I’d like to start out by thanking NetGalley and the publisher for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’d also like to say I’m sorry for how delayed this review is. I’d have read it sooner, but life and a certain epic Greek poem got in the way. (Odysseus I’m looking at you, really just making Greek classes difficult)

I’m honestly a bit disappointed. This was one of my most anticipated reads of this year, but sadly it ended up being a disappointment. It was probably a case of right book, wrong time, as this book was quite fast paced, maybe a bit too fast paced for me at the moment. I could barely keep up and could process anything, and before I knew it the book was over. I can honestly not tell you anything that happened in this book because of it, since it slipped my mind as I tried to process the next thing that happened, and then that slipped trying to process the next thing and so on.

I’m hoping to grab a copy and give it another try and some other point, where I’m in a place where I can keep up with the pacing.

Review will be posted on my Instagram, @kratist0, within the week

I am so sorry that I couldn't get into this book. So I am unable to write a proper review. Thanks for the ARC.

This was a fascinating read with intriguing characters and incredibly intricate worldbuilding. It did take me a while to understand the magic system and the way the world worked as it was very complexly written but I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.

I really really tried. But after having read a quarter of the book, I still couldn't tell you much about the world or the magic system because the author has really internalized <i>Infodumping is bad and should be avoided at all costs</i>. And so everything has to be pieced together from dialogue snippets from conversations between characters who know exactly what's going on and therefore have no need to explain anything, which feels like having to figure out quantum physics solely from listening to a conversation between people who already have a PhD in it.

I loved reading this book so much! The characters are great, they feel so real and I want to be friends with them. I loved how the core relationships deepened and strengthened as the book went on. Anahid’s character and storyline is brilliant and I can’t think of another story which has main character like hers. I can’t wait to see more of her in the next book! I can’t wait for the next book in general!

The world building is well done, I loved the history and the politics. Again, I’m excited dive back in it with the second book!

This is a perfect read for fans of Alexandra Rowland and Freya Marske, it’s a well built fantasy world full great characters and feelings!

Notorious Sorcerer is one of my anticipated delicious debut epic fantasy. With tight plot and very fast moving pace, readers must ready jumping into wild rollercoaster journey without safety belt through the end. This story is set at Bezim, a place where magic is illegal and local tribes fighting for control and powers. The setting it self rich and fill with potential. I wish extra details and depth on building of the world. It is feel like some familiar place we knew but offer unique characteristic as well.

Siyon the MC is young guy who continuously flirt with danger through his weekly journey into magic planes. Each place more dangerous than the other. He secretly gather rare materials for providing the upper class society need to build magic of Alchemy. Personally I enjoy his ARC to reach his best potential and save his country. Another POV come from another characters will help reader to get perspectives from different angles.

This book is fresh, quirky and fun to read. I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel. I will happily recommend it to my bookish friends.
Thank you Netgalley and Orbit from Little Brown Books Group UK for provided my copy. I am grateful and my thoughts are my own. Notorious Sorcerer coming at 15 Sept 2022.

Siyon Velo is our Notorious Sorcerer but he doesn’t start out there. He’s not even an alchemist apprentice, running errands and gathering ingredients. Without formal training, he’ll never get into the Summer Club. It’s nice to see a reluctant hero who has nearly nothing and grows so much in just one book. The one thing that bugged me a little was the unclear motivation Siyon has. He says he’s different, and that’s why he’s doing things. But to me, that doesn’t seem like the driving motivation for any of the decisions he’s making in the story.

The three secondary characters, Zagiri, Anahid, and Izmirlian, have their own wishes and they seem fairly simple compared to Siyon. They’re well-rounded characters, and I would’ve loved to see more of their personalities in the book. I’m not sure if their PoVs added much to the story aside from showing us what happens when Siyon is at a different place. I hope the next book will follow one of the other characters while Siyon takes more to the background. I’m curious about what Zagiri is up to next and how Anahid’s gambling adventure plays out.

The worldbuilding isn’t overwhelming, intricate, or vivid. It’s there but it’s not there enough to see it as its own character or to see a completely new world. It’s functional. That’s okay though. Not all stories need the grandest worldbuilding to be enjoyable.

I give Notorious Sorcer four stars. It’s an enjoyable new adventure, exploring alchemy-based magic. I’d recommend this for anyone who’s looking for new magic systems, doesn’t want another Western European-inspired book, and who likes political intrigue.

