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Nature Mage #1
Nature Mage
Gaspi is an ordinary boy, living in the mountain village of Aemon's Reach, but life, for Gaspi, is forever changed the day magic erupts in him. He discovers he has a powerful gift - he is a Nature Mage, able to control natural forces and creatures and bend them to his will. It is a rare gift, and no-one has been born with it in centuries, but Gaspi's powers also have a dark side, and without training they will kill him. He is forced to leave his home and travel to the distant city of Helioport, where the Archmages of the College of Collective Magicks will teach him how to use his powers. Accompanied by his guardian and his best friends, Gaspi sets off on the long journey to Helioport. The journey is fraught with danger, and Gaspi and his friends discover that there are demonic creatures abroad, intent on finding and killing anyone with magical ability. As Gaspi begins his magical studies, a shadow hangs over him and over the city of magicians. Gaspi's story of a demonic attack is not an isolated incident. As these stories increase, Hephistole, the Chancellor of the college, is growing increasingly certain that someone or something is directing the demonic forces, but who, and to what end? As things unfold, Gaspi finds himself in the middle of dark and terrible times, and can only hope that his powerful gift will develop in time to make a difference when the time comes.
303 pages, Paperback
First published September 7, 2011
46 people are currently reading
598 people want to read
About the author
Duncan Pile
10 books24 followersDuncan Pile was born in 1975 in Cheltenham, and spent most of his childhood in Manchester, where he attended the Manchester Grammar School for boys. His early creative interests were in classical music, a passion he pursued at degree level at the University of Nottingham (1993-1996). After graduating, Duncan moved to Hong Kong and spent the next two years travelling around SE Asia, Australia, The Arabian Gulf and Africa, engaged in humanitarian work.
Duncan returned from his travels with his health depleted by malaria and the onset of Crohn's disease; a condition he suffered with in his mid-twenties until he underwent a major operation, which greatly improved his situation. Since then he has studied in the U.S.A for a year and trained as a Life Coach, something he practices to this day with private clients.
Duncan has always had a love of writing, and in recent years this has taken over from music as the main focus of his creative gifts. He writes in the Orange Tree pub in Nottingham most weekends, and during what remains of his spare time. Since childhood Duncan has had a passion for fantasy fiction, and so it's only right that his first series is in that genre. Nature Mage was awarded Debut of the Month by Lovereading4kids in February 2012, and since that time, Duncan has been visiting schools, talking with young people about his books and about creative writing in general. The very successful Nature's Servant was released in January 2013, Nature's Peril was completed in 2014 and Nature's Master in 2016.
He welcomes all readers to get in touch through the Nature Mage Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Nature-Mage-...
Duncan returned from his travels with his health depleted by malaria and the onset of Crohn's disease; a condition he suffered with in his mid-twenties until he underwent a major operation, which greatly improved his situation. Since then he has studied in the U.S.A for a year and trained as a Life Coach, something he practices to this day with private clients.
Duncan has always had a love of writing, and in recent years this has taken over from music as the main focus of his creative gifts. He writes in the Orange Tree pub in Nottingham most weekends, and during what remains of his spare time. Since childhood Duncan has had a passion for fantasy fiction, and so it's only right that his first series is in that genre. Nature Mage was awarded Debut of the Month by Lovereading4kids in February 2012, and since that time, Duncan has been visiting schools, talking with young people about his books and about creative writing in general. The very successful Nature's Servant was released in January 2013, Nature's Peril was completed in 2014 and Nature's Master in 2016.
He welcomes all readers to get in touch through the Nature Mage Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Nature-Mage-...
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 23, 2013
I stopped reading around the time everyone arrived at the magic accademy.
The plot feels too forced...everything goes always the right way and it is completely predictable.
I will list some of the bad things (some spoilers):
1) The dialogues are too cartoonish....nobody talks like that.
2) The bad kid at the beginning is just so clichè...he doesn't even have a good reason to bully Gaspi...it is too obvious that he was put there only to make Gaspi tip off.
