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The Age of Darkness Trilogy #2
Bloodmage
The people of Perizzi have survived the battlemage war, but their future is looking darker than ever.
BYRNE is a Guardian of the Peace, investigating a series of murders in which the corpse was drained entirely of life.
FRAY's expertise with magic is needed to catch the killer, but working with the Guardians destroyed his father, years before.
CHOSS is a champion fighter, trying to diffuse a war in the underworld that threatens to turn the streets red with rivers of blood.
KATJA is a spy from a foreign land, attempting to prevent a massacre that will topple two dynasties and destroy the fragile peace in the city for ever.
Guardians and spies, assassins and criminals will clash on the streets in this magic-fuelled adventure from the author of Battlemage.
BYRNE is a Guardian of the Peace, investigating a series of murders in which the corpse was drained entirely of life.
FRAY's expertise with magic is needed to catch the killer, but working with the Guardians destroyed his father, years before.
CHOSS is a champion fighter, trying to diffuse a war in the underworld that threatens to turn the streets red with rivers of blood.
KATJA is a spy from a foreign land, attempting to prevent a massacre that will topple two dynasties and destroy the fragile peace in the city for ever.
Guardians and spies, assassins and criminals will clash on the streets in this magic-fuelled adventure from the author of Battlemage.
529 pages, Paperback
First published April 12, 2016
125 people are currently reading
1804 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Aryan
17 books753 followersI’m a lifelong fan of fantasy and science fiction. It started with The Hobbit, The Belgariad, the Earthsea books, the Shannara books, DragonLance and then David Gemmell, who was a huge influence on my writing.
My novels include:-
The Nightingale and the Falcon trilogy
The Judas Blossom (July 2023)
The Blood Dimmed Tide (9 July 2024)
The Judas Blossom 3 (July 2025)
The Quest for Heroes duology
-The Coward (June 2021)
- The Warrior (August 2022)
Age of Darkness (first trilogy)
- Battlemage
- Bloodmage
- Chaosmage
Age of Dread (second trilogy)
-Mageborn
-Magefall
-Magebane
A prequel novella to everything, Of Gods and Men, was published in February 2018.
I am represented by Juliet Mushens of Mushens Entertainment.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
March 12, 2020
Rating: 2.9/5
Review: Again with the bad cover art.
This installment resides in the same world, during the same period with different characters other than a few. Talandra is back in a supporting role along with Vargus. If you are into Palace intrigue, spies and the brutal underbelly of a city, then this is for you. There are still battles yet they take on a personal edge as our heroes are at the forefront of most.
I was entertained despite a lot of truncated scenes. This “Bam!, Boof! we are done and everything is resolved, so let’s move on” type of writing leaves much to be desired. Like poignancy’s gift to a well developed story line. Did I care about Fray, Munroe or Goraxx? Not really. As main characters they never developed to the point where their loss might affect your ability to buy the next in the series. They were just average in development and shallow in depth. Even Choss, whom was the pivot point for most of the action, was not to be missed should he catch a fatal steel bolt through an eye.
Lack of character development, when there is plenty of movement, usually spells disaster for most novels as there really is no excuse to not imbibe them with depth. Sacrificing characterization for the sake of raw entertainment renders the story line mundane. Mathew Riley’s novels encompass the same ideals and always leave you a little empty.
Let us hope that Chaosmage pumps the brakes a bit and allows for depth to be built.
Review: Again with the bad cover art.
This installment resides in the same world, during the same period with different characters other than a few. Talandra is back in a supporting role along with Vargus. If you are into Palace intrigue, spies and the brutal underbelly of a city, then this is for you. There are still battles yet they take on a personal edge as our heroes are at the forefront of most.
I was entertained despite a lot of truncated scenes. This “Bam!, Boof! we are done and everything is resolved, so let’s move on” type of writing leaves much to be desired. Like poignancy’s gift to a well developed story line. Did I care about Fray, Munroe or Goraxx? Not really. As main characters they never developed to the point where their loss might affect your ability to buy the next in the series. They were just average in development and shallow in depth. Even Choss, whom was the pivot point for most of the action, was not to be missed should he catch a fatal steel bolt through an eye.
Lack of character development, when there is plenty of movement, usually spells disaster for most novels as there really is no excuse to not imbibe them with depth. Sacrificing characterization for the sake of raw entertainment renders the story line mundane. Mathew Riley’s novels encompass the same ideals and always leave you a little empty.
Let us hope that Chaosmage pumps the brakes a bit and allows for depth to be built.
April 6, 2023
I loved this book even more than Battlemage (book 1).
Aryan really knows how to write a good battle scene,whether its a huge battle in the middle of a war like in Battlemage,or smaller hand to hand street fights like in this one.
I was glad to see some characters from Battlemage make an appearance,and again the author managed to add more characters that I liked and wanted to root for.
This story had a more intimate feel because it takes place mainly in the city where its own criminal underworld has a significant role to play (which happens to be a favourite plot of mine).
While there is plenty of action,its smaller in scale. There is a magical murder mystery to solve, an assassination plot to be foiled and a civil war between different criminal families to be averted. So this story focuses more on intrigue and mystery than on straight up battle scenes.
Again the pacing was great,the world building is becoming more expansive as we learn more about the different peoples inhabiting this world and the action is exciting and well done.
As I mentioned earlier,I just like Aryan's characters. I think he balances them well and gives them plenty of depth and diversity.
Also each of these books can be read as standalones if you are not in the mood for a series. Personally,I am really enjoying my back to back reading of them and I'm looking forward to starting Chaosmage tomorrow 😁
Aryan really knows how to write a good battle scene,whether its a huge battle in the middle of a war like in Battlemage,or smaller hand to hand street fights like in this one.
I was glad to see some characters from Battlemage make an appearance,and again the author managed to add more characters that I liked and wanted to root for.
This story had a more intimate feel because it takes place mainly in the city where its own criminal underworld has a significant role to play (which happens to be a favourite plot of mine).
While there is plenty of action,its smaller in scale. There is a magical murder mystery to solve, an assassination plot to be foiled and a civil war between different criminal families to be averted. So this story focuses more on intrigue and mystery than on straight up battle scenes.
Again the pacing was great,the world building is becoming more expansive as we learn more about the different peoples inhabiting this world and the action is exciting and well done.
As I mentioned earlier,I just like Aryan's characters. I think he balances them well and gives them plenty of depth and diversity.
Also each of these books can be read as standalones if you are not in the mood for a series. Personally,I am really enjoying my back to back reading of them and I'm looking forward to starting Chaosmage tomorrow 😁
April 25, 2016
Bloodmage introduces us to new characters but also reunite us with a couple of old ones.
Fray was the character I liked the most. He is easy to connect with; he's been through a lot but he still managed to survive. He isn't complaining about the past but is simply taking what life is giving him. I liked his story - it showed how magic had a huge impact on individual lifes. His story also showed how the view on magic hugely changed after Balfruss (who didn't make a return which made me sad. I miss Balfruss.)
Byrne is a friend, almost a father figure, to Fray and that's mostly how I saw him; I don't feel like I got to know him very well and I was a bit indifferent to him. However he meant a lot to Fray and he made his impact that way.
