Welcome to the world of Legerdemain. Take a look around, and please, come back and visit often.
Legerdemain is the title of an ongoing serial, starting on Kindle Vella in late July 2022. The title is also the name of the city in which the bulk of the action occurs. The direct link to the Kindle Vella page where the story begins is here.
Legerdemain is written and structured as an ongoing serial, not a book released in chapters. It will go on as long as the metrics work. The intial release contains 3 large arcs, and comprises around 90 episodes. Two episodes per week release, going live on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The target market is readers who love serials, not those who wait until an entire series releases to start reading.
The serial has a large cast, and multiple short and long term arcs woven in. The website gives readers additional information about the world, and to give information to those who aren’t sure about whether or not to commit to a serial. The first three episodes of the serial are free, and give readers a sense of the voice and the world.
The tone is a mix of mystery, fantasy, and comedy. The central protagonist, Shelley Magnus-Grantone, is a lively, funny, compassionate, talented pansexual witch, allergic to children, who’s also the Sheriff of the Order of Order, the law enforcement entity for the city and the province. She’s earth-aligned, which means her strongest magic is connected to the element of earth. She’s the eldest of four (two younger sisters and a younger brother). Her mother is the recently-appointed Oracle of the Kingdom, and now lives in the Citadel, the city’s original fortification, along with her father, who is an astronomer and astrologer. Shelley was born and raised in Legerdemain, loves it passionately, and knows every nook and cranny of it (along with a good many of the locals in it).
Legerdemain is a city of magic, misfits and murder. It has a long, colorful history, welcoming those who don’t fit anywhere else; exiling those who try to control and oppress.
Legerdemain is located on the northeastern cliffs in the Kystnaere province of the Kingdom of Cosenquo, on the planet Melli. While they prefer to mind their own business, they welcome tourists and other visitors, from around the planet Melli, and from off-world.
Melli is part of a solar system around a star called Olwen, which serves as the system’s sun. Melli has three moons: Amaris, Badru, and Channey. Each has a slightly different orbit around Melli; the rare Triple Full Moon is both an event of wonder and a trigger for all kinds of chaos. The general moon cycle of the combined rotation is called a “rhythm” and consistes of 33 days. 13 rhythms makes one “anno” (what we consider a year). Legerdemain is located in a region that experiences four seasons.
You can read more about the city and its history here. That tab includes information on the province of Kystnaere, and the kingdom of Cosenquo. Because an info-dump in the serial would slow down the story (although much of the information is integrated into the action), more details are here on the website.
If you’re interested in digging deeper into the histories and backgrounds of the characters, visit the People page. This will update regularly, as new episodes release, and the cast expands.
Legerdemain is a busy, vibrant city, comprised of districts and neighborhoods, and a large variety of businesses (many of which are mentioned in passing in the serial). If you want additional infomation about those businesses and tourist attractions, you can visit the Business page.
The Episode Guide will update regularly, with the logline for the latest episodes released, and the graphic associated with the episode. As long as the serial remains on Kindle Vella, the first three episodes remain free.
Vist the News page for updates on the serial and the other formats in which stories about this world appear.
There’s information About the Author on the relevant page.
Sign up for Devon’s Random Newsletter on the Newsletter page. Please note that it is for all of the work under the Devon Ellington byline and other bylines the author uses. It is not specific to Legerdemain. The newsletter comes out quarterly, with the occasional email blast.
The Media room will have a media kit about the serial, snippets of reviews, and any other relevant information.
If you’re interested in the author’s other work and sites, here’s more information:
Ink In My Coffee: An almost daily blog on the intersection of writing and life.
Devon Ellington Work: The author’s main website. The website has information on books, shorts (Delectable Digital Delights), anthologies, Topic Workbooks, and links to the websites for the different series.
You can follow Devon Ellington on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, Tumblr, CounterSocial, and Mastodon.
