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Coalition Of Mages #1
The Fire Seer
Taya has risen from humble roots to become a fire seer in the Coalition of Mages. Eager to prove herself, she arrives in the town of Hrappa to locate a “jackal” - a mage operating outside the Coalition’s authority - who has murdered three people.
But in Hrappa, she discovers that the man assigned to be her bodyguard is Mandir, her nemesis from years ago. When she and Mandir were students, he bullied her so severely he was sentenced to a year of penance and moved to another temple.
When Mandir sees that he’s been partnered with Taya, all his old torment comes rushing back. He’s had a crush on Taya since the day they began their training, but he pushed her away, ashamed of his attraction to someone so far beneath his social class. He regrets that now and intends to make an honest attempt to win her heart - if she can forgive him for his past sins.
But first they must find the murderous jackal, before the jackal finds them.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
36 people are currently reading
795 people want to read
About the author
Amy Raby
14 books222 followersAmy Raby is literally a product of the U.S. space program, since her parents met working for NASA on the Apollo missions. After earning her Bachelor’s in Computer Science from the University of Washington, Amy settled in the Pacific Northwest with her family, where she’s always looking for life’s next adventure, whether it’s capsizing tiny sailboats in Lake Washington or riding dressage horses. Assassin’s Gambit is her debut novel.
Awards: 2011 Golden Heart® finalist, 2012 Daphne du Maurier winner.
Awards: 2011 Golden Heart® finalist, 2012 Daphne du Maurier winner.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
January 18, 2015
The first thing that struck me about this book is: short riding pants?? I'm not much of a horseback rider, but that just seems scratchily uncomfortable.
My feelings hardly changed throughout the portion that I did read (I did not finish). Some phrasing was awkward, as in the instance of "five fingers," which seemed a bit repetitive, since "fingers" implies all of them, does it not? Usually numbered fingers equal fewer than five. "Indignance" is not a word. [pause for double-check] Okay, apparently it is, but it's archaic, and "indignation" would make more sense to more readers, I think. But those were the little things.
The really big deals I could not get over, the things that made me decide not to finish this book, are: the main character Taya, and the relationship between the Taya and the "hero," Mandir.
Let's start with their relationship. Taya is a young, low-caste woman with magical talent who stood out among all the higher-caste students at her magic school. Her new magic investigations partner, Mandir, is the highest caste, a bastard (literally, not figuratively) son of the ruling family. He tormented Taya at school, because he was a boy and in love with her. Troubling as that is, his torture didn't stop at pulling hair and calling names, it was threats of rape, stalking, surprising her in her room, ganging up on her... very serious and frightening behavior. Not the qualities of a likeable main character.
Almost the very first thing Taya does, after she meets the boy who bullied her almost out of school when they were adolescents, is describe how handsome he is. In lots of detail. I might have accepted her change of feelings if she had resented, hated, detested him until she got to know the new, adult, respectful him. But she's just met him, and already she's half in love with him.
At this point, the only thing that might redeem this relationship is his obviously changed character, sincere remorse, and future well-treatment of her. And it sort of, sort of happens. Mandir is clearly learning about his unacceptable, abusive past behavior. He wants to apologize, he realizes he abused her... BUT HE'S STILL BARGING INTO HER ROOMS, CURBING HER INTERACTIONS, AND ACTING OUT OF JEALOUSY. I'm sorry, but he's clearly still obsessive and possessive. It's not love. It's borderline abusive.
There are moments where he's kind, protective, nice, to Taya, and that's clearly why she's supposed to fall in love with him.
Which brings me to Taya. She's very immature, still. She is new to her authority, yes, but she does have her education behind her, and she had to work even harder than many others to complete it. Yet, she's still insecure, self-conscious, and very uncertain of herself and her abilities. She's a great victim, but not a great hero.
I found I was not interested in reading about Taya, or her problematic relationship with Mandir. Nor did the magical-crime-investigation plot really grab my attention.
I leave this one with a quote, the only thing I really did enjoy about this book:
"But wishes were river mist, they had no substance and only obscured one's vision."
Read to page 120.
My feelings hardly changed throughout the portion that I did read (I did not finish). Some phrasing was awkward, as in the instance of "five fingers," which seemed a bit repetitive, since "fingers" implies all of them, does it not? Usually numbered fingers equal fewer than five. "Indignance" is not a word. [pause for double-check] Okay, apparently it is, but it's archaic, and "indignation" would make more sense to more readers, I think. But those were the little things.
The really big deals I could not get over, the things that made me decide not to finish this book, are: the main character Taya, and the relationship between the Taya and the "hero," Mandir.
Let's start with their relationship. Taya is a young, low-caste woman with magical talent who stood out among all the higher-caste students at her magic school. Her new magic investigations partner, Mandir, is the highest caste, a bastard (literally, not figuratively) son of the ruling family. He tormented Taya at school, because he was a boy and in love with her. Troubling as that is, his torture didn't stop at pulling hair and calling names, it was threats of rape, stalking, surprising her in her room, ganging up on her... very serious and frightening behavior. Not the qualities of a likeable main character.
Almost the very first thing Taya does, after she meets the boy who bullied her almost out of school when they were adolescents, is describe how handsome he is. In lots of detail. I might have accepted her change of feelings if she had resented, hated, detested him until she got to know the new, adult, respectful him. But she's just met him, and already she's half in love with him.
At this point, the only thing that might redeem this relationship is his obviously changed character, sincere remorse, and future well-treatment of her. And it sort of, sort of happens. Mandir is clearly learning about his unacceptable, abusive past behavior. He wants to apologize, he realizes he abused her... BUT HE'S STILL BARGING INTO HER ROOMS, CURBING HER INTERACTIONS, AND ACTING OUT OF JEALOUSY. I'm sorry, but he's clearly still obsessive and possessive. It's not love. It's borderline abusive.
There are moments where he's kind, protective, nice, to Taya, and that's clearly why she's supposed to fall in love with him.
Which brings me to Taya. She's very immature, still. She is new to her authority, yes, but she does have her education behind her, and she had to work even harder than many others to complete it. Yet, she's still insecure, self-conscious, and very uncertain of herself and her abilities. She's a great victim, but not a great hero.
I found I was not interested in reading about Taya, or her problematic relationship with Mandir. Nor did the magical-crime-investigation plot really grab my attention.
I leave this one with a quote, the only thing I really did enjoy about this book:
"But wishes were river mist, they had no substance and only obscured one's vision."
Read to page 120.
May 17, 2016
5 stars for the unique culture and worldbuilding!
4 stars for the mystery,
4 stars for the pragmatic yet kind h,
3 stars for the (bully) romance - not my fav trope:(
An overall 3.5 stars!
4 stars for the mystery,
4 stars for the pragmatic yet kind h,
3 stars for the (bully) romance - not my fav trope:(
An overall 3.5 stars!
April 11, 2016
blog | goodreads
I don't know how this book doesn't have more reviews. It's quite a hidden gem! Fantasy inspired by Egyptian culture, it was definitely different than most other fantasy novels out there, and showcases a cast of POC characters.
The Fire Seer was a double win for me because I love murder-mysteries, and I also love fantasy. This book has both. Taya is a fire seer appointed to investigate a series of murders, discover the jackal behind it, and put the perpetrator to justice.
Not only do we follow Taya as she sleuths around and tries to put together all the pieces to this mystery, we also get to know her and Mandir -- her partner -- and the dark history that connects the two.
I have to pause and warn you at this stage, because The Fire Seer is not all sunshine and happiness. This novel touches on several issues that had me wary throughout reading the entire thing. For a start, to say that Mandir is not the most likeable character on the planet would be an understatement.
So believe me, I read through this book with a mix of wariness and disgust. Taya was a strong, self-sufficient heroine and I enjoyed her character. But for much of the novel, I couldn't say the same about Mandir.
The fact that Taya was made to work with her past abuser was enough of a horror show. If there is one major criticism I have about this, is that I certainly did not approve of the ending. I understand Mandir has changed since he grew up, and time and time again he's apologized for his previous behaviour, but as Taya says:
I guess what I'm trying to say is, I absolutely applaud the idea of this formerly despicable, revolting character have his eyes opened to his evil ways and work hard in changing himself. I like that in a character, and in no way do I resent the new Mandir.
What doesn't sit well with me, though, is that it took Taya this one criminal investigation before being able to come to terms with Mandir's past crimes against her and develop a sexual relationship with him.
Not only that, but throughout the novel we'll have her considering his physical attractiveness every now and then, as if being handsome made it harder for a girl to resist her tormentor:
So that was probably a minus point for me. Another potentially minus-point, which I though the author managed to avoid, was how close to becoming a Mary Sue Taya was. She was beautiful, powerful, and--
No, thank you.
But I was supposed to be talking about Taya's almost-Mary-Sue-ism before I got sidetracked. The reason I thought Raby got away with this is because Taya was an unassuming character. Moreover, although several times we were reminded of her beauty and strength, it was never made into a focal point, nor did it grant her any special privileges or helped her out of certain situations.
In the end, though, The Fire Seer was a satisfying read. It may contain some problematic messages in there, but I appreciate the way the author attempted to handle issues of abuse and bullying in a sensitive way. The plot and pacing were balanced for me, the mystery enough to keep me absorbed. While adult themes were brought up throughout the book, there is only one steamy scene far towards the end; so if you're expecting an erotica or heavy-handed romance, you may be disappointed.
21 Oct. '14
Actually read this last week, but due to shocking things happening, I haven't been able to write a review. Don't have much time to write a review, so it will have to wait.
I don't know how this book doesn't have more reviews. It's quite a hidden gem! Fantasy inspired by Egyptian culture, it was definitely different than most other fantasy novels out there, and showcases a cast of POC characters.
The Fire Seer was a double win for me because I love murder-mysteries, and I also love fantasy. This book has both. Taya is a fire seer appointed to investigate a series of murders, discover the jackal behind it, and put the perpetrator to justice.
Not only do we follow Taya as she sleuths around and tries to put together all the pieces to this mystery, we also get to know her and Mandir -- her partner -- and the dark history that connects the two.
I have to pause and warn you at this stage, because The Fire Seer is not all sunshine and happiness. This novel touches on several issues that had me wary throughout reading the entire thing. For a start, to say that Mandir is not the most likeable character on the planet would be an understatement.
What he'd wanted to do with her, to her, even at that tender age... well, he couldn't blame her for being frightened of him. He'd tried everything to free himself of the obsession, from tormenting her and pushing her away to, later, reversing tactics and actively pursuing her in hopes that one torrid night might satisfy his twisted lust.Suffice to say, he was a bully. And not just the tease-you-in-class sort of bully, Mandir tormented her, physically abused her, and stood by and watched as his friends sexually harassed her.