Choss was a character I had trouble connecting to in the beginning; I thought he was a good character but he seemed almost invincible and very narrow minded. However in the second half of the book I really started to like him and cheer him on. Turned out he is just as human as the rest of us - he isn't a perfect robot without feelings. After Fray he was the character I liked the most. I really liked Gorrax too!
Katja ended up being the character I felt indifferent about - I see why she was important for the story and I did like her character too. However her story just didn't interest me as much as the other characters' did.
I was really glad to see Talandra again - she really developed into her role as queen.
The storyline itself was slower than Battlemage which isn't necessarily a bad thing - I liked that we actually got to see how much the war changed the world. It left a huge scar that has yet to fade. It saddened me to read We're clearly dealing with a country and it's people that are still healing.
Overall I really, really enjoyed Bloodmage. I really missed the universe and even though we're mostly following new characters, it was characters that were interesting and easy to like.
Fray was the character I liked the most. He is easy to connect with; he's been through a lot but he still managed to survive. He isn't complaining about the past but is simply taking what life is giving him. I liked his story - it showed how magic had a huge impact on individual lifes. His story also showed how the view on magic hugely changed after Balfruss (who didn't make a return which made me sad. I miss Balfruss.)
Byrne is a friend, almost a father figure, to Fray and that's mostly how I saw him; I don't feel like I got to know him very well and I was a bit indifferent to him. However he meant a lot to Fray and he made his impact that way.
Choss was a character I had trouble connecting to in the beginning; I thought he was a good character but he seemed almost invincible and very narrow minded. However in the second half of the book I really started to like him and cheer him on. Turned out he is just as human as the rest of us - he isn't a perfect robot without feelings. After Fray he was the character I liked the most. I really liked Gorrax too!
Katja ended up being the character I felt indifferent about - I see why she was important for the story and I did like her character too. However her story just didn't interest me as much as the other characters' did.
I was really glad to see Talandra again - she really developed into her role as queen.
The storyline itself was slower than Battlemage which isn't necessarily a bad thing - I liked that we actually got to see how much the war changed the world. It left a huge scar that has yet to fade. It saddened me to read We're clearly dealing with a country and it's people that are still healing.
Overall I really, really enjoyed Bloodmage. I really missed the universe and even though we're mostly following new characters, it was characters that were interesting and easy to like.
April 30, 2022
3.5 ☆☆☆
Unfortunately not as good as the first book in the series. With how high the ratings were for this book I was expecting something truly spectacular. What I got was a decent book but not as captivating as the original.
The characters were meh. I only cared for a few of them. In the first book I adored all the characters, even the side characters. However I did appreciate that the most bad ass character in Bloodmage turned out to be one of the side characters. That was a lovely twist. I also noted the sneaky appearance of a mage who was suppose to have died from the first book.
I felt that we didn't dive as deeply into to world and culture in this book either, which was disappointing for me as that's what had me so engaged in the first book.
I'll continue to read this series as I do really like the world that has been created, and I'm interested to see what new powers will be explored next. The author has a vivid imagination with the skill to allow us to explore it with them.
Unfortunately not as good as the first book in the series. With how high the ratings were for this book I was expecting something truly spectacular. What I got was a decent book but not as captivating as the original.
The characters were meh. I only cared for a few of them. In the first book I adored all the characters, even the side characters. However I did appreciate that the most bad ass character in Bloodmage turned out to be one of the side characters. That was a lovely twist. I also noted the sneaky appearance of a mage who was suppose to have died from the first book.
I felt that we didn't dive as deeply into to world and culture in this book either, which was disappointing for me as that's what had me so engaged in the first book.
I'll continue to read this series as I do really like the world that has been created, and I'm interested to see what new powers will be explored next. The author has a vivid imagination with the skill to allow us to explore it with them.
February 17, 2021
Bloodmage is the second book in Stephen Aryan’s series Age of Darkness and the sequel to his first book in the series, Battlemage. It may seem odd starting out in books reviewing with a ‘second book’ (yes, you read that right, this is my first ever book review) but bear with me…. there is method to my madness, I promise.
During the summer of the first lockdown, I spent many an afternoon curled up on a sun lounger gripped to Aryan’s second series Age of Dread. It was with these books that my love of fantasy slowly but surely began.
By the time I had finished the first book, Mageborn, I was (to my Husband’s delight) completely hooked. It is honestly the first time in my life that I have not been able to put a book down. Growing up believing I truly had no imagination whatsoever, fantasy as a genre just was not something that had ever appealed to me. But boy was this all about to change!
Out of lockdown boredom grew my need and want for reading. And not just any reading, but fantasy as a genre. It became my means of escapism, indulging myself in a life full of magic, adventure and imagination at its best. I was able to forget all the chaos going on in the world (and immediate surroundings with three young children at home!) and just be in the present, enjoying what was there right in front of me…. a great book, a perfectly brewed cup of coffee and peace from the children for five minutes!
I finished the series Age of Dread in record time and was officially a fully-fledged fantasy convert. Hungry for more I looked at what else Stephen Aryan had to offer, and you can imagine my surprise when I found out that he had a first series Age of Darkness which I had somehow totally missed! Excited was an understatement – I could not wait to get stuck in.
I hungrily started the first book in this series, Battlemage, and once again I was thrown into the world of fantasy. This book was more fast paced and gripping, taking me back in time to when some of the characters I had grown to love from the second series were young, inexperienced and just starting out on their journeys into the people they would later become.
I was once again completely hooked and enjoying my new form of escapism in between the madness of home-schooling two young children with a toddler in tow. Reading not only became my means of escape but also the only thing keeping me sane during these testing times.
Unfortunately, within a few weeks of starting Battlemage my days spent reading and home-schooling came to an abrupt end and ‘real life’ resumed. Back to the fast-paced days with endless school drop-offs and pick-ups, my newfound love suddenly had to take a back seat. A few months went by when I ashamedly did not pick up a single book. I soon found myself tense, drained and with very little patience once again.
But what had changed? I suddenly realised that in the rush to get back to some kind of ’normal’, the time I had managed to carve out for myself over the last few months with my newfound love of reading had suddenly disappeared. I never thought I would hear myself say it, but to my surprise I realised I was missing reading. Not just any reading but reading fantasy.
From that moment on, I made a decision that each day I would carve out some ‘me time’ where I would pick up a book and just lose myself in it, even if its just 10 minutes some days, I realised how much I needed it. So, I picked Battlemage back up and started where I left off. Trouble was, my memory has never been the best, even worse three children later, so I was having trouble remembering who was who and what was going on. I was so close to the end that I persevered and although I finished it and thoroughly enjoyed, I still feel I need to re-read the book before reviewing to really do it justice. So, to cut a long story short, this is why my first review will now be of Bloodmage, the second book in Stephen Aryan’s series Age of Darkness.
Review –
Bloodmage is the second book in Stephen Aryan’s series Age of Darkness and the sequel to his first book in the series, Battlemage. If you are looking for a gritty, dark, and gutsy book to get your teeth in to then Bloodmage is for you. Full of dark allies, spies, murders and magic, Stephen Aryan definitely does not disappoint with his second book in his series the Age of Darkness.
Set in the main town of Perizzi during the aftermath of the previous war, there are plenty of new and intriguing characters as well as some of the old faithful’s from the first book, with Talandra and Vargus both playing a part in the unravelling of the plot. The story follows the lives of four main characters as their lives cleverly intersect leading them all to the ultimate battle with the Flesh Mage.
