The Fated Mage

by Allison Anderson

The war ends here.

Paulo MacGregor cares for nothing besides changing Laurel’s future and convincing her to trust him. After the rebels took the capital, fleeing to Iatrus Castle, his home, seemed the only option. However, even though he’s brought Laurel to his home, fate has other plans. Not only are Laurel’s convictions not to trust him deepening, but both their pasts are catching up with them. The rebels are coming to Iatrus Castle and there’s little Paulo can do to stop fate from unfolding.

Laurel Flumen absolutely can’t trust Paulo. Not only had he kept her from accomplishing her mission to kill Olympia’s king, but he also is the reason she had to leave her sister behind. If Paulo had never involved himself in her life, she would never have betrayed Aspen, she wouldn’t be stuck in the cursed kingdom of Olympia, and she certainly would have never ended up on this side of a war she never wanted to be a part of.

In this epic conclusion of The Cartographer’s War, Paulo and Laurel must come together to defeat not only the rebellion trying to tear down the kingdom but also change the very strings of fate itself.

607 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 20, 2025

About the author

Allison Anderson lives her best life as a wife, a mom, a dedicated member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and a fantasy writer. As a life long fantasy nerd, she finds it natural to create stories of her own and you can often find her jotting down new story ideas or talking about dragons. She’s spent most of her life across the southwestern United States.

Reviews

[RiverFiend · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Death doesn’t dog his every step as it does mine.”

Wow. All I can say is wow. From the first book in this series I have been hooked. Following the story in the eyes of penny and watching the challenges she had to face, I enjoyed every minute. While following penny as our main character, I came to love the other characters, like Paulo and Diana.

While penny was off running around in faerie, the people of Olympia were still facing the effects of the rebel take over. With Eleusion and the Capital under rebel control, who else would we expect to take care of things, but our beloved oracle Paulo. Betrayal, danger, and war, the Iatrus Castle had much to face. We were able to see both points of view of this war, as things clearly progressed behind the scenes while Penny was at the front lines.

Our female lead Laurel is just as stubborn, and distrustful as she was in the Seer’s assassin. But change is possible, and we see her growth as she faces challenge after challenge. At war with both her past and future, the decisions she needs to make are not easy. It’s a story of learning to trust, both herself and those around her. When you’re surrounded by a tight knit family such as the Macgregor’s its bound to happen.

Paulo also had a welcome development. The burden of seeing the future was supposed to be his, and his alone. Yet he is also able to learn to let go of the facade he thought was necessary. It felt like he finally allowed the world to see who he truly was behind the frilly rainbow of waistcoats.

This being the last book in the series is bittersweet. It felt like I knew all of these characters personally, and like I was right there with them. Through every up and down, I loved watching the character development as they faced new challenges.

The continuation of this spin off ended better than I could’ve asked for. Having read the Unwanted Queen, I didn’t even think about this possible ending, but it made it all the better. In the end, the author answered every question I didn’t even know I had. It all comes together quite nicely, even if I’m not ready for it to be over. I can’t recommend this book, or this series more!!!

Thank you so much to the author for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC. So grateful to be part of watching my favorite series come to an end.

[The Squeaky Clean Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW THAT WAS AMAZING

This book absolutely tore my heart out and put it back together.
It has me crying at 4 AM both sad and happy tears.

It has me falling in love with characters but also questioning everyone.

It was amazingly beautiful.

I ADORED seeing Laurel and Paulo and their relationship grow in this book. They had to WORK for that kiss and when they got it 🔥🔥🔥🔥

There were so many beautiful themes about trusting, loving and letting your guard down. I feel like I'm walking away knowing how to better let people in and trust them. I love that. I love knowing how to be a better person from a fantasy book.


But WOW did the author stinken rip my heart out in this book. There was a lot of fighting, quite a bit of 💀, but I mean what do you expect in a book full of assassins and when they're at war?

Ugh but it was just so good. It was worth it. I put off reading the book for a few months because I wasn't ready for this world to end (and it better not be the end because I have more questions) but this ending was magnificent. Positively marvelous. I'm so obsessed with it.


And now that I know the ending I want to reread the entire series and glory in the magnificence of this world the author has created and in the intrigue she wove into it and the beautiful magic. Like I'm obsessed.

The end.

💋kisses only - a long kiss described
⚠️💀💀💀 You've been warned

[Ashley {_xamountofbooks} · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via the author)

I think Paulo and Laurel were my favorite couple of the entire series. Paulo is.. well, Paulo and Laurel's way of declaring love amused me.

"If anyone was going to take a chunk of flesh out of him, it was going to be Laurel."

Laurel shoved him, making him stumble a bit. "Shut that mouth of yours, or I'll kill you myself."

"My lady, my tormentor." Paulo grabbed one of her hands and laid it over his heart. "You know your constant death threats only make me yearn for you more."?

Feels like a declaration of love imo.

Loved seeing the group of people form together from reluctant allies to making their own family to protect the castle and those inside. Good ending to their stories but boy was that last bit a roller coaster of emotions!!!

[Sarah Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh I loved this book and it was just what I needed. You learn so much more of what was happening in the background that you see the other side from the other books in this series. I love Paulo and Lauren relationship. They just the best! But this book answered so many things I had question since I read the last book and I just needed to know. I loved this series so much and am sad it's coming to an end, but this was the perfect way to end it!

[Star Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, wow, wow. What a conclusion! While this series has not been an overwhelming success to me, the author has earned a top tier spot on instant TBR authors. Penny and Aiden will remain a hot mess to me while Paulo and Laurel are the true heroes to my bias.

