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  • Yancy Lazarus
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Strange Magic

Yancy Lazarus #1 / 7
by James A. Hunter
Strange Magic (Yancy Lazarus #1) by James A. Hunter
Unrated

Yancy Lazarus is having a bad day: there’s a bullet lodged in his butt cheek, his face looks like the site of a demolition derby, and he’s been saran-wrapped to a banquet table. He never should have answered the phone. Stupid bleeding heart — helping others in his circles is a good way to get dead.

Just ask the gang members ripped to pieces by some kind of demonic nightmare in LA. As a favor to a friend, Yancy agrees to take a little looksee into the massacre and boom, he’s stuck in a turf war between two rival gangs, which both think he’s pinch-hitting for the other side. Oh, and there’s also a secretive ass-hat with some mean ol’ magical chops and a small army of hyena-faced, body- snatching baddies. It might be time to seriously reconsider some of his life choices.

Yancy is a bluesman, a rambler, a gambler, but not much more. Sure, he can do a little magic — maybe even more than just a little magic — but he knows enough to keep his head down and stay clear of freaky-deaky hoodoo like this business in LA. Somehow though, he’s been set up to take a real bad fall — the kind of very permanent fall that leaves a guy with a toe tag. Unless, of course, he can find out who is responsible for the gangland murders, make peace in the midst of the gang feud, and take out said magical ass-hat before he hexes Yancy into an early retirement. Easy right? Stupid. Bleeding. Heart.

Amazon: Check Best Offer

FantasyUrban Fantasy
Release date: January 16, 2015

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James A. Hunter

Before he built entire universes from pixels and prose, James A. Hunter served as a Marine, tracked pirates (yes—actual pirates), and spent time as an international aid worker in Thailand. That varied life experience, rich with grit, humor, and a touch of the unbelievable, pulses through every page of his fantasy and LitRPG adventures.

Best known for Viridian Gate Online, Rogue Dungeon, and Shadowcroft Academy, James crafts stories where magic systems are as intricate as they are unforgiving, and where characters evolve as much from hard choices as from epic battles. His writing leans heavily into the spirit of progression fantasy—fast-paced, emotionally grounded, and always centered on growth, both personal and power-based.

Read more ...

He’s also the driving force behind Shadow Alley Press, an indie publishing house that's helped shape LitRPG and GameLit into some of the most innovative corners of speculative fiction. With an ear for narrative rhythm and a sharp sense of what readers crave, he’s not just writing in the genre—he’s helping define it.

Whether he's designing dungeons, developing lore, or daydreaming about captaining a spaceship (don’t ask him how real that part is), James brings a clear sense of joy and craft to his work. And while his characters often face monsters, magic, and mortality, they never lose sight of what makes a story worth telling: heart, humor, and high-stakes adventure.

Yancy Lazarus

Yancy Lazarus consists of six books and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

Strange Magic (Yancy Lazarus #1)
Unrated
Brimstone Blues (Yancy Lazarus #5)
Unrated
Red Reckoning (Yancy Lazarus #6)
Unrated
Yancy Lazarus Book 7 (Yancy Lazarus #7)
⧗ 8.00 / 1


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