Nature Abhors a Vacuum — Stephen L. Nowland

Aiden Wainwright was the son of a wagon maker in a small country town where nothing interesting ever happened, until a chance encounter with a strange relic changed him forever. Obsessed with unravelling the mystery of his experience, Aiden turns from his friends and family and studies the arcane arts, discovering within himself a spark of intellect he never imagined. But his resourcefulness and courage are put to the test when he travels to a nearby town in pursuit of answers, and finds the place on the brink of disaster. An ordinary young man with an extraordinary talent, Aiden must marshal his limited resources and ally himself with the desperate locals to thwart a dire plot which threatens the lives of thousands.