So believe me, I read through this book with a mix of wariness and disgust. Taya was a strong, self-sufficient heroine and I enjoyed her character. But for much of the novel, I couldn't say the same about Mandir.
He'd watched Taya like this, from behind, more than she knew. Indeed, he'd practically stalked her for yeas. He wasn't proud of it. Even as a child, he'd been ashamed of it -- not that his behavior was ugly but that his obsession targeted a girl so ridiculously beneath his station.Not only a stalker, he was also revoltingly shallow. I'm very torn about this, because Mandir does show remorse and works hard to redeem himself. The author, in this aspect, handles the situation with enough sensitivity.
The fact that Taya was made to work with her past abuser was enough of a horror show. If there is one major criticism I have about this, is that I certainly did not approve of the ending. I understand Mandir has changed since he grew up, and time and time again he's apologized for his previous behaviour, but as Taya says:
"You think you can make up for four years of torment with an apology?"
I guess what I'm trying to say is, I absolutely applaud the idea of this formerly despicable, revolting character have his eyes opened to his evil ways and work hard in changing himself. I like that in a character, and in no way do I resent the new Mandir.
What doesn't sit well with me, though, is that it took Taya this one criminal investigation before being able to come to terms with Mandir's past crimes against her and develop a sexual relationship with him.
Not only that, but throughout the novel we'll have her considering his physical attractiveness every now and then, as if being handsome made it harder for a girl to resist her tormentor:
Allowing him to put his hands on her would send entirely the wrong message. Not only that, but Mandir was way too physically attractive. She didn't want her body responding to what her head and heart knew would lead to disaster.I'm sorry for being stone-cold, but I couldn't even look at some of my ex-boyfriends without shuddering with disgust and hatred, as attractive as I objectively know them to be.
So that was probably a minus point for me. Another potentially minus-point, which I though the author managed to avoid, was how close to becoming a Mary Sue Taya was. She was beautiful, powerful, and--
"Several of the boys in our class secretly liked you. They wouldn't have approached you while I was there, but after I left, I'm sure a few of them came sniffing around."--everyone secretly wants her, even though they bullied her to no end. Which kind of reinforces the idea that if a man is an asshole to you, he secretly loves you but just can't find a way to express that.
"They did," said Taya. "I sent them away."
No, thank you.
But I was supposed to be talking about Taya's almost-Mary-Sue-ism before I got sidetracked. The reason I thought Raby got away with this is because Taya was an unassuming character. Moreover, although several times we were reminded of her beauty and strength, it was never made into a focal point, nor did it grant her any special privileges or helped her out of certain situations.
In the end, though, The Fire Seer was a satisfying read. It may contain some problematic messages in there, but I appreciate the way the author attempted to handle issues of abuse and bullying in a sensitive way. The plot and pacing were balanced for me, the mystery enough to keep me absorbed. While adult themes were brought up throughout the book, there is only one steamy scene far towards the end; so if you're expecting an erotica or heavy-handed romance, you may be disappointed.
21 Oct. '14
Actually read this last week, but due to shocking things happening, I haven't been able to write a review. Don't have much time to write a review, so it will have to wait.
December 4, 2022
I was duped into reading a fantasy mystery book. The Fire Seer was a lot of fun on the world-building, especially with the Coalition of magic seers that you get in the flashbacks. But once again the romance takes a complete backseat.
Such a shame cos I feel like the author is holding themselves back from going full romance. Here we have a bully romance, second chances, and class differences. I love a mean magician. I also LOVE bodyguard heroes.
But the romance is very much conflict-free. Yes hate to love trope but the horrible hero has been reformed so he is completely kind, understanding so that it’s more second chances or like when the mean hero gets amnesia and becomes a totally different person. He is jealous so there’s that but where’s the passion? The tension? I need more. I don’t necessarily require a mean hero to get conflict but I need obstacles in the couple’s path.
The bully version of the hero is so good tho. He is such an ass but damn 👀
I was surprised the hero confessed he loved the heroine when they were kids like 20% into the novel. I was intrigued as generally these types of confessions are revealed at the end. I was open to the revelation but it didn’t lead to anything interesting as they continue to solve the mystery. That’s an example of how the author chooses to develop the love relationship. It’s very easy. It’s practical.
More clean than her assassin book but at least the H+h are with each other and often their POV is on each other. My pet peeve is when it’s clean and they barely spend time together or think about each other.
Such a shame cos I feel like the author is holding themselves back from going full romance. Here we have a bully romance, second chances, and class differences. I love a mean magician. I also LOVE bodyguard heroes.
But the romance is very much conflict-free. Yes hate to love trope but the horrible hero has been reformed so he is completely kind, understanding so that it’s more second chances or like when the mean hero gets amnesia and becomes a totally different person. He is jealous so there’s that but where’s the passion? The tension? I need more. I don’t necessarily require a mean hero to get conflict but I need obstacles in the couple’s path.
The bully version of the hero is so good tho. He is such an ass but damn 👀
I was surprised the hero confessed he loved the heroine when they were kids like 20% into the novel. I was intrigued as generally these types of confessions are revealed at the end. I was open to the revelation but it didn’t lead to anything interesting as they continue to solve the mystery. That’s an example of how the author chooses to develop the love relationship. It’s very easy. It’s practical.
More clean than her assassin book but at least the H+h are with each other and often their POV is on each other. My pet peeve is when it’s clean and they barely spend time together or think about each other.
March 27, 2017
An insteresting fantasy/mystery/magic adventure.
I liked it. I really did!
It was easy to read, the mystery was interesting and the way magic worked even more! Nothing exceptional, but still very enjoyable!
I liked it. I really did!
It was easy to read, the mystery was interesting and the way magic worked even more! Nothing exceptional, but still very enjoyable!
November 13, 2014
The Fire Seer is a tough book to review and it's one that I had mixed feelings about. Not only does this one fall into a number of genres it also features a somewhat troubling romance. That said, I did enjoy reading this one and I found the ancient world, filled with magic to be interesting, especially since a woman seems to hold equal status as a man, something that I would not have expected in a more antiquated setting.
Taya is from a low, farmer caste, only her capability as a fire seer has allowed for her to move upward in this society. Unfortunately, Taya unimpressive roots make her a target at the school where she studies. The most vocal of these bullies is Mandir, bastard son of a noble, who is so confused by his attraction to Taya that he reacts by centering her out. This bullying is not harmless and Taya almost dies because of one of their tricks.
Fast forward five years and Taya is now a fully qualified Coalition member on her first mission. As a member of Coalition, Taya and her assigned partner are to investigate the possible activities of a jackal: "someone magical who operates outside the authority of the Coalition". Taya is surprised to find her partner to be none other than Mandir. Why the Coalition would pair these two with their history is unknown, but in order to complete their task, they are going to need to find some way to work together. As I said, The Fire Seer is a novel that spans several genres. It's a mystery, a fantasy and a romance. Personally, I really like the fact that this one plays with the concept of genres. I love genre fiction and I love it when concepts or tropes from my favourite genres are combined in new ways. I think The Fire Seer did a great job of straddling multiple genres and I think it contributed to the fast-pace of the novel, which kept me flying through the pages.
Since I am an avid romance fan, I was interested in the romance aspect of this; however, it was the element that troubled me the most. I enjoyed reading about it, but I also felt weird about reading it since the "hero" is a reformed bully. Through flashbacks readers are treated to Mandir and Taya's interactions when they were both in school together. The things that Mandir said and did to Taya are terrible, and I'm not sure how I feel about this guy playing the part of the hero. On one hand, I think the author did a good job at explaining Mandir's motivations and his own childhood that fostered this type of attitude, but I was still left feeling a little uncomfortable with the romance. For example, Mandir explains his fixation on Taya, and I can't help but find it creepy rather than romantic:
Do people get over these stalkerish tendencies? Mandir seems like a completely different person outside the flashbacks and the obsessive thoughts of his youth are, frankly, disturbing. That said, there was something about this romance, that I couldn't help but keep reading, perhaps because the present Mandir contrasted so strongly with the one from the flashbacks. Also, I think it helped that Taya so obviously distrusted Mandir and continued to be wary of him. Even after his explanation of why he treated her the way he did, she still doesn't let him off the hook:
Ultimately, I think I dealt with the romance because Taya did not automatically forgive Mandir for his past actions, it takes more than a simple explanation for her to trust Mandir and I think that's important if a hero is going to be a former bully. Still, it's a tough sell in the romance genre, at least, for me.
Another thing to note about the romance is the fact that this is the first in a series featuring these characters. I was worried coming into The Fire Seer that there wouldn't be any closure with the relationship in the novel, and I'm happy to report that this was not the case. Of course, this does not mean that everything has been resolved. The author has left many avenues to explore in both the relationship of Taya and Mandir as well as the world that she has set her story in.
The concept of the Coalition is also another element that I found interesting in The Fire Seer. This body of magic users seems somewhat sinister when readers start to learn exactly what Taya and Mandir will have to do when they finally discover the jackal. There's no trial or learning the motives of the offender, justice is swift and brutal/deadly. I'm very curious to see how this plays out as I think both Taya and Mandir are starting to question the organization that has governed their lives.
While I didn't think The Fire Seer was a perfect novel; I was not a fan of seeing unlikely terms being bandied about (not sure that "weird" is a world that would have been used in an ancient civilization). I do think there was a lot of potential to explore a very rich world. I'm curious as to see whether the relationship between the hero and heroine can be sustained when they are no longer isolated by their investigation and I'm looking forward to seeing how they both deal with the brutal dictates that govern their jobs.
*Originally published with similar reads at The Book Adventures.
Taya is from a low, farmer caste, only her capability as a fire seer has allowed for her to move upward in this society. Unfortunately, Taya unimpressive roots make her a target at the school where she studies. The most vocal of these bullies is Mandir, bastard son of a noble, who is so confused by his attraction to Taya that he reacts by centering her out. This bullying is not harmless and Taya almost dies because of one of their tricks.
Fast forward five years and Taya is now a fully qualified Coalition member on her first mission. As a member of Coalition, Taya and her assigned partner are to investigate the possible activities of a jackal: "someone magical who operates outside the authority of the Coalition". Taya is surprised to find her partner to be none other than Mandir. Why the Coalition would pair these two with their history is unknown, but in order to complete their task, they are going to need to find some way to work together. As I said, The Fire Seer is a novel that spans several genres. It's a mystery, a fantasy and a romance. Personally, I really like the fact that this one plays with the concept of genres. I love genre fiction and I love it when concepts or tropes from my favourite genres are combined in new ways. I think The Fire Seer did a great job of straddling multiple genres and I think it contributed to the fast-pace of the novel, which kept me flying through the pages.