Along the way Aryan cleverly explores many themes including turf wars, undercover assassination plots, magic and human nature both at its best and at its worst. With a slower pace to that of its predecessor, Battlemage, Aryan has more time to develop characters, whilst building plenty of tension and intrigue along the way.
Each character has their own internal fight as well as their ultimate combined one against the Flesh Mage in the last battle scene. Once again, Aryan does not disappoint with his fast-paced, gripping, edge of your seat style writing in this scene in particular. After getting to know each of the main characters so well throughout the book, I couldn’t help but feel fully and completely invested in the final battle. Aryan left me on tender hooks throughout and once again not wanting to put the book down….sorry kids, home-schooling took a backseat that day!
During the summer of the first lockdown, I spent many an afternoon curled up on a sun lounger gripped to Aryan’s second series Age of Dread. It was with these books that my love of fantasy slowly but surely began.
By the time I had finished the first book, Mageborn, I was (to my Husband’s delight) completely hooked. It is honestly the first time in my life that I have not been able to put a book down. Growing up believing I truly had no imagination whatsoever, fantasy as a genre just was not something that had ever appealed to me. But boy was this all about to change!
Out of lockdown boredom grew my need and want for reading. And not just any reading, but fantasy as a genre. It became my means of escapism, indulging myself in a life full of magic, adventure and imagination at its best. I was able to forget all the chaos going on in the world (and immediate surroundings with three young children at home!) and just be in the present, enjoying what was there right in front of me…. a great book, a perfectly brewed cup of coffee and peace from the children for five minutes!
I finished the series Age of Dread in record time and was officially a fully-fledged fantasy convert. Hungry for more I looked at what else Stephen Aryan had to offer, and you can imagine my surprise when I found out that he had a first series Age of Darkness which I had somehow totally missed! Excited was an understatement – I could not wait to get stuck in.
I hungrily started the first book in this series, Battlemage, and once again I was thrown into the world of fantasy. This book was more fast paced and gripping, taking me back in time to when some of the characters I had grown to love from the second series were young, inexperienced and just starting out on their journeys into the people they would later become.
I was once again completely hooked and enjoying my new form of escapism in between the madness of home-schooling two young children with a toddler in tow. Reading not only became my means of escape but also the only thing keeping me sane during these testing times.
Unfortunately, within a few weeks of starting Battlemage my days spent reading and home-schooling came to an abrupt end and ‘real life’ resumed. Back to the fast-paced days with endless school drop-offs and pick-ups, my newfound love suddenly had to take a back seat. A few months went by when I ashamedly did not pick up a single book. I soon found myself tense, drained and with very little patience once again.
But what had changed? I suddenly realised that in the rush to get back to some kind of ’normal’, the time I had managed to carve out for myself over the last few months with my newfound love of reading had suddenly disappeared. I never thought I would hear myself say it, but to my surprise I realised I was missing reading. Not just any reading but reading fantasy.
From that moment on, I made a decision that each day I would carve out some ‘me time’ where I would pick up a book and just lose myself in it, even if its just 10 minutes some days, I realised how much I needed it. So, I picked Battlemage back up and started where I left off. Trouble was, my memory has never been the best, even worse three children later, so I was having trouble remembering who was who and what was going on. I was so close to the end that I persevered and although I finished it and thoroughly enjoyed, I still feel I need to re-read the book before reviewing to really do it justice. So, to cut a long story short, this is why my first review will now be of Bloodmage, the second book in Stephen Aryan’s series Age of Darkness.
Review –
Bloodmage is the second book in Stephen Aryan’s series Age of Darkness and the sequel to his first book in the series, Battlemage. If you are looking for a gritty, dark, and gutsy book to get your teeth in to then Bloodmage is for you. Full of dark allies, spies, murders and magic, Stephen Aryan definitely does not disappoint with his second book in his series the Age of Darkness.
Set in the main town of Perizzi during the aftermath of the previous war, there are plenty of new and intriguing characters as well as some of the old faithful’s from the first book, with Talandra and Vargus both playing a part in the unravelling of the plot. The story follows the lives of four main characters as their lives cleverly intersect leading them all to the ultimate battle with the Flesh Mage.
Along the way Aryan cleverly explores many themes including turf wars, undercover assassination plots, magic and human nature both at its best and at its worst. With a slower pace to that of its predecessor, Battlemage, Aryan has more time to develop characters, whilst building plenty of tension and intrigue along the way.
Each character has their own internal fight as well as their ultimate combined one against the Flesh Mage in the last battle scene. Once again, Aryan does not disappoint with his fast-paced, gripping, edge of your seat style writing in this scene in particular. After getting to know each of the main characters so well throughout the book, I couldn’t help but feel fully and completely invested in the final battle. Aryan left me on tender hooks throughout and once again not wanting to put the book down….sorry kids, home-schooling took a backseat that day!
November 1, 2016
A different book and style compared to the 1st. Has more of a murder mystery than larger battle scenes like the 1st. Enjoyed singular characters however just didnt event the wheel. Still enjoyed it.
September 29, 2018
A strong continuation to the series, though it can also be read as a standalone. The story and the plot has very little connection to the first novel, although reading the first will help the reader in understanding the fanatsy world created by Stephen in better terms. The story begins right after the end of the war which we got to witness in Battlemage . I enjoyed reading it which has a sense of mystery throughout, and keeps the reader guessing.
The setting this time is in Yerskania where a series of murders takes place, and the city is clogged by a sense of fear. The Guardians investigate the matter and deems it magical. Here Aryan describes the condition of the kingdoms after the devastating war. Magic is now treated as something dangerous, and wizards and sorcery has become anathema to the people who are afraid of its power. As such, the peace is fragile. We get to know about Yerskania a lot more as Aryan describes its politics, the criminal world, its economy and trade. There is a lot of espionage stuff here, assasination plots, conspiracies which keeps the tension high.
I particularly enjoyed reading about the Guardians, and the crime families of Yerskania. The interwar gang politics was pretty grim stuff. The characterization was again brilliant too. I liked Choss and his friendship with the Vorga, and his relationship with Munroe. Needless to say, there is a lot of body count here, and the fights were excellently bloody and riveting. The character of Fray was an solid entry. His magical ability of sensing magic and connecting with the dead was interesting which helped in escalating the investigation. I liked seeing him battling the antagonist and his attempts at honing his magical abilities. We also meet a few of the familiar characters which we saw in the previous novel, but they just make an cameo.
Bloodmage was a perfectly entertaining novel with suspense and thrill of an epic murder mystery. The pacing is fast and keeps the reader enthusiastic about what's going to happen. There was not a single boring moment, as the author keeps juggling the events of the plot in perfect synchronization. The scope of epicness which we saw in Battlemage is however absent, but, it was no big deal. I liked it better this way and urge other readers to pick it soon if they have read the first novel. There'll be no regrets, this I guarantee.
The setting this time is in Yerskania where a series of murders takes place, and the city is clogged by a sense of fear. The Guardians investigate the matter and deems it magical. Here Aryan describes the condition of the kingdoms after the devastating war. Magic is now treated as something dangerous, and wizards and sorcery has become anathema to the people who are afraid of its power. As such, the peace is fragile. We get to know about Yerskania a lot more as Aryan describes its politics, the criminal world, its economy and trade. There is a lot of espionage stuff here, assasination plots, conspiracies which keeps the tension high.
