Mither Mages

About the Mither Mages series

Danny North is the only powerless member of a hidden family of minor gods -- descendants of Norse, Greek, and other mythological pantheons, each holding a fragment of real magical power -- who discovers as a teenager that he isn't powerless at all, but something his family has hunted and killed on sight for generations: a gatemage, capable of opening portals between worlds, a power so dangerous it toppled ancient civilizations the last time it existed unchecked. The Lost Gate (2011) follows Danny going on the run from his own relatives to learn what he actually is.

The Gate Thief and Gatefather escalate from family secret into cosmic stakes, as Danny discovers he's inherited (and stolen) the accumulated magical power of a being who spent a millennium eating other gatemages' gifts, and must figure out how to wield -- or survive -- that inheritance while an ancient enemy from beyond the gates threatens both his family and the wider world. The trilogy blends contemporary urban fantasy with genuine mythological worldbuilding, treating Norse and Greek gods as a real, still-living (if diminished and secretive) family.

How to read this series

Read in publication order: The Lost Gate, The Gate Thief, Gatefather. This is a continuous story following Danny North's growth from a hunted teenager into command of enormous, dangerous power, and should be read straight through -- no other Card reading is required first.