Since I am an avid romance fan, I was interested in the romance aspect of this; however, it was the element that troubled me the most. I enjoyed reading about it, but I also felt weird about reading it since the "hero" is a reformed bully. Through flashbacks readers are treated to Mandir and Taya's interactions when they were both in school together. The things that Mandir said and did to Taya are terrible, and I'm not sure how I feel about this guy playing the part of the hero. On one hand, I think the author did a good job at explaining Mandir's motivations and his own childhood that fostered this type of attitude, but I was still left feeling a little uncomfortable with the romance. For example, Mandir explains his fixation on Taya, and I can't help but find it creepy rather than romantic:
He'd been fifteen years old the day he first laid eyes on Taya, and he'd been obsessed with her from that day forward. If his fixation had been sweet and innocent, it might have been manageable. But it wasn't. His desire had never been to hold Taya's hand and write her love poems. What he'd wanted to do with her, to her, even at that tender age...well, he couldn't blame her for being frightened of him. He'd tried everything to free himself of the obsession, from tormenting her and pushing her away to, later, reversing tactics and actively pursing her in hopes that one torrid night might satisfy his twisted list. The torrid night had never taken place - she'd refused him repeatedly - and nothing had tamed the beast within except to leave Mohenjo Temple entirely.
Do people get over these stalkerish tendencies? Mandir seems like a completely different person outside the flashbacks and the obsessive thoughts of his youth are, frankly, disturbing. That said, there was something about this romance, that I couldn't help but keep reading, perhaps because the present Mandir contrasted so strongly with the one from the flashbacks. Also, I think it helped that Taya so obviously distrusted Mandir and continued to be wary of him. Even after his explanation of why he treated her the way he did, she still doesn't let him off the hook:
"I did it because I was in love with you," said Mandir.
Taya rolled her eyes. "Ridiculous. Give me the real reason."
"That is the real reason," said Mandir. "Do you remember the day we met, when I showed you how to eat lirry fruit?"
"I remember." Her eyes went distant, and she looked sad.
"I fell in love with you the instant I laid eyes on you," said Mandir. "But I was horrified by that.. You were a farmer! I was a bastard, and I didn't want that discovered. To throw off suspicion, I associated exclusively with the ruling caste. I pushed you away, publicly and emphatically, determined I should fall out of love with you."
"Mandir, you can't treat someone like that and call it love."
Ultimately, I think I dealt with the romance because Taya did not automatically forgive Mandir for his past actions, it takes more than a simple explanation for her to trust Mandir and I think that's important if a hero is going to be a former bully. Still, it's a tough sell in the romance genre, at least, for me.
Another thing to note about the romance is the fact that this is the first in a series featuring these characters. I was worried coming into The Fire Seer that there wouldn't be any closure with the relationship in the novel, and I'm happy to report that this was not the case. Of course, this does not mean that everything has been resolved. The author has left many avenues to explore in both the relationship of Taya and Mandir as well as the world that she has set her story in.
The concept of the Coalition is also another element that I found interesting in The Fire Seer. This body of magic users seems somewhat sinister when readers start to learn exactly what Taya and Mandir will have to do when they finally discover the jackal. There's no trial or learning the motives of the offender, justice is swift and brutal/deadly. I'm very curious to see how this plays out as I think both Taya and Mandir are starting to question the organization that has governed their lives.
While I didn't think The Fire Seer was a perfect novel; I was not a fan of seeing unlikely terms being bandied about (not sure that "weird" is a world that would have been used in an ancient civilization). I do think there was a lot of potential to explore a very rich world. I'm curious as to see whether the relationship between the hero and heroine can be sustained when they are no longer isolated by their investigation and I'm looking forward to seeing how they both deal with the brutal dictates that govern their jobs.
*Originally published with similar reads at The Book Adventures.
December 11, 2014
The Fire Seer was a great and original read for me. I really enjoyed the lore that was weaved throughout the story and the building of this world. The changing POV between Taya and Mandir really made this story a whole lot better, seeing through each characters eyes helped to make them feel more alive. I also enjoyed the chapters devoted to the past, which helped to explain the circumstances between Taya and Mandir.
Taya was an interesting heroine, she obviously had a lot of struggles to get over on a daily basis, but didn't falter. It was nice to see a woman in this category that can remain strong, but at the same time can accept help gracefully. I think that's a difficult result to achieve, but the author definitely did it. Mandir is more complex than Taya in a lot of ways, which makes him a bit more endearing to me. Mandir definitely grows in this story, because he's trying to break a cycle. He was an abused lil boy, who turned into a nasty teenager, whom eventually becomes a kinder man. I really appreciated this dynamic, and the fact both characters struggled with where they came from and what they're lacking. It really is what made the story.
The story itself was wonderfully written with a lot of mystery that kept you wanting to know more. I found the mystery to be a bit more complex than what you'd normally find in a fantasy book. I thought that was delightful, normally I can guess "who done it", but with this one I had to wait, which really helped with the anticipation.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story. I'd definitely recommend this to other readers of fantasy, and even history and mystery lovers, cause I think it's that good.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Taya was an interesting heroine, she obviously had a lot of struggles to get over on a daily basis, but didn't falter. It was nice to see a woman in this category that can remain strong, but at the same time can accept help gracefully. I think that's a difficult result to achieve, but the author definitely did it. Mandir is more complex than Taya in a lot of ways, which makes him a bit more endearing to me. Mandir definitely grows in this story, because he's trying to break a cycle. He was an abused lil boy, who turned into a nasty teenager, whom eventually becomes a kinder man. I really appreciated this dynamic, and the fact both characters struggled with where they came from and what they're lacking. It really is what made the story.
The story itself was wonderfully written with a lot of mystery that kept you wanting to know more. I found the mystery to be a bit more complex than what you'd normally find in a fantasy book. I thought that was delightful, normally I can guess "who done it", but with this one I had to wait, which really helped with the anticipation.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story. I'd definitely recommend this to other readers of fantasy, and even history and mystery lovers, cause I think it's that good.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2020
I admit, I always look at negative reviews on GoodReads of the books I'm currently reading, to see if it is something I will like or not, so I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did.
I didn't realize this was a mystery, so that was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed that the mystery is what carried the story and not the romance. I also liked how the MCs' relationship developed and how the H had grown from when they first knew each other in training, through their time apart. To me, his change was believable and it wasn't perfect, he back-slid, but he was trying to do better. It was very realistic to me.
My only issue was with this reader, I SO didn't get that the book was taking place in what would be the Indus Valley area. For some reason, despite the miniature elephant, I was thinking Meso-America? I knew it was the past, albeit with magic, but I didn't get the correct region at all. So maybe the world building could have been a bit more, BUT I still think I was more dense than I should have been in this instance.
Trigger warnings: characters get drugged, MCs have a backstory that is shown in flashbacks of the H bullying the h, alcohol use, sex scene at the end of the book and multiple discussions of rape. This is a murder mystery, so murder by poison and fire. Attempted murder by drowning.
I also had a bit of unbelief at how, if the story the Coalition members get is that the Goddesses were raped, so the Goddesses are completely, 100% against rape and the Goddesses are how the Coalition members get their powers, that they would 1) commit rape themselves and 2) not punish, severely, any man in the Coalition who committed rape. That should be a rather obvious rule. Or at the very least, if one of them does rape someone, that the Goddesses would no longer grant that person power anymore.
So, end result? This was very entertaining for me and I really enjoyed it. This is the first of a series, with so far only one other book out. I will be hunting that one down and other books by this author. 4, better than I was led to believe, stars. Recommended if you want something different in your YA-NA love stories. Despite the rather heavy subject matter, it felt YA-ish to me. Not a bad thing, just an observation. I enjoyed the exotic to me setting and that it wasn't contemporarily placed in time. Recommended for YA readers and above.
My thanks to NetGalley and Amy Raby for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
I didn't realize this was a mystery, so that was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed that the mystery is what carried the story and not the romance. I also liked how the MCs' relationship developed and how the H had grown from when they first knew each other in training, through their time apart. To me, his change was believable and it wasn't perfect, he back-slid, but he was trying to do better. It was very realistic to me.
My only issue was with this reader, I SO didn't get that the book was taking place in what would be the Indus Valley area. For some reason, despite the miniature elephant, I was thinking Meso-America? I knew it was the past, albeit with magic, but I didn't get the correct region at all. So maybe the world building could have been a bit more, BUT I still think I was more dense than I should have been in this instance.
Trigger warnings: characters get drugged, MCs have a backstory that is shown in flashbacks of the H bullying the h, alcohol use, sex scene at the end of the book and multiple discussions of rape. This is a murder mystery, so murder by poison and fire. Attempted murder by drowning.
I also had a bit of unbelief at how, if the story the Coalition members get is that the Goddesses were raped, so the Goddesses are completely, 100% against rape and the Goddesses are how the Coalition members get their powers, that they would 1) commit rape themselves and 2) not punish, severely, any man in the Coalition who committed rape. That should be a rather obvious rule. Or at the very least, if one of them does rape someone, that the Goddesses would no longer grant that person power anymore.
So, end result? This was very entertaining for me and I really enjoyed it. This is the first of a series, with so far only one other book out. I will be hunting that one down and other books by this author. 4, better than I was led to believe, stars. Recommended if you want something different in your YA-NA love stories. Despite the rather heavy subject matter, it felt YA-ish to me. Not a bad thing, just an observation. I enjoyed the exotic to me setting and that it wasn't contemporarily placed in time. Recommended for YA readers and above.
My thanks to NetGalley and Amy Raby for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2014
Winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense in 2012, The Fire Seer kicks off a new fantasy series by Amy Raby. Like in Raby's Hearts and Thrones series, she does an amazing job of world-building and balancing character and plot in a way that keeps me flying through the pages. This series starter has me slavering for more!
The Fire Seer is about Taya, a girl who grew up poor in a farmer caste. But she was singled out by a fire goddess and blessed with magical ability. Through several vignettes, Raby shows Taya's introduction to the Coalition of Mages, which is the organization with a monopoly on magic. Anyone practicing magic outside Coalition oversight is considered a jackal and is hunted down and put to death. It sounds creepy, right? But growing up in this world, Taya has great respect for the Coalition. She considers is a great honor to be taught by them and, eventually, to work for them.
The Fire Seer opens with Taya arriving at the location of a recent murder by a suspected jackal. It is her first assignment as a mage for the Coalition. She must discover the jackal and bring him or her to justice. She is not alone in this task. She has a quadrum, a body guard and co-investigator to help her. Enter Mandir.
Mandir and Taya have a fiery history. As students together at the Coalition's school, they interacted quite a bit...not in a good way. Mandir bullied Taya quite severely. Yeah. He's not your typical hero. But then, Raby's new series isn't fantasy romance, like her Hearts and Thrones series. Taya and Mandir have a romance, to be sure, but the series will follow them as a couple and focus on their solving of mysteries as Coalition Mages rather than feature a new couple in every book.
Though The Fire Seer isn't strictly romance, there was plenty of romantic tension and content to please this romance reader. I admit it. I need a heavy dose of romance to get really into a story. The Fire Seer delivers.
Mandir gets his say in certain scenes, and the reader gets a glimpse into his head. An adult now, he is not the same boy Taya knew from school. He doesn't exactly have good reasons for his former treatment of her, but having come from a troubled home, his behavior is at least understandable. In the years they were apart, Mandir faces consequences of his behavior. He experienced a transformation. But when they meet again, Taya only remembers his misdeeds. She pretty much hates him and wishes her quadrum was anyone but Mandir.
The tension between these two is extremely well done and kept me reading long after I should have gone to bed! I give The Fire Seer my highest ranking: You Gotta Read. I'm excited to see what Raby has in store as this series progresses!
The Fire Seer is about Taya, a girl who grew up poor in a farmer caste. But she was singled out by a fire goddess and blessed with magical ability. Through several vignettes, Raby shows Taya's introduction to the Coalition of Mages, which is the organization with a monopoly on magic. Anyone practicing magic outside Coalition oversight is considered a jackal and is hunted down and put to death. It sounds creepy, right? But growing up in this world, Taya has great respect for the Coalition. She considers is a great honor to be taught by them and, eventually, to work for them.
The Fire Seer opens with Taya arriving at the location of a recent murder by a suspected jackal. It is her first assignment as a mage for the Coalition. She must discover the jackal and bring him or her to justice. She is not alone in this task. She has a quadrum, a body guard and co-investigator to help her. Enter Mandir.
Mandir and Taya have a fiery history. As students together at the Coalition's school, they interacted quite a bit...not in a good way. Mandir bullied Taya quite severely. Yeah. He's not your typical hero. But then, Raby's new series isn't fantasy romance, like her Hearts and Thrones series. Taya and Mandir have a romance, to be sure, but the series will follow them as a couple and focus on their solving of mysteries as Coalition Mages rather than feature a new couple in every book.
Though The Fire Seer isn't strictly romance, there was plenty of romantic tension and content to please this romance reader. I admit it. I need a heavy dose of romance to get really into a story. The Fire Seer delivers.
Mandir gets his say in certain scenes, and the reader gets a glimpse into his head. An adult now, he is not the same boy Taya knew from school. He doesn't exactly have good reasons for his former treatment of her, but having come from a troubled home, his behavior is at least understandable. In the years they were apart, Mandir faces consequences of his behavior. He experienced a transformation. But when they meet again, Taya only remembers his misdeeds. She pretty much hates him and wishes her quadrum was anyone but Mandir.
The tension between these two is extremely well done and kept me reading long after I should have gone to bed! I give The Fire Seer my highest ranking: You Gotta Read. I'm excited to see what Raby has in store as this series progresses!
April 27, 2015
Well I didn't hate this and I didn't love it either. I did really enjoy certain parts of it, mostly the setting. It's a historical fantasy type setting, loosely based on an ancient middle eastern city. There is the ruling class, the merchants class and then the farming class. The main character Taya comes from the farming class, a date plantation in particular. And the current story centers around a banana plantation. In this story, Taya is a recent graduate of the Coalition which is the entity that polices illegal magic use and magical crimes. She is sent to a small river community to investigate a murder caused by illegal magical fire. The investigation itself was interesting enough, nothing to knock your socks off but I wasn't bored with it. The writing style was fine, there were no major editing issues. It was the romance part that I had the problem with. The love interest, Mandir the male lead character and Taya have a very troubled past. They completed their training together at the same Coalition temple where Mandir was a complete and total shit to Taya. One of his mean pranks actually could have caused her to be burned to death, and he had to spend a year in penance for his part in it. Turns out he really liked her back then and didn't know how to act because of his twisted family life, plus she was farmer class and he was ruling class, etc..
So now on to the present and the investigation at hand and surprise! who is assigned to be her partner/security enforcer? Anyway this could have made for a really interesting read in my opinion but the author just didn't do enough with it. Mandir changed his ways and his life during and after his punishment and his feelings for Taya are renewed. He tells her he is sorry, he even saves her life but to me that just wasn't enough. There should have been some major atonement that had to happen before she even forgives him, not to mention starts to have feelings for him and everything that goes with that. I felt like it was the perfect set up for some emotional, angry, intense scenes which just didn't happen and I must withhold a couple of stars for that, especially since this is to be a series and there could have been plenty of time for forgiveness to happen slowly and realistically as the series developes.
December 9, 2018
Fantasy, where H bullied the h, and almost killed her. Hard to turn him into an hero, and it is barely border line by end of the book. He has so much to learn and she's not an adult either. There is a murder mystery for them to solve and as well as come to terms with their history. It was good, but for me, a little too YA?
August 27, 2014
Amy Raby, author of the Hearts and Thrones series, delivered another great historical fantasy story. Set in the mystical city of Hrappa, this novel’s basis were launched from a series of discovery on the ancient city, and became so much more in Raby’s hands. Her personal blend of fantasy mixed with her great talent to deliver raw emotions, were just the thing to ensnare me from the start.
The Coalition has complete control over magic and Taya came to their temple for training when she developed powers at a young age. It is very uncommon for farmers to develop such abilities and many, including Mandir, resented her for it. She overcame many obstacles and launching on her first mission she wasn’t ready to be partnered with her nemesis. She hates him with a passion, understandable since he tortured her and almost killed her, but her body can’t help but be attracted to him and now she must relay on him for protection.
Some stories are plot driven, others are characters driven, I would say this one is driven by emotions. Yes, both characters are on a mission to discover and eliminate a jackal (a rogue magic user), but the relationship and raw feelings between the two main characters are front and center, honest and captivating. My favorite aspect of this novel is Taya’s grudge against Mandir. What I mean is that he bullied her and tortured her for years and she isn’t willing to surrender to sweet words and a sexy body. She kept her wits about her and remained skeptical of his promises. Thankfully, Amy offered us alternative narration and I just LOVED Mandir. His honesty and repentant attitude totally got me.
The narration also alternated between the present and the past, offering a very detailed retelling of exactly how both Mandir and Taya felt 9 years ago when they met, and how he treated her afterwards. Mandir’s trek toward redemption is very touching and the fact that Taya takes a long time to weight the good and bad sides of Mandir make the whole situation much more realistic.
The mystery part of the plot was also very satisfying and while some elements were predictable, most completely surprised me. I also found the end to wrap-up things nicely and I really hope there will be a second installment!
This novel is actually quite short, but it doesn’t feel so while reading. I don’t mean there are lengths, mind you, but that every aspect is developed enough to feel this novel is just right the way it is. I strongly suggest you give it a shot!
The Coalition has complete control over magic and Taya came to their temple for training when she developed powers at a young age. It is very uncommon for farmers to develop such abilities and many, including Mandir, resented her for it. She overcame many obstacles and launching on her first mission she wasn’t ready to be partnered with her nemesis. She hates him with a passion, understandable since he tortured her and almost killed her, but her body can’t help but be attracted to him and now she must relay on him for protection.
Some stories are plot driven, others are characters driven, I would say this one is driven by emotions. Yes, both characters are on a mission to discover and eliminate a jackal (a rogue magic user), but the relationship and raw feelings between the two main characters are front and center, honest and captivating. My favorite aspect of this novel is Taya’s grudge against Mandir. What I mean is that he bullied her and tortured her for years and she isn’t willing to surrender to sweet words and a sexy body. She kept her wits about her and remained skeptical of his promises. Thankfully, Amy offered us alternative narration and I just LOVED Mandir. His honesty and repentant attitude totally got me.
The narration also alternated between the present and the past, offering a very detailed retelling of exactly how both Mandir and Taya felt 9 years ago when they met, and how he treated her afterwards. Mandir’s trek toward redemption is very touching and the fact that Taya takes a long time to weight the good and bad sides of Mandir make the whole situation much more realistic.
The mystery part of the plot was also very satisfying and while some elements were predictable, most completely surprised me. I also found the end to wrap-up things nicely and I really hope there will be a second installment!
This novel is actually quite short, but it doesn’t feel so while reading. I don’t mean there are lengths, mind you, but that every aspect is developed enough to feel this novel is just right the way it is. I strongly suggest you give it a shot!
October 15, 2015
This was great! Wow, I've been really behind on writing reviews lately! Shame on me...
This book is a romance, a fantasy, and a mystery. At least I think that's all. The romance was wonderful. The two had went to a magical school to train with their powers. Back then, Mandir was absolutely horrible to Taya. His tricks and pranks almost got her killed. You can say she's NOT happy to see him as her accomplish on her mission. Mandir hasn't had the easiest childhood and he didn't know how to express the way he liked Taya. So he pushed her away instead. As an adult he has grown a lot, and tries to make amends for what he did to her.
The fantasy aspect was awesome, too. It has an ancient Inca (I think) basis for the world. But their powers and where they come from are pretty interesting. I especially like Taya's abilities with fire. The images my mind created for when she used her powers was astounding. Raby described them beautifully.
Lastly, the mystery. I'm not one who reads mysteries often, but this one almost has me rethinking that. I was surprised at every turn. I LOVED that I couldn't predict what would happen.
I highly anticipate the next book in this series:)
This book is a romance, a fantasy, and a mystery. At least I think that's all. The romance was wonderful. The two had went to a magical school to train with their powers. Back then, Mandir was absolutely horrible to Taya. His tricks and pranks almost got her killed. You can say she's NOT happy to see him as her accomplish on her mission. Mandir hasn't had the easiest childhood and he didn't know how to express the way he liked Taya. So he pushed her away instead. As an adult he has grown a lot, and tries to make amends for what he did to her.
The fantasy aspect was awesome, too. It has an ancient Inca (I think) basis for the world. But their powers and where they come from are pretty interesting. I especially like Taya's abilities with fire. The images my mind created for when she used her powers was astounding. Raby described them beautifully.
Lastly, the mystery. I'm not one who reads mysteries often, but this one almost has me rethinking that. I was surprised at every turn. I LOVED that I couldn't predict what would happen.