Notorious Sorcerer

Amazon Summary

Welcome to Bezim, where tribes of sword-slinging bravi race through the night, and where rich and idle alchemists make magic out of mixing the four planes of reality.

Siyon Velo, Dockside brat turned petty alchemist, scrapes a living hopping between the planes to harvest ingredients for the city's alchemists. But when Siyon accidentally commits and act of impossible magic, he's catapulted into the limelight - which is a bad place to be when the planes start lurching out of alignment, threatening to send the city into the sea.

It will take a miracle to save Bezim. Good thing Siyon has pulled off the impossible before. Now he has to master it.

My Review

A unique magic world to enjoy! I did like this book but I felt I could have been better.

The world building let this down slightly but the plot and unique magic system pulled it around, fingers crossed it improves in book 2.

3 star for me.

Siyon Velo yearns to be a 'proper' alchemist, the only form of magic allowed after the sundering that affected the continent, but his errand boy trips to the other planes aren't enough to qualify. But when he accidentally commits an act of impossible magic, he finds himself drawn into the world he has longed to enter. Except right now isn't the best time to be in the limelight , the planes are shifting, threatening to cause another sundering, potentially sending the rest of the city into the sea. Siyon's brand of magic might not be normal, but it could be the only thing to keep the planes in alignment and, if he fails, the powers and armies in the others will do it for them.

I loved this book, but I also spent a large part of it having little to no idea what was actually happening, so you're going to have to bear with me for this review. If you enjoy stories with a wide cast of unique and diverse characters then this is definitely one to add to your TBR's. The story follows multiple POV's, with Siyon being the main. He is someone who escaped from his old life, looking for something better, only to be told he's too poor, too different to become an alchemist. So instead he spends his days hopping between the planes finding items that he can then sell to try and scrape whatever money he can so he can try and buy alchemical lessons. He's feisty and sarcastic, and I adored reading his interactions with our main cast of characters.

As well as Siyon we get POV's from Zagiri and Anahid sisters, though they couldn't be more different. Anahid did her duty and entered society, married a man and now lives a life her parents are proud of, but she longs for something more. Something more than a distant husband, something more than a life in society, so when Zagiri turns up on her doorstep with Siyon, Anahid takes the chance on inviting him into her home and life. Zagiri on the other hand would love nothing more than to spend the rest of her life running with the Little Bracken, one of the gangs in Bezim, but knows that as much as she wants it, that is not her destiny. Our final POV is Izmirlian Hisarani, Siyon's love interest. A high ranking member of society with a deep interest in Alchemy, even if he cannot use it himself. He takes an interest in Siyon when he hears about his feat of magic, wanting to escape the world he currently inhabits and see's Siyon as his way out. Every single one of out side POV's is a little chaotic in their own way, but I loved the scenes where we see them interact with each other as well as Siyon.

These are by far the main characters in the story, but Evans gives us a cast of characters like no other. We meet everyone from socialites, members of the Inquisitors, the police of her world, other alchemists, as well members of the gangs of Bezim and creatures from the other planes. Because we get to meet such a wide breadth of characters, it took me a good long while to get everyone straight in my head. I found the societal ranking system a little confusing in parts and it took me a while to get used to her naming system, but by the end I' had most of our focal characters straight'd managed to work out who was who.

Evans world building is honestly spectacular. We learn the history of the world as we go along in the story, there are no big info dumps and, although I would have maybe liked a slightly between understanding at the start, I did manage to get my head around it pretty quickly. Bezim is part of the 'mundane' plane, and the only place in the world that magic-alchemy- works. But that is just one plane out of four the others being Empyeal, a fiery plane filled with vengeful angels, the Aethyreal plane, an airy plane filled with stars and Djinn and finally the Abyssal , a plane of water filled with harpy's. We only travel to two planes in book one; Empyreal and Abyssal both of which are effortlessly brought to life, as well as the creatures that live there. Thanks to people traversing between the planes, they are lurching our of alignment, something that threatens the mundane plane more than the others, and the rulers of the adjacent planes have threatened that if Siyon and the other alchemists do not work out how to fix it, they will take over the mundane plane and fix it themselves.