3) The friends are also super clichè: a guy and a girl (Harry Potter?) and obviously they are also the ones that the lady has forseen that must go with the protagonist (so much luck that every person you care about would leave with you, eh Gaspi?!).
4) The episode with Jonn and the brigands is too idiotic. Why were the brigands there? It is stated that no one goes up and down the mountain in that part of the year so there would be no travellers to rob. Then there are 3 of the villains against a lone man who also has to protect the kids...they have swords and he has only a staff but he easily defeats them. Jonn says that when he was young he had spent a year in the army and that was all the explanation we get.
You don't get that good just spending a year in the army (I have reason to believe that he hasn't practised for at least the last fifteen years) and usually brigands are ex-soldiers themselves, so no advantage there.
5) The love interest is usually the part of the plot that i dislike the most in YA fantasy. Normally the main guy leaves home, goes somewhere and the first girl he has some sort of interaction with ends up being the love of his life...i hate that. This book managed to do even worse: we don't even get to see how they meet or how their relationship develops...right from the beginning the main guy likes the girl friend (obviously the only girl he had interactions with) and she reciprocate (no subtle development at all). Also i can't stand that Gaspi everytime he sees Emea and gets his "stomach tightening", and he doesn't understand what it is....i mean you are 14-15 yo and you don't recognize when you like a girl? Late bloomer?
6) They have met the gipsy girl for like 30 seconds and from that point on they talk about her as if she was a childhood friend and they are inseparable. Just because it is fantasy it doesn't mean you can overlook how human relationships works.
There are other small things that annoyed me, but i think i've written enough considering that i've read not even a quarter of the book.
If you guys are looking for a YA fantasy i advice you to skip this one and try this one instead: The Rithmatist
The plot feels too forced...everything goes always the right way and it is completely predictable.
I will list some of the bad things (some spoilers):
1) The dialogues are too cartoonish....nobody talks like that.
2) The bad kid at the beginning is just so clichè...he doesn't even have a good reason to bully Gaspi...it is too obvious that he was put there only to make Gaspi tip off.
3) The friends are also super clichè: a guy and a girl (Harry Potter?) and obviously they are also the ones that the lady has forseen that must go with the protagonist (so much luck that every person you care about would leave with you, eh Gaspi?!).
4) The episode with Jonn and the brigands is too idiotic. Why were the brigands there? It is stated that no one goes up and down the mountain in that part of the year so there would be no travellers to rob. Then there are 3 of the villains against a lone man who also has to protect the kids...they have swords and he has only a staff but he easily defeats them. Jonn says that when he was young he had spent a year in the army and that was all the explanation we get.
You don't get that good just spending a year in the army (I have reason to believe that he hasn't practised for at least the last fifteen years) and usually brigands are ex-soldiers themselves, so no advantage there.
5) The love interest is usually the part of the plot that i dislike the most in YA fantasy. Normally the main guy leaves home, goes somewhere and the first girl he has some sort of interaction with ends up being the love of his life...i hate that. This book managed to do even worse: we don't even get to see how they meet or how their relationship develops...right from the beginning the main guy likes the girl friend (obviously the only girl he had interactions with) and she reciprocate (no subtle development at all). Also i can't stand that Gaspi everytime he sees Emea and gets his "stomach tightening", and he doesn't understand what it is....i mean you are 14-15 yo and you don't recognize when you like a girl? Late bloomer?
6) They have met the gipsy girl for like 30 seconds and from that point on they talk about her as if she was a childhood friend and they are inseparable. Just because it is fantasy it doesn't mean you can overlook how human relationships works.
There are other small things that annoyed me, but i think i've written enough considering that i've read not even a quarter of the book.
If you guys are looking for a YA fantasy i advice you to skip this one and try this one instead: The Rithmatist
May 27, 2014
A very very good teen fantasy thriller with plenty of coming of age parts. This is the kind of book you take under the covers and keep reading into the wee hours of the morning. I am not going into detail about the adventure awaiting you. Just get a copy already!
April 12, 2017
Magic exists in the fertile mind of Dincan Pile
This book is alive with the magic of the authors imagination. The characters are so believable and the plot carries you away like the best adventure story that it is.