I particularly enjoyed reading about the Guardians, and the crime families of Yerskania. The interwar gang politics was pretty grim stuff. The characterization was again brilliant too. I liked Choss and his friendship with the Vorga, and his relationship with Munroe. Needless to say, there is a lot of body count here, and the fights were excellently bloody and riveting. The character of Fray was an solid entry. His magical ability of sensing magic and connecting with the dead was interesting which helped in escalating the investigation. I liked seeing him battling the antagonist and his attempts at honing his magical abilities. We also meet a few of the familiar characters which we saw in the previous novel, but they just make an cameo.
Bloodmage was a perfectly entertaining novel with suspense and thrill of an epic murder mystery. The pacing is fast and keeps the reader enthusiastic about what's going to happen. There was not a single boring moment, as the author keeps juggling the events of the plot in perfect synchronization. The scope of epicness which we saw in Battlemage is however absent, but, it was no big deal. I liked it better this way and urge other readers to pick it soon if they have read the first novel. There'll be no regrets, this I guarantee.
January 8, 2023
The second book of the age of darkness trilogy is a bit misleading, as you would think to continue the adventures of the characters from the first book. Instead you get introduced and know a new group of characters with whom you fall in love with too. Very gripping from the start with a lot of plots to follow. Thoroughly enjoyed this epic fantasy and can not wait to start the third of the series.
May 12, 2016
Aryan continues to impress with this follow up to Battlemage. A very different book to his debut, but still well worth a read. Full review to come.
January 4, 2019
The last book was all about war, while this one have spies, "cops" and criminals.
Byrne and Fray are guardians who are investigating horrible murders. I liked them and their hunt for the killer.
Choss is trying to find what happened at a recent fight and that brings us the underworld. I was not that keen on Choss or his investigations. The best part was when Butcher showed up
A character from book 1 is hanging about and I so wanted more about him, but alas.
Katja is a spy who is sent to infiltrate bad guys who are trying to assassinate two queens. I think I like what she did during the daytime more than her spying, her daytime was interesting. Everything these characters are doing will come together at the end one way or another.
I enjoy this series. It is light (in the way written!) I know I say that a lot and everyone thinks ohh light, no no, not the actual story. I mean people are butchered. But who it is written cos the story flows and I read it fast. And now I want book 3! Which again will be about new character! Arghh, I so want the god stuff! Please just give that to me.
Enjoyable and fun!
Byrne and Fray are guardians who are investigating horrible murders. I liked them and their hunt for the killer.
Choss is trying to find what happened at a recent fight and that brings us the underworld. I was not that keen on Choss or his investigations. The best part was when Butcher showed up
A character from book 1 is hanging about and I so wanted more about him, but alas.
Katja is a spy who is sent to infiltrate bad guys who are trying to assassinate two queens. I think I like what she did during the daytime more than her spying, her daytime was interesting. Everything these characters are doing will come together at the end one way or another.
I enjoy this series. It is light (in the way written!) I know I say that a lot and everyone thinks ohh light, no no, not the actual story. I mean people are butchered. But who it is written cos the story flows and I read it fast. And now I want book 3! Which again will be about new character! Arghh, I so want the god stuff! Please just give that to me.
Enjoyable and fun!
March 21, 2018
Like the first book, this one was truly a pleasure to read through. If there is one thing I'd like to mention, it is the amount of attention the author gives to character building and that alone makes the world come truly alive.
August 30, 2025
Set in the world of "Battlemage" this story can also be read by its own. It's a kind of mafia - crime - fantasy mix with a whole cast of new characters. Only few of the characters from volume one are mentioned. The story is good but not extraordinary. I enjoyed reading this story and i'm looking forward to read the third volume as well.
April 21, 2016
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2016/04/21/...
After the great time I had with Battlemage, and given my fondness for epic fantasy audiobooks, I decided to switch formats for the second book of the Age of Darkness series and give Bloodmage a try in audio. I was pleased to find that it worked very well, even though the sequel is a very different kind of story from its predecessor.
Bloodmage takes place in the aftermath of the first book, and some months have passed since the great battlemage war. However, the world still lives under dark times, and they’re about to get even darker. A string of disturbing murders have put the city on high alert and the Guardians of the Peace tasked to investigate are baffled by the strange way the victims were killed. At one of the crime scenes, Guardian Byrne finds a corpse entirely drained of life. Soon after, he takes on a protégé named Fray, who is also the son of his former mentor and a powerful magician still learning to master his talents. Together they search for clues to find the killer, and discover that pieces of the puzzle may actually lie in the past.
Meanwhile, Choss, a champion fighter, is involved at an arena where one of the gruesome incidents took place. The incident has not helped the tensions in the underworld, where a secret war has been brewing between the bosses, and soon the violence will spill into the streets unless someone steps up to do something about it. In the shadows, powerful forces are playing a different game, and an undercover agent named Katja in town spying for her foreign queen. A group of dissidents have been plotting against the monarch, and Katja must infiltrate their ranks and disrupt their bloodthirsty plans before they can come to fruition.
Like I said, compared to the first book, Bloodmage takes the story in a very different direction, and with the exception of a few returning faces from Battlemage who play very minor roles in this one, this sequel also stars a whole new cast of characters. If you’re wondering if this makes it possible to read Bloodmage on its own as a standalone, the answer is yes. In fact, this is the second epic fantasy sequel I’ve read this year that follows this trend and I am hoping it will continue; this makes the books so much more accessible and removes the barrier for new readers who might want to jump right in, if the description of Bloodmage piques your interest.
In essence, this book reads and feels much like a murder mystery, so that the tone and style is pretty far removed from Battlemage. The scope of the story is not as vast and there are far less sweeping battles. Instead, almost all of the clashes in this book are carried out on a more local scale—and they’re more personal. Depending on the type of story you were expecting, this can either be a positive or negative thing. I feel we get to know the characters on a deeper level in this book, but we do lose the some of the “epicness” of the setting and conflicts that I love so much in Battlemage. Since it takes time for a mystery to unravel and other conspiracies to play out, the pacing of Bloodmage also feels more gradual and controlled, so that if you liked the powerful momentum of Battlemage you might find the sequel slower and more subdued in comparison.
Personally, I might have preferred the energy of the first book more because I can’t help but be drawn to fast-paced action. On the other hand, I also love a good mystery on occasion, so Bloodmage also appealed to me in this sense. Ultimately, which book works better for you will come down to a matter of taste, but I must also add that this is worth reading if you enjoyed the first book, since here you will get to experience the fallout from its ending. Characters in Bloodmage still speak of the final showdown between Balfruss and the warlock in hushed whispers of awe, transforming the events of the first book into something like legend. And even though the returning characters from Battlemage appear or are mentioned only briefly, it was still interesting to catch up with some of them and see what they’re up to now, especially Talandra and Vargus.
I’m also happy with my experience with the audiobook. I’ve heard good things about narrator Matt Addis from his performance for the audio edition of Battlemage, and he has taken up the role again for the sequel. He does a great job with his tones and inflections, helping distinguish different speakers which is very helpful in a story with a relatively big cast.
Now I’m extremely curious to see what the final installment of the trilogy will bring. Will book three, Chaosmage, be another standalone-type story? Will it tie everything together, drawing from both Battlemage and Bloodmage? What tone will it take and what kind of surprises will it have in store? I’m definitely looking forward to finding out.
After the great time I had with Battlemage, and given my fondness for epic fantasy audiobooks, I decided to switch formats for the second book of the Age of Darkness series and give Bloodmage a try in audio. I was pleased to find that it worked very well, even though the sequel is a very different kind of story from its predecessor.
Bloodmage takes place in the aftermath of the first book, and some months have passed since the great battlemage war. However, the world still lives under dark times, and they’re about to get even darker. A string of disturbing murders have put the city on high alert and the Guardians of the Peace tasked to investigate are baffled by the strange way the victims were killed. At one of the crime scenes, Guardian Byrne finds a corpse entirely drained of life. Soon after, he takes on a protégé named Fray, who is also the son of his former mentor and a powerful magician still learning to master his talents. Together they search for clues to find the killer, and discover that pieces of the puzzle may actually lie in the past.
Meanwhile, Choss, a champion fighter, is involved at an arena where one of the gruesome incidents took place. The incident has not helped the tensions in the underworld, where a secret war has been brewing between the bosses, and soon the violence will spill into the streets unless someone steps up to do something about it. In the shadows, powerful forces are playing a different game, and an undercover agent named Katja in town spying for her foreign queen. A group of dissidents have been plotting against the monarch, and Katja must infiltrate their ranks and disrupt their bloodthirsty plans before they can come to fruition.
Like I said, compared to the first book, Bloodmage takes the story in a very different direction, and with the exception of a few returning faces from Battlemage who play very minor roles in this one, this sequel also stars a whole new cast of characters. If you’re wondering if this makes it possible to read Bloodmage on its own as a standalone, the answer is yes. In fact, this is the second epic fantasy sequel I’ve read this year that follows this trend and I am hoping it will continue; this makes the books so much more accessible and removes the barrier for new readers who might want to jump right in, if the description of Bloodmage piques your interest.
In essence, this book reads and feels much like a murder mystery, so that the tone and style is pretty far removed from Battlemage. The scope of the story is not as vast and there are far less sweeping battles. Instead, almost all of the clashes in this book are carried out on a more local scale—and they’re more personal. Depending on the type of story you were expecting, this can either be a positive or negative thing. I feel we get to know the characters on a deeper level in this book, but we do lose the some of the “epicness” of the setting and conflicts that I love so much in Battlemage. Since it takes time for a mystery to unravel and other conspiracies to play out, the pacing of Bloodmage also feels more gradual and controlled, so that if you liked the powerful momentum of Battlemage you might find the sequel slower and more subdued in comparison.
Personally, I might have preferred the energy of the first book more because I can’t help but be drawn to fast-paced action. On the other hand, I also love a good mystery on occasion, so Bloodmage also appealed to me in this sense. Ultimately, which book works better for you will come down to a matter of taste, but I must also add that this is worth reading if you enjoyed the first book, since here you will get to experience the fallout from its ending. Characters in Bloodmage still speak of the final showdown between Balfruss and the warlock in hushed whispers of awe, transforming the events of the first book into something like legend. And even though the returning characters from Battlemage appear or are mentioned only briefly, it was still interesting to catch up with some of them and see what they’re up to now, especially Talandra and Vargus.
I’m also happy with my experience with the audiobook. I’ve heard good things about narrator Matt Addis from his performance for the audio edition of Battlemage, and he has taken up the role again for the sequel. He does a great job with his tones and inflections, helping distinguish different speakers which is very helpful in a story with a relatively big cast.
Now I’m extremely curious to see what the final installment of the trilogy will bring. Will book three, Chaosmage, be another standalone-type story? Will it tie everything together, drawing from both Battlemage and Bloodmage? What tone will it take and what kind of surprises will it have in store? I’m definitely looking forward to finding out.
November 18, 2017
Excellent. Une première partie qui ressemble presque à un roman policier avec une enquête suite à la découverte d'un cadavre et tout, mais dans la deuxième moitiée et particulièrement le dernier tiers, on se retrouve à fond dans le fantastique/fantasy avec un combat de mage assez épique. Relativement original, divertissant et une histoire qui tient la route, j'ai beaucoup aimé. Certains personnages du premier tome reviennent, mais il y a quand même une coupure assez marquée, une suite oui et non, il y a des liens, mais j'espère que le trosième et dernier tome unifiera le tout pour combler l'histoire, faire les liens manquants et répondre à certains mystères qui plannent toujours.
August 15, 2016
I loved the first on this series and was my choice for David Gemmell Morningstar award this year . This instalment is different than the first in that because the wars over and the warlock defeated there is no big battle scenes and less magic . We focus more on a new group of characters with equal flaws but and that's a big but I feel it's better we become more hooked on the lives of the cast and for me I loved choss most and fray a close second . At the end you can see it links well in to the series and the final book looks to be a true epic !!
April 16, 2022
Good book and a fun read. I feel that the story was missing a little something, but recommend it and Battlemage the 1st book in this series to anyone. Very much looking forward to reading the next. 😎
February 10, 2018
Decisamente meglio rispetto a "Battlemage": meno ripetitivo e prevedibile, con una trama più sfaccettata e costruita con più cura.
Gli eventi si svolgono circa un anno dopo la fine della guerra e dell'assedio narrati nel volume precedente. E da Charas, ci spostiamo a Perizzi, la capitale del regno di Yerskania che avevamo già visto in "Battlemage", una città ancora segnata dalle violenze provocate dai fanatici religiosi fedeli al re di Zecorria. Sono tre i filoni narrativi che finiranno poi per intrecciarsi: il macabro ritrovamento di alcuni cadaveri completamente prosciugati del loro sangue e di tutti i fluidi corporei – non una novità a Perizzi, visto che era già successo cinque anni prima –; le crescenti tensioni tra le diverse Famiglie a capo della criminalità locale, quando una versione letale della droga messa in commercio comincia a mietere vittime; i primi sussurri di un piano per eliminare Morganse e Talandra, rispettivamente le regine di Yerskania e Seveldrom – la prima accusata di aver ceduto alle pressioni di Taikon e aver svenduto il suo regno ai pazzi religiosi, mentre la seconda viene ritenuta responsabile di un sacco di altre cose (voler regnare incontrastata su tutte le nazioni sconfitte nella guerra, ma soprattutto di aver scelto di difendere il proprio regno senza arrendersi). In tutto questo, l'autore ci fa notare come si stia aprendo una nuova era di terrore nei confronti della magia: fregandosene bellamente del sacrificio dei battlemage che nel volume precedente avevano abbattuto le forze nemiche, la gente vede con sospetto chiunque sia dotato di un qualsivoglia talento magico. I bambini col dono vengono eliminati dai genitori, mettendo i bastoni tra le ruote ai Cercatori mandati dalla Torre Rossa, luogo dove tutti i futuri maghi vengono istruiti e che ha riaperto i battenti proprio dopo la fine della guerra.
Oltre ad alcuni personaggi già visti nel volume precedente, facciamo la conoscenza anche di diversi nuovi volti: Fray vive nei bassifondi della città per nascondere il suo talento magico (è una sorta di ghost whisperer, in grado di parlare con le anime dei morti che non sono ancora passati oltre), ma viene coinvolto dai Guardiani della Pace (le forze dell'ordine di Perizzi per intenderci, per cui lavorava suo padre) per investigare sui ritrovamenti dei cadaveri. E' evidente che ci sia della magia all'opera, magia non molto piacevole e molto pericolosa, magia che ha già ucciso suo padre. Di umili origini, Choss ha costruito la sua fama lottando nell'arena e finirà per diventare una pedina nella lotta tra i capetti del crimine locale, lanciato proprio nel mezzo della mischia. Katja invece fa parte della rete di agenti infiltrata da Perizzi per volere della regina Talandra e la poverina sarà costretta ad avere a che fare con pazzi furiosi che vogliono la morte di due regine e plasmare nuovi scenari politici. Alla fine le tre storyline sono strettamente intrecciate tra loro, sopratutto quando si scopre chi tirava le file di tutto.
Ho visto che nel terzo torna il buon Balfruss, quindi sono proprio curiosa di sapere cosa succederà.
Gli eventi si svolgono circa un anno dopo la fine della guerra e dell'assedio narrati nel volume precedente. E da Charas, ci spostiamo a Perizzi, la capitale del regno di Yerskania che avevamo già visto in "Battlemage", una città ancora segnata dalle violenze provocate dai fanatici religiosi fedeli al re di Zecorria. Sono tre i filoni narrativi che finiranno poi per intrecciarsi: il macabro ritrovamento di alcuni cadaveri completamente prosciugati del loro sangue e di tutti i fluidi corporei – non una novità a Perizzi, visto che era già successo cinque anni prima –; le crescenti tensioni tra le diverse Famiglie a capo della criminalità locale, quando una versione letale della droga messa in commercio comincia a mietere vittime; i primi sussurri di un piano per eliminare Morganse e Talandra, rispettivamente le regine di Yerskania e Seveldrom – la prima accusata di aver ceduto alle pressioni di Taikon e aver svenduto il suo regno ai pazzi religiosi, mentre la seconda viene ritenuta responsabile di un sacco di altre cose (voler regnare incontrastata su tutte le nazioni sconfitte nella guerra, ma soprattutto di aver scelto di difendere il proprio regno senza arrendersi). In tutto questo, l'autore ci fa notare come si stia aprendo una nuova era di terrore nei confronti della magia: fregandosene bellamente del sacrificio dei battlemage che nel volume precedente avevano abbattuto le forze nemiche, la gente vede con sospetto chiunque sia dotato di un qualsivoglia talento magico. I bambini col dono vengono eliminati dai genitori, mettendo i bastoni tra le ruote ai Cercatori mandati dalla Torre Rossa, luogo dove tutti i futuri maghi vengono istruiti e che ha riaperto i battenti proprio dopo la fine della guerra.
Oltre ad alcuni personaggi già visti nel volume precedente, facciamo la conoscenza anche di diversi nuovi volti: Fray vive nei bassifondi della città per nascondere il suo talento magico (è una sorta di ghost whisperer, in grado di parlare con le anime dei morti che non sono ancora passati oltre), ma viene coinvolto dai Guardiani della Pace (le forze dell'ordine di Perizzi per intenderci, per cui lavorava suo padre) per investigare sui ritrovamenti dei cadaveri. E' evidente che ci sia della magia all'opera, magia non molto piacevole e molto pericolosa, magia che ha già ucciso suo padre. Di umili origini, Choss ha costruito la sua fama lottando nell'arena e finirà per diventare una pedina nella lotta tra i capetti del crimine locale, lanciato proprio nel mezzo della mischia. Katja invece fa parte della rete di agenti infiltrata da Perizzi per volere della regina Talandra e la poverina sarà costretta ad avere a che fare con pazzi furiosi che vogliono la morte di due regine e plasmare nuovi scenari politici. Alla fine le tre storyline sono strettamente intrecciate tra loro, sopratutto quando si scopre chi tirava le file di tutto.
Ho visto che nel terzo torna il buon Balfruss, quindi sono proprio curiosa di sapere cosa succederà.
August 24, 2016
Mage de guerre de Stephen Aryan est un roman de fantasy guerrière classique mais rudement bien mené que j’ai beaucoup apprécié et que j’avais pu vous faire gagner il y a quelques temps sur le blog. Bien sûr, quand sa suite Mage de Sang est sortie, je me suis précipité pour l’acheter ! Enfin, l’effort était pas bien violent, ne vous inquiétez pas, je suis allé sur le net prendre l’e-book.
Comme toute suite qui se respecte, je m’attendais à trouver le même type d’aventure, du plus ou moins la même soupe qui continuerait dans la lignée du très bon premier tome. Erreur système. Pour ce deuxième roman dans la série de L’âge des ténèbres, l’auteur se permet un triple salto arrière en changeant son fusil d’épaule (ne tentez pas un triple salto arrière avec un fusil sur l’épaule chez vous, c’est pas très prudent). Mage de sang oublie complètement le côté guerrier pour aller vers de l’histoire de gangsters, de tueur en série et de machination. On bascule vers une aventure urbaine dans les ruelles sombres de Perizzi qui se remet doucement de la guerre, mais ses habitants gardent en eux une peur profonde de tout ce qui touche à la magie.
Dans ce contexte nous suivons les histoires croisées de plusieurs personnages qui évoluent à différents niveaux de la société. Fray est un mage inexpérimenté qui va aider les Protecteurs de la Paix à résoudre une série de meurtres bien glauques. Choss est un colosse, un ancien lutteur qui navigue entre les grandes familles de la pègre pour survivre et faire rouvrir les arènes qui lui sont chères. Katja, espionne de la couronne, essaye de démêler les fils d’un complot visant à tuer la reine. C’est rigolo parce qu’avec cette manière d’alterner plusieurs points de vue pour dépeindre une histoire de pègre dans une cité au background fantasy, j’ai d’abord eu l’impression de relire Havrefer… Mais en pas pourri… Comme dans ce dernier, les trois pans d’histoire évoluent en alternant les points de vue de chacun, et apparaissent pendant un bon moment comme indépendants mais donnent une image globale de cette cité pleine de crapules en tous genres.
Au rang des petits défauts, j’ai mis énormément de temps à rentrer dans Mage de Sang. Les changements de personnages constants ont été un obstacle pour vraiment m’y attacher dans la première partie du roman, mais une fois qu’on a appris à bien les cerner on arrive à vraiment prendre du plaisir à les suivre. On met également beaucoup de temps à faire le lien entre les trois histoires qui semblent indépendantes, jusqu’à la moitié du roman on lit trois novellas entremêlées qui n’ont en commun que le lieu où elles se déroulent.
Mais une fois qu’on a bien les personnages en tête et que l’intrigue commence à faire sens, on se prend volontiers à l’univers. La bonne idée principale du roman est de ne pas continuer sur un autre conflit directement mais de traiter les conséquences de la guerre sur les populations et les héros. Les cités se reconstruisent, les opportunités se présentent, les gens du commun reprennent le cours de leur vie en se méfiant de tout le monde, surtout des étrangers… Et dans les coins sombres, la pègre complote toujours tandis qu’un mystérieux tueur semble préparer un petit bain de sang, au sens propre. Parce que Mage de Sang n’usurpe pas son titre, du sang il y en a pas mal, c’est bien gore. Pourtant ce n’est pas à un mage de sang qu’on a affaire, mais à ce qu’on nous désigne comme un mage de chair, ça vous donne une idée des talents du bonhomme. Oui, y’a de la grosse boucherie dans l’air, d’la tripaille sur les murs et de la charcuterie fraiche dans la cave.
