This quest takes them to graveyards, royal palaces and finally, into the heart of a conspiracy that goes much deeper than they ever could have imagined. In the dark of night, Asahel and Quentin undertake their mission: learning to heal, rather than harm. Among these rules is the promise never to use magic on the human body. These two men challenge the laws set down for magicians regarding the practice of magic.

Laws bind these men that prevent them from casting spells on the livingwhether to harm or to heal. Magicians are forbidden to leave their homeland. On the island of Cercia, the gods are dead, killed by their followers and replaced with the study of magic. Set in the streets of a medieval city, The Universal Mirror follows the journey of two magicians–the wealthy but carefree Quentin and his friend, Asahel, a lower-class citizen. The Universal Mirror Gwen Perkins Gwen Perkins. Gwen is presently at work on the second volume, entitled The Jealousy Glass. The Universal Mirror is the first novel of the Artifacts of Empire series. Her interest in history fueled the creation of the world of The Universal Mirror, inspired in part by people and events of the medieval and Renaissance periods. She has written for a number of magazines, exhibitions and nonfiction publications. Here’s the first in the Highlight series:Īuthor Gwen Perkins is a museum curator with a MA in Military History from Norwich University. I hope you’ll take a moment to check them out.

For the next several weeks, I’m highlighting some fantastic authors and their works. His best friend, Asahel, defies authority at his side, unaware that the search for this lost magic will bring them both to the edge of reason, threatening their very souls.

The Universal Mirror by Gwen Perkins