The Oasis Mage

Sprite Saga #2

by Zaid Hasan

THE THREE DEATHS ARE COMING. ARE YOU PREPARED?

A year after the Ore Monger’s arrest, the release of the demonic Three Deaths is inevitable. Rafael, Kyoko, Ana, and Naina scramble to uncover the WHERE and WHEN of their arrival.

When Saila’s interrogations of the Ore Monger prove fruitless, she realizes she must confront the truth glaring at her in the mirror: she may not be ready when CATASTROPHE lands at her doorstep.

The Twins, deities of the shapeshifters, must be resurrected to face this evil. But when Salessa realizes another resurrector can’t be trusted, the continent’s SURVIVAL hangs in the balance.

Isolated without her closest allies, under the suspicious gaze of the Prime, Unisa struggles to gather an army. Hope flickers when she gains entry into the Inner Catacomb, but only until she discovers just how DEPRAVED a world she’s forced her way into.

A beast of the sky, a beast of the sea, a beast of the soil. As some heroes race against time to form a plan, and others struggle to maintain the one they have, there may only be one person who can save everyone…and she’s been dead for three thousand years.

THE OASIS MAGE.

ebook

First published May 6, 2026

Reviews

[Elisa Menz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's start by saying I consider The Ore Monger one of the best books I've ever read. Not "the best book by an indie author", one of the best books ever. Period.
Now you can understand my astonishment when I read The Oasis Mage and felt it surpassed my previous experience. One thing is to read a Good Book, but it's a very different one to read something that changes you. That forces you to take a deep look at your own values and experiences, and wonder if there is still room to grow (spoiler alert: there always is).
In The Ore Monger, we read about colonialism, bigotry, racism, and so many social issues that mirror our own convoluted world. The Oasis Mage challenges us to acknowledge injustice and cruelty among our comrades, our leaders, and ourselves. After a hard-won victory against unquestionable evil, our heroes are faced with the responsibility of not perpetuating the cycle of violence while delivering justice. Most of us can't even fathom how hard it must be to know when to punish or when to forgive. It's easy to divide people between "good" and "bad", but that's rarely that simple. One of the greatest achievements of this book is to show that you can't expect to live in peace if you're not open to seeing the world from your enemy's perspective. Not necessarily to agree with them, but to learn from their experiences and understand the source of their malice.
There are no easy solutions, but that doesn't mean we can't keep trying. Fiction sometimes helps us untangle our thoughts and see the world and its people in a different light. That light doesn't always have to be a pyre.

[Samantha L Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

When fictional characters’ experiences become mirrors to our own, illuminating the complexities of life and inspiring deeper self-reflection and insight into human nature!

I was worried about waiting 2 years for book 2 but I fell right back into this amazing world! Highly recommended!!

*Recap*
In book one ‘The Ore Monger’ we’re thrust into a world of turmoil where faeries dominate and harshly rule over fantastical humans, pixies, nymphs, and shapeshifters known as Dorahs. A rebellion discovers a prophecy, of a shapeshifting twin who could free their people. While at the prestigious library that hold power over the knowledge, it is discovered that their society is build on deceit and manipulation. The cast of characters began their quests, some in pursuit of the truth, the other for freedom and justice but they soon realize they’re part of a larger, darker plot. This captivating read left me eager for book 2!

Now in book two, The Oasis Mage, the stakes rise after a successful revolution, freeing the world from the atrocities of the Magafather reign. The group now faces the true puppet masters: the sinister Sprite siblings! The true reason for the prophecy! To save their world again, this time from an impending world-ending war that predates their existence, they must find clues of the sprites’ history to counter the prophecy’s threats, and dismantle the library and right its wrongdoings.

Where book one was more lighthearted, book two took a darker turn into politics and explored the depths of moral accountability. I cannot wait to annotate all the thoughtful and inspiring character quotes. The writing was amazing and not once was I confused with the plethora of characters and their journeys. Book two also highlighted more of the science aspects and blends it well into a fantasy world.
Not often do I wish a book was longer but 50 more pages detailing scenes mentioned in dialogue and those epic battles would’ve been amazing!!!

