The Ash Protocol (The Null Equation)
by BandillaAbout this book
MAGIC HAS A FREQUENCY. HE IS THE SILENCE. Lucien Graves is not a hero. He is a retired Planeswalker, a mechanic who fixes broken things, and a man with a unique, dangerous physiology: he is a "Null." In a world humming with volatile magic, Lucien is a walking dead zone—immune to spells, invisible to the Weave, and capable of dismantling a wizard’s casting with a single touch. He just wants to cross the Ash-Wastes in peace, but quiet is a luxury he can’t afford. Elara Vane is a storm waiting to break. A powerful Storm-Caller and High Arcanist, she is the prisoner of her own power, bound to a sadistic husband by a blood-oath that turns her magic into a torture device. She doesn't need a bodyguard; she needs an anomaly. Someone who can walk through the wards of the Obsidian Keep, expose a conspiracy that threatens the entire plane, and help her destroy the man who owns her soul. What starts as a simple extraction job quickly spirals into a war against the Thorne Syndicate—a ruthless inter-planar corporation strip-mining the world for "Soul-Shards." As Lucien and Elara descend into the volcanic depths of the Keep, they uncover a weapon that could tear the fabric of reality apart. Hunted by mercenaries armed with void-rifles and haunted by ghosts from the Chromium Plane, the mechanic and the mage must learn to trust each other. But in a world where magic is industry and life is fuel, the cost of freedom might be the only thing higher than the voltage. Part western, part noir, and entirely electric—The Ash Protocol is a gritty, tactical science-fantasy about broken people breaking the system. Perfect for fans of hardboiled heroes, complex magic systems, and high-octane action.