epidalio.
Meanwhile, in Epidalio, Leo was born with no magic at all, a rarity. She lost her home and family when Zafiria attacked, and her resentment toward the invaders still burns.
Gaiane manages to escape her gilded cage, and the two girls cross paths. But when war threatens the land again, their loyalty will be put to the test. Will they manage to overcome their differences in the name of freedom?
Get carried away into the sparkling world of Italy in THE OTHER SIDE OF MAGIC by Ester Manzini—out next Tuesday, April sixth. Order your copy TODAY!
A revolution is brewing.
Everyone within the realms of Epidalio and Zafiria is born with magic. However, it is also true that for every spell each and every magic-user casts, their innate abilities begin to slowly wane until their power is feeble and depleted.
True, that is, for almost everyone.
Princess Gaiane Asares of Zafiria is the result of a nearly perfect genetic union. Harnessing royal and magical lineage in her conception, the princess was born infinitely powerful and with no limits upon her magic. Sequestered in a lonesome tower as her strength is used against her will to conquer the land of Epidalio, she must find a way to fight against her captors.
Elsewhere within the realms, Leo—a commoner—was born with no magic at all. Except for her brain, wits, and her own anger, she must confront the circumstances thrown at her without the magical gifts that so many take for granted.
THE OTHER SIDE OF MAGIC is a diverse fantasy filled with action and adventure that is sure to pull you in and hold you fast through each twist and turn!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I was born in Italy’s lakes region in 1985, daugther of a family of doctors, scientist and nerds. And it shows.
I spent my teen years focusing on classical studies, but I was so bad at translating ancient Greek that I turned to science when time for choosing college came. Still, it’s in high school that my passion for books, stories and mythology was born, and it never stopped growing.
At university, I studied Evolutionary Biology. For my Bachelor’s degree, I lived in Mexico for six months, studying elephant seals on a deserted island and trying to avoid sharks and orcas. For my Master degree, I turned to something not as adventurous (or dangerous), and I followed my interest for insects and entomology.
I switched to biochemistry for my PhD, working on renewable sources in a desperate attempt at saving the planet. I tried, but it didn’t work.
Since the academic world in Italy is a living hell and I had bills to pay, I left my career as a researcher to land a long stream of jobs that matched my scientific background with my writing skills. For several years I worked as a copywriter and social media manager for web agencies and scientific societies. This helped me keep a roof over my head and improve my communication and social skills.
In the meantime, I never stopped writing. My first novel, “L’abbraccio delle ombre”, was published in 2008, and in 2014 I was shortlisted for IoScrittore, Italy’s most prominent writing contest. In 2016 my second book, “La rondine di Guadeloupe”, was picked by Italian publisher Triskell, who will publish another one of my works in 2020. In 2019, under my nickname Valpur, I was part of the team behind “Dorks”, a collection of LGBTQ+-centered illustrated short stories, and I was among the selected authors of an international independent anthology, “To Ashes”. I’m a prolific fanwriter, and my Ao3 profile is rather thick with content.
My passion for writing landed me my latest—and up to now most important—job. I work as lead scriptwriter for Bad Seed (badseed.it), an indie Italian game studio.