Young Adult Fantasy Adventure
Date Published: July 9, 2026
Publisher: MindStir Media
To prepare his people for the coming darkness, El Selah sends his spirits into the world, blessing chosen individuals with extraordinary magical gifts.
Runric has spent his childhood living a quiet, isolated life in the forest. Now coming of age, he leaves everything familiar behind and journeys with his loyal caruan friend, Falid, to compete in a worldwide magic contest. Blessed with six different forms of magic, Runric quickly attracts attention in the neighboring kingdom of Palanda—along with a level of fame he never wanted.
As the competition draws him into a dazzling world of princesses, kings, mysterious creatures, and rival magic wielders, Runric begins to uncover secrets about his own family. The ancient enemy threatening Selah may be connected to a danger first discovered by his father—and by the mother Runric has long believed was lost.
Torn between the simplicity of his forest home and the responsibility that comes with his remarkable abilities, Runric must decide whether he is ready to embrace his destiny. His greatest challenge will not simply be learning how to control his magic, but developing the faith, wisdom, mercy, and discernment needed to use it well.
Heartwell: Heir of the Wizard is a captivating middle-grade and young adult fantasy adventure filled with imaginative world-building, memorable friendships, wholesome humor, magical contests, family mysteries, and an unforgettable battle between good and evil.
Perfect for readers in fifth grade and above—and for families who enjoy clean fantasy fiction—this coming-of-age adventure explores:
● Faith, courage, and personal responsibility
● Friendship across cultures and kingdoms
● The importance of wisdom and discernment
● Family, identity, and belonging
● Using one’s gifts for a greater purpose
● Choosing what is right when darkness begins to rise
Enter the world of Heartwell and discover a family-friendly fantasy story where magic reflects character, unlikely heroes find their courage, and one young man’s gifts may hold the key to saving all of Selah.
Runric moved forward, advancing as they stumbled backward, and
kicked Alina’s leg, causing her to fall away from the knives. Audrina regained
her footing and jabbed at him with the overly large quarterstaff, but the
attack was slow, and he grabbed it and yanked it out of her hands. He gripped
the quarterstaff properly and turned toward Alina. Instead, he found Davin
standing in the doorway, grinning.
“Well, this wasn’t what I expected to find when I came back to
my room. I think this is enough, don’t you,” he said, taking the quarterstaff
from Runric’s hands and putting a foot in front of Alina as she crawled toward
another knife.
“Awww,” Alina said, “but it was just getting interesting.”
“I can see that,” Davin said, “but I prefer my rooms dry and
without holes in the floors and walls.”
“Ah, you’re no fun. We were getting good stuff from this
experiment. You got the symbols, right, sis?”
“Got them all,” Audrina said, lying back down on the bed, now in
her wet clothes. “It’ll be good enough for sister’s purposes.”
Runric looked around at each of them with an astounded
expression. What in the world is going on? “Davin, do you know these people?”
he asked. “They broke into your room and started messing with your stuff.
“Not true,” Audrina said. “We only messed with your stuff. The
room was already open. No breaking required, sadly.”
“Yeah, you should really keep your room more secure,” Alina
chimed in.
“I do know them,” Davin said. “Sort of. Well, we’ve met a few
times. Runric, meet Audrina and Alina.” He looked at them closely for a second,
making sure he had the proper name for the proper twin. “Princesses of
Palanda.”
N.J. McConnell is a Texas-based author of wholesome middle-grade and young adult fantasy. A software engineer with degrees in computer science, he brings the logic of a programmer and the imagination of a lifelong fantasy reader to his richly developed stories.
Inspired by reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit as a child, McConnell began writing the kind of relatable, family-friendly fantasy adventures he wished he had encountered more often growing up. For more than a decade, he has developed the magical world of Heartwell—a place filled with memorable characters, imaginative kingdoms, exciting quests, and meaningful lessons about faith, wisdom, mercy, courage, and discernment.
McConnell is the author of Heartwell: Heir of the Wizard, a coming-of-age fantasy adventure for readers in fifth grade and above. Through compelling characters, wholesome humor, magical contests, and timeless conflicts between good and evil, he hopes to create stories that entertain the entire family while encouraging readers to use their unique gifts with integrity and purpose.
Born and raised in Texas, N.J. McConnell lives in San Antonio with his wife and two children. When he is not writing, reading fantasy, or developing software, he enjoys coaching youth basketball and teaching Bible classes. Seeing his children experience the world and characters he spent years creating has made his journey as an author especially meaningful.
Learn more about N.J. McConnell and the Heartwell fantasy series at heartwellstories.com.
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