MAGE: The Way of the Mark [COMPLETE - Fantasy, Post-Apocalyptic, Dieselpunk]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

An aging spellcaster, the last of his order, searches a desert wasteland governed by a magic system in which the fewer people who know a spell, the more powerful the spell is.

The Mage’s order has been wiped out by The Motorized, steam-powered, magical weapon users—a competing magic system—and now Mage must find a way to pass on his wealth of knowledge and defeat The Motorized.

Magebegins when the last spellcaster enters Vale, the capital city of the Motorized, for the very first time.

Imagine if Gandalf fromThe Hobbitstepped into the world ofMad Max.

What you can expect:

—This is a world of competing magic systems, featuring dueling sorcerers and persecuted spell casters.

—Fantasy with elements of Dieselpunk.

—This book is my way of writing a classic fantasy story mixed with Mad-Max style engines and weapons.

—Prison Breaks, Rebellion, and later, large-scale magical battles.

—First person, single character (aging, male, magician) perspective.

—No harem, VR, or time travel

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2025
Author: AlexanderScott

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 435
Views: 62,319

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(10)

Ana87Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The story begins with a simple but enjoyable premise. In a world where magic is scarce and distrust lurks in every corner of this society dominated by the Motorized, an old mage must seek not only allies but also an apprentice to whom to pass on his knowledge. The combination of western, magic and dieselpunk creates a unique setting, where tradition confronts the decadent modernity of a world that has forgotten the greatness of sorcery.
The novel emerges as a story of redemption and struggle against oppression, with a protagonist who is willing to sacrifice his life in order to fulfill his mission. The first-person point of view, as well as the immersive style, manage to connect the reader with the protagonist's struggle. His journey to Vale, his confrontation with the violence of the Motorized and his attempt to inspire an emerging resistance plunge us into an atmosphere of hopelessness, but also of defiance. Magic, though weakened, becomes a symbol of resistance.
The magic system is intriguing and is shown to us gradually, without overloading the reader with lengthy explanations, but integrating it organically into the narrative. As the chapters progress, it becomes clear that magic has certain rules and limitations, which adds a layer of realism within the fantasy. Its use is both an advantage and a danger, as it can attract the unwanted attention of enemies.
So far, this a promising start with an intringuing setting and a very well constructed protagonist.
SchoolProjectRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
One of the few remaining mages enters the stronghold of his greatest enemy, and he isn’t hiding.
Style: The style is engaging, immersing you in the current events without overexplaining.
Story: The events start fast and never stop, with urgency dictating the character’s actions. Meanwhile, the narrative develops smoothly, with characters moving with clear and distinct purposes. What makes this part truly remarkable is that while the goal is often clear, the means of achieving it can come as a surprise. Making you, at some points, even question and reflect on the motive behind certain actions.
Moreover, it introduces a unique magic system based on exchange rather than the careless flinging of spells without cost, which supplements the desert-like world with already limited resources very well.
The world-building is top-notch, revealing and hinting at a deep history hidden beneath the current events.
Grammar: From my perspective, the grammar is good, with only some rare mistakes.
Character: The main character is a middle-aged man, and it shows in a positive way as he adds maturity to the grim, post-apocalyptic world. It also compliments the unique setting.
Overall, it is a great and engaging story that I can recommend to all fans of Magic and Dieselpunk.
T. H. WattsRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
'Mage, The Way of the Mark' is a gritty tale of magic pitted against technology. We follow an old mage and disciple of “The Way” as he battles to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. There’s immediate tension when the The Motorized arrive on their steam powered cycles. Can he survive, and will he be able to pass on his knowledge of The Way to another?
I’ve read the first few chapters, which were fast paced, and successfully moved the story forward. Will be back to read more as it develops, but enjoyed what I've seen so far.
ZacheasRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
In this story, mages—or magic users—are not revered heroes but a feared and persecuted minority. Rather than being admired, they are hunted by humans, pushing them to the brink of extinction. The protagonist is one of the last surviving mages, a character who has endured immense hardship. His mission is simple yet profound: to find someone to pass on his knowledge of magic before it is lost forever.
One of the standout elements of this story is its RPG-style system, which offers a unique twist. Interestingly, the dwindling number of mages actually increases the power of those who remain. This means the protagonist, possibly the last of his kind, stands at the peak of magical strength—an advantage he desperately needs as he faces off against humans wielding powerful steampunk-style weapons.
The world in this story is richly developed and refreshingly unique. I haven't encountered a system or plot quite like this before, making it a standout feature of the book.
The pacing is well-balanced, with a good amount of tension and action introduced early and maintained consistently throughout the available chapters. This keeps the story engaging and prevents it from dragging.
The characters are well-written, with depth, emotion, and compelling motivations. They feel real and complex, making them easy to invest in.
The author has done an excellent job with grammar and spelling—I didn’t notice any errors. The structure of the story is also well-organized, making it easy to follow.
Overall, this was a fantastic read, and I truly hope the author continues writing more. If you’re a fan of unique magic systems, immersive world-building, and strong character development, you should definitely give this book a try!
kyervinRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Overall Thoughts
The world building and the magic system is really really good. It reminds me of a mixture of Stephen Kings The Dark Tower series world combined with Brandon Sandersons Mistborn magic system. Though there are obviously differences. The world has lost most of its mages that use matter as their resource to create new things or effects. The way the main character creatively uses that system was really great!
Style Score
I feel most stories always have younger characters who have to learn magic, or the ways of the world, but the author flips that on its head. We follow an older man who is looking for that someone to pass their knowledge on to. So we get to see a different perspective then most other books.
Grammar Score