I really enjoyed learning about the magic system, especially because Siyon himself is a newbie to the higher workings of alchemy, as well as whatever his new power is, so we get to learn it right alongside him. There's a lot to take it, but I feel it's one of those magic system that you're just not supposed to get, there are so many rules, interchangeable alchemical tools etc, and as well as all this with have Siyon's magic which seems to run more on belief and wishing than any kind of alchemy itself. Evans prose make it easy to get swept into the story, we start at a run and it never truly lets off, which definitely helps you stay in the story even with all the intricate world building, magic and societal groups. But it's when we hit the true danger that the story really takes off and I read the last 50% of this book in one sitting, finding it absolutely impossible to put down. The stakes are big, the outcome if they fail is dire, but thanks to Evans witty writing and humorous characters you never feel too bogged down int the story.

I loved the romance arc through this book, it was funny and sweet and inevitable and I just adored every single second the two characters spend together. But what I loved most was seeing Siyon find a place in the world, as well as his effect on those around him. He may be from the lower side of town, the wrong type of person, but his humour and belief that anything is possible has an affect on those around him, and I loved seeing him build connections with people.

Like I said, you had to bear with me, there's so much of this book to talk about, and a lot of it is hard without giving away spoilers. As much as the beginning was a little hard to get through, the story as a whole is 100% worth it and I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book and find out what all my absolutely chaotic faves are up to.

I am an absolute sucker for a book where magic is policed in some way (so long as I still get to see characters doing some magic) and so when I had a chance to read Davinia Evans' debut 'Notorious Sorcerer' I jumped at the opportunity.
I think this book has a lot going for it, the main character Siyon was fun to read and I love a chaotic 'wizard' character. I also liked that that side characters were interesting, I'm hoping we get even more of them in future books.
This book promised a 'bickering bantering romance' and definitely delivered, I think that was my favourite aspect of the book, or was it the magic system which was gloriously experimental and thrilling? I honestly can't decide.
I have a feeling that this book will be excellent on a reread - as I found that on a first read I couldn't quite figure out the pacing and the structure of the story so I wasn't totally clear on what I ought to be focussed on and it felt quite disconnected at times. I wanted to disappear through the page into this vibrant world but I found I couldn't quite get myself fully engaged with the text, in that way I think you can see the 'debut' of it all. But I felt like there were some incredibly strong ideas in the story and some great writing as well and for that reason I will be keeping this on my shelf to read again in readiness for the sequel. I feel that, like many other wonderful books, this will sit better as part of a whole series than it does alone.
My rating: 3 stars (on first read)
I received a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley - all opinions are my own.

You are thrown into this world from the very beginning with the author ripping you from one world into another. You barely have time to catch your breath before something else takes place and you are left with whiplash wondering, what is going on? What is this place? Where am I?
There is no settling in, you are thrown headfirst, and you have to keep up else you will be dragged down into a place you are not sure which is up and which is down.

While you are still trying to determine what this place is and where you are, the characters are thrown at you from all directions and you are unsure where you or they are going, why they are there in this place, what does it all mean???? What is this Magic system?
But stick with it, yes you will have to settle in and its not an easy ride but after you will come across characters you are routing for, some that you just wish something bad would happen, why are they so many grey cloaks about, and how you can run on slippery wet roof tops in silk dresses.

There was no guessing where this book would end, would the romance happen? (it is there albeit brief and doesn’t take away from the plot) and you end up routing for some characters you wouldn’t want to.
We have it all and the females that proves it’s not just men that can fight in their own way.
Seriously read this, stick with it and by the end you will be waiting with a bated breath for the next book

Notorious Sorcerer is a high octane, epic fantasy filled with sword fights, roof top hijinks, alchemy and a reluctant hero just trying to protect his home (and people) that I couldn’t get enough of!

It’s set in Bezim, where warring tribes fight for control of the streets—a place where magic is technically illegal due to possibility of causing another sundering. But the upper echelons (The Azatani) flaunt their wealth & freely practice the unique magic of alchemy despite its many risks. Alchemists may delve into the four planes of reality fairly frequently but the danger it entails is still pretty high.

As the four planes of reality become unaligned and Bezim’s very foundations are in severe peril, Siyon (an alchemy loving member of the Little Bracken Bravi tribe,who left his fisher-clan family for a better life) just might be the only one who can save them all. Earning a living doing errands (collecting rare ingredients from the four planes, etc) Siyon finds himself in a spot of trouble when he accidentally performs an impossible act of magic—& saving the life of his new assistant, Zagiri. Unfortunately, this spontaneous act of magic coincides with a Planar tilting incident which threatens to destroy Bezim. What the Cory and the realm truly needs now is one more act of impossible magic… before it’s too late.

