Of oil & Sorcery: A Voice From the void
By Rey Athens
In 'Of Oil & Sorcery', the lowest ranking mage at the most prestigious magic academy in the nation accidentally sees something he wasn’t supposed to.
Gill Dragstenn, the only tome-wielder at Eye of Newt University, finds himself at the crossroads of the academy's deep-rooted secrets. Students disappear, shadowy figures move in the night, and an enigmatic entity hovers at the edge of Gill's comprehension.
All the while, a romantic tangle distracts him, and a formidable classmate proves to be a constant threat. In the backdrop, the drums of war beat louder as the Diesel Empire, a technologically advanced adversary, gears up for world domination. Can Gill untangle the intricate web of mysteries his school is wrapped in while avoiding the invisible danger that stalks him?
Dive into 'Of Oil & Sorcery', an engrossing tale of magic, machinery, and one mage's relentless pursuit of truth. Will Gill rise to the occasion, or will he be overwhelmed by the mysteries that surround him?
“The story telling is fantastic, the dialogue is believable, and Rey's use of imagery and descriptions is absolutely stunning. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a fantasy setting, D&D, or loves a good read.”
— Caleigha ★★★★★
“From someone who doesn’t read much books but loves world building and character development this book is it! I caught myself rooting for the characters and eager to read the next book it’s gotten me into reading again which is much appreciated”
— jason ★★★★★
“Could not put this book down when I read it! This book kept me on the edge of my seat (more like bed actually) for the entire ride. Quite possibly my new favorite book of all time. Has all the making of a proper fantasy book. Totally an enjoyable read! 10/10 would recommend.”
— Randy ★★★★★
“I love to read, but it's pretty rare I find a book that breaks the mold and offers something truly original. This book does just that, with a well-crafted plot that keeps you thoroughly engaged through each page. The characters are also well-developed, adding depth and a high level of relatability to the characters in the story. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you know it is fiction. But it feels real.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a captivating and refreshing reading experience. It's a rare gem that stands out from the crowd. Prepare for an amazing and riveting mystery adventure!”
— Benjamin Cherry ★★★★★
“I stole this book from my boyfriend and I'm glad I did 😆
It was such an engaging read! The characters are so memorable and fun! I love how quirky and eccentric everything is. If you love magic and mystery-type things, and unique world building I think you'll find this book enjoyable. The balance of lightheartedness and action is so satisfying. I'm just upset it ended so abruptly and during a tournament... 😭 I love tournament stories.”
— MeL ★★★★★
“This book has been one of the fastest I’ve ever read. It seemed as if every sentence propelled the story and this new world forward creating a wonderfully enjoyable, edge of my seat, yet easy smooth read. I’d pick it up and realize hours had passed. I just can’t remember the last time a book caught my attention like this, made me laugh out loud several times, had me reread sections just because I wanted to relive it again, and had me craving to force time in my busy schedule to read more. I would be thinking about the characters at work the next day eagerly waiting my lunch break to plow through more story. I was such a fan of the magic conflicts which is unusual for me because I’m not an action fan, but the way it was written was brilliantly detailed, completely entertaining, and held up to long bouts of eager anticipation. The unknown held my curiosity throughout and there’s still so many questions yet to be answered and explored. I can see this so clearly as a movie in my head. This should definitely be a series.”
— Franklynn Alexander ★★★★★
“Rey is a wonderful author. The world building is intense, and I feel like I'm there with the characters every step of the way.
The writing reminds me of Brandon Sanderson, like there are so many stories to tell and not enough pages!
I hope there are more books to come, I'm clearing space out on my bookshelf in preparation!”
— Leanne ★★★★★
“Step aside Harry Potter, there is a new magic underdog in town and his name is Gill. I really love the idea of magic vs technology this book gives. There is a little romance, a little conspiracy theory, and a lot of nail biting moments. I'm excited for the rest of the story, there better be more coming!”
— Monica k. Jones ★★★★★
“The depth of character development and backstory evolves seamlessly as the story progresses, drawing the reader deeper into its enchanting grasp. With each chapter, the narrative teases you, promising that you'll be back soon to read more. The story feels remarkably fresh, the characters incredibly relatable, and the pacing is absolutely spot-on.”
