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The Songmaker #2
The King's Mage
alternate cover edition of ASIN: B00GDL33TK
The Unraveling has begun. The barriers that separate the Seven Realms are breaking, threatening to send
Chaos ripping through the universe, to the ruin of all.
In the kingdom of Amaury, the Council of Mages desperately tries to halt an army bent on sacking the capital. But how do you halt an army led by the dead?
In the west, Rovann, First of the Council of Mages, and Maegwin, priestess of Sho-La, set out on a desperate mission to save the Seven Realms. But beset by enemies on all sides, they’re not sure who to trust—least of all each other.
And in the center of this web waits the Songmaker, a shadowy figure whose final plans may hold the key to the salvation or destruction of creation itself.
And so the second installment of this epic tale of darkness and redemption begins.
The Unraveling has begun. The barriers that separate the Seven Realms are breaking, threatening to send
Chaos ripping through the universe, to the ruin of all.
In the kingdom of Amaury, the Council of Mages desperately tries to halt an army bent on sacking the capital. But how do you halt an army led by the dead?
In the west, Rovann, First of the Council of Mages, and Maegwin, priestess of Sho-La, set out on a desperate mission to save the Seven Realms. But beset by enemies on all sides, they’re not sure who to trust—least of all each other.
And in the center of this web waits the Songmaker, a shadowy figure whose final plans may hold the key to the salvation or destruction of creation itself.
And so the second installment of this epic tale of darkness and redemption begins.
Unknown Binding
First published November 1, 2013
19 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Baxter
28 books69 followersElizabeth Baxter was born and raised in England. In her spare time she enjoys reading, hiking, traveling the world and watching England play cricket. She’s been writing since she was six years old and plans to continue for as long as she’s able to hold a pen (or a keyboard).
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 21, 2022
The second installment of the Songmaker series does not disappoint! Picking up right where the last book left off, Baxter continues the journey of our heroes with vigor and finesse. Where the first book took some time to get going, the sequel hits the ground running and doesn't stop.
We get to know our main characters a bit more, and met several secondary characters that are given depth and clear personalities. The journey is engaging and doesn't drag (as is often the danger with fantastic voyages) and the confrontation in the end is, while not completely unforeseen, all the more poignant for its foreshadowing.
A fun, easy read, with all the key elements one looks for in a good fantasy novel (magic, good vs. evil—with just enough blurring between the two—light romance, and, of course, fantastic beasts). The editing is solid, with no glaring mistakes in spelling, grammar, or punctuation that could distract and pull you out of the story. No strong language, graphic violence or sex; I'd say it's safe for anyone who can read it. 4.5 for both story and editing!
We get to know our main characters a bit more, and met several secondary characters that are given depth and clear personalities. The journey is engaging and doesn't drag (as is often the danger with fantastic voyages) and the confrontation in the end is, while not completely unforeseen, all the more poignant for its foreshadowing.
A fun, easy read, with all the key elements one looks for in a good fantasy novel (magic, good vs. evil—with just enough blurring between the two—light romance, and, of course, fantastic beasts). The editing is solid, with no glaring mistakes in spelling, grammar, or punctuation that could distract and pull you out of the story. No strong language, graphic violence or sex; I'd say it's safe for anyone who can read it. 4.5 for both story and editing!
August 19, 2021
Excellent read
An excellent 2nd installment in the Songmaker Trilogy. I loved the unexpected twist in the identity of the Songmaker towards the end of the book. I already have my copy of the third & final book. Unfortunately, I have to wait until after work to start it. I highly recommend this trilogy.
An excellent 2nd installment in the Songmaker Trilogy. I loved the unexpected twist in the identity of the Songmaker towards the end of the book. I already have my copy of the third & final book. Unfortunately, I have to wait until after work to start it. I highly recommend this trilogy.
February 2, 2021
A very good second entry looking forward to reading the third.
May 17, 2021
Loved this fact-paced intriguing novel! And the shock at the end I just didn't see coming!
June 1, 2023
Exciting, romantic and total chaos. This book had me riveted. The characters are addictive and the story is very well written. I can’t wait to see how this series ends.
May 21, 2014
I normally love a story that has a lord, a female warrior/ally, and an underdog in it. This one, not so much. It actually was missing a whole lot. It fell flat quite a few times and needed that extra twist or something. It seemed too linear, almost predictable at times.