I highly anticipate the next book in this series:)
December 2, 2018
I liked this better than her other series, but I feel like maybe I’m just not compatible with this type of story telling. Raby builds an interesting fantasy world with an intricate and intriguing magical system... and then fills it with unlikeable characters that I don’t care about at all. The rest is an bleh mystery sprinkled with strange, simplistic social commentary (usually given by the main characters). It’s just not my cup of tea
April 29, 2015
All in all a great book and well written.I just think that it'snot posible that she started loving him so soon after hating him for somany years!In my opinion the author wanted a happy ending but things dont normally happen so fast!
December 19, 2015
Very good
Well written and interesting. I enjoyed the relationship between the hero and heroine and growth within themself that lead them to growing and healing their relationship
Well written and interesting. I enjoyed the relationship between the hero and heroine and growth within themself that lead them to growing and healing their relationship
November 3, 2014
This joint review was originally published at The Book Pushers
Thoughts on the heroine:
Marlene: I like Taya. I understand her concerns and worries about performing well on her first assignment, and can sympathize with her desire to finally spread her wings and do well. Her memories of Mandir’s behavior when they were at school together chilled me to the bone. I enjoyed that she was from a different background, and wasn’t the traditional noble. Her farmer upbringing and her everywoman’s perspective gave her a lot of empathy into the situation around her. She reminded me a lot of Talia in Mercedes Lackey’s Arrows of the Queen (a long time ago). Taya is chosen for special tasks by her talents, and is taken from her background. She feels like a fish out of water, but her normal childhood gives her insight into people’s everyday lives.
Has: I really liked Taya’s character, and her determination to do things right as well as her empathy towards the people she encountered. I also liked that her background helped to give her insights especially for the people she was investigating and the murder mystery that surrounds them. I have to agree that I really felt for Taya when she was forced to team up with Mandir who was her tormentor and bully during their days at school. Her flashbacks going back to those days were horrible and I was was in two minds to see how she could redeem Mandir’s character who was basically a creep to her during their student years. And how Taya would deal with her feelings for him from being an antagonistic bully to someone she would develops feelings for. While I think, it worked for Taya’s forgiveness, I still think there needs to be more time for her her to develop romantic feelings for him even though she was initially attracted to him despite the bad blood they had shared.
E: Taya was intriguing. She came from a small farm out in the country and was transplanted to become one of those with power. Sadly instead of the school being a place of safety and learning the students quickly became stratified based on their family’s prestige. Taya unable to read or write, not accustomed to wearing complicated robes and headdresses became a victim to the highest class. Their bullying almost led to her death but after successfully graduating and believing in role of the Coalition of Mages she was off on her first assignment. Taya was so innocent and naive in certain ways but also knowledgeable in others which came in handy.
I had mixed feeling with how she dealt with Mandir on one side but on the other I could understand why her first reaction was to mistrust. However, I wanted the mistrust without doing things just because Mandir said not to. In that regard Taya struck me as being immature but as the story continued she developed and grew into someone capable of thinking for herself and handling things the best way for the area and maybe not exactly by the rules.
Thoughts on the hero:
Marlene: I had a difficult time liking Mandir as the hero. While it was clear that he had changed a lot and for the better from the boy that tortured and nearly killed Taya in school, I just couldn’t buy a romance between them. His redemption yes, but the kind of emotional scars that he left her with don’t go away. I could see that he had reformed more than enough to deserve a happy ending, just not with her. As much as I wanted her to be happy, the two of them together skeeved me out more than a bit.
Has: I have mixed feelings about Mandir too. I did like how protective he was towards Taya and how his awful actions made him regret his behaviour in the past. But I think Amy Raby did a great job in developing his redemption arc and he was a changed man from the insecure boy who bullied others to hide his own past from his peers to keep his status and caste level. However, I did think the romance was rushed from the bitterness and suspicions that Taya had against him and I don’t think it was believable at that point. But I do think there was enough of a spark and development for a romance between them and I will try not to go into spoiler territory that a revelation about Mandir’s past action towards was made known to Taya much earlier which will help to evolve their relationship to that point.
Nonetheless, I do think Mandir was a good person and had learned from his mistakes as well became a better man from his year of penance. I also think Amy Raby made a good point about how hard and unforgiving the caste system for this world which led people to make some drastic and desperate decisions.
E: Like the other two I thought the romance developed a bit too fast. I liked seeing Mandir’s growth and hearing him talk about his background along with how painful it was for him to change his thinking. I did like him as a foil and a hero despite his very unheroic actions because he had to do a lot of work to redeem himself and then to get Taya to believe he was truly different. I thought he took his job seriously as her protector but still displayed his lack of interpersonal skills with how he went about trying to accomplish certain things. However, his actions usually followed his words and his intentions which said a lot regardless of Taya’s reactions. I am looking forward to seeing his future interactions to find out if he has figured out how to work more effectively with Taya as well as how their romance is working out.
What did you like about the book?
Marlene: I absolutely loved the worldbuilding on this one. Partly because I can see so many possibilities for future stories that I can’t wait for the author to explore. But this society is interesting; I love the three-part structure of farmer, artisan, noble, with specific duties and responsibilities for each. I also think that exploring the way that the Coalition of Mages both does and probably mostly doesn’t work for the benefit of society is going to be cool. If power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, and magic seems like an ultimate power, what’s going to happen with the people who control magic and the mages?
Has: I totally agree! I thought the worldbuilding was excellent and seamless in the way it was laid out and explained. I think the flashbacks that Taya had helped to explain the magical and religious system without verging into infodump territory which I really liked because this was a complex and interesting world. I also felt the caste system would also provide an interesting dynamic to the magical system as well and probably more cause of tension for the people who inhabit this world. It will be intriguing to see how it evolves.
E: I really enjoyed the worldbuilding. So many possibilities and conflicts set up between the caste system, the Coalition of Mages, the common folk, and how things are supposed to be versus how things are. I have a feeling there is a growing tension which will only make Taya and Mandir’s jobs more challenging as they travel around the country.
I also liked how Raby was able to demonstrate character growth on and off screen even if I wanted more time before the transition to a full romance between Taya and Mandir.
What were your favorite scenes?
Marlene: The scenes where Taya invoked her magic were excellent. They conveyed both her wonder at the powers she invoked and her acceptance of the power and responsibility that her abilities gave her. The scene where she remembers realizing that her fire-starter ability was a power was also good.
Has: I loved the scenes involving Taya and her fire seer gift. The descriptions and tone really was vivid and underlined the worldbuilding. I also liked the scene towards the end which I wont go into full detail because of spoilers. But I really liked how both Mandir and Taya dealt with something that touched on their past origins which brought an interesting twist to the story which I enjoyed.
E: I think my favorite scene was when Taya decided she was going to rescue Mandir and how she went about doing it. Her actions demonstrated she wasn’t going to be forced by anyone and also that Mandir wasn’t her enemy. This made me actually think they had a chance in a romance as well as forming an efficient working partnership in the future.
What were your dislikes?
Marlene: I found Taya’s memories of her school experience absolutely chilling. I have a problem getting past the way Mandir treated her to her falling in love with him. He’s portrayed as too evil in his youth to get to them falling for each other. His behavior was possessive stalking. While he does find redemption, I can’t get past her believing it enough to fall for him. Friendship would have felt more realistic.
Has: I kind of agree, although I do think the romance was realistic but it needed more time to develop and evolve because it would have been more believable for me. I also wished that an action that Mandir committed in the past would have helped Taya’s feeling of betrayal and victimisation much more easily if she had known before instead of just being told later. She held on to those feelings for so long and it would have taken time for her embark on a relationship with him. But I am curious to see how their relationship fares in future books.
E: I was horrified at the actions of the students in the school, how long they went on, and what they escalated to. I thought Taya was rather strong to be able to work with Mandir at all given her last memories let alone develop a friendship. As a result like the others I have my doubts about the romance and would have preferred to see it develop slower.
Summary and grade
Marlene: Overall, I enjoyed The Fire Seer a lot. I would like to have either seen the romance take longer, or have the resolution of the relationship between Taya and Mandir be a friendship/work partnership rather than go all the way to romance. Or at least a romance so fast. He has redeemed himself, but that doesn’t mean she would be ready to forgive everything that happened in their past to this extent.
The worldbuilding here is awesome, and I can’t wait to find out more about the Coalition of Mages and the way that justice and magic are aligned (or possibly not aligned).
I give The Fire Seer a B-
Has: I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and the societal system which was well thought out and explained. While I had my issues with the romance, I did like the idea of Mandir and Taya as a team as well as a couple and the mystery did keep me guessing right up to the last few pages. I also loved the twist at the end which caught me by surprise. The Fire Seer is an intriguing mix of mystery, fantasy and even historical elements that kept me entertained. Amy Raby has a real gift in her world-building and characters that totally immerses you into a rich and vivid world and I am definitely on board for the follow-up!
I give The Fire Seer a B
E: Regardless of my issues with the transition to romance I really enjoyed The Fire Seer. It had Raby’s trademark complex vivid world-building and memorable characters facing difficult situations. I was kept guessing about the overall culprit and motivation along with what Taya and Mandir would come up with as a resolution. I am looking forward to the next installment and hope to see a deepening of the base friendship between Taya and Mandir as their romance grows.
I give The Fire Seer a B
Thoughts on the heroine:
Marlene: I like Taya. I understand her concerns and worries about performing well on her first assignment, and can sympathize with her desire to finally spread her wings and do well. Her memories of Mandir’s behavior when they were at school together chilled me to the bone. I enjoyed that she was from a different background, and wasn’t the traditional noble. Her farmer upbringing and her everywoman’s perspective gave her a lot of empathy into the situation around her. She reminded me a lot of Talia in Mercedes Lackey’s Arrows of the Queen (a long time ago). Taya is chosen for special tasks by her talents, and is taken from her background. She feels like a fish out of water, but her normal childhood gives her insight into people’s everyday lives.
Has: I really liked Taya’s character, and her determination to do things right as well as her empathy towards the people she encountered. I also liked that her background helped to give her insights especially for the people she was investigating and the murder mystery that surrounds them. I have to agree that I really felt for Taya when she was forced to team up with Mandir who was her tormentor and bully during their days at school. Her flashbacks going back to those days were horrible and I was was in two minds to see how she could redeem Mandir’s character who was basically a creep to her during their student years. And how Taya would deal with her feelings for him from being an antagonistic bully to someone she would develops feelings for. While I think, it worked for Taya’s forgiveness, I still think there needs to be more time for her her to develop romantic feelings for him even though she was initially attracted to him despite the bad blood they had shared.
