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Old Sorcery: An Absurdist Epic Fantasy Novel

Created by The Arcanist: Fantasy Publishing, LLC

Old Sorcery by James Callan is the story of three heroes (and one badass necromancer) captured by machinations of the most powerful sorcerer in the wide world of Garden. Witty and hilarious, deep and nuanced, this is a tale for the ages.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

We're in the final week. Help us hit reach our stretch goals?
about 1 month ago – Sun, Mar 15, 2026 at 02:41:43 PM

Howdy folks!

We're closing in on our second stretch goal at $4,250, which will unlock high-quality digital wallpapers of Callan's hand-drawn map for all backers. And what I'm even more excited about is our stretch goal at $5,500. If we get there, every backer will receive DRM-free eBooks of every novel The Arcanist has published so far.

That means, in addition to your pledge rewards, you'd get digital copies of:
  • A Valley of Shadow by Lee Patton (Sword & Sorcery)
  • Ashen Rider by James D. Mills (Mythological Dark Fantasy)
  • Children of Solo by Andrew D.H. Moore (Steampunk Space Fantasy)
  • Children of Nemia by Michael Goe (Epic YA Fantasy)

That's a whole lot of fantasy for one campaign! We're in the final week, and every pledge counts. Can we count on you to help us finish strong?

Sincerely, 
James D. Mills, EiC of The Arcanist

An Old Sorcery side story by James Callan — Read for Free
about 1 month ago – Mon, Mar 09, 2026 at 07:36:32 AM

Greetings fellow goblins!

James Callan just released a new short story featuring characters from OLD SORCERY! "Once is Never Enough" expands the Old Sorcery's already vast scope with a fun Sword & Sorcery romp through the Goblin Caves of Hyacinth.

Whether you're just excited to get your hands on OLD SORCERY or not yet sure if it's right for you, "Once is Never Enough" is a short, exciting read and a great introduction into the world of Garden. 

Read for free at The Arcanist Website.

Sincerely,
James D. Mills, EiC of The Arcanist 

We SMASHED the First Stretch Goal!
about 1 month ago – Fri, Mar 06, 2026 at 06:49:32 AM

Howdy folks! 

We hit $3000 and unlocked the DRM-free audiobook last night. What a wonderful success to wake up to! I better get started on my vocal warmups, production on the audiobook has been EXPEDITED. 

We handle all audio production in house and plan to make this audiobook available as soon as possible. As backers who helped us get to this point, you will have access to it the moment it's finished.

I'm finalizing our next stretch goals and will announce them soon. 

Till then, share with your friends and family members who love fantasy and witty writing. Every set of eyeballs on our project helps a ton.

Sincerely,
James D. Mills, EiC of The Arcanist

We're nearing that first stretch goal...
about 1 month ago – Thu, Mar 05, 2026 at 02:24:02 AM

We're dangerously close to unlocking our DRM-free audiobook, but we need your help to get there!

All of our audio is produced entirely in-house (fun fact: our EiC is a former audio engineer), which means every recording is a true labor of love. We want to bring the world of Old Sorcery to as many listeners as possible, with no strings attached.

We're about 75% of the way to our $3,000 stretch goal. Can you help push us over the edge?

Sincerely,
The Team at The Arcanist

We funded in TWO HOURS! What's next?
about 2 months ago – Tue, Mar 03, 2026 at 06:18:00 AM

Howdy folks! 

Thank to your help, we had an explosive opening to this campaign. We're well on our way to achieving stretch goals. I'm still working out some specifics, but I can say that if we hit $3000, all backers will receive free copies of our DRM-free audiobooks once we finish producing it. 

Something special lingers beyond $5000.... but lets fight one dragon at a time. 

~James D. Mills, EiC of The Arcanist.