I did enjoy this one, however the beginning was a little overwhelming (and confusing at first) with so much lore to digest; including the laws of magic, the alchemical planes and the hierarchical structures of Bezim. But thankfully, with such a fast moving pace things quickly started to make sense after a couple of chapters. And the pace really doesn’t let up after that!

The tone is consistently light for most of the shenanigan filled plot and I loved the humour which was imbued in the plot, not to mention all that deliciously witty banter which was second to none.

There’s plenty of elements woven into the intricately woven narrative that read like a love letter to the genre, and fans of popular fantasy series such as Six of Crows or Darker Shades of Magic are bound to adore this eccentric, ragtag group of characters that Davinia Evans has lovingly crafted.

I was absolutely intrigued by the portal fantasy element which isn’t often used (and rarer still, used well) and though we don’t get to spend much time exploring the four planes, the time we do get was utterly thrilling. Angels, Demons, demonic Harpys and one loveable, wannabe alchemist just blundering through deadly magic and even deadlier realms, what more could a fantasy lover want?

The prose was marvellous but it was the characters and their antics that really drew me in; Zagiri, Anahid and Izmirlian were all such endearing characters and, alongside our loveable rogue Siyon really brought Bezim and it’s discriminatory class divide into startling focus. Anahid, Zagiri and Izmirlian were all raised in the same elite circles which allowed them privileges that Siyon, a member of the poorer classes couldn’t even begin to imagine.

As education (particularly alchemical education) is reserved for this upper class (Azatani) these nobles are given soo many opportunities to use (and profit) from the illegal magical practices that Siyon’s class would be executed for. But life as an Azatani isn’t all that great for everyone. As women, both Anahid and Zagiri must adhere to expectations and claustrophobic restrictions that neither relish. For Anahid, that means she’s trapped in a loveless marriage with hardly any freedom of her own, while her husband galavants around with his lover. Likewise, Zagiri likewise isn’t ready to give the little freedom she has for the strict social events her parents want her to attend. But even the privileges they can look forward to dry up when the planar surges begin and the inquisitors start persecuting (and executing) anyone, practicing alchemical magic.

I have to admit though that Siyon, with his determined (and singleminded) goal of becoming an alchemist and his overly rash actions in the persuit of proving himself was probably my favourite character. Yes, he’s a flawed and complex, but he’s also just trying to find his place in the world and I think we all can relate to that.

The LGBTQ+ centric romance between Siyon and Izmirlian Hisarani was really enjoyable, but brief though I’m hoping we get to see more of my fave couple in the sequel.

Overall, an expansive and vividly rich, fantasy that merges important social commentary with a delightfully thrilling magic system, loveable characters and a splash of whimsy that will most definitely have you eagerly anticipating the sequel. If you enjoy epic fantasy or action/ adventure based stories then you must give this a read!

Also, thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for the e-arc.

Thank you, Netgalley and Orbit books for this beautiful acvanced copy...

The fist time, I saw Notorious Sorcerer, I thought I would read this and added this book to my TBR list. The cover itself remind me of Kell Maresh from Shades of Magic. Here are my review points of this book :

> Notorious Sorcerer sure has amazing aspect of the society system. Also has interesting worldbuilding, but Davinia just dropped new magical phrases about the worldbuilding and the magic system here and There without any explanation about what those phrases mean. It took me many chapters to understand how Sundering means...

> The pacing in this book was so freakin' fast, Davinia should give us some moments to breath before jumping into another problem.

> Too many characters... But not really important to the plot. That was not efficient. I keep foregeting some characters' names

> The ending Made me cry

Overall, Notorious Sorcerer is an enjoyable book. Can't wait the second book

This book was just a lot of fun. It‘s fast paced and I don’t think it had a single dull moment. The POV characters were all distinct and likeable. Maybe there could have been more character development for a few of them, but I expect we will get that in the sequels.
This started out really light and I was expecting mostly fun adventure that didn’t get too serious, but it actually went quite emotional towards the end.
The world building and magic system in this were unique and interesting—my biggest criticism of the novel is that it could all have done with a bit more explanation. I wasn’t confused, but a few things could have been clearer. Plus it’s so interesting that I want to know more!

