Even magic has to keep up with the times, so it's about to get an upgrade.

Fate can be a bit unkind to everyone, but what if you were related to the old gals? Literally? Ravirn, a sorcerer, hacker and junior at the University of Minnesota, has more to worry about than a heavy course load when he pisses off his great aunt Atropos. Atropos, the fate who cuts the life thread, comes after Ravirn with a vengeance when he tries to put the whammy on her new spell. The spell, which she dubs "Puppeteer," will effectively take free will, something Atropos finds both annoying and overrated, away from the human race. She comes to Ravirn to help her fix a flaw in the spell. When he not only declines but threatens to go to his grandmother Lachesis (the fate who measures the thread and determines its destiny), Atropos curses him. With her curse in place, no one will believe a word he says when he talks about Atropos and her plans. Ravirn has few allies and his family makes formidable enemies. It will take everything he has in him to expose Atropos and survive. And hopefully pass his midterms.

I love debut novels. Before readers are clamoring for series and sequels, it seems like there's simply the book the author wants to write. There's nothing like that first story, which springs from the author's head (kind of like a Greek God), with no other agenda than to be published. WEBMAGE hosts an original and animated world with its mweb and web goblin familiars and the Greek mythological family trying to turn poor Ravirn's life into a major Greek tragedy. There's humor and romance and men with swords, web goblins, trolls, evil aunts and meddling grandmothers. A fine first novel. I kind of hope McCullough's next book is another original and not a sequel, but I won't be disappointed if it is.