E: Taya was intriguing. She came from a small farm out in the country and was transplanted to become one of those with power. Sadly instead of the school being a place of safety and learning the students quickly became stratified based on their family’s prestige. Taya unable to read or write, not accustomed to wearing complicated robes and headdresses became a victim to the highest class. Their bullying almost led to her death but after successfully graduating and believing in role of the Coalition of Mages she was off on her first assignment. Taya was so innocent and naive in certain ways but also knowledgeable in others which came in handy.
I had mixed feeling with how she dealt with Mandir on one side but on the other I could understand why her first reaction was to mistrust. However, I wanted the mistrust without doing things just because Mandir said not to. In that regard Taya struck me as being immature but as the story continued she developed and grew into someone capable of thinking for herself and handling things the best way for the area and maybe not exactly by the rules.
Thoughts on the hero:
Marlene: I had a difficult time liking Mandir as the hero. While it was clear that he had changed a lot and for the better from the boy that tortured and nearly killed Taya in school, I just couldn’t buy a romance between them. His redemption yes, but the kind of emotional scars that he left her with don’t go away. I could see that he had reformed more than enough to deserve a happy ending, just not with her. As much as I wanted her to be happy, the two of them together skeeved me out more than a bit.
Has: I have mixed feelings about Mandir too. I did like how protective he was towards Taya and how his awful actions made him regret his behaviour in the past. But I think Amy Raby did a great job in developing his redemption arc and he was a changed man from the insecure boy who bullied others to hide his own past from his peers to keep his status and caste level. However, I did think the romance was rushed from the bitterness and suspicions that Taya had against him and I don’t think it was believable at that point. But I do think there was enough of a spark and development for a romance between them and I will try not to go into spoiler territory that a revelation about Mandir’s past action towards was made known to Taya much earlier which will help to evolve their relationship to that point.
Nonetheless, I do think Mandir was a good person and had learned from his mistakes as well became a better man from his year of penance. I also think Amy Raby made a good point about how hard and unforgiving the caste system for this world which led people to make some drastic and desperate decisions.
E: Like the other two I thought the romance developed a bit too fast. I liked seeing Mandir’s growth and hearing him talk about his background along with how painful it was for him to change his thinking. I did like him as a foil and a hero despite his very unheroic actions because he had to do a lot of work to redeem himself and then to get Taya to believe he was truly different. I thought he took his job seriously as her protector but still displayed his lack of interpersonal skills with how he went about trying to accomplish certain things. However, his actions usually followed his words and his intentions which said a lot regardless of Taya’s reactions. I am looking forward to seeing his future interactions to find out if he has figured out how to work more effectively with Taya as well as how their romance is working out.
What did you like about the book?
Marlene: I absolutely loved the worldbuilding on this one. Partly because I can see so many possibilities for future stories that I can’t wait for the author to explore. But this society is interesting; I love the three-part structure of farmer, artisan, noble, with specific duties and responsibilities for each. I also think that exploring the way that the Coalition of Mages both does and probably mostly doesn’t work for the benefit of society is going to be cool. If power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, and magic seems like an ultimate power, what’s going to happen with the people who control magic and the mages?
Has: I totally agree! I thought the worldbuilding was excellent and seamless in the way it was laid out and explained. I think the flashbacks that Taya had helped to explain the magical and religious system without verging into infodump territory which I really liked because this was a complex and interesting world. I also felt the caste system would also provide an interesting dynamic to the magical system as well and probably more cause of tension for the people who inhabit this world. It will be intriguing to see how it evolves.
E: I really enjoyed the worldbuilding. So many possibilities and conflicts set up between the caste system, the Coalition of Mages, the common folk, and how things are supposed to be versus how things are. I have a feeling there is a growing tension which will only make Taya and Mandir’s jobs more challenging as they travel around the country.
I also liked how Raby was able to demonstrate character growth on and off screen even if I wanted more time before the transition to a full romance between Taya and Mandir.
What were your favorite scenes?
Marlene: The scenes where Taya invoked her magic were excellent. They conveyed both her wonder at the powers she invoked and her acceptance of the power and responsibility that her abilities gave her. The scene where she remembers realizing that her fire-starter ability was a power was also good.
Has: I loved the scenes involving Taya and her fire seer gift. The descriptions and tone really was vivid and underlined the worldbuilding. I also liked the scene towards the end which I wont go into full detail because of spoilers. But I really liked how both Mandir and Taya dealt with something that touched on their past origins which brought an interesting twist to the story which I enjoyed.
E: I think my favorite scene was when Taya decided she was going to rescue Mandir and how she went about doing it. Her actions demonstrated she wasn’t going to be forced by anyone and also that Mandir wasn’t her enemy. This made me actually think they had a chance in a romance as well as forming an efficient working partnership in the future.
What were your dislikes?
Marlene: I found Taya’s memories of her school experience absolutely chilling. I have a problem getting past the way Mandir treated her to her falling in love with him. He’s portrayed as too evil in his youth to get to them falling for each other. His behavior was possessive stalking. While he does find redemption, I can’t get past her believing it enough to fall for him. Friendship would have felt more realistic.
Has: I kind of agree, although I do think the romance was realistic but it needed more time to develop and evolve because it would have been more believable for me. I also wished that an action that Mandir committed in the past would have helped Taya’s feeling of betrayal and victimisation much more easily if she had known before instead of just being told later. She held on to those feelings for so long and it would have taken time for her embark on a relationship with him. But I am curious to see how their relationship fares in future books.
E: I was horrified at the actions of the students in the school, how long they went on, and what they escalated to. I thought Taya was rather strong to be able to work with Mandir at all given her last memories let alone develop a friendship. As a result like the others I have my doubts about the romance and would have preferred to see it develop slower.
Summary and grade
Marlene: Overall, I enjoyed The Fire Seer a lot. I would like to have either seen the romance take longer, or have the resolution of the relationship between Taya and Mandir be a friendship/work partnership rather than go all the way to romance. Or at least a romance so fast. He has redeemed himself, but that doesn’t mean she would be ready to forgive everything that happened in their past to this extent.
The worldbuilding here is awesome, and I can’t wait to find out more about the Coalition of Mages and the way that justice and magic are aligned (or possibly not aligned).
I give The Fire Seer a B-
Has: I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and the societal system which was well thought out and explained. While I had my issues with the romance, I did like the idea of Mandir and Taya as a team as well as a couple and the mystery did keep me guessing right up to the last few pages. I also loved the twist at the end which caught me by surprise. The Fire Seer is an intriguing mix of mystery, fantasy and even historical elements that kept me entertained. Amy Raby has a real gift in her world-building and characters that totally immerses you into a rich and vivid world and I am definitely on board for the follow-up!
I give The Fire Seer a B
E: Regardless of my issues with the transition to romance I really enjoyed The Fire Seer. It had Raby’s trademark complex vivid world-building and memorable characters facing difficult situations. I was kept guessing about the overall culprit and motivation along with what Taya and Mandir would come up with as a resolution. I am looking forward to the next installment and hope to see a deepening of the base friendship between Taya and Mandir as their romance grows.
I give The Fire Seer a B
June 29, 2022
This is a YA fantasy bully romance/mystery novel. I'm not a fan of bully romances, and this one was especially unfortunate with frequent flashbacks to the two leads' school days; the hero relentlessly bullied and harassed the heroine and encouraged all of his friends and sycophants to do the same; at one point he gave her vague threats and said he would relent if she started sleeping with him, and when she refused he destroyed her homework. So far, so standard, but add in that the hero - as depicted in the "now" - genuinely doesn't seem to get what he did wrong and it's hard to swallow a romance between these two. The heroine has to sit him down and painstakingly explain that, for example, threatening and blackmailing a woman into sex is, like rape through force, sexual assault; and just because, when given a choice between blackmail sex and continued harassment, she chose continued harassment, doesn't mean he didn't try to sexually assault her. And then he's like "wait, really? OMG I had no idea!" and feels really bad (although not until he's tried to argue with her about it).
I will say, I guess this is part of the arc of bully romances - that the bully begins defensive and angry, I-didn't-really-do-anything, and has to gradually come to a realization that bullying is wrong - but we're told very early on that Mandir's bullying of Taya came to a head years ago when he almost killed her and was punished for it. Apparently that wasn't enough for him to get it? Additionally, for me there's such an issue with this expectation that women should train men to be decent human beings - that it's just too hard for (cis) guys, with their penises and their hormones and whatever, to be kind decent people on the regular so when they're not a woman should sit them down and explain it to them, and be patient with the fact that it will take them a while to learn, and reward them with affection when they start to get it. I can do a villain romance - when the hero figures out, often via his love for the heroine, how he needs to redeem himself as a human being. But in bully romances like these, the hero is being presented as already in love with the heroine (hence the bullying). He's not making those changes in himself as a result of his feelings for the heroine, the heroine has to bang the need for changes into his head. It's not love for a good woman that's changing him, it's the woman herself. And that just sucks.
Nonetheless, the book is compulsively readable; I kept trying to DNF it and kept going back to finish reading instead. And yes, I'm going to read the sequel. And hope they're finally done with the dumb flashbacks and I can just enjoy the vaguely retro-Lackey feel of the narrative.
I will say, I guess this is part of the arc of bully romances - that the bully begins defensive and angry, I-didn't-really-do-anything, and has to gradually come to a realization that bullying is wrong - but we're told very early on that Mandir's bullying of Taya came to a head years ago when he almost killed her and was punished for it. Apparently that wasn't enough for him to get it? Additionally, for me there's such an issue with this expectation that women should train men to be decent human beings - that it's just too hard for (cis) guys, with their penises and their hormones and whatever, to be kind decent people on the regular so when they're not a woman should sit them down and explain it to them, and be patient with the fact that it will take them a while to learn, and reward them with affection when they start to get it. I can do a villain romance - when the hero figures out, often via his love for the heroine, how he needs to redeem himself as a human being. But in bully romances like these, the hero is being presented as already in love with the heroine (hence the bullying). He's not making those changes in himself as a result of his feelings for the heroine, the heroine has to bang the need for changes into his head. It's not love for a good woman that's changing him, it's the woman herself. And that just sucks.
Nonetheless, the book is compulsively readable; I kept trying to DNF it and kept going back to finish reading instead. And yes, I'm going to read the sequel. And hope they're finally done with the dumb flashbacks and I can just enjoy the vaguely retro-Lackey feel of the narrative.
October 9, 2017
It is more a 3.5, but I am feeling generous with this book. The reason for this rating is that I absolutely love history based stories. This is by no means a perfect book, the writing flows nicely, but the story lacks in the romance department. Honestly, I started reading this book because the love relationship between the main characters seemed interesting , but now if I think about it, if the author would have replaced the love story with a friendship one I wouldn't have mind it at all. The romance did feel a little bit forced by the end, and it is not because I don't think people cannot change, God no!!!! I am all up for those soul searching , behaviour changing journeys where the main guy realises he's been a dick and he is trying to fix his mistakes . No, I felt it was too short, the author needed to write more scenes where we could have seen the emotional connection of these two closer. Somewhere in the middle of the book Taya starts to realise he has changed and then we arrive without warning at the realisation that she is in love with him, something is missing. Nevertheless, good read. I enjoyed it a lot.
