The Thorn of Dentonhill

The Thorn of Dentonhill

Veranix Calbert leads a double life. By day, he's a struggling magic student at the University of Maradaine. At night, he spoils the drug trade of Willem Fenmere, crime boss of Dentonhill and murderer of Veranix's father. He's determined to shut Fenmere down. With that goal in mind, Veranix disrupts the delivery of two magical artifacts meant for Fenmere's clients, the mages of the Blue Hand Circle. Using these power-filled objects in his fight, he quickly becomes a real thorn in Fenmere's side. So much so that soon not only Fenmere, but powerful mages, assassins, and street gangs all want a piece of "The Thorn." And with professors and prefects on the verge of discovering his secrets, Veranix's double life might just fall apart. Unless, of course, Fenmere puts an end to it first. Explore the back alleys of the city in this street-level fantasy adventure, the first novel of the Maradaine series. Then see Maradaine from a new perspective, with Maresca's a second, concurrent series set in the same city: A Murder of Mages begins the Maradaine Constabulary novels, featuring an unlikely partnership of two detectives in the city's constabulary.
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Reviews

Photo of Ryan LaFerney
Ryan LaFerney@ryantlaferney
4 stars
Dec 15, 2022

"Thief!" a heavy voice shouted from the door. That's rich, one of them calling me thief, Veranix Calbert thought. He had only arrived seconds before. He hadn't had a chance to steal anything yet. This is how Marshall Ryan Maresca introduces us to the world of Maradaine with his debut novel The Thorn of Dentonhill, transporting us to a vibrant and diverse city where powerful mages, university students, assassins and street gangs all call home. Our protagonist is Veranix Calbert, a magic student by day and vigilante by night. When the sun goes down, Veranix ventures out into the streets, disrupting the local drug trade in the hopes of bringing down the notorious crime boss Fenmere, the man who killed Veranix’s father and destroyed his mother’s mind. Folks are saying it is a bit like Harry Potter meets Daredevil or Batman, and while there is some truth to this, Maresca brings his own fresh twist to the classic vigilante story. Supporting Veranix is a cast of characters: his cousin, Colin (a street captain of the Rose Street Princes); Kaiana, a half-Napa half-Druth staff member; and his friend and roommate Delmin. There's also his Professor Alimen, Veranix's tutor in magic...who is a bit of Dumbledore/Snape rolled into one. I really enjoyed the world Maresca has created. It’s surprisingly rich, featuring a long and complex history and populated by many cultures. Maradaine feels richly populated by interesting factions, university students, mages, etc. I love forward to reading more stories set in Maradaine. For fans of: Harry Potter, Batman, Daredevil, Patrick Rothfuss, The Discworld Series.