Ce sont encore une fois les personnages qui font de ce livre une belle réussite, j’ai beaucoup apprécié Choss, l’auteur est toujours très Gemmellien dans son style et c’est sur le lutteur que cette influence transparait encore. Le colosse au grand cœur et à la tête dure est un archétype connu mais ici bien tourné. Katja commence assez doucement mais on s’attache à elle sur la durée, sa mission sous couverture lui fait voir des trucs pas super mais elle s’accroche et devient convaincante au fur et à mesure. C’est peut-être avec Fray que j’ai eu un peu plus de mal, son caractère est un peu moins marquant que les autres mais il a un rôle central dans tout ce qui se joue ici. On a également des personnages un peu plus secondaires comme Byrne, Gorrax et Munroe, ils ont pourtant un rôle quasiment aussi important que les autres mais ne sont pas le centre des intrigues. Du tome précédent, nous ne retrouverons que quelques clins d’œil et passages éclair qu’il serait dommage de dévoiler ici, mais l’auteur s’amuse subtilement à recroiser les trames d’un peu tout le monde pour créer un univers cohérent sur l’ensemble de sa saga.
Cette narration en puzzle arrive donc finalement à se recentrer et à trouver une unité, quand on parvient à se faire une image globale du tableau. Lorsque tout converge vers un scénario catastrophe apocalyptique, les pièces s’assemblent à la perfection et on comprend où l’auteur va avec tout ça. Le dernier tiers du roman fonce sans temps mort vers un final épique où tout se rejoint dans un gros badaboum narratif maitrisé au poil. C’est franchement impressionnant parce qu’il arrive à faire un livre à la fois très différent du précédent, mais qui s’inclut parfaitement dans son univers global et prolonge les grandes problématiques posées comme la place de la magie, le rôle de la tour rouge, et les divinités toutes zarbis qui trainent dans les coins. Comme pour Mage de guerre, ce second tome propose une fin satisfaisante qui ne laisse pas le lecteur en plan jusqu’à la parution de sa suite.
Malgré un démarrage un peu longuet, on retrouve dans Mage de sang l’univers de Stephen Aryan dans un tout autre style d’histoire tout en gardant ses qualités. Moins direct et guerrier que Mage de guerre, plus sournois, plus sanglant, il propose une fantasy faite de ruelles sombres, de complots et de meurtres horribles, toujours avec une galerie de personnages très marquants.
http://ours-inculte.fr/mage-de-sang/
Comme toute suite qui se respecte, je m’attendais à trouver le même type d’aventure, du plus ou moins la même soupe qui continuerait dans la lignée du très bon premier tome. Erreur système. Pour ce deuxième roman dans la série de L’âge des ténèbres, l’auteur se permet un triple salto arrière en changeant son fusil d’épaule (ne tentez pas un triple salto arrière avec un fusil sur l’épaule chez vous, c’est pas très prudent). Mage de sang oublie complètement le côté guerrier pour aller vers de l’histoire de gangsters, de tueur en série et de machination. On bascule vers une aventure urbaine dans les ruelles sombres de Perizzi qui se remet doucement de la guerre, mais ses habitants gardent en eux une peur profonde de tout ce qui touche à la magie.
Dans ce contexte nous suivons les histoires croisées de plusieurs personnages qui évoluent à différents niveaux de la société. Fray est un mage inexpérimenté qui va aider les Protecteurs de la Paix à résoudre une série de meurtres bien glauques. Choss est un colosse, un ancien lutteur qui navigue entre les grandes familles de la pègre pour survivre et faire rouvrir les arènes qui lui sont chères. Katja, espionne de la couronne, essaye de démêler les fils d’un complot visant à tuer la reine. C’est rigolo parce qu’avec cette manière d’alterner plusieurs points de vue pour dépeindre une histoire de pègre dans une cité au background fantasy, j’ai d’abord eu l’impression de relire Havrefer… Mais en pas pourri… Comme dans ce dernier, les trois pans d’histoire évoluent en alternant les points de vue de chacun, et apparaissent pendant un bon moment comme indépendants mais donnent une image globale de cette cité pleine de crapules en tous genres.
Au rang des petits défauts, j’ai mis énormément de temps à rentrer dans Mage de Sang. Les changements de personnages constants ont été un obstacle pour vraiment m’y attacher dans la première partie du roman, mais une fois qu’on a appris à bien les cerner on arrive à vraiment prendre du plaisir à les suivre. On met également beaucoup de temps à faire le lien entre les trois histoires qui semblent indépendantes, jusqu’à la moitié du roman on lit trois novellas entremêlées qui n’ont en commun que le lieu où elles se déroulent.
Mais une fois qu’on a bien les personnages en tête et que l’intrigue commence à faire sens, on se prend volontiers à l’univers. La bonne idée principale du roman est de ne pas continuer sur un autre conflit directement mais de traiter les conséquences de la guerre sur les populations et les héros. Les cités se reconstruisent, les opportunités se présentent, les gens du commun reprennent le cours de leur vie en se méfiant de tout le monde, surtout des étrangers… Et dans les coins sombres, la pègre complote toujours tandis qu’un mystérieux tueur semble préparer un petit bain de sang, au sens propre. Parce que Mage de Sang n’usurpe pas son titre, du sang il y en a pas mal, c’est bien gore. Pourtant ce n’est pas à un mage de sang qu’on a affaire, mais à ce qu’on nous désigne comme un mage de chair, ça vous donne une idée des talents du bonhomme. Oui, y’a de la grosse boucherie dans l’air, d’la tripaille sur les murs et de la charcuterie fraiche dans la cave.
Ce sont encore une fois les personnages qui font de ce livre une belle réussite, j’ai beaucoup apprécié Choss, l’auteur est toujours très Gemmellien dans son style et c’est sur le lutteur que cette influence transparait encore. Le colosse au grand cœur et à la tête dure est un archétype connu mais ici bien tourné. Katja commence assez doucement mais on s’attache à elle sur la durée, sa mission sous couverture lui fait voir des trucs pas super mais elle s’accroche et devient convaincante au fur et à mesure. C’est peut-être avec Fray que j’ai eu un peu plus de mal, son caractère est un peu moins marquant que les autres mais il a un rôle central dans tout ce qui se joue ici. On a également des personnages un peu plus secondaires comme Byrne, Gorrax et Munroe, ils ont pourtant un rôle quasiment aussi important que les autres mais ne sont pas le centre des intrigues. Du tome précédent, nous ne retrouverons que quelques clins d’œil et passages éclair qu’il serait dommage de dévoiler ici, mais l’auteur s’amuse subtilement à recroiser les trames d’un peu tout le monde pour créer un univers cohérent sur l’ensemble de sa saga.
