Merchant Magician

By: John Champaign

Narrated by: Gus Morgan

Exiled from his family of traders in mystical goods and services on his 23rd birthday, the merchant magician must make his way in the world: meeting mermaids in San Francisco, Midwestern leprechauns, Icelandic dwarves and the girl of his dreams, who happens to be a cultist devoted to the rise of the great old ones who will consume the world in ash and fire when they awaken.

Blending real-world negotiation theory with a coming of age story in an urban fantasy setting, this book will appeal to fans of Jim Butcher, Charles de Lint, and Neil Gaiman.

©2021, 2024 John Champaign (P)2025 John Champaign

Cozy and Sweet

I have followed Champaign’s work for a long time, and this is my favorite of his books! It takes on some of the mundane parts of life in a magical world, following an individual whose "magical ability" is cutting deals. The main character is earnest and fair, and the world he lives in is fascinating and funny. I was especially tickled by the presence, in the world, of an extremely pedantic dwarf and a deeply nerdy leprechaun. I would recommend this to fans of Drew Hayes’ "Fred the Vampire Accountant" and Becky Chambers’ "The Long Way to a Small, Angry, Planet."

The narrator adds a lot of warmth to the main character, and makes some of the fantastical characters seem accessible.

Excellent voice of narrator

Gus Morgan is a good narrator. Pace was good, voice pleasing, easy to understand. plot was confusing!! Strange shifts of place, time and characters.