Grammar has been great, there are a few places missing maybe a comma but thats it. Compared to most stories on the platform, this is a step above many others by leaps and bounds.
Story Score
The story starts off with a lot of world building, magic vs machinery and a lot of history. This is a world that I'm interested in learning a lot more. I do feel a bit of a rush into things at the beginning but only because I wanted to bask in the world building more.
Character Score
Like I said above we are following the journey of an old, possibly last of his kind, mage looking to pass on his knowledge before its too late. I really like this point of view and can't wait to see where that takes it. For an older man he sure can take a hit :)
SheaveRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
The writing flows very smoothly and the action begins fast enough to grab a reader's attention.
The tensions of the world are swiftly-introduced and I was immediately intrigued to try to work out how this world's magic system worked exactly. It seems to be a form of matter transfer or alchemy and perhaps as the novel continues this will be expanded upon nicely. I appreciate the protagonist being old; since heroes tend to skew young. Though the old, grizzled, world-eary battler certainly is the hero, in some epic fantasies.
This has strong themes of steampunk. A genre I am only passingly familiar with, from Fullmetal Alchemist and Mortal Engines both of which were great. In this land, there is a stark contrast between motors and magic. Those who wield magic seem to be greatly at odds with those who utilize this world's steam-punk-inspired technology. The protagonist is quite fun; he has heart and a sense of humor. The reader is given a sense he is very powerful but keeps this power largely under wraps. Though he is far from invulnerable; becoming seriously wounded during a fight early on. The world-building is a well-done, very mild slow-burn. Although I would say you learn a lot even in the first two pages. With the details drip-feed in a good way that keeps the mystery.
FreevoulousRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I'm on Chapter 7 and love it! I'm a sucker for this kind of grim, but not full grimdark vibe. The world feels a bit similar to The Witcher Saga, its dirty, used, brutal, and cynical, but not pointlessly so. It's not a nice place to be, but it's an actual place, rather than an artificial setting for the plot to fall into.
The magic system is simple and logical, but not over-explained. I hate it when magic in stories like this feels overly analyzed as if it was a DnD session. Here the author is doing it right, the Mage uses magic when necessary, with minimum fuss, just like a man on the road would use any other technology, and most importantly, he does not explain his own magic to himself, which is a common, but annoying kind of exposition.
Story: so far good, too early to say more
MC: awesome, but then again, I specifically love this kind of character so I am very biased :P
Language: I love the rough and naturalistic dialogues, that actually feel like something no-nonsense people from a scavenged land would say. Nobody overexplains things or launches into monologues with a stranger they just met. For me, realistic dialogue is the make-or-break of a story, and the author nailed it.
What Im hoping for: more steampunk gear, lovingly described. I mean, Author, come on. Talk dirty to us, I want some sultry description of cogs, levers, pistons and scavenger-punk contraptions :P
Liam BlackwoodRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Personally, I don't really like first-person novels, and on top of that, non-litRPG novels. However, I think this was done very well. The pacing is a little fast at least with what I read and the reading is slightly choppy in some areas, but those are minimal. It's a perfect middle-ground that pushes the story further. The attention to detail and the grittiness of the overall vibe is exactly what I would expect from a cowboy mad-max scenario. So far, it's a great novel!
NikolainRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
This story offers a deeply atmospheric tone and a well done engaging world that sets the stakes for the main character— with an aging mage on the verge of extinction. The rules of magic are quite interesting and consistent, with enough flair to make each casting feel quite rewarding and well grounded. It's nothing flashy or out-of-touch that wouldn't make sense or fit.
I find the protagonist to be sharp, decisive, and well experienced. MC is not really overpowered, but he's very competent and pragmatic, which feels earned rather than forced. I like the experience of an old man over a young, bustling character that can develop more overtime.
Grammar is mostly strong with some minor typos or clipped sentences that may momentarily hinder the flow. Dialogue does feel nature and characters are expressed in a well-mannered way that it doesn't feel out of touch and continues to stay in synced.
The pacing is great, especially with how each chapter builds suspense and tension that includes more about the world and what's in stake.
Overall, this novel is quite promising and with its immersive fantasy and complexity that I think if 5 chapters can get me to review it like this, then it'll definitely improve as I continue to read.
chris#1SupermanClarkkentfanRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
One of the hallmarks of good creative writing is the ability to mix and match different genres to create something new and interesting. For example, you have movies like The Original Predator that mix sci-fi with horror or how Star Wars combined sci-fi, westerns, and fantasy. And I believe Mage does the same to immense effect.
Being a fan of both the Western and fantasy genres, I can’t believe I never combined them in my writing. Seeing the two interact in your story is already very entertaining. My mind is abuzz with the many different stories you could tell. And how you thought through how the differing elements would come together to inform the protagonist’s challenges.
The best example for me would have to be the opening sequence. The setting is your standard Western setup with magic stitched-in, rough, and tumble with a healthy dose of fantastic mystery. The intense heat, the people out to get him, the stomach wound, and the question of whether he’s the last of his kind all work hard to prove that the odds are against him. Depending on how the remainder of the story plays out will make his victories sweeter and his defeats more bitter. Both of which I’m here for.
Speaking of the protagonist, I believe you did an excellent job getting the reader to feel for him. I like how you described the different challenges he went through. A good example would be how he tried to help the feral man drink water. It serves as a nice save-the-cat moment, knowing he was already going through so much but was still willing to aid a stranger. And, of course, how he acted when the thug cut his throat. My sympathy for the character was very high at that moment!
Furthermore, another aspect that I liked was the magic. It seemed to be very versatile and ripe for creativity during combat. It reminded me of Alchemy from Full Metal Alchemist, with how he needed specific things to convert and manipulate.
On the other hand, however, this is where I have my first bit of criticism. The stunt t