April 9, 2019
3.5 stars
This book was nice and easy. I've had some difficulty with the strange magic language and the names but otherwise it was an enjoyable read.
We have a strong female protagonist, an interesting and fascinating mythology, a murder mystery and a love/hate romance. What more could you ask for?
The murder "case" Taya and Mandir had to solve was pretty well done and I was happy to realize at some point that I only had 30% more to read and I still didn't know who the murderer was!
For me it really sucks when I read a book and I can tell from the beginning who the criminal is. It takes the suspense out of the book. So I was glad it was not the case here.
What I did figure out was how the book was going to end once the murderer was caught. But that didn't bother me so much.
Oh, and I especially loved the world the author created. It's obvious she put a lot of thought and effort into this book and I can't help but appreciate her talent and devotion.
So, if there are more books in this series I will read them.
If not, then why the hell aren't there ?!
This book was nice and easy. I've had some difficulty with the strange magic language and the names but otherwise it was an enjoyable read.
We have a strong female protagonist, an interesting and fascinating mythology, a murder mystery and a love/hate romance. What more could you ask for?
The murder "case" Taya and Mandir had to solve was pretty well done and I was happy to realize at some point that I only had 30% more to read and I still didn't know who the murderer was!
For me it really sucks when I read a book and I can tell from the beginning who the criminal is. It takes the suspense out of the book. So I was glad it was not the case here.
What I did figure out was how the book was going to end once the murderer was caught. But that didn't bother me so much.
Oh, and I especially loved the world the author created. It's obvious she put a lot of thought and effort into this book and I can't help but appreciate her talent and devotion.
So, if there are more books in this series I will read them.
If not, then why the hell aren't there ?!
June 8, 2018
A gripping story full of mystery, thrill, magic and a pinch of romance. Felt like any Hollywood action/thriller movie with a strong woman-man duo, who work together to defeat crime, and after all the explosions are done and villains defeated, they get together.
So personally, I'd have liked it to focus more on romance development, but obviously this wasn't that kind of a story.
So personally, I'd have liked it to focus more on romance development, but obviously this wasn't that kind of a story.
February 21, 2018
H
It was good. Very interesting take on fantasy. Do not pay attention to this review. Thank you for your time.
It was good. Very interesting take on fantasy. Do not pay attention to this review. Thank you for your time.
May 29, 2023
I had zero expectations for this book but it was surprisingly entertaining
October 6, 2024
I loved this! Bully/fantasy/adventure/murder mystery that tripped along at a wonderful pace with a sweeeet as fuck slow burn romance.
December 8, 2014
It's more of a 4.5 but I think it's more for my personal preference so to be fair it's a 5.
The Cotalition is a magical organization that operates in this world that Amy Raby has built. Magical abilities show in children once they hit adolescence and once it is found they must be reported. If for whatever reason they do not report themselves and work magic on their own they are executed no and if or but about it.
Taya is a young woman who was from the farm chaste there are three castes and usually you never move up. The Ruling and Royal chaste , the Artisan Chaste and then the Farming Chaste. Being a farmer doesn't necessarily mean they are poor but they have many disadvantages. She becomes the only girl in her year to be from the farming chaste which is rare. You see flashbacks (well placed and not annoying to read) of her past.
She has finally completed her training at the Colition and is on her first mission except her sworn protector is her past tormentor from the Colition. She arrives with her past enemy in a flourishing town where there is one Jackal ( a magic user working outside the walls of the Colition ) and two murders. As she works to find the answers more murders happen, drugging and kidnapping also ensue.
The original synopsis puts it as "But in Hrappa, she discovers that the man assigned to be her bodyguard is Mandir, her nemesis from years ago. When she and Mandir were students, he bullied her so severely he was sentenced to a year of penance and moved to another temple. When Mandir sees that he’s been partnered with Taya, all his old torment comes rushing back. He’s had a crush on Taya since the day they began their training, but he pushed her away, ashamed of his attraction to someone so far beneath his social class. He regrets that now and intends to make an honest attempt to win her heart—if she can forgive him for his past sins. "
The book is amazing really well built murder mystery with fantasy but she wove in really dark humanity in there with much delicacy. Taya's tormentor Mandir did really horrible things and you see his agony and regret and how much he has learned and continues to learn. You also see what made him this way but he doesn't allow that to be his excuse. I don't know how I can expone on this without huge major spoilers. This was genius how all the characters are driving the plot, accurate responses and just the moral and emotions and just WOW blew me away I can't believe this is a hidden gem.
Now at the very last chapter there is smut, and ONLY in the last chapter in the second to last page really. anyways you can quickly skim over it. I think it wasn't necessary I really hate how usually fantasy books push the ero in it and make it normal for anyone magical to be super sexual. This doesn't happen here and Mandir's point of view is just AWESOME he isn't whiney or in the gutter, she briefly touches that he is attracted and when he's rejected he never forces a kiss or touches her he gives her the boundaries she needs. He doesn't manipulate her, he focuses on the murders and their actual job, the romance was in the plot well woven in but not front and center type of thing. SO GOOOOD!
The Cotalition is a magical organization that operates in this world that Amy Raby has built. Magical abilities show in children once they hit adolescence and once it is found they must be reported. If for whatever reason they do not report themselves and work magic on their own they are executed no and if or but about it.
Taya is a young woman who was from the farm chaste there are three castes and usually you never move up. The Ruling and Royal chaste , the Artisan Chaste and then the Farming Chaste. Being a farmer doesn't necessarily mean they are poor but they have many disadvantages. She becomes the only girl in her year to be from the farming chaste which is rare. You see flashbacks (well placed and not annoying to read) of her past.
She has finally completed her training at the Colition and is on her first mission except her sworn protector is her past tormentor from the Colition. She arrives with her past enemy in a flourishing town where there is one Jackal ( a magic user working outside the walls of the Colition ) and two murders. As she works to find the answers more murders happen, drugging and kidnapping also ensue.
The original synopsis puts it as "But in Hrappa, she discovers that the man assigned to be her bodyguard is Mandir, her nemesis from years ago. When she and Mandir were students, he bullied her so severely he was sentenced to a year of penance and moved to another temple. When Mandir sees that he’s been partnered with Taya, all his old torment comes rushing back. He’s had a crush on Taya since the day they began their training, but he pushed her away, ashamed of his attraction to someone so far beneath his social class. He regrets that now and intends to make an honest attempt to win her heart—if she can forgive him for his past sins. "
The book is amazing really well built murder mystery with fantasy but she wove in really dark humanity in there with much delicacy. Taya's tormentor Mandir did really horrible things and you see his agony and regret and how much he has learned and continues to learn. You also see what made him this way but he doesn't allow that to be his excuse. I don't know how I can expone on this without huge major spoilers. This was genius how all the characters are driving the plot, accurate responses and just the moral and emotions and just WOW blew me away I can't believe this is a hidden gem.
Now at the very last chapter there is smut, and ONLY in the last chapter in the second to last page really. anyways you can quickly skim over it. I think it wasn't necessary I really hate how usually fantasy books push the ero in it and make it normal for anyone magical to be super sexual. This doesn't happen here and Mandir's point of view is just AWESOME he isn't whiney or in the gutter, she briefly touches that he is attracted and when he's rejected he never forces a kiss or touches her he gives her the boundaries she needs. He doesn't manipulate her, he focuses on the murders and their actual job, the romance was in the plot well woven in but not front and center type of thing. SO GOOOOD!
December 12, 2014
The Fire Seer, (Coalition Of Mages 1), Amy Raby
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: Romance, Sci-fi, fantasy.
I wasn’t sure I’d like this but I did, I really enjoyed it. Its written in a way like a good YA read in that its very easy to follow, not overly complicated but with plots that twist and turn and take the reader on a real journey.
I liked Taya, she’s worked hard to get where she is despite being bullied during her years of training, and looked down on by her peers from the higher Castes. Bullying is always difficult, and the format it took over her education in magic became very hard for her to deal with, almost killing her with the final “prank” So when she takes up her first assignment and finds the main culprit Mandir, is her bodyguard she’s very angry. She can’t do anything about it though, so she decides to keep as separate from him as is possible. She’s surprised though at how he seems to have changed, but feels underneath that he’s just waiting for the opportunity to trick her again, that he’s setting up something with his attempts at kindness and being helpful.
Then we see things from Mandir’s POV, where he had a horrific childhood as the bastard son of the royal heir. No-one wanted him really, and he’d been taken from his mother at an early age – so bullying was really all he knew, and he was being self protective in a way by trying to deflect attention. He’d learned its bully or be bullied, and having seen two of his brothers beaten to death he’d taken the hard line. Taya though brings out emotions in him he doesn’t know how to deal with, and thus he seeks her attention in the only way he knows, with trickery and violence. I had a real change of heart about him over the book, and loved the way he explained what he’d learned in his year of penance for almost killing Taya.
The storyline is a fun one, full of magic and red tape – seems even in fantasy land red tape prevails and constrains what people want and can do. They see things they feel are unfair, and yet are helpless to deal with it without cost to themselves, possibly a death sentence. Unapproved use of magic is treated very seriously, and punishment is strict. The search for the Jackal turns up all sorts of lines of enquiry, and is peppered with false trails and secrets. The farmers don’t like them and won’t cooperate, and Taya and Mandir feel they’re withholding info, but they can’t prove it or force them to tell what they know. Its a tough job and gets dangerous as they get closer to the culprit. The Jackal totally came as a surprise to me, as did the way everything worked out, but it was a perfect ending and I’d love to read more as Taya and Mandir continue their work.
Stars: Four and a half, an excellent read
ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: Romance, Sci-fi, fantasy.
I wasn’t sure I’d like this but I did, I really enjoyed it. Its written in a way like a good YA read in that its very easy to follow, not overly complicated but with plots that twist and turn and take the reader on a real journey.
I liked Taya, she’s worked hard to get where she is despite being bullied during her years of training, and looked down on by her peers from the higher Castes. Bullying is always difficult, and the format it took over her education in magic became very hard for her to deal with, almost killing her with the final “prank” So when she takes up her first assignment and finds the main culprit Mandir, is her bodyguard she’s very angry. She can’t do anything about it though, so she decides to keep as separate from him as is possible. She’s surprised though at how he seems to have changed, but feels underneath that he’s just waiting for the opportunity to trick her again, that he’s setting up something with his attempts at kindness and being helpful.