— j. Hirsch ★★★★★
“The very first chapter hooked me! I've been staying up late and getting up early to keep reading. Characters have character, story is interesting. Only good things to say.”
— Benjamin Nelson ★★★★★
“There are a lot of things here that I have never encountered before that make this book stand out to me; the use of magic and machinery I thought was going to be more steampunk than it turned out to be, and that was a pleasant surprise, making it something unique that I haven’t read. And the magic system itself is an interesting take that is more fleshed out than I feel most magic that I have read lately has been.”
— Syn ★★★★★
I LOVE STORYTELLING
I always have.
Growing up in Michigan meant a lot of time spent indoors wrapped up in a blanket cocoon. As the snow settled over the driveway again, I spent a lot of my time drawing, playing video games, board games, reading, and consuming a ton of media. I was born in 1991, which meant I was the perfect age to turn into a Super Saiyan on the playground. Samurai Jack, Dragon Ball Z, Pokémon, and The Legend of Zelda were my main inspirations to start crafting worlds of my very own.
But Genndy Tartakovsky, Akira Toriyama, and the brilliant minds over at TPC/ Nintendo were total juggernauts of worldbuilding. The bar I set for myself was a little high for a 5th grader. But I never stopped writing; never stopped improving. And the recent death of my father lit a fire inside of me.
Life is short.
Sometimes tragically so. And I don’t want to leave this little blue rock until I’ve chased my dream all the way to the end. I’ve got to know where it leads. I can think of no life more gratifying for my soul than to share with you the worlds inside of my head and to make a living doing it. I hope you’ll take this journey with me into the many realms and gap dimensions that populate my greater mythos.
What lies ahead are grand adventures told in sprawling realms filled with action, adventure, mystery, rich worldbuilding, and characters that will stick with you long after you set the book down.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is book 2 coming?
It’s already finished! I’m working on editing right now, which is my least favorite part of the process. Once I have it fully edited, I need to have it professionally proofread. Once my artist is finished with the cover, I’ll have the preview up here on the site. Look forward to it!
The ending of the book felt abrupt… what’s up with that?
I wasn’t really given a choice. The book was actually twice as long, and was meant to be consumed in one piece. The problem is I’m a no-name author at this stage in my career, and my publisher didn’t want to spend the money to print a giant book to an audience of an unknown size. If it’s ever up to me, I’ll definitely print an edition where both books are mashed together into the single tome they were meant to be read from!
There’s some info in the book that never really matters. why?
It’ll all matter in book 2. Because, again, book 2 is just the second half of my original manuscript. I’ll never write exposition just for the sake of it. It’ll either matter later, or serve as solid world-building, which a lot of my readers love (and they’re vocal about it).
how long does it take mages to fill their magic reserve after completely expending it?
You have a completely empty magic reserve. It slowly starts to fill back up. But magic stimulates and grows itself, so the more you have at the moment the faster it replenishes. So someone with small magic reserves like Gill would refill completely within about 45 minutes. Someone on the opposite end of the spectrum like Atlas would take closer to a few hours. But because of the way magic stimulates itself, if Atlas casts one spell, he'd be back to full within 10 minutes or so. If Gill did the same, it'd take him closer to 30 minutes because he'd be nearly emptying himself. Does this make sense? I smell toast.
do you keep track of your characters’ magic reserves? How?
I do for Gill. The other characters haven’t really used all of their magic up, so there hasn’t been a need (at this point in the series). I know what each spell costs Gill, as well as the duration spells like Fortify, Heatshield, and Jetstream. Gill has a mana gauge that I manage as I write, and I do keep regeneration in mind as well.
do I need to be familiar with any of your other works to read this?
No! My first series, Gilded Wrath, hasn’t been put to print yet, and this is only my second series. I chose to lead my career off with this series because a fortune teller at a renaissance fair told me to (seriously). Once this series is finished, I’ll publish Gilded Wrath where a lot of the lore for my greater mythos originates. But that’s not to say that there isn’t supplemental material for my stories. I’ll be publishing collections of short stories in the future, some of which feature characters from my novels (like this one). Keep an eye out for it!
Where can I read your other works?
Officially? Nowhere. But I’ll be publishing everything for as long as I can until I can’t afford it anymore. I just have faith that when people start getting engrossed in my worlds, they’ll want to see more and more of it. You can always find that content here on the website. I’ll be updating every time a new book is set to launch.
