Nicodemus Weal lives in a world where wizards cast spells out of words whose meaning become real. He was born with a mark that suggests he might be the Halcyon—the only mage with the power to stop the Disjunction, the fall of the human world, in a near future. But his inability to spell suggests otherwise, for how could he be a powerful magician if he can’t keep the simplest spells straight?

Frustrated by his condition, Nicodemus struggles to serve his mentor, Shannon, to the best of his ability. But when Shannon is accused of killing a fellow wizard, and ghouls made of clay keep coming, searching for him, Nicodemus questions his previous beliefs. Could he really be the Halycon or is he somebody else, the destructor who will help the demons defeat the human race?

Spellwright puts a new spin in the epic battle of good versus evil by creating a unique system of magic that works from languages. The worlds, past and present, that Blake Charlton describes are richly imagined, and the complex plot advances at breakneck speed without leaving the reader behind. And with so many characters being introduced and so many twists in the storyline, that is no easy feat.

To me, the weakest part of the book was the ending, which is not so much an ending as an introduction to a sequel. Yes, I want to know what happens to Nicodemus next and will read the sequel, but I also expected a better resolution in this first book.

Overall, highly recommended for all fantasy lovers.