Peter Warlock is a magician with a dark secret. Every night, he amazes audiences at his private theater in New York, where he performs feats that boggle the imagination. But his day job is just a cover for his otherworldly pursuits: Peter is a member of an underground group of psychics who gaze into the future to help prevent crimes.
No one, not even his live-in girlfriend, knows the truth about Peter—until the séance when he foresees an unspeakable act of violence that will devastate the city. As Peter and his friends rush to prevent tragedy, Peter discovers that a shadowy cult of evil psychics, the Order of Astrum, know all about his abilities. They are hunting him and his fellow psychics down, one by one, determined to silence them forever.
Dark Magic is a genre-bending supernatural thriller from national bestselling novelist and real-life magician James Swain.
From Booklist
Seven psychics with varied talents meet weekly in Manhattan to peer into the future, then anonymously alert authorities about pending trouble. But when magician Peter Warlock foresees a mysterious attack instantly killing thousands in Times Square just four days hence, immediate action is necessary. Soon Peter is in league with police and the FBI, hunting for the presumed instigator of the attack, Jeremy Wolfe, an agent of the ultrasecret Order of Astrum, in England. The problem deepens for Peter when he learns about a connection between his parents, who died when he was seven, and the order at the same time that he experiences a troubling change in his powers that threatens his relationship with the woman he loves. Former professional magician Swain, author of the Tony Valentine and Jack Carpenter series, is especially good with the illusions behind the magic that Peter performs for rapt fans. The novel smartly folds the spirit world and elements of the occult into sophisticated hacking and modern crime fighting to create compulsively readable, genre-spanning suspense fiction. --Michele Leber
Review
“Swain has taken Batman's tortured backstory and blended it with the genealogical paranormal heritage of Deborah Harkness's A Discovery of Witches to create a breathtaking dark fantasy with an intriguing story that will attract both urban fantasy and supernatural thriller fans.”—Library Journal
“Dark Magic smartly folds the spirit world and elements of the occult into sophisticated hacking and modern crime-fighting to create compulsively readable, genre-spanning suspense fiction.”—Booklist
“Dark Magic is a thriller that really thrills. Swain has written a story filled with compelling characters and an amazing plotline. This book grabs you by the throat, and doesn’t let go.”
—Michael Connelly, New York Times bestselling author of The Fifth Witness
“A darkly brilliant story of magic and witchcraft that asks the reader to believe the unbelievable. I chose to believe, and could not put the book down. Curl up in your favorite chair and prepare yourself to be fully enthralled.”
—David Copperfield on *Dark Magic
*
“Magicians, demons and witches…oh my! James Swain’s Dark Magic twists and turns in a breathless rush that keeps the reader guessing from the first magic act to the final curtain call. A definite page turner!”
—Lisa Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Born to Die
"Jim Swain's books are must-reads for me. He writes non-stop nail-biters that are impossible to put down. His characters are unique, and practically leap off the page. Try him, and you'll find out what I mean." —Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author of The Affair
*
“Dark Magic is entertainment magic, a thrilling and wildly creative ride that surprised me every step of the way.”
—Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Girl
Description:
Peter Warlock is a magician with a dark secret. Every night, he amazes audiences at his private theater in New York, where he performs feats that boggle the imagination. But his day job is just a cover for his otherworldly pursuits: Peter is a member of an underground group of psychics who gaze into the future to help prevent crimes.
No one, not even his live-in girlfriend, knows the truth about Peter—until the séance when he foresees an unspeakable act of violence that will devastate the city. As Peter and his friends rush to prevent tragedy, Peter discovers that a shadowy cult of evil psychics, the Order of Astrum, know all about his abilities. They are hunting him and his fellow psychics down, one by one, determined to silence them forever.
Dark Magic is a genre-bending supernatural thriller from national bestselling novelist and real-life magician James Swain.
From Booklist
Seven psychics with varied talents meet weekly in Manhattan to peer into the future, then anonymously alert authorities about pending trouble. But when magician Peter Warlock foresees a mysterious attack instantly killing thousands in Times Square just four days hence, immediate action is necessary. Soon Peter is in league with police and the FBI, hunting for the presumed instigator of the attack, Jeremy Wolfe, an agent of the ultrasecret Order of Astrum, in England. The problem deepens for Peter when he learns about a connection between his parents, who died when he was seven, and the order at the same time that he experiences a troubling change in his powers that threatens his relationship with the woman he loves. Former professional magician Swain, author of the Tony Valentine and Jack Carpenter series, is especially good with the illusions behind the magic that Peter performs for rapt fans. The novel smartly folds the spirit world and elements of the occult into sophisticated hacking and modern crime fighting to create compulsively readable, genre-spanning suspense fiction. --Michele Leber
Review
“Swain has taken Batman's tortured backstory and blended it with the genealogical paranormal heritage of Deborah Harkness's A Discovery of Witches to create a breathtaking dark fantasy with an intriguing story that will attract both urban fantasy and supernatural thriller fans.”—Library Journal
“Dark Magic smartly folds the spirit world and elements of the occult into sophisticated hacking and modern crime-fighting to create compulsively readable, genre-spanning suspense fiction.”—Booklist
“Dark Magic is a thriller that really thrills. Swain has written a story filled with compelling characters and an amazing plotline. This book grabs you by the throat, and doesn’t let go.”
—Michael Connelly, New York Times bestselling author of The Fifth Witness
“A darkly brilliant story of magic and witchcraft that asks the reader to believe the unbelievable. I chose to believe, and could not put the book down. Curl up in your favorite chair and prepare yourself to be fully enthralled.”
—David Copperfield on *Dark Magic
*
“Magicians, demons and witches…oh my! James Swain’s Dark Magic twists and turns in a breathless rush that keeps the reader guessing from the first magic act to the final curtain call. A definite page turner!”
—Lisa Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Born to Die
—Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author of The Affair
*
“Dark Magic is entertainment magic, a thrilling and wildly creative ride that surprised me every step of the way.”
—Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Girl