Magic Zero Books In Order

Publication Order of OutCast Books

By: Thomas E. Sniegoski, Christopher Golden

Magic Zero is a series of novels by Christopher Golden that has been renamed in current publication from its former name of Outcast. The first novel in the Magic Zero series of novels was “Battle for Arcanum” first published in 2013. With Christopher Golden a household name in the fantasy fiction genre and the series having already established itself under its former name, the novel achieved massive success upon publication. Even as the novel may be read as a standalone, it has some of the major characters from the titles in the Outcast series of novels including the lead character Timothy and his friend and later romantic interest Cassandra. The lead character in the series is Timothy, who has the dubious distinction of being the only person in his world without any magical powers, putting him at quite a disadvantage. Just like its predecessors the series of novels follows the adventures of Timothy and his sidekick Cassandra, as they come to the realization that not having magical powers may make them one of the most powerful peopel alive. Christopher Golden as always does a fantastic job of world building in the writing of another classic boy on a quest series of novels. Golden incorporates a few elements of the young adult fantasy fiction in the novel by adding in aspects of romance between the lead character Timothy and his companion Cassandra. The novel is a great introduction to the Magic Zero series, which promises all the action packed, romance, and witty humor we have come to expect from the master fantasy writer Christopher Golden.

Everything and everyone in the Magic Zero world runs on magic except for Timothy. Given his lack of any magical powers, his father had hidden him on a remote island where he could be safe from all the persons that would have taken advantage of his lack of such powers. Despite being different from everybody else, Timothy has had a decent and magic free childhood. Now that his father has passed on, he is back in the city of his birth, where everyone lives and breathes magic. As is to be expected, the young man is mesmerized by all the magical current and fascinated by the orbs and buildings that seem to float in the sky. But even as he is taking in all the wonders of his city, he is a man marked for death by all manner of assassins, the most prominent of which is Alhazred the evil sorcerer that seeks to destroy Arcanum his hometown. It is not long before all manner of people come to learn of his existence and the great potential power he wields by not having any magical powers. But with powerful forces against him, he must onto only engage in a quest to save his hometown but also try to evade his enemies, and find allies and friends fast. The novel is packed with drama, fantasy, and action with the lead character surrounded by all manner of strong and intriguing characters. Some of the most important characters include Cassandra a love interest whose allegiance he is not so sure of; Edgar a talking raven; war-torn fire breathing dragons; a robot friend he created; and a warrior with chameleon like traits.

The Magic Zero series is perfect for any fantasy and magical series fan. It has something for everyone whether it be the Star Wars like tribunals and battles or The Spiderwick otherworldly creatures. The novel is a great introduction to the novels of some of the most prolific and innovative authors Thomas E. Sniegoski and Christopher Golden. The Harry Potter crowd will also love this novel even if the lead does not have any magical powers. What makes Timothy so intriguing is that he is the unlikely hero in a world full of magic that can stop the evil forces of sorcery that intend to take over the world. Moreover, as a young man on a magical quest, we know from the get go that he is not going to gain or lose any magical powers. As opposed to many titles in which the lead loses or gains magical powers, the premise of a no special powers lead is well executed and developed, and is one of the most inventive in the genre. The Magic Zero series is a fascinating one, particularly with two of the lead characters lacking magical powers, the robots, dragons, armies, and talking animals. Star Wars fans will particularly love the epic battles while steampunk aficionados can revel in the alternative sources of energy that the lead uses in his quest.

“Battle for Arcanum”, the first novel in the series is the explosive introduction to the Magic Zero series. The novel opens to Alhazred the wicked sorcerer trying to gain control of all the magic in the world. It is now up to Timothy and Cassandra to stop the evil genius from succeeding in his evil plans. In addition to Alhazred, the two also have to fight Rhaptus, the man with the army in the outer veil that could destroy their world at any time if the barrier between the two worlds is broken. Timothy and Cassandra finally succeed and defeat Alhazred but that is just the beginning of their problems. Alhazred was an all-powerful magician that with his death the matrix of energy was so negatively impacted causing a magical brownout. The brownout is an even bigger threat as it weakened the sorcerous power in lights and in people, and weakened the barrier between the world of the Wurm and that of Arcanum. After many years of trying, the Wurm may finally have the opportunity to have revenge on the mage, who had once tried to destroy their civilization. Can Cassandra and Timothy manage to mediate between the two warring factions and prevent the devastation of Arcanum? Now that the dimensional barrier has been broken, Rhaptus can invade and attack with impunity killing people and destroying cities. The people of Arcanum are not ready for war, and now with most of their magical powers dimmed, they may have one of the biggest crises of survival on their hands.