Vampire Dirculus von Maztif Gren-Hortz is the most diabolic and devious dark mage in all of Calera. Heralded far and wide as The Grand Mage, Lord of Darkness, Harvester of Demonic Arts, Master of the Untoward, and Harbinger of Doom Everlasting—titles accorded only to the most terrible and wicked of evil dark lords—his dastardly deeds attract a hero come to halt his reign of terror. Thus, Dirc finds himself sealed in time and sent forward 300 years into the future, with nothing but the fine coat on his back and his timid-but-loyal henchfae Pender at his side. Awaking in a print shop, he immediately steals every book he can carry, intending to sell them to fund the rebuilding of his evil empire. But the world has changed a lot in 300 years, and in this bewilderingly modern future, books have become commodities, airships sail the skies, vampires are no longer feared, and his greatest enemies are not legendary heroes, but market permits, zoning ordinances, and the (frankly infuriating) concept of private property. With nothing to rely on but his villainous wit and Pender’s unfailing loyalty, Dirc seeks to regain his lost glory through a literary crime spree worthy of his lofty titles. Between his many heists and deplorable schemes (utterly vital), the gathering of a found family (purely practical), and his growing feelings for Pender (wait… what?), this most terrible and wicked evil dark lord may yet conquer the city—and all of Calera—in the most unconventional way imaginable.
