Ill Met in the Arena by Dave Duncan

Fantasy author Dave Duncan told SCI FI Wire that his latest novel, Ill Met in the Arena, began with a “what if magic worked like this?” kind of idea.

“I have found a lot of stories by posing that question,” Duncan said in an interview. “In this case the notion was that magical talent be inherited. … I went on to consider how the resulting politics might work. I concluded that the best sorcerers would grow rich and powerful and would want to marry their children into other rich and powerful families.”

Full Interview