Deacon Shader is a child out of time, removed as a baby from his Ancient world parents and raised on the Isle of Maranore.

On his seventh birthday, the philosopher Aristodeus arrives to commence the boy’s training with sword and mind. Nothing short of excellence will suffice, if Deacon is to fulfill his destiny and avert the Unweaving of all things.

But as Aristodeus pushes him to the limits, reavers are spotted approaching the coast, and a cloud of horror descends upon the village.

For these are no ordinary pirates. They sail under the Impaled Man, the grisly flag of Verusia, land of the undead and realm of the Lich Lord.


Ward of the Philosopher is a Shader Origins novella of 15,500 words introducing the character of Deacon Shader as a child.

The Shader Origins novellas (Ward of the Philosopher and The Seventh Horse) serve as an introduction to the bestselling Shader series:

1. Sword of the Archon
2. Best Laid Plans
3. The Unweaving
4. The Archon's Assassin