Mark of the Fool

Alex Roth’s dream was simple: master magic, honor his late parents, and graduate from the world’s greatest university of wizardry. But on his eighteenth birthday, the gods shatter his plans by marking him as one of his kingdom’s five Heroes—branded as *The Fool*, a cursed role meant to hinder spellcasting and serve as a pawn in the war against an ancient evil. Refusing to accept his fate, Alex flees with his little sister, his fiercely loyal childhood friend, and her three-headed cerberus. The university offers sanctuary, but the Mark twists his magic at every turn, amplifying everything *except* combat, divinity, or spellcraft. Undeterred, Alex studies harder, experiments ruthlessly, and bends the Mark’s restrictions into weapons of his own design. To survive, he’ll need more than just clever tricks—he’ll have to outwit the gods themselves.