When I was 12 years old, I sat in a dark cinema and watched The Empire Strikes Back for the first time. I never recovered—and I mean that in the best possible way. It became my all-time favorite film, and it’s shaped the way I think about stories ever since.

To mark its 45th anniversary this week, I asked myself:
What if that story—of hope, betrayal, and impossible odds—took place in the medieval Irish fantasy world of my upcoming novel?

The result is The Dark Mage Strikes Back: a two-part homage filled with icy landscapes, shadowy visions, desperate flights, swan-dragons in aerial battle, and a chilling confrontation between a young squire and a dark mage with secrets of blood and betrayal. All set against the backdrop of misty monasteries and ancient ruins where story magic stirs—and nothing is ever as it seems.

Listen to part 1 today, and read the final version of the story on my Substack: https://fatherroderick.substack.com/p/the-dark-mage-strikes-back-part-i