I look forward to the remaining tales in this epic.
This book is alive with the magic of the authors imagination. The characters are so believable and the plot carries you away like the best adventure story that it is.
I look forward to the remaining tales in this epic.
October 12, 2013
As soon as you open the pages of this wonderful book you know you are in for a treat. A magical adventure from start to finish which can leave you either gasping with excitement or literally diving behind a cushion in fright.
I love the interaction with the characters, which are so well rounded that they almost jump from the pages themselves and shake you by the hand.
A great descriptive plot with loads of twists and turns and superb detail.
All I can say is; can’t wait to read book two!
Well done Duncan, a great book!
I love the interaction with the characters, which are so well rounded that they almost jump from the pages themselves and shake you by the hand.
A great descriptive plot with loads of twists and turns and superb detail.
All I can say is; can’t wait to read book two!
Well done Duncan, a great book!
January 14, 2018
I can not believe that I have not reviewed this book before. I have reread it multiple times. The author has a good habit in all his books to make it seem like you have not left the world this the previous book. In the first book I was drawn in quickly. I got the first sample chapter from Amazon and I quickly bought the book after reading it. I was impressed with how just that little bit got me to buy the book and read it. I hope other people will read this review and give this book a shot. He is currently on his third book.
November 26, 2017
I usually don't comment on books but this one of one of the worst heroic fantasy i read or to say only read till ch-4 because after that story plot could not keep from my attention wandering,The book
starting was way too melodramatic for me.The author could have used better plot to bring friends together instead of using a dream. Gaspi too got himself girlfriend a loyal friend a gaurdian without much struggle.it was as if everything was plattered, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is fan of books like name of the wind ,the broken prism,7 releams etc.
starting was way too melodramatic for me.The author could have used better plot to bring friends together instead of using a dream. Gaspi too got himself girlfriend a loyal friend a gaurdian without much struggle.it was as if everything was plattered, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is fan of books like name of the wind ,the broken prism,7 releams etc.
September 30, 2012
Fantasy, with main character about 14yo at the start. Probably a YA book; the hero is just a bit too powerful (and lucky?), and there are a few places where I found it quite difficult to suspend my disbelief. Definitely readable however, I'll be looking for the sequel.
March 27, 2017
Nature Mage
This was a fun, sometimes role your eyes story. It is written for younger teens; although, being a bit older than that I still enjoyed the light, quick read. I think I will continue reading the next in the trilogy. I think of it as brain candy ;-).
This was a fun, sometimes role your eyes story. It is written for younger teens; although, being a bit older than that I still enjoyed the light, quick read. I think I will continue reading the next in the trilogy. I think of it as brain candy ;-).
July 17, 2013
A good story, but in need of an editor to improve it.
July 28, 2017
I nearly abandoned it before he got to magic school.
The magic school saved it from getting one star. I liked the magic.
I did appreciate the competent rational magic school staff.
But, too many parts ended up being really simplistic: simplistic romance, simplistic easily solved problems, etc.
The magic school saved it from getting one star. I liked the magic.
I did appreciate the competent rational magic school staff.
But, too many parts ended up being really simplistic: simplistic romance, simplistic easily solved problems, etc.
May 5, 2019
little too slow and ungripping
April 12, 2012
Nature Mage is the first book of a trilogy, Duncan Pile has recently finished (I believe) writing the second book in the trilogy. It is about a boy who lives in an isolated village who one day discovers that he has magick.
Most of the books I read have a female protagonist, so it is always a nice change when I pick up a book which has a male one. Gaspi is an interesting main character. He seems a pretty normal, likeable guy. The only thing that makes him stand out is the fact that he has magick. And not just any magick at that. He’s a Nature Mage. Still, things aren’t always easy for him. I liked the fact that although Gaspi is powerful, there are still constraints on his power.
The story was an easy read, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. It took me three days to read this book, and that was mostly because of Easter. I ended up picking up and putting down the book a lot, but at no point did I feel lost in the story. I always fell right back in to Gaspi’s world. I really enjoyed reading this, and looked forward to getting back to reading it.