I am still a little back and forth on this book. I read it twice and then even went back over some parts. No, it's not at all confusing, but I was having this conversation with myself about whether or not it works. The first chapter is a bunch of fighting/struggling/worrying. And that's all that chapter has to offer, it's almost draining and tiring to read. However, when I got to the second chapter, it was filled with riding horses, dialogue and taking up camp with "Gypsies"--which I will address later. Normally, this sudden change would annoy me, but by the time I finished chapter one with all of that fighting, I think it was a great idea to move to no fighting. It makes you feel like you are there and just had a fight or struggle and then could breathe (literally in this case).
I was not impressed with the characters. I tried to visualize them and imagine how they would look and act, and about the only one I could really imagine was Maegwin. There really wasn't even enough information included to picture her, but I could at least see her mannerisms. I kept waiting for that one defining moment for each character where I could, in the back of my head, say, "Hey, that's who s/he is" and not guesswork at it. Such a moment came for Maegwin at the very beginning when she is with Rovann. I won't say much on what is going on because it might spoil that chapter and character reveal. However, before that, I could only see a dirty woman with green eyes. Afterward, I knew more about her character, but not her description.
I give this advice to everyone who includes a specific group, culture, or ethnicity in their writing: If you are going to do that, please, PLEASE make sure you have researched the culture or ethnicity or group BEFORE deciding to present a character or characters of that particular culture. Romani people are generally referred to as "Gypsies" by people who lack the knowledge of their culture. It really kills an author's credibility to misuse such terms and misrepresent an entire culture. For more information, just use Google to do a search on Romani people. While a lot of the information found on the internet is not always entirely accurate, I believe Baxter can find more information on this culture and learn.
I am still a little back and forth on this book. I read it twice and then even went back over some parts. No, it's not at all confusing, but I was having this conversation with myself about whether or not it works. The first chapter is a bunch of fighting/struggling/worrying. And that's all that chapter has to offer, it's almost draining and tiring to read. However, when I got to the second chapter, it was filled with riding horses, dialogue and taking up camp with "Gypsies"--which I will address later. Normally, this sudden change would annoy me, but by the time I finished chapter one with all of that fighting, I think it was a great idea to move to no fighting. It makes you feel like you are there and just had a fight or struggle and then could breathe (literally in this case).
I was not impressed with the characters. I tried to visualize them and imagine how they would look and act, and about the only one I could really imagine was Maegwin. There really wasn't even enough information included to picture her, but I could at least see her mannerisms. I kept waiting for that one defining moment for each character where I could, in the back of my head, say, "Hey, that's who s/he is" and not guesswork at it. Such a moment came for Maegwin at the very beginning when she is with Rovann. I won't say much on what is going on because it might spoil that chapter and character reveal. However, before that, I could only see a dirty woman with green eyes. Afterward, I knew more about her character, but not her description.
I give this advice to everyone who includes a specific group, culture, or ethnicity in their writing: If you are going to do that, please, PLEASE make sure you have researched the culture or ethnicity or group BEFORE deciding to present a character or characters of that particular culture. Romani people are generally referred to as "Gypsies" by people who lack the knowledge of their culture. It really kills an author's credibility to misuse such terms and misrepresent an entire culture. For more information, just use Google to do a search on Romani people. While a lot of the information found on the internet is not always entirely accurate, I believe Baxter can find more information on this culture and learn.
August 10, 2016
Honestly I would give this three and a half stars. It's better than just three but I'd say it's just shy of four for how I rate books. The writing is good, not great yet not in dire need of an editor. At times it's a bit rough and could use some polishing for better flow. The plot is interesting and well constructed. The characters are fairly well fleshed out; enough for this book but could use a bit further development to make them easier to connect with. Overall it's interesting enough to keep the readers interest and provides an easy fun read. Id recommend this for readers who enjoy fantasy and are looking for something to read in their spare time. A free copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest unbiased review. Read more reviews, author interviews and enter giveaways on my blog.
May 19, 2016
Continued strong writing, character development, a great story.
Well written, strong story continuity, great character development. One of my favorite series. I enjoy the leads vulnerability, his non stop battle with good versus evil, his conscience, his guilt, his duty. An inspirational, developed story that captivates my imagination and holds my interest. A rare combination. Great work here, great series, looking forward to reading more as soon as possible. Thank you Elizabeth Baxter, work well done! Please keep writing.
Well written, strong story continuity, great character development. One of my favorite series. I enjoy the leads vulnerability, his non stop battle with good versus evil, his conscience, his guilt, his duty. An inspirational, developed story that captivates my imagination and holds my interest. A rare combination. Great work here, great series, looking forward to reading more as soon as possible. Thank you Elizabeth Baxter, work well done! Please keep writing.
February 28, 2015
Great Read! Can't wait to read the next one that comes out.
March 15, 2015
Great read! Can't wait to read the next one that comes out.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews