Advocate

The Warden #3

by Daniel M. Ford

Aelis de Lenti is back on her home turf, but it's not quite as welcoming as she remembered....

Recalled from Lone Pine to investigate claims of murder by magic against her mentor--legendary Warden Bardun Jacques--Aelis takes to the streets of the grand city of Lascenise, and plumbs the deepest secrets of the Lyceum to clear his name. Certain of her success, she doesn't count on thieves, subterranean labyrinths, or the assassins that dog her steps from the moment she leaves her tower.

Behind all of it lurks a ring of unknown wizards who can seemingly reach anyone with their magic. Without knowing who she can trust, Aelis must gather what allies she can to unravel the web of intrigue, murder, smuggling, and theft originating in the halls of magic power. With an old friend from her college days, a war-haunted gnome thief-catcher, and the advice of her imprisoned advisor, Aelis races to save lives and expose a conspiracy that seeks to change the face of the world.

Genres: Fantasy, Queer, LGBT, Mystery, Magic, Adventure, Fiction

358 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 22, 2025

About the author

Daniel M. Ford was born and raised near Baltimore, Maryland. He holds a B.A. in English from Villanova University, an M.A. in Irish Literature from Boston College and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, concentrating in Poetry, from George Mason University. As a poet, his work has appeared most recently in Soundings Review, as well as Phoebe, Floorboard Review, The Cossack, and Vending Machine Press. He teaches English at a college prep high school in North East, Maryland.

Reviews

[C.L. Clark]

And again. I really love the casts Ford cooks up and Aelis is surprisingly fun to follow into (lots of) trouble.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved seeing this part of the world that was so important to her foundations, and it was so good to read!

[Elena Hect · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tense mystery plot, surprising twists, and our favorite stubborn bullheaded Warden proceeding to throw herself facefirst into the largest problem she sees? Before this book, I'd have categorized the Warden books as comfortable queer fantasy for me - no show-stopping turns of phrase or brilliantly subtle plotting, but easy to read and get into, good subject matter, and well-written characters - but Advocate's characterization shines through as a true strength. Every new character introduced has depth and heart, and the consequences, successes, and failures of Aelis' stubborn conviction on other people are approached in a heartfelt way many other books would shy away from.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m really loving this series. It’s a fast paced set of books and light reading. No great underlying message, just the mess Aelis finds herself in. It was fun when she was a fish out of water in the countryside in the first book. It’s just as much fun watching her as the noblewoman who has a stipend from family to pull heavily on throw her clout around once she’s home to the city life that’s natural to her. I have great hopes this series will continue a good long while. It’s just fun!

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me for 2.9 books: Aelis is great, but I feel like I really GET her, I wonder why?

Aelis: “The absolute unprofessionalism of my enemies is the most insulting part of it all.”

[tillie hellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg goodreads finally let me star and review this book. it had been freezing me out of it for literally a month…
anyways:
loved this book!!!! it’s definitely my favorite of the three and i’m SO PUMPED FOR THE NEXT ONE (which i’m assuming is going to be called magister, if the naming conventions hold up). i think aelis and the plot and the world rlly came together in this one. not that i don’t like lone pine, but like aelis it was rlly fun being in a city. and the mystery/lawyery stuff was great!!!! also looooved all of the new characters, like literally everyone one of them. one of them i wish had more screen time before being REDACTED but whatever (i just love a bitchy pretty boy… and he’s on the cover sigh). the whole thing was great but them fighting in fancy clothes hit every mark for me. and just the expansion of the conflict is awesome. again, cannot wait for the next one and rlly enjoying seeing this series get better with every book!!!!

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dicker als die beiden Vorgängerbücher in der Serie, und es ist auch mehr los. Aelis wird in die Stadt gerufen, einen alten Mentor zu verteidigen, und merkt bald, dass sie gegen starke Gegner kämpfen muss. Gleichzeitig muss sie auch ihrer Freundin helfen. Dabei helfen ihr alte und neue Freund:innen. Sehr flüssig zu lesen, die Story ist diesmal auch abgeschlossen, lässt aber genug Platz für Fortsetzungen.

[M.Marie.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great old school sword and sorcery vibes. This felt like reading the OG Dragonlance or Belgariad books but queerer. With an added bonus of competence porn- basically watching someone with skill, dedication, moral compass, and power assemble a team to kick ass and take names. What's not to love? Looking forward to the fourth installment.

[Amela · Rating 5 out of 5]

The narrative is solid, there aren’t any missed plot points that you’re like why was the point of that? I like that we get more of a look into Aelis’s world

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this series doesn't get to continue, it'd be a damn shame. Getting to explore the city and Lyceum and learning more about Aelis' background added so much depth and interest to an already fantastic character. I love that she is a competent, intelligent person who makes mistakes, but has laser focus to fix them, to a fault. She's got a lot on her plate in this book, and while it did drag a little bit in the middle during the Errand Running and Investigation portion of the story, the characters and their interactions and the world-building kept me engaged.

The ending totally threw me for a loop but I really would've seen it coming, all things considered. But sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees.

I know there's more to Aelis' story and I truly hope Ford is able to keep going worth this series.

[Luther Siler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Find my full review here:
https://infinitefreetime.com/2025/04/...

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rarely have I found a series that gets better with each book. This series most certainly is one. this is definitely in my top three favorite series.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been with this series since the first book and I can honestly say that I’ve enjoyed all three of them. Daniel Ford definitely has a winner with this trilogy.
In this book, Aelis needs to leave her quaint little town to go back to the big city. Back to the university to help a former teacher accused of murder.
After seeing Aelis in her little town, it was an interesting change to see her in civilization. Back to where she began.
One thing Ford does well is creating a setting that feels real and lived in. His world building is top notch.
Another good thing that can be said is his characters. They are all a bunch of well rounded and eclectic characters that you live to see come onto the page.
There are only two downsides to this book.
The first is, about halfway through the book, it slowed a bit. He finished strong, though.
The second is, that at the moment, this is the last book in this series.
I would really love for there to be more.

[Cressa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to see Aelis in her "natural" environment. To see the type of life that she lived, and it made so much sense now why she had such a hard time adjusting to Lone Pine. The story has definitely left room for the series to grow, and I hope we met some of the characters again. I really enjoyed reading about Bardun Jaques and would love to see more of his backstory at some point.

ARC from Netgalley

[Mo Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Called back to the city of her university days to assist a dear professor and mentor on trial for murder, Aelis finds herself in the middle of a grand conspiracy that has been dogging her since her assignment to Lone Pine that may involve familiar faces. All the while, Maurenia is still stuck in the forest glen, trapped by whatever magic had bound its previous occupant. Between investigating her mentor's case, uncovering a shadowy group of powerful wizards, and attending to her duties as a Count's daughter. Aelis searches for answers to Maurenia's entrapment.

I was so so excited to receive an ARC of this book, as I have rabidly followed Aelis' story since I first got my hands on the Warden. I was really excited to explore more of the world Daniel M. Ford has built and see the Lyceum and the surrounding city that Aelis has so much reflected upon in the last couple of books, even if I was sad to be leaving behind Lone Pine and its cast of loveable characters.

Unfortunately, as was my experience with Necrobane, this book captured me in the very beginning and then slowed waaayyy down until about the last 25% of the book, where I was then fighting for my life to turn pages fast enough to see what was happening. It was a slog to get through in the middle, as we followed Aelis around her various missions in her investigation. At times it felt repetitious as Aelis repeatedly went to the clothier, or asked her friends for help. It wasn't the worst possible form of repetition and slowness, but it did mean it took me FOREVER to get through a book I could've flown through.

However, Ford's strength does really seem to be in creating very enjoyable characters while also not making them the shiniest, most perfect people. Aelis continues her pattern of being so incredibly aggravating while also being deeply understandable. Her laser focus on her task at the expense of everything around her had me screaming and wanting to reach into the pages to shake her, but her unwavering devotion not only to her mentor, but to her principals is what makes me continue to love her. Mihil was a great addition, filling in a Tun/Dobrusz Brothers shaped hole and it was so fun to meet Aelis' college friend Miralla.

The ending had me gasping and screaming, as Ford through some curveballs into the mix and now I'm interested to see where Aelis' story goes next.

[Paul Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable sword and sorcery shenanigans, new interesting characters introduced, a plot that rattles along and never lets up and a main character you always root for. Even when her inner monologue gets a wee bit squishy, her inner arsehole usually -thankfully-prevails, and the villains get the arsekicking they richly deserve. Extra kudos for some primitive proto social awareness poking through the medieval hierarchical horseshite.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice change in pace with this pseudo-police procedural plot. Still enjoying the heck out of how competent and action oriented Aelis is.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Advocate follows Aelis out of Lone Pine and into the city of her wild College years, but she's no longer a student with something to prove. Now she's a Warden who has to prove that her most esteemed teacher should not be executed for murder. With her typical bull-in-a-teashop approach, Aelis is soon tangled in a shadowy conspiracy and murder plots galore. A new cast of characters joins her in the mayhem, though some old faces also pop up.

Plot-wise, this book feels like a fantasy action crime thriller, with Aelis' investigation punctuated by assassination attempts and a lot of shouting at suspects who are either incompetent, malicious, or both. It's fast-paced, and Aelis is actively pushing the plot forward one checklist item at a time.

Regarding the characters, it's cool to see Archmagister Bardun Jacques, since Aelis has referenced him frequently throughout the past two books. It's also cool to see some of Aelis' family show up. Throughout these three books, Aelis uses her family's wealth to her advantage even as she adamantly seeks to prove that her abilities and career are hers alone. I like how different characters call this out, and I think Aelis is finally starting to understand that. I also enjoy how committed Aelis is to her duty. She is intense and often abrasive, but she genuinely wants to live up to the Warden ideal - to serve and protect. It's been fun getting to see her grow into this over three books now. Hopefully she eventually learns how to be more considerate of her friends, but that's likely a long ways away.

I hope there will be more books in this series, and I hope we get to spend more time in Lone Pine before Aelis' next posting. Overall, this book was a good entry to the series!

[Leif · Rating 5 out of 5]

A long trainride through the cold and snow was the perfect situation for me to read this third novel of Ford's series. And, of the Warden series to date (as I assume more will be forthcoming - one hopes!), Advocate is the most assured and complete of the three. While setting up a grand arc, Ford also allows his characters time to develop (sometimes surprisingly so) and rounds out his world as readers meet previously discussed characters and travel to places only hitherto discussed. I have to say that I don't find his dialogue especially sharp or convincing - there are passages with several older male characters who are supposedly in patrician or mentor roles which are enormously unconvincing, for example. Nevertheless, the entire mixture of action, adventure, mystery, and character development is a convincing ensemble and a very enjoyable read. And more - while I had regarded the prior two novels as somewhat "cozy" reads, in the sense that there was enjoyment but little challenge or true conflict - here the narrative arc bends and breaks the cozy trajectory to set foot in more substantial dramatic conflicts.

So, overall? Really good, and definitely worth reading if you've read the prior two - no question!

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

(ngl when I first saw the cover I thought Maurenia had transitioned and was slightly confused)

I really enjoyed getting to see Aelis back in her element and up against forces she’s more suited to fighting against. I also really liked the expanded cast - as much as I missed Tun and Pip and all the Lone Pine crew, it was very fun to get some more info on Aelis’s professors and her family, and I ADORED Mira. I was kind of hoping for a redemption arc for Amadin or at least for him to stick around to be frenemies with Aelis, but alas. We better see Mira and Mihil again at least.

My one qualm was that I wanted the court case to go longer and be a bit more dramatic. Yes, I am heavily biased, but it made me very sad that the promised wizard trial only lasted one chapter, which was mostly Aelis breaking rules (which I normally love).

In conclusion… was Humphrey really that much of a loser or is he being saved for later books?

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Borrowed right after it came out - whenever that was - as I was eagerly awaiting the next book in this series, and I read it right away. BUT! KU keeps annoyingly auto-adding books I read on Kindle to my reading challenge, so then I forget to actually add them to my Goodreads (and then when I do I get a double count which I have to fix manually, as I'm doing now). I thought I had already reviewed this, but apparently not, and now it's been a while and 30+ books later I don't recall what I would want to say about it as much as, I still really love this series, and I hope there's still more yet to come.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is book four out yet?

What a fantastic page-turner. The new characters are wonderful, the returning characters are just as charming and fun as before, and the story moves with a relentless pace that mirrors the warden’s return to city life. The reveals at the end are a little too telegraphed for my taste, but the conclusion is no less satisfying for it.

Eager to see where the series goes next!

[Wren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read; it was exciting to explore more of this world, see a glimpse of Aelis’s earlier life and family, and meet a few more wizards. The pacing did get a little slow at times (Aelis sort of just running errands- arcane ones and sometimes dangerous but still), but I never felt bored, and these sections ended up relevant to the plot. The one thing I got a little tired of was Aelis throwing her money at everyone, but there were some moments of awareness about this and I get that it’s a part of her character. I enjoyed the other characters immensely, and I’m hoping there’s another book to follow. It seems likely, since the ending doesn’t wrap everything up entirely, and definitely leaves room for a follow-up or another confrontation.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

*insert Jennifer Lawrence ‘what what what do you mean?’ meme BECAUSE WHY DO I HAVE TO WAIT THERE HAD BETTER BE ANOTHER ONE COMING DANIEL OR SO HELP ME I WILL MUTTER PASSIVE CURSES AT YOU IN A SAD VOICE!!

Aelis is such a fun character because she’s so chaotic but alternately so principled and has such strong beliefs etc blah blah and she constantly subverts my expectations for a character like her.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE this book series. I want to give 5 stars, but I want more character development and interactions. there's a lot of movement and activity in each of these books (the characters barely get the chance to breathe), but where are the human-to-human connections? Example: give Aelis and Maurenia a full, rich conversation for once! 🙏🏻

[Apollo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bardun Jacques is such an asshole and I love him. 12/10 character right there. Mihil was a great addition as well. Aelis should’ve totally traced back the blood on the papers to see who it killed.

So glad to see Maurenia free, she deserves the world.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Characters remain very personable and well written. Enjoyed the journey from beginning to end, as always looking forward to seeing how the story develops.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. So much of what you learned in the first two books was paid off in book 3. I really need another one of these. Please don’t let it stay at trilogy.

[Alysha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great addition to the series! We got to see Aelis back in city life investigating the crimes her mentor is being charged with. Her badassery is on show as she learns who can be trusted!

[Lestat Nash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad That it's Done

I wish I could have read a couple hundred more pages of this! I have absolutely loved this series and am so glad I got to dive into it!