What’s going on?
5/22/2024 — The book signing went better than I could have hoped! I spent just north of 4 hours at Barnes & Noble the other day and sold almost every copy of the book, and to strangers no less! I think it shows the power of the cover, and a guy in literal armor waving at everyone who comes in. I’ll try and get pictures up here whenever their social media person updates their site.
5/08/2024 — Book 2 is about halfway edited. It’s a lot of work. I’ve come a really long way as a writer since then, so I’m having to correct a lot of the bad habits I used to have. Please be patient with me while I finish it up! I think it’ll be ready to pass to my team by the end of summer. Fingers crossed!
5/01/2024 — Right now, I’m working on several things. The cover art for book 2 is underway, and I’ll be working with my artist to get it just right. Patreon Members will be the first to see it, and they’ll also be able to voice their opinions on which versions they like best. Join up if you want to weigh in! Right now my Patreon kind of just functions as my tip jar for my readers to help me fund my projects. So I only ever really post there when I’ve got something to say. Oh, but reader beware, there are spoilers here for the Oil & Sorcery series. Don’t read anything tagged Oil & Sorcery, or Echoes in Exile. You were warned!
4/27/2024 — I’ve got a book signing hooked up for the Barnes & Noble on San Pedro in San Antonio Texas! May 19th from 2pm to whenever they kick me out. I’ll be posted up at the front of the store in my set of leather armor. Come by, I’d love to have you!
4/15/2024 —Adding this little Author Diary here for anyone who is waiting patiently for the next book. You can check here to see the progress and sort of see where things are at the moment. I’ll be as transparent as possible!
My amazing team
Danica Winters
When I called Self Publishing Services for information about meta-data, it was fate that I spoke with New York Times Best Selling Author Danica Winters. I didn’t know who I was talking with, and just wanted to ask some questions, but she was insistent on hearing about my book. She decided she liked my moxy and wanted to personally coach me through the entire process.
My conversation with Danica changed my life. She was the first person in the industry to take an interest in my work and to take me seriously as an author. Whenever I call to annoy her, she’s always upbeat and cheery, and always knows what to do next. She taught me the in’s and outs of industry standard and kept me pumped through the whole journey. I’m looking forward to working with Danica for a long time.
Melanie Calahan
Melanie has a long professional track record of marketing and publishing. She’s also one of two primary reasons why you won’t find many typos in my books. All my material goes through her before it hits the shelf. It’s amazing how many things Clare and I can miss that Melanie stamps out. Her hard work really was the final strike of the smith’s hammer that turned my book from good to professional.
Clare Wood
Clare was the first of the team to actually read my manuscript— and boy, did she have notes. I have a tendency to write how I talk. In many instances, it adds a charm to my writing. In other instances, it can make a book a slog to get through. Clare makes sure that I stay in the charming territory and not in the needlessly wordy territory. She’s also my second proofreader, catching many mistakes that spellecheck won’t. I couldn’t find a black and white picture of Clare.
Chris era
This handsome beast is Chris Era, and he’s responsible for the gorgeous artwork that first drew your eye to my work. When I was looking for a cover artist, I really didn’t know where to begin. I eventually found myself on Chris’s Page on Fiverr, a freelance website. His process was incredible. He managed to figure out exactly what I wanted within only a few messages and some well-placed questions. If you’re looking for a cover artist, I cannot recommend anyone more than Chris. He’s always excited for the job, enthusiastic, and punctual. He takes pride in his work and it shows with every piece he delivers. Looking forward to a long-lasting work-relationship!
Special Shoutouts
To my mother, who is the closest thing I have to a manager. She’s always looking for opportunities and messaging me about upcoming book fairs and cons that I can attend. She’s been my biggest fan since literally day one, and I’d be nowhere without her.
To my wife, who is my first proof reader. She’s my biggest cheer leader and has supported this dream of mine from the moment I proposed it to her. She supports me in everything that I dream, and I’m very blessed to be spending my life with her.
To my sister who, like my mom, is always on the hunt for new opportunities for me. She’s pretty much my social media person too, as I’m garbage at product promotion and can’t stand social media. If I’m ever big and famous, you can bet I won’t be the one handling my social media handles ^^;