Commonweal Book Four is out!

https://dubiousprospects.blogspot.com/2018/08/committing-book-is-getting-to-be-habit.html

If you haven't read 1 through 3 -- go get those first.

Briefly: imagine the processes of evolution applied to an ecology containing magic. Especially, an ecology containing Dark Lords who arise, gather power, consolidate power, build towers,  need guards, and are very imaginative.

The Commonweal is the only known bulwark of civilization standing against the various magical dictatorships. It is based on a magical engineering technique in which volunteers -- and only actual, willing volunteers, not mind-slaves or conscripts -- can focus their power together to achieve much larger results than any single person could stand.

Book 1, The March North, is the story of a defense against an incursion from one of the magical dictatorships.

 

Books 2 and 3 take place at the Commonweal's first magic school for horrendously gifted students.