Loftiest Intelligence

by Paula Baker, Aidan Davies

She was born to break the rules. Magic is forbidden—but Ellie Meredith will master it anyway.

Seventeen-year-old Ellie dreams of studying at the College of Mages. But when her father forbids it, she turns to secret experiments in defiance of the law. Betrayal leads to imprisonment, and her dream is nearly lost—until an ancient elf offers her a second chance.

Outside Castlegate, the world is unraveling. Darklings—once noble heroes, now twisted into half-living horrors—haunt the wilds. Kingdoms teeter on the brink of war. Immortals slip into madness.

To survive, Ellie must navigate rebels, warlocks, and traitors—and choose whether to fight for Order, embrace Chaos, or forge a destiny entirely her own.

Perfect for fans of fractured kingdoms, ancient prophecies, and morally complex heroines.

549 pages, ebook

First published September 5, 2020

About the author

Part of a mother-and-son author team, Paula Baker wrote Rebels of Halklyen, The God Sword and The White Wolf, a middle grade fantasy trilogy, with her son, Aidan Davies. She grew up on a farm in Manitoba where she spent as much time reading as she did building treehouses.

After earning a Bachelor of Music Education from Brandon University and a Masters in Gifted Education from the University of North Texas, she worked as a band teacher and librarian for thirty-five years.

Her writing partnership with Aidan began on the first day of summer holidays after his grade nine year. They decided they would list their names alphabetically on the cover of their book. He was thinking of first names and as a librarian, she knew it was last names that mattered. Over the years, they have developed a system where after discussing the story, he outlines the chapters and she writes them.

She lives in British Columbia, Canada with her husband, two kayaks, five bikes, nine pairs of skis and a well-used pair of hiking boots.

Reviews

[Robin Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of Loftiest Intelligence for my honest review. I really enjoyed all the names of the characters. The story itself was very exciting. Magic is so unpredictable. Then to have so many different kinds of magic, makes it so much more fun. The writing of this book was very good. I can’t wait to read more.

[Holly Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loftiest Intelligence

The authors of Loftiest Intelligence provided some readers a complimentary copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. They did not specify any criteria of the readers.
I believe this book’s target audience is fantasy readers particularly young adults. I am neither.
Having said that, one has to marvel at the creativity and imagination of the authors. I loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter.

There is considerable complexity in the book with a hierarchy of characters historically interwoven with one another through community and family history, power and betrayal.
The undercurrent of morality, good versus evil, personal vulnerability, confidence and humility is conveyed and reinforced throughout a fast paced, action packed tale of fantastic inventiveness. Presumably the gore is part of the appeal.

I can imagine modern movie makers having a field day with special effects to recreate all the magical metamorphoses of the story’s inhabitants.
I certainly was impressed.

[Terry M · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent fantasy with likeable characters, good storyline and plenty of action throughout. I liked Ellie's naive attitude to her use of magic, reacting without thought, although mostly successful. While an ancient elf helps her reach her potential, Ellie is drawn into a world of danger, survival and fighting, facing more than she bargained for. Highly recommended and can't wait for Book 2. Read as an ARC and my review is honest and voluntary.

[Steve Filson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read this takes our female lead from a spoiled little rich girl who dabbles in magic onto a journey that makes her realize everything is NOT what it seems . She becomes a Mages apprentice that saves cities and discovers her true purpose. The sprawling world building is excellent . The Character development brings those characters right into your mind the writing is that good. The Magic can be consuming,or wonderful ( you'll see). No spoilers ,this was an Epic book #1 in what looks to be an Awesome series. I am an Honest ARC reviewer.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loftiest Intelligence (Legend of Order and Chaos Book 1), my eighth read from author Paula Baker, co-written with her son Aidan Davies. A 544-page entertaining & enjoyable epic fantasy adventure. “I received a complementary Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. I'll read more from this author as I get them. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Maria Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loftiest Intelligence is an epic fantasy that burns bright with rebellion, heart, and wonder. Paula Baker and Aidan Davies have created a richly layered world teeming with danger, magic, and moral complexity. Ellie Meredith is a heroine to remember bold, defiant, and achingly human as she pushes against the limits of her world and her own power.

The story unfolds with both sweeping grandeur and intimate emotion. Themes of freedom, forbidden knowledge, and identity pulse through every page, set against a backdrop of fractured kingdoms and unraveling orders. Fans of Throne of Glass, Shadow and Bone, and The Name of the Wind will find themselves utterly transported.

A dazzling blend of magic, defiance, and destiny. Loftiest Intelligence is the kind of fantasy that lingers long after the final page.

[Alan Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow - what a great start to what I am expecting to be another epic series. This book starts with a self-taught mage leaving her home to go to the College of Mages. This sounds simple enough, but she is running away from home and with the help of an ex-teacher from the college they battle their way across the country fighting mages, magical elves, and even gods. It's not all plain sailing, and there is no happy ending for all the players involved so you can expect a roller-coaster ride for your emotions. Awesome stuff.

[David Carriere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loftiest Intelligence is a richly imagined fantasy full of ambition, danger, and the haunting pull of forbidden magic. Ellie’s determination to shape her own fate despite laws, betrayal, and the unraveling of the world around her creates a story that feels both sweeping and deeply personal. With darklings, ancient elves, fractured kingdoms, and a heroine walking the razor edge between Order and Chaos, this is the kind of epic fantasy that grips you from the first secret spell to the final choice. Atmospheric, intense, and wonderfully character-driven.

[Ami Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was full of super heroes and a lot of fighting and gore, but I loved the way the characters were well rounded and had both good and bad qualities! It made them feel more real, and pulled me into the story. The chart growth arc for the main character was very well done, and I was rooting for her throughout the book! I received an ARC copy and this is my review.

[Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in advance of its release to review it. I was very pleased to find that this book was very enjoyable to read. The book had excitement, action and well developed characters in it that kept one wanting more. If you like a book that makes you never want to stop reading it until you are finished with the book, try this one.

[Tony Fecteau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an incredible adventure. Ellie is amazing and will do what is needed to learn magic. Of course, all the other characters are amazing as well. I lost myself reading this book which tells me I was fully immersed in this world.

[Robyn Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very engaging read. Although I’m a bit out of the target audience I fully enjoyed the book. The writing style is excellent. I enjoyed all the characters and the description of all the locations. Looking forward to the next book!

[Laurie Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great start to a new sword and sorcery series. Great characters, descriptive background scenery, questionable alliances, and an angry god. It has it all.

[John Bitsko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The story moves at a fast pace and is loved the world building. The characters are well developed. Excellent start to a series.

[Nolan Kee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic start of a series. Adventure, Betrayal, forbidden magic and a whole lot more. A very good page turning book.

[Raeleane · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!! Incredible!! The first book in the Divine Chaos Saga by Paula Baker and Aiden Davis is absolutely captivating. The world building was unique, vivid, and magical. It kept me intrigued. The MC Ellie, Farragut, and Farmarch were absolutely amazing. They were a joy to get to know and they were so engaging. This story has a lot of action, adventure, new important characters added in, and magic. All the trials that Ellie goes through just to get to the College of Mages. I absolutely love this book and can't wait for the next one. I highly recommend this book!

I received this ARC and I am volunteering my honest review.