Thank You Zaid Hasan for another ARC opportunity

[Ayesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Oasis Mage by Zaid Hasan is a sequel to the Ore monger and this book truly exceeded my expectations. The narration, Plot , setting, writing, description of characters everything was just mind-blowing. This time the world was familiar and I just got hooked from the first page. The characters had more depth and the introduction of new characters made this fantasy more interesting.

This Fantasy does discuss various subjects like Power, Injustice, class difference and sensitive topics. I did like how each character had their own parallel Journey. The most unique setting in this story was of Naina and Red lo I did enjoy their conversations a lot and it gave me a perspective on various matters. Then Salessa's Journey on Lover' s plateau was really interesting. Rafael and kyoko were really adorable and his reunion with his mother was really emotional. The most heartbreaking part of this story was Unisa's part. There were times her part made me cry and at the end I just wanted to hug her. She will be my favorite character and she has suffered a lot.Saila was an amazing leader she controlled everything in a brilliant manner and the positive changes she made were heartwarming to read. From new characters Afzal was amazing and I do want to read more about him.

The detailed description of places and characters is truly mesmerizing and It truly made my reading experience extraordinary. I would highly recommend both the books - the Ore monger and The Oasis Mage to anyone who enjoys Fantasy genre and a great writing. It's best to read author's note before diving in the book.

[Stress Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

🏝️🧙🏾‍♀️ The Oasis Mage ARC Review

Book 2 in The Sprite Saga

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Three Deaths are coming. Are you prepared?


📓 After the upheaval in The Ore Monger, new factions rise in a shifting landscape where magic, memory, and control are contested. As hidden powers tied to the oasis mage emerge, characters must navigate fragile alliances, buried histories, and the cost of rewriting a broken world.

1️⃣ The Ore Monger, book 1 of The Sprite Saga, is a book about being shaped by a broken system and the uncomfortable truth that under certain conditions, resistance may be futile, or incomplete.

🫵🏻 The Oasis Mage is for readers who:

• love politically complex, morally grey fantasy
• want non-Eurocentric, culturally layered worlds
• enjoy fantasy blended w/science
• like ensemble casts w/intersecting POVS
• love a diverse and inclusive cast
• enjoy character-driven epics w/ideological conflict
• like stories about oppression, resistance, and historical truth
• enjoy dense (+), immersive worlds that don't spoon feed answers
• loved the politics + ethics + rebellion core of The Ore Monger
• enjoy 'power systems as metaphor' storytelling

📔 The Oasis Mage reads like a natural escalation of The Ore Monger (this is a positive). It investigates what happens when when you try to dismantle injustice, rather than just discovering injustice. The Ore Monger was about seeing the truth; The Oasis Mage is about surviving it—and deciding what to do next.

📓 The Ore Monger established a world rife with oppression, manipulated history, and a rising rebellion. Now, in The Oasis Mage, extends everything outward. I find I'm often a smidge hesitant going into the second book in a series, due to second book syndrome. I'm happy to say that this book doesn't suffer that fate. In fact, I may have loved this one just a smidge more than The Ore Monger. I loved exploring the expanded world and learning new, enriching lore and info. I loved (and hated) that our main cast are still just trying to survive in a world that rewards exploitation (but oh how relevant that is).

This is such an important book. It's beautiful, it's heart wrenching, and I couldn't recommend it more.


📓 Themes, Metaphors, & Deeper Meaning

⚖️ Control of History = Control of Power
The Ore Monger already emphasized manipulated narratives. The Oasis Mage reinforces that, with the oasis itself serving as a literal source of ?? truth ?? and survival as well as a metaphor for suppressed cultural knowledge. Control = stability, but also oppression, whereas rebellion = justice, but also chaos.

Characters are still dealing with an altered history, resource control, and systemic repression of some groups. Propaganda and misinformation are still rampant and colonial (or imperial may be more accurate) power dynamics are still in control. All of which mirror important real world issues.

🚫 Scarcity vs Abundance
Desert vs oasis imagery holds a mirror up to show us artificial scarcity imposed by power structures. Also, that liberation is tied to rediscovering abundance.

🔁 Revolution isn't Clean
Without spoilers, all I'll say is this: expect moral compromise, competing visions of justice, and cycles of power repeating in new forms.

🪪 Identity & Belonging
The characters are caught between factions and histories, while also dealing with inherited guilt vs chosen action and just trying to survive in a world that rewards exploitation.

✍🏼 Hasan's prose is immersive and lyrical, almost poetic at times. It's grounded and emotionally-charged.

Structurally, it's a bit more ambitious than The Ore Monger, and Hasan pulled it off wonderfully. There's a tighter thematic cohesion than in book 1 (something I only noticed after reading book 2). The scope is more broad, more expansive. We get multi-POV that's superbly handled. The meticulous way it's woven and layered results in such an immersive and exciting story.

The dialogue is often character-revealing, which I loved. We get some interesting and thought-provoking ideologic discussions (debates, philosophy, politics, etc) via dialogue, and I really enjoyed that.

⏳Being book 2, there's less necessary set-up prior to jumping in - love that. We still get bursts of action tied to conflict escalation, and the overall pace is a bit faster than book 1. It isn't a light read, it's certainly on the dense side I think, and idea-driven, and I love that.

🗺️ While the bulk of the world is built in The Ore Monger, the world is nicely expanded and enriched in The Oasis Mage. We get additional, layered lore and history, as well as integration of fantasy species with sociopolitical systems (loved this). I love the non-Western setting. I also love how previously hidden layers of the world's past are revealed.

🔮 The bulk of the magic system was developed and explained in book 1, so here's it's about adding more nuance, refining the rules and limits. The magic systems rules are deepened and limits explored. I love power being tied to ore (the real world parallels can't be ignored). Magic isn't free. It must be extracted, processed, and controlled. But that creates a system that's problematic for the masses from the get go. Those who control the resources control magic, therefore, those without access are powerless. It teeters almost into industrialized magic, and I quite enjoyed that. Having magic that's more than a tool, it's also a regulated infrastructure that leads to interesting, albeit problematic, investigation. We get institutions gatekeeping access, knowledge being restricted, and entire populations being exploited and/or excluded. Because of all this, the magic system is inseparable form class, power hierarchies, and propaganda.

👥 We get a diverse, inclusive cast with morally complex characters whose relationships are shaped by war and ideology. The characters are emotionally nuanced, rich in depth, personality, and dimension. I love that we get to see relationships across divides and internal conflicts that mirror external war. I love (but also kind of hate, in the best way) the nuanced way Hasan shows the duality in humanity, how people can be made into evil people.

📚 Read The Oasis Mage if you liked: Of Hoarfrost and Blood (Scarlet Tempest), The Fall Before Flight (Kristine Castillo Negron), Gift of the Shaper (DL Jennings), The Daughters of Izdihar (Hadeer Elsbai), The Unbroken (CL Clark), Grave Empire (Richard Swan), The Final Strife (Saara El-Arifi), The Tethered Mage (Melissa Caruso),
The Fifth Season (NK Jemisin), City of Brass (SA Chakraborty), or The Godsblood Tragedy (Bill Adams).


🫶🏼 Thank you to @ Zaid Hasan for the opportunity to read this gifted eARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and freely given.

[eclecticbychoicereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some book series that come your way and make you question if you were ever truly living before you experienced a story so profound, so deep, and so insightful. That is what Zaid's Sprite Saga was (and is) to me. A true life-altering experience, one that opens your eyes and makes you see things for what they really are. A story that makes you question your reality, not just the fantasy you're so immersed in, and makes you think about the injustices of our world today. And yes, this is a fantasy, but it has its roots in human history, in all its glory and all its darkest depths.

I was one of Zaid's beta readers, and I'm grateful every day for the privilege of witnessing this journey firsthand. After finishing The Oasis Mage, Book 2 of the series, I allowed myself time to recover from reading this masterpiece. Because honestly, no words can fully express how moved I am. I loved The Ore Monger, Book 1, but this sequel? It’s powerful beyond words. People say sequels often suffer from “second book syndrome,” but The Oasis Mage hasn’t caught that illness. It stands firmly on its own two feet.

The amount of backstory is astounding without being overwhelming. It was exactly the insight we needed, and Zaid found the perfect way to deliver it, combing through Red-Lo’s memories, seeing through the villain's eyes, and witnessing the moment everything fell apart.

The growth the characters show is incredible, especially Rafael's. He will forever hold a special place in my heart, and I will root for him until my final breath. But I don't want to leave out Naina and Salessa. Salessa has been through so much, and still, she has never lost her compassion.

The pacing in the Oasis Mage was perfect. So much was happening, and yet it never felt rushed. The transitions between multiple POVs kept the story dynamic and intriguing. I was always engaged, never confused. The plot flowed and developed in a way that was easy to follow, and each character received enough page time for us to understand their motivations.

So, what comes next? The story is far from over, and Zaid remains determined to keep us on the edges of our seats, fully engrossed and loving every moment of this beautiful and impactful saga.

Thank you, Zaid, for having me as your beta and ARC reader. It's an honor I will never take lightly.

[Roger Sandri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been pondering for a few days how to do justice to this book in a review. Finally, I decided I don’t have the words for it.

Those words are in The Oasis Mage. Read it, and you shall see the beauty of the story. How a science fantasy world weaves important current events and societal issues together with a unique world and characters all so real you feel like you’re right there… the author weaves it all with such delicate skill like the most beautiful tapestry you’ll ever see.

Detestable villains? What made them how they are will come into focus and have you pity them. Lovable heroes? You’ll cringe at their decisions, wishing you could advise them otherwise (here’s looking at you in particular, Salessa. I love you, but man, please stop learning the hard way so often, OK?)

One thing which struck me was how the author’s touch with characters’ traumas echoes Tolkien so. Some are able to fight through it and put up a strong facade of normalcy (Kyoko), others are heroic in their brokenness (Unissa), and others walk a tightrope between growth and descent (Rafael).

While this book is not as action-heavy as The Ore Monger due to the focus on character growth or prophecy, the action still has that vivid anime feel that made Ore Monger so immersive. The psychological aspects draw you in just as well, and in my opinion are handled better than the renowned Attack on Titan. It’s a much lower body count in this book, but that doesn’t make the deaths which do happen any less impactful.

Nature vs nurture is another major theme through the book. Red-Lo shows this in particular, along with new characters Tund-Ra, Afzal, Lexona, and Zoya. My personal favorite sections of the story included Tund-Ra’s interactions with Saila and the Naina/Red-Lo ‘bonding’. Of course, Naina cemented herself further as my favorite character in the series beyond her role in Ore Monger. Her attitude is always *chef’s kiss*

Sometimes a sequel is even stronger than the first book in a series. This is one of those times, and if six stars were possible, The Oasis Mage would still be nudging me in the ribs to add a seventh.

[Shiyanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great continuation to the story. The Oasis Mage is great story. Some of the topics were much heavier than the first. I don’t know it’s weird to say but the author took great care in explaining what happened to those who were under the thumb of the Prime. The story continues with multiple povs and yes it was hard to keep up however it’s so similar to book 1 you catch on quick. I feel like every character was drug down to their lowest and faced a different form of rebirth. One thing I wish was a bit better was the battle seen with the 3 deaths. I can understand why you wouldn’t want to rehash each section with the same end result. I honestly would have enjoyed the telling from the Seabed’s pov vs EverEmber because i wish I could read just how wrong they were and the lives taken.
I have so many thoughts I don’t even know how to articulate it.
The pov of salessa was hard to deal with too. I knew from the beginning that Lexi was up to no good. It kind of hurt to know that she was so desperate to hold onto what it was. But then I remember she was an orphan. 21 years old and always looking for safely and love and think she didn’t really want to let that go. I was so proud of her in the end finally taking her strength back. I wonder if book 3 will have a pov for Lexi because isn’t she apart of the twins. Was the ritual actually necessary? I have so many questions
And now to wait for book 3!