Eld

Guild Mage #2

by David Niemitz

For Liv Brodbeck, magic has changed everything.

Cel, the ancestral word of power inherited from her father, now slumbers in the back of her mind. After years of study, the ancient magic of the Old Gods is hers to wield, from brutal, cutting shards of ice, to frozen, immovable walls. No longer a mere scullion, she is now an apprentice of the Watchful Guild of Magim, under her teacher, Master Grenfell.

Her peaceful days of training are cut short by the Day of Blood, when monstrous, living orbs of viscera slaughter innocent people across the Kingdom of Lucania. The king calls a great council, and Liv must accompany Baron Summerset and his family to the capital of Freeport. Overwhelmed by the bustle of the city, she, the bastard daughter of a castle cook, is thrust into the schemes and machinations of the royal court.

But while Liv fights to prove herself amidst the intrigue of Lucania, across the sea, on the western continent of Varuna, another foe builds their power. Ractia, the resurrected Lady of Blood, is gathering her forces, which will make the chaos of the Day of Blood only the first taste of the goddess's return.

For in the wake of the Lady of Blood's coming, rifts across the world erupt more frequently than ever before...

Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Fiction, Young Adult

441 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 20, 2025

About the author

Dave Niemitz is a writer and teacher; he lives with his wife, son, a black cat named Charlie, and a Pug named Duncan.

Reviews

[Luke Neff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally some good fucking food

[Dragos Macelaru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

VERY well written fantasy; the characters are well fleshed out and believable. A very nice variant of the ugly duckling story.

[Chetana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

This series is just getting better. I was worried the momentum built up from the last book would be lost but this one was as fast paced and still had elements of slice of life too. There was more angst and action in this book as Liv is growing up and learning her magic and also learning about the world around her. I am loving the build up towards the conflict that is coming. The pace might seem slow but it isn't for me. What with Liv growing up so slowly, the major arc is also progressing at that rate. I am looking forward to seeing Liv at Coral Bay to see what is in store for her next and also to see the havoc she will bring to the people there as trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes.

[Adam Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable!

A nice follow up to book 1, with plenty of emotional moments for our MC, and also some interesting hints for the future. Also I was a bit worried about how long things would take to get to the mage college, but there are several well done time skips that happen to make things progress nicely. Also the background world building and consequences for actions are rather unique in the progression fantasy style genre and I've very much enjoyed them..

[Elaina Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent story that pulls you into the characters' lives

It is interesting to see the challenges Livara faces as a half human half Elden, as she's physically aging at about half the rate of humans. She'll finally get to college in the next book! The flip side, of course, being that most people she knows are getting older.

Aside from that, there were a lot of challenges in this book and we're introduced to some new threats. There are also several bright points as well. :)

[Les · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great sequel

Livara continues learning magic , she accompanies the Baron and his family to the capital for a meeting of the great council , a rare event, her time in the capital is hectic between duels and murder attempts he meets her birth father for the first time and makes a few friends. Excellent second book.

[Corrin Waller · Rating 5 out of 5]

love it

A great continuation. More world building as the main character moves beyond her home to the bigger world. I highly recommend

[Roberto Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

a bit slow, but very fun. almost like a slice of life but with more story

[Horty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good mix of SoL, politics and action.

[T'sani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal writing.

[Topher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading this on RR, but will likely transition over to adding it to my KU list instead at some point (very likely starting with #5).

[Tony Hinde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pacing was inconsistent. There was an extended section in the middle with no conflict aimed at the protagonist. Without that tension, my interest waned.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read

Great follow up, can’t wait to read the next book. The only thing I’m afraid of is that I’ll read through it too fast!

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very similar in quality to the first book. Still a bit slow paced, but it is always going somewhere.