The plot of the book is fairly predictable for those who have read several books in the sword and sorcery genre of fantasy. In spite of this I still found myself turning the pages desperate to know what happened next. I really liked the characters: Jonn was an interesting guardian and Taurnil and Emea were brilliant best friends. I particularly liked the way Pile wrote Gaspi and Taurnil’s friendship.
If you like swords and sorcery then this is definitely a book you should try.
Most of the books I read have a female protagonist, so it is always a nice change when I pick up a book which has a male one. Gaspi is an interesting main character. He seems a pretty normal, likeable guy. The only thing that makes him stand out is the fact that he has magick. And not just any magick at that. He’s a Nature Mage. Still, things aren’t always easy for him. I liked the fact that although Gaspi is powerful, there are still constraints on his power.
The story was an easy read, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. It took me three days to read this book, and that was mostly because of Easter. I ended up picking up and putting down the book a lot, but at no point did I feel lost in the story. I always fell right back in to Gaspi’s world. I really enjoyed reading this, and looked forward to getting back to reading it.
The plot of the book is fairly predictable for those who have read several books in the sword and sorcery genre of fantasy. In spite of this I still found myself turning the pages desperate to know what happened next. I really liked the characters: Jonn was an interesting guardian and Taurnil and Emea were brilliant best friends. I particularly liked the way Pile wrote Gaspi and Taurnil’s friendship.
If you like swords and sorcery then this is definitely a book you should try.
March 5, 2016
Harry Potter in a medieval fantasy setting is I guess a good summary of this novel.
The writing was decent but marred by a few but recurring typos/mistakes.
The plot was cliché, and the characters very black and white. Don't expect to feel empathy for the villains. From their physical descriptions and attitude you'll know at first glance who's evil. But then it's YA so I guess it's rather standard fare and expected in this genre.
I hoped the protagonist would be more of a druid type character with nature-based abilities from the title and summary. The first few chapters seem to confirm this but later on in the school, we learn it's more an inclination. I thought having the main character limited to druid-like abilities would have been much more original. Instead it's just yet another wizard apprentice story.
It was also a shame the author had to resort to the bullied protagonist trope. It felt overdone and honestly very boring.
Still the discovery of magic was interesting. And the setting has potential.
My rating : 2. An OK read, with some potential. I might read the sequel where the story takes place outside the magic school which sounds much more interesting.
The writing was decent but marred by a few but recurring typos/mistakes.
The plot was cliché, and the characters very black and white. Don't expect to feel empathy for the villains. From their physical descriptions and attitude you'll know at first glance who's evil. But then it's YA so I guess it's rather standard fare and expected in this genre.
I hoped the protagonist would be more of a druid type character with nature-based abilities from the title and summary. The first few chapters seem to confirm this but later on in the school, we learn it's more an inclination. I thought having the main character limited to druid-like abilities would have been much more original. Instead it's just yet another wizard apprentice story.
It was also a shame the author had to resort to the bullied protagonist trope. It felt overdone and honestly very boring.
Still the discovery of magic was interesting. And the setting has potential.
My rating : 2. An OK read, with some potential. I might read the sequel where the story takes place outside the magic school which sounds much more interesting.
July 14, 2012
Nature Mage was actually much better than I expected it it to be. The characters were well developed and I found it a great alternative to the Harry Potter franchise. I did want the main character, Gaspi, to struggle more with his new magical powers as it all seemed to come a little to easy. But that is me just being very picky.
All in all a good read, one I found very hard to put down for the last 100 pages!
All in all a good read, one I found very hard to put down for the last 100 pages!
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May 6, 2014Awesome book
I have read all of his books. I even sometimes annoy him asking when is the next book coming out. I have also read this one several times. it is just a really good book. okay I am off to read the second one again. I can not wait till the next one comes out.
I have read all of his books. I even sometimes annoy him asking when is the next book coming out. I have also read this one several times. it is just a really good book. okay I am off to read the second one again. I can not wait till the next one comes out.
December 20, 2014
really enjoyed it
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews