The Mage Heir

The Mage Heir boasts a story veined with magic and alight with adventure. The world-building is intricate without seeming overwrought — the author strikes a fine balance, gentles the reader from chapter to chapter, location to location. Frequently, fantasy novels bury their readers under an avalanche of input, names and customs and histories, so much of it difficult to track, often impossible to retain; much of it never truly relevant. In contrast, The Mage Heir presents a world that is lush and teeming, startling and vivid, and yet never suffocating, burdensome. The characters we meet are fleshy constructs, dynamic and breathing, seamed with a mind of their own. Some are loveable, sympathetic, so easy to cheer for, and others tragic, doomed, revolting. Frankly, I’d be hard-pressed to name a single character that did not spark some sort of emotion in me. The prose itself was a delight, silky and adept at igniting all the senses. Truly, 5 stars don’t do this book justice.

This book was received as an ARC from NineStar Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

At first I did not know what to expect with this book since it had to do with somewhat of the LGBTQ genre but the fantasy and adventure incorporated with this was very breathtaking to read and shockingly brilliant. I could not put this book down because every page was a new adventure, new problem, new battle. That was just the pace for Tastu as he is on his quest to escape from exile and retreat to the mountains.  There he meets Yudai and becomes entrusted with his dark magic and even when all is at stake Tastu has no choice but to have faith and more in Yudai. With all at stake, Tastu has a choice in saving the kingdom or being darkened from the past which includes the hardest thing he has ever done and in betrayal.  All the drama, conflict and adventure was so addcitivly fascinating that I know our book club will go crazy for this.

We will consider adding this title to our Sci-Fi/Fantasy collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.