Book 1 has a really strong arc that ties up nicely, but there’s definitely good set up for the sequel too. (This is the reason I stopped reading unfinished series for so long).
Can’t wait for more!!

”All any of us can do is make the best of the cards we are dealt.”
Why? Why can’t we —“ Zagiri waved her free hand wildly. “Draw blade on the dealer, seize the deck. Make the best better. For everyone, not just us.” [loc. 3220]
Siyon Velo comes from the wrong side of town, Dockside, but he's built a successful business retrieving alchemical supplies from the other planes -- the Empyreal, the Abyssal, and the Aethereal -- and selling them to various alchemical practitioners. His clients are mostly azatani, or aristocrats: Siyon is well aware that they have privilege he can't even imagine. But when he commits an impossible act in a crowded square, he finds himself attracting the attention of several well-connected individuals. And maybe, just maybe, he can pull off another impossible feat...

Notorious Sorcerer contains an abundance of my favourite things: opera, alchemy, queer romance, card games, mannerpunk, swordfighting, women chafing at social mores, friendships between men and women. The worldbuilding is intriguing, though lightly drawn: hints of the lands beyond the city of Bezim, which is the only place in the world where the planes can be accessed, and characters from those other lands with their distinct customs and culture. There are a lot of likeable characters here, too: the azatani sisters Anahid and Zagiri Savani, who want very different things from life; Siyon, who’s reinvented himself but is still a product of his experiences; Izmirlian, who’s voyaged extensively but yearns for further horizons; even Anahid’s husband Nihath, stubbornly adhering to the classical methodology of alchemy as laid out centuries before. Alchemy colours every aspect of life in Bezim, from the suits of cards (each with their Power) to the plots of popular operas, from the concordances of emotions to the City itself, divided by the geological consequences of an alchemical endeavour. That it's technically illegal is just one more way in which social class manifests: the alchemists of the Summer Club (to which Siyon yearns to be admitted) can get away with rather more than a street-wise supplier of infernal kelp and phoenix feathers.

This is a novel about alchemy, about balance, about draconian policing and social negotiation: but at heart it’s a story about finding one’s place in the world, and the importance of living in one’s own life. I liked it immensely — perhaps even more on second reading, when I could see how cleverly the plot had been constructed. [Disclaimer: I should confess that I've known the author (mostly online) for lo these many years. Nevertheless, I was fully prepared to nitpick like mad: but I didn't need to, because this is a brilliant, engaging, emotional whirlwind of a novel, which made me laugh out loud and also reduced me to tears.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance review copy, in exchange for this honest review. UK publication date is 13 September 2022.

Great characters, an immersive world and a lot of intrigue. Notorious Sorcerer has a lot of things going for it.

The story follows 4 characters as they are each trying to figure out their place in the world. Siyon Velo, a man from the streets, is trying to learn more alchemy, a heavily regulated practice in the city of Bezim. Izmirlian Hisarani is trying to disappear beyond the planes and hopes that Siyon can help him accomplish this. Anahid recently got married to an upper-class alchemist and is navigating society to the best of her abilities. Zagiri, Anahid’s sister has no interest in being part of this high society and prefers to be part of the bravi tribes in the lower city. When Siyon accomplishes an impossible feat of magic, he gets involved with the alchemist and the elite Azatani who are trying to stabilize the planes, but also ends up being pursued by the inquisitors who only want to see him jailed, exiled or even poisoned to rid the city of alchemy.

All the ingredients are there to create an impactful story full of magic, mayhem and self-discovery, but getting into the story takes a lot of perseverance.

The writing style takes some getting used to and it takes a while to get a grasp of how the alchemical art and the different planes work. It starts out with an interesting scene in a different plane and immediately throws a couple of interesting concepts around. But since this alchemy/magic often isn’t explored/explained enough, it stays very conceptual and never becomes fully tangible. Sure, it will keep your brain busy in trying to figure things out, but you never get that satisfaction of puzzle pieces falling into place until way too late in the story. Things do become more clear during the second half of the book, but the first half could have benefited form a lot more exposition to make it all more readable and digestible.
Nevertheless, the scientific approach to magic where things don’t just work out of nowhere and there is a lot of knowledge, work an trial and error required before you actually get something to work, is portrayed magnificently. That is something that is harder to come by in fantasy.
There are quite a few things that seem a bit too convenient. How opposing sides are suddenly being brought together to be the good guys, seemingly without any negotiations being necessary (or at least nothing that is shown on the page). How in a couple of days, really advanced workings can be accomplished without proper training. It all feels very fast-paced and a few more pages here and there would have made the whole story feel more real.

