Summary of this Young Adult Science Fantasy Tale
Peanut, from Fire Master, is sure his use of magic is causing people to die, so he vows to never use magic again.
Queen Quila wants to adopt the sweet little orphan boy from Hadley Town. But Peanut will have none of the foppish valet she assigned to make a proper prince out of him with frilly clothes and patent leather shoes. He’d rather be a real boy and practice magic with his uncle Pyck.
When people around him begin to die, first one, then two, then three, Peanut connects their deaths to his use of magic. Then the queen's physician enlists Peanut in a mysterious plot to destroy death. Now he can practice magic without worrying—or so he thinks.
As the war between Romatica and Loorland continues, Peanut sees the consequences of what he and the physician have done. Again, he feels responsible. But now he is no longer the helpless victim of the choices others make for him. He makes his own terrible choice.
Two of the people Peanut loves, his uncle Pyck who is the master of gravity, and Diadosi who masters the opposite energy of dark matter, are sworn enemies. To undo the terrible consequences of his actions, Peanut must bring these two together.
Follow Peanut through the wonders of Cenozonia.
Get your copy of Mage of the Black Hole. Opens in new windowWhat You'll Experience in Cenozonia
Root for Peanut’s rebellious spirit that refuses to let others turn him into what they think he should be. You’ll be right there when he faces the hardest decision that no one else can make for him.
Peek Inside
The fop drew himself up as if he suddenly remembered he was the adult and Peanut was the child. "Your Highness, you are new to this. But you’re not in the provinces anymore. A royal prince must comport himself with regal dignity." He picked up a pair of patent leather shoes. “Give me your foot so I can see if these fit, Your Highness.”
Peanut stared at the shoes and then at Rosewater. Those were the fifth pair of shoes he’d threatened Peanut with in as many days. His feet ached for shoes that knew their curves and arches. But even if the queen were here with every soldier in the Romatican army, they couldn’t force him to wear patent leather shoes. It just wasn’t going to happen.
"Please, Your Highness. For the queen’s sake, grace these lovely shoes with your exquisite feet."
Lovely? That did it. Peanut sprang up and knocked the shoes aside.
Rosewater shrieked as the lovely patent leather shoes fell to the floor. His eyes rolled back in his head, as if he would faint.
Reviews and Reader Comments
"An appealing, otherworldly tale set in superlative realms—both real and fantastic."
— Kirkus Reviews
"The worldbuilding of the series continues to improve, and one of the best parts of the story was the queen’s physician. I enjoyed this because the combination of science with a fantasy setting is one of Johnson’s biggest selling points, making the entire thing feel a lot more complex, vast, and rich. Not a lot of writers can juggle all these different elements and make it work, but she makes it look effortless."
— Book Nerdection
Mage of the Black Hole: A Continuing Challenge in Story Craft
No matter how many books I write, it always starts out the same way: I sit at my computer staring at a blank screen and wonder where in the world I'll find enough words to fill it. Inspiration does come but only after I've juggled a few ideas around, the final draft of Mage of the Black Hole bore a passing resemblance to what I started out to write. Book Nerdection said I make it look effortless. I'll tell you a secret. It takes a lot of effort to make things look effortless.