Paulo's side of the war seems to be the secondary background to Penny and Aiden, but to me, the scholae, Laurel, Aspen, Diana, etc. feel more real and detailed. There is the internal ethical battle happening at Iatrus Castle. When a group of assassins are pulled to fighting a war for a foreign country, their own motivations begin to create fictional tension that burns the pages. Somehow the will they won't they dynamic of Paulo and Laurel strays from grating stereotype into a delve of what constitutes love. The series managed to end on an easy 5 star rating.

Penny and Aiden had the ultimate villain to save their story. Paulo and Laurel get stuck with Teagan. He appears as such an afterthought in all his scenes despite the complete manipulation of Stellatus Hall and the scholae he had achieved. His character was assassinated-hehe.

It has been many years since I have delved into Greek mythology, so it was great to not know what was coming because that ending is absolutely top notch. You may not find it so emotional if you are familiar with Apollo and Daphne, though. What makes this series an overall victory to me comes from the intrepretation of the Greek tragedies. While the author makes everything with Penny and Aiden, Paulo and Laurel tragic per their Greek origins, there is that seed of hope lingering. The soul feels soothed at the outcomes of such devastation because there is always that hope.

[Michael Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the Cartographer's War is a series of six novels, books 4 and 6, The Seer's Assassin and The Fated Mage, focus on two different characters than the other four novels. Paulo MacGregor is a mage who can see the future and helps defend the king and kingdom against the rebels trying to overthrow it. Laurel Flumen is the assassin sent to kill the king. While Paulo prevents this from happing in The Seer's Assassin, an uneasy romance between the two begins to form. The author, Allison Anderson, does a beautiful job developing both of these complex characters and the situations they find themselves in. As I read this book, I wanted to cheer for each of them individually though they were often at odds with one another. All of this takes place as the rebels are winning the war and things look bleak for both Paulo and Laurel. Anderson does not go easy on her characters as they must persevere from one challenge to another, keeping the reader engaged and afraid to set the book down. Just as with the previous novels in the series, the setting of kingdoms at war is richly constructed and as a history major and teacher, I appreciate the attention to detail by the author as she created a fantasy world with similarities to our own world of the past. While I looked forward to the conclusion of this series, I was also somewhat sad it has come to an end. I highly recommend this entire series and most especially, the two books featuring the story of Paulo and Laurel.

[Tarry DW Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

While The Fated Mage may be a standalone novel in the Cartographer's War series, written by Allison Anderson, i highly recommend waiting to read this one last, after all of the other five books, unless you are an insane lunatic that just thrives on spoilers!!
Reading this before the end will completely ruin the rest of the series, as it ties up the loose ends and unravels the many, many twisting & turning details that this series deliciously dishes up throughout the entire 6 books.
And you do not want that!
The Fated Mage is brilliant and cunning, with so many intricate twists and turns you never really know how it will actually end until it just does! Even at the end of the book, after my heart had stopped and it felt like it had been crushed into a million pieces, Alison Anderson gave me one more twist that left me wanting to cry and scream and laugh for joy!

I cannot say enough about the cartographer's war series. The characters have depth and arc. The setting comes alive in your mind. The entire story is just brilliant.
It's clean but deep and gives you everything that you want in a romantacy without the smut and spice. I highly recommend this for everyone that enjoys an epic YA fantasy adventure with romance.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. BUT I loved it so much I DID buy a physical copy too!!

[Adrianna Heaney-velu · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Fated Mage,” by Allison Anderson

I love this series so much! It’s one of my favorite series. Every single book has been so good. I love love love Laurel and Paulo’s relationship so much, its 100% grumpy x sunshine but where the woman is the grumpy and man is sunshine lol. I loved how Paulo is funny but in a manipulative way but to do good not evil. And he was so flamboyant, and it was so prefect. Laurel kind of acts like a woman whose been married 40 years and cannot even with his behavior. I cannot wait to reread the entire series over and over again. I tell everyone I recommend this series to that it reminds me of Acotar but was way better in my opinion. 5 out of 5 stars, so perfect.

-Magic
-Fae
-Dual/ Multi POV
-Political Intrigue
-Has art in book!

Thank you for the ARC, Booksprout.

[lena_likes_to_read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book was the perfect ending to the series.

So many answers were answered. I do enjoy seeing the other side of the story when Penelope is off fighting in Faerie.

Paulo is so cute. He just wants to make sure everyone he cares about is safe, even if he has to alter any futures.

I did like seeing Laurel finally realize her feelings for Paulo, even if someone had to tell her in her face what that feeling actually was. She is one of my favorite characters from this series.

I'm actually sad that it's over now. This was one of the best series I've read this year and Allison has given me a new favorite fantasy series.

Thank you Allison Anderson and Booksprout for the e-ARC. All thoughts are my own.

[Julia Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I love about Allison’s books is that they aren’t all sunshine and rainbows romance stories. These are characters you can relate to. Love and relationships that are realistic. The assassin books are a lot darker and deeper than the spring maiden books and yet the contrast fits perfectly in this world of magic. I loved how magic didn’t make everything easier. I had so much fun diving into this book and watching the spring maiden series take a new form. This series has left me yearning for more and I have found myself in Greek mythology, where I never have previously in my life. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

[Jessica Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic

Phew! What a ride to get to the conclusion of this series. So many emotions, drama, hilarious banter, romantic tension (while remaining clean, thank you, Allison Anderson), heartache, and happy endings. Allison has definitely been put on my new favorite authors list. I’ve been recommending this series to every reader in my life and I’ll do it here too. You won’t regret this series! Is a new twist fae and human stories with influential elements from Greek mythology thrown in. So good!

[Jerry]

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