These characters are a joy to follow around. Each of them brings their own distinct voice and it results in some great dynamics between them. It would have been great to spend even more time with Zagiri and Anahid to really get to know them to the fullest. That being said, this story wraps things up really nicely while leaving a few threads here and there that will make for a thrilling sequel.

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with a review copy via NetGalley.

Notorious Sorcerer promised to be “a wickedly entertaining fantasy”, and boy…. did it deliver!!
I was expecting a fun and engaging adventure (which I got), but this book also gave me SO much more. Alchemical magic, sword fighting streetgangs, visits to different planes of existence, alluring city setting, rebellious women, snarky banter, slow-burn queer romance and a whole heck of a lot of trouble and fun.

This story mainly follows Siyon Velo, a young and brazen man from the lower-class bravi. He wants nothing more than to become a respected Alchemist himself, but since he isn’t part of the upper-class Azantani, that dream isn’t likely to come true.
Still, that doesn’t stop him from fumbling his way through his own alchemical experiments. However, when he accidentally performs an impossible feat of alchemy in public, he finds himself at the centre of a conflict where the existence of magic, the city of Bezim and entire planes of existence are at stake… oh, and did I mention that he is absolutely, completely, 100% out of his depth.

Now, I have to admit that I had to start this book over twice, because the author drops you straight into the enticing world that she has created and the unfamiliar terms and concepts are not explained straight away. However, if you trust the author, you will see that things quickly start falling into place and I can assure you that it will be one hell of an enjoyable ride from there!
This story is set in the city of Bezim, the only place in this world where alchemical magic is possible. The descriptions of this setting were so vivid and lush that I truly felt like I was transported into this alluring and captivating world myself. That said, I do wish the world/city was fleshed out just a little more. I feel like we barely scratched the surface here and I would’ve really liked some more history/lore, because that would make the world feel even more real and lived-in.

Luckily, I didn’t mind that too much, because the characters absolutely stole the show for me. Siyon is just a delight to follow; he is snarky, brazen and mostly acts before thinking his actions through, resulting in some unfortunate, but hysterical situations.
He is not the only character we follow though, because there are some great additional POV characters who provided some interesting new perspectives into this world. By following characters from both the lower and upper class, we get to see that life in this world is pretty rough, no matter what class you are from or how wealthy you are.
When we were first introduced to our characters, I was a bit worried that they would feel more like representatives of their respective communities, but luckily there was some great character development throughout the story and I came to really care for them! Each character had a very distinct personality and I loved that they all had their own internal and external struggles to overcome.
Also, the level of snarky, sassy and flirty banter in this book was just so entertaining, I loved the dynamics between these characters.
Oh and there is a deliciously slow-burn m/m romance that I was completely sold on. It was an important part of the plot, but it never took over the story and it was just executed perfectly for me.

Now, the plot was definitely fun and engaging, but I don’t think it was the strongest aspect of the book. There were some convenient moments where I actively had to suspend my disbelief to go along with the story, but in the end I was just having such a fun time with these characters that I personally didn’t even care anymore.
Also, the writing had me completely spellbound. The descriptions were vivid and lush, which evoked a sensuous and beautiful atmosphere. But that was juxtaposed with light-hearted, snarky, flirtatious and entertaining dialogue and banter, which made it SO easy to fly through this book.

So yeah, all in all, I think this was a very promising and intriguing start to this new series and I am eager to return to this world in the future. This first book definitely wrapped up in a satisfying way, but there are some threads left open that I am dying to see pursued in future instalments.
Also, I could read thousands of pages following these characters’ shenanigans, so I look forward to seeing what they are up to next.
Needless to say I had a blast with this book and I highly recommend keeping this one on your radar, because I promise you won’t want to miss out on this wild ride.