Then we see things from Mandir’s POV, where he had a horrific childhood as the bastard son of the royal heir. No-one wanted him really, and he’d been taken from his mother at an early age – so bullying was really all he knew, and he was being self protective in a way by trying to deflect attention. He’d learned its bully or be bullied, and having seen two of his brothers beaten to death he’d taken the hard line. Taya though brings out emotions in him he doesn’t know how to deal with, and thus he seeks her attention in the only way he knows, with trickery and violence. I had a real change of heart about him over the book, and loved the way he explained what he’d learned in his year of penance for almost killing Taya.
The storyline is a fun one, full of magic and red tape – seems even in fantasy land red tape prevails and constrains what people want and can do. They see things they feel are unfair, and yet are helpless to deal with it without cost to themselves, possibly a death sentence. Unapproved use of magic is treated very seriously, and punishment is strict. The search for the Jackal turns up all sorts of lines of enquiry, and is peppered with false trails and secrets. The farmers don’t like them and won’t cooperate, and Taya and Mandir feel they’re withholding info, but they can’t prove it or force them to tell what they know. Its a tough job and gets dangerous as they get closer to the culprit. The Jackal totally came as a surprise to me, as did the way everything worked out, but it was a perfect ending and I’d love to read more as Taya and Mandir continue their work.
Stars: Four and a half, an excellent read
ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers
April 14, 2015
Taya is from a low, farmer caste, only her capability as a fire seer has allowed for her to move upward in this society. Unfortunately, because of her caste she is a target at the school where she studies. The most vocal of these bullies is Mandir, bastard son of a noble, who is so confused by his attraction to Taya that he reacts by centering her out. This bullying is not harmless and Taya almost dies because of one of their tricks.
They meet again five years later on their first job and have to overcome their personal feelings to work with each other
This was a very interesting and intriguing blend of differend genres:
we have a real great fantasy world building with a very unique magic system. the society is very strongly connected to the indian caste system but for me that was a totally new approach and it worked perfect
we have an interesting mystery which was more than well written and complex so that you could not really guess from the beginning. there were also some twists and turns, which made it intriguing. the flashbacks to the past helped to see the story from different POVs and explain the current situation between the characters a bit better.
the third real important part are the characters: both Taya and Mandir are well-buildt, both had their struggles to overcome and their troubles in the past and for both of them it was difficult to achieve what they wanted.
in my opinion Mandir was a bit more interesting, as his characters is more developed and grows more during the book. Taya often falls back on her behaviour, which she has shown at the beginning.
the dynamic between them was very good, although I would have preferred it, if the relationship between both characters would have developed as much as Mandirs character but in this regard it felt a bit flat.
I love changing POVs and the changing POVs between Taya and Mandir made this story a whole lot better and gave the characters more depth.
All in all, this book was really good and although it had its flaws, I really enjoyed the story and I really hope the second book will pick up, where this one ended
Disclaimer: an ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
They meet again five years later on their first job and have to overcome their personal feelings to work with each other
This was a very interesting and intriguing blend of differend genres:
we have a real great fantasy world building with a very unique magic system. the society is very strongly connected to the indian caste system but for me that was a totally new approach and it worked perfect
we have an interesting mystery which was more than well written and complex so that you could not really guess from the beginning. there were also some twists and turns, which made it intriguing. the flashbacks to the past helped to see the story from different POVs and explain the current situation between the characters a bit better.
the third real important part are the characters: both Taya and Mandir are well-buildt, both had their struggles to overcome and their troubles in the past and for both of them it was difficult to achieve what they wanted.
in my opinion Mandir was a bit more interesting, as his characters is more developed and grows more during the book. Taya often falls back on her behaviour, which she has shown at the beginning.
the dynamic between them was very good, although I would have preferred it, if the relationship between both characters would have developed as much as Mandirs character but in this regard it felt a bit flat.
I love changing POVs and the changing POVs between Taya and Mandir made this story a whole lot better and gave the characters more depth.
All in all, this book was really good and although it had its flaws, I really enjoyed the story and I really hope the second book will pick up, where this one ended
Disclaimer: an ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
July 31, 2015
Despite the many flaws in this book (right from the beginning) I was really engaged with the story and characters, until about 3/4 of the way through. Then it just seemed to deflate. I'll go through the pros and cons to illustrate:
Pros:
- Good character development. They didn't feel cookie-cutter. And I have to disagree with other reviewers about Mandir, I felt like his change was realistic and believable. And I liked him.
- Two leads didn't spend every second ogling each other and imagining sexing the other up. Not that that doesn't happen a little, but not to an annoying degree.
- I love LOVE old acquaintance love stories. If you've got a story that features two people who knew each other previously, separated, and meet again under tense circumstances (that's why Persuasion is my all-time favorite Jane Austen novel) I'm totally going to check it out.
Cons:
- I was very disappointed that Raby felt the need to shoe-horn a sex scene into this story. Not that it wouldn't have been appropriate at some point, but she should have held off until book two when Mandir and Taya's love story would have more naturally developed.
- Use of modern syntax and vocabulary. It was just strange and took out of the story. The story is supposedly set in a fantasized version of ancient Harrapa, yet she has character's saying thing like "The food was weird.." or "Get real.." etc. I'm not saying she needed to break out with the thy, thou, thee (Good Lord, no), but making high fantasy characters sound like people I'd meet on an American public bus doesn't work either.
- The world-building was mediocre. I never got a sense of anything. The social structure seemed random and without basis. Plus, her magic system was a bit superficial, cliché.
- Taya is posed as this really sensitive, compassionate person, but it takes her a LONG time to figure out that some of the Coalition's rules are just plain wrong. Not healing blighted banana plants and preventing poor people from dying? Seriously? That should never have been in question. Eventually, she does get there, but it took way too long.
I don't know if I'll check out the second book. We'll see.
Pros:
- Good character development. They didn't feel cookie-cutter. And I have to disagree with other reviewers about Mandir, I felt like his change was realistic and believable. And I liked him.
- Two leads didn't spend every second ogling each other and imagining sexing the other up. Not that that doesn't happen a little, but not to an annoying degree.
- I love LOVE old acquaintance love stories. If you've got a story that features two people who knew each other previously, separated, and meet again under tense circumstances (that's why Persuasion is my all-time favorite Jane Austen novel) I'm totally going to check it out.
Cons:
- I was very disappointed that Raby felt the need to shoe-horn a sex scene into this story. Not that it wouldn't have been appropriate at some point, but she should have held off until book two when Mandir and Taya's love story would have more naturally developed.
- Use of modern syntax and vocabulary. It was just strange and took out of the story. The story is supposedly set in a fantasized version of ancient Harrapa, yet she has character's saying thing like "The food was weird.." or "Get real.." etc. I'm not saying she needed to break out with the thy, thou, thee (Good Lord, no), but making high fantasy characters sound like people I'd meet on an American public bus doesn't work either.
- The world-building was mediocre. I never got a sense of anything. The social structure seemed random and without basis. Plus, her magic system was a bit superficial, cliché.
- Taya is posed as this really sensitive, compassionate person, but it takes her a LONG time to figure out that some of the Coalition's rules are just plain wrong. Not healing blighted banana plants and preventing poor people from dying? Seriously? That should never have been in question. Eventually, she does get there, but it took way too long.
I don't know if I'll check out the second book. We'll see.
February 18, 2015
"Fire Seer"
By Amy Rabe
"Magical Henchmen or Empowered Saviors?"
Two magically empowered leading characters enter a mission to find a "jackal" (outlaw) in what seems to be a caste system society. The setting of this book lends the reader their own interpretation of time and place of the story. Imagine a far past time of ruling classes and serving classes or a future society that has embraced a similar caste system.
The book combines mystery, intrigue and moral issues with a smattering of romance thrown in for good measure. In the beginning our leading characters seem to be called in by the city magistrate to help solve the problem of a dangerous magical outlaw that has committed 3 murders (hence the "empowered Saviors), but somewhere in the middle I began to wonder if these Saviors are really not just "henchmen" for a higher power coalition. They seem to be bound by laws that prevent them from helping citizens that are truly being taken advantage of by a higher "caste" of the population.
There was a romantic undertone that developed throughout the story. Enemies at first, the characters develop a strong bond in the end because of shared core moral values. The story left you with the knowledge that there would be future escapades for this couple.
I felt a little disappointed and would like to have seen more background information on how the characters obtained their powers and exactly how their powers worked. Perhaps that will come in future series. All in all an easy ready but I did not feel particularly "drawn in" to the story.
I give this book 2 1/2 sheep.
By Amy Rabe
"Magical Henchmen or Empowered Saviors?"
Two magically empowered leading characters enter a mission to find a "jackal" (outlaw) in what seems to be a caste system society. The setting of this book lends the reader their own interpretation of time and place of the story. Imagine a far past time of ruling classes and serving classes or a future society that has embraced a similar caste system.
The book combines mystery, intrigue and moral issues with a smattering of romance thrown in for good measure. In the beginning our leading characters seem to be called in by the city magistrate to help solve the problem of a dangerous magical outlaw that has committed 3 murders (hence the "empowered Saviors), but somewhere in the middle I began to wonder if these Saviors are really not just "henchmen" for a higher power coalition. They seem to be bound by laws that prevent them from helping citizens that are truly being taken advantage of by a higher "caste" of the population.
There was a romantic undertone that developed throughout the story. Enemies at first, the characters develop a strong bond in the end because of shared core moral values. The story left you with the knowledge that there would be future escapades for this couple.
I felt a little disappointed and would like to have seen more background information on how the characters obtained their powers and exactly how their powers worked. Perhaps that will come in future series. All in all an easy ready but I did not feel particularly "drawn in" to the story.
I give this book 2 1/2 sheep.
September 21, 2015
Very unique, well illustrated setting. It is loosely based on a lost society bordering the ancient Egyptians. The romance is an important part of the book, but is light fare for a veteran romance reader. The hero bullied the heroine mercilessly while they were in school together, and the story of that bullying is told in flashback throughout the story. We learn that the hero, Mandir, bullied Taya because he liked her but was twisted by his own upbringing and insecurities, and treated her horribly instead. This would be difficult to get past, but Taya begins to over the course of the murder investigation she and Mandir must complete as Coalition mages. Although the setting was interesting, the romance wasn't all that dramatic or passionate (despite their messed up history) and the murder mystery didn't really rock my socks either. The author was best at setting the stage of this very interesting society, talking about farming and castes, and getting me a bit interested in the mythology. But I read for relationships primarily, so it wasn't a big winner overall.
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