Well this one took me entirely by surprise! I don't know the author, I've never heard of this book, but the description sounded fun and the title really spoke to me, so here I am. And I don't regret a thing. This is why I love reading debuts.
"Notorious Sorcerer" tells the story of street urchin and amateur practicioner of alchemy Siyon, mostly hoping the different planes of existence to gather material to sell to actual alchemists. When he accidentally shows real magical potential while very publicly saving a friend's life, he draws the attention of not just known alchemists, but also their enemies.
"Nototious Sorcerer" is play unadultered fun - charming, funny, sweet, exciting, full of loveable characters. Siyon is a rather typical unlikely hero, but he's so charming it doesn't even matter. Most of the chapters are written from his perspective, although there are a bunch of other pov characters - the sisters Zagiri and Anahid being my favourites and I hope they will be focused on even more in the sequel. The only character I didn't quite warm up to is Izmirlian, a noble on his very own adventure and love interest of our protagonist. I very much loved their romance, but the character itself was never allowed to truly reveal his depths. The villains were also a little too on the nose and onedimensional. though I enjoyed certain reveals happening later on.

The plot is exciting and the pacing admittedly very fast. There are rarely any quiet scenes to take a breath and reflect on events happening, which does take away some potential for more character interactions and development. It also made it very difficult for me to put this book down, which is not a bad thing unless I have to get up early in the morning. The ending also hit me right in the feels, which I wasn't expecting. I also enjoyed the focus on classicm and structural class differences, so next to all the fluff and fun there's always an underlying seriousness, giving the whole book more weight. Now, the politics involved are not very complex but this is not political fantasy as such, so it didn't dampen my enjoyment at all.

The potential for a sequel is there, but I really think this works well as a standalone too. So I can easily recommend this to readers who don't necessarily want to start a new series as well. All in all: great debut, awesome story, loveable characters, go read this!

Thank you Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the arc of Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Brown in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but Gad prepared myself for the usual tropes and I was totally wrong. This book is brilliant, from the world building, to the magic system, to the characters and plot…not one part of this book was a disappointment.

Siyoh, the main protagonist in the story is from the wrong side of the tracks, and makes a living as a fetcher, scavenging items from different dimensions that he sells to alchemists in Bezim. His dream is to become an alchemist, but the path is long and narrow, and heavily policed, and of course demands wealth, and position. Neither of which he has.

Bezim is in trouble, the magical dimensions are unbalanced, and previous attempts to banance the (the planes, as they are known,) have failed with devastating repercussions. Plus, the heir to the city’s Prefect has disappeared, and Siyoh finds himself at the centre of this after he unexpectedly displays magical powers and is thrown into the sight lines of the inquisitors (magical police known as inqs.)

Add in a wonderfully crafted romance, which is handled with a perfect touch, the supportive character arcs, none of which are left with holes or the other irritations that annoy and of course the street gangs and all their games!

As I’ve said the world building for this book is immense, Brown delivers the multi-layered city of Bezim, with all its political and socio-economic layers, plus other planes/dimensions, which all align with the complex, but logical magical system.

This book is a fantastic read, and personally zi WANT book 2 now. I need to find out what happens next for Siyoh, where the other character arcs lead them and of course I want a pet just like Siyoh’s!

I regularly come across books that sound absolutely awesome, as if they're written specifically for me, and then there's a massive let-down when they don't live up to the hype. I'm very pleased to say that Notorious Sorcerer manages to stick the landing completely and I can't wait to see where the author goes with this.

Our protagonist, Siyon, makes a living fetching things from alternate dimensions for the alchemists of his city to use - his long-term ambition is to become an established alchemist himself but he comes from the wrong part of the city to get there easily and what he really needs is money for lessons. The border between alchemy and sorcery is also heavily policed, so money will also help him not get arrested for doing the things the rich and powerful can do with no repercussions.

There are problems with the dimensions though, not to mention that Siyon has been implicated in the disappearance of one rich family's heir and approached by another to try and perform the alchemy which will let him travel through the dimensions too. When Siyon's magic turns out to be unexpectedly powerful, suddenly he's in the spotlight and taking on more and more risk - he finds being the centre of attention much less pleasant than he expected.

All in all, the author does some lovely work in terms of world-building, a logical magic system and character work - all this and a very subtly-done romance sub-plot too, which was delightful to see. I can't wait to see how things develop in the rest of these series and have also pre-ordered the paperback, which I don't always bother doing if I've had my hands on an ARC of the ebook, but I can definitely see myself revisiting the city of Bezim in the future.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.