Cette narration en puzzle arrive donc finalement à se recentrer et à trouver une unité, quand on parvient à se faire une image globale du tableau. Lorsque tout converge vers un scénario catastrophe apocalyptique, les pièces s’assemblent à la perfection et on comprend où l’auteur va avec tout ça. Le dernier tiers du roman fonce sans temps mort vers un final épique où tout se rejoint dans un gros badaboum narratif maitrisé au poil. C’est franchement impressionnant parce qu’il arrive à faire un livre à la fois très différent du précédent, mais qui s’inclut parfaitement dans son univers global et prolonge les grandes problématiques posées comme la place de la magie, le rôle de la tour rouge, et les divinités toutes zarbis qui trainent dans les coins. Comme pour Mage de guerre, ce second tome propose une fin satisfaisante qui ne laisse pas le lecteur en plan jusqu’à la parution de sa suite.
Malgré un démarrage un peu longuet, on retrouve dans Mage de sang l’univers de Stephen Aryan dans un tout autre style d’histoire tout en gardant ses qualités. Moins direct et guerrier que Mage de guerre, plus sournois, plus sanglant, il propose une fantasy faite de ruelles sombres, de complots et de meurtres horribles, toujours avec une galerie de personnages très marquants.
http://ours-inculte.fr/mage-de-sang/
October 20, 2018
Just as good as the first in the series. A fantasy murder mystery with magic, spies, an assassination plot and a good old-fashioned turf war. Great characters that we'll hopefully see more of in future books.
July 17, 2021
2.75🌟
Leider bin ich ziemlich enttäuscht über diese Fortsetzung 😕 ich hatte gehofft mehr über einen bestimmten Charakter zu erfahren aber leider verbringen wir nur 2 Kapitel bei ihm 😅 die neuen Charaktere konnten mich auch nicht wirklich überzeugen Choss und Fray waren zwar ganz sympathisch aber mehr auch nicht 🤷♀️ aber was mich am meisten gestört hat war dass ich das Buch fast die ganze Zeit über mega langweilig fand 😅 naja es kommt ja nur noch eins hoffe dieses ist dann besser 🙈
Leider bin ich ziemlich enttäuscht über diese Fortsetzung 😕 ich hatte gehofft mehr über einen bestimmten Charakter zu erfahren aber leider verbringen wir nur 2 Kapitel bei ihm 😅 die neuen Charaktere konnten mich auch nicht wirklich überzeugen Choss und Fray waren zwar ganz sympathisch aber mehr auch nicht 🤷♀️ aber was mich am meisten gestört hat war dass ich das Buch fast die ganze Zeit über mega langweilig fand 😅 naja es kommt ja nur noch eins hoffe dieses ist dann besser 🙈
May 7, 2018
Another good book
A good follow up to battlemage, keeps you engaged until the end of book, really good detective story, if you enjoy magic mystery and fighting yo will enjoy this.
A good follow up to battlemage, keeps you engaged until the end of book, really good detective story, if you enjoy magic mystery and fighting yo will enjoy this.
March 14, 2018
Cannot believe this is the second book in this series ! Now I’ve got to read the first one and last one. 😳
December 15, 2016
Bloodmage (Age of Darkness #2) is Stephen Aryan’s second novel, following on from events in Battlemage, though not necessarily a direct sequel in the strictest terms. I mentioned in my review of Battlemage that I was drawn to it primarily because of my friendship with Steve – fantasy not being my go-to genre – but I approached Bloodmage in an entirely different way. I was eager to read it to see where the story would go, what twists and turns were in store, and just how the world is progressing after the epic climax in the first novel. What I found not only met my expectations, but blew past them, delivering a second novel that is perhaps even more enjoyable than Battlemage.
From the publisher:
The people of Perizzi have survived the battlemage war, but their future is looking darker than ever…
BYRNE is a member of the Watch, investigating a series of murders in which the corpse was drained entirely of life.
FRAY’s expertise with magic is needed to catch the killer, but working with the Watch destroyed his father, years before.
CHOSS is a champion fighter, trying to diffuse a war in the underworld that threatens to turn the streets red with rivers of blood.
KATJA is a spy from a foreign land, attempting to prevent a massacre that will topple two dynasties and destroy the fragile peace in the city for ever.
Watchmen and spies, assassins and criminals will clash on the streets in this magic-fuelled adventure from the author of Battlemage.
With murders of a magical nature taking place in the city, Byrne enlists the help of his former partner’s son, Fray, in order to assist in tracking down the assailant. With frightening similarities between the current murders and those of Fray’s father’s final case, Fray is eager to learn more of what happened back then in the hopes it will help him stop the building magical tension on the streets. Choss is a former fighter, well respected on the streets, and present when the so-called fleshmage initiates a frenzy at the fighting arena. From here he works with one of the families to discover just what is going on. We also follow Katja, a spy investigating the rumoured plot to assassinate the queens of two lands when they come together in the city. With leads taking her to dark and murky areas, she finally makes progress, but the questions that are raised show that there is more at stake than she initially thought.
Now, Bloodmage is a different beast to Battlemage, let me say that straight away. Where Battlemage was about the war, frontline fighting, and epic magic battles between skilled users, Bloodmage has a much narrower focus, reading more along the lines of a thriller. With magical murders, assassination plots, and gang-family disagreements all taking place in one city, Aryan has managed to fine-tune his approach to storytelling.
Following on from events in Battlemage, magic is no longer a skill to be proud of, instead one to hide given the fear surrounding it after the conclusion of the war. This makes Fray, our magically gifted protagonist, a very good viewpoint to have. We see first-hand how scared the people are of magic, with one example showing a young boy beaten in the streets by a crowd that includes his mother. But it is still a skill that is in dire need, and without Fray’s input Byrne may have run out of leads in his hunt for the killer. Their relationship is a strange one given that Byrne used to partner Fray’s father before he died in the service of the Guardians. There is both respect, friendship, and mistrust present, and Aryan delves into this confidently, examining the impact of past events on the current situation.
Katja’s storyline is also fascinating, and done in a completely different way. A loyal spy desperately searching for answers before she runs out of time, we see her infiltrate the disgruntled citizens that want the city returned to its better days, not bowing to another nation. The way she questions events leads to some interesting situation and revelations, and it was always a pleasure to follow her quest throughout the story. However, Choss’ progress was my favourite. A former champion fighter that has risen to co-ownership of the arena, and a man that is much deeper than initial impressions may show. His exploits throughout the novel were a highlight, and also one of the centre pieces of the story.
I had very few issues with Bloodmage, finding the story, characters, and pacing excellent. I was immersed from the first page, enjoying the change of scenery while also appreciating the underlying threads that had been carried forward from Battlemage. Being a hard-to-please reader when it comes to the fantasy genre, Stephen Aryan’s Age of Darkness novels have measured up exceedingly well. Great stuff.
From the publisher:
The people of Perizzi have survived the battlemage war, but their future is looking darker than ever…
BYRNE is a member of the Watch, investigating a series of murders in which the corpse was drained entirely of life.
FRAY’s expertise with magic is needed to catch the killer, but working with the Watch destroyed his father, years before.
CHOSS is a champion fighter, trying to diffuse a war in the underworld that threatens to turn the streets red with rivers of blood.
KATJA is a spy from a foreign land, attempting to prevent a massacre that will topple two dynasties and destroy the fragile peace in the city for ever.
Watchmen and spies, assassins and criminals will clash on the streets in this magic-fuelled adventure from the author of Battlemage.
With murders of a magical nature taking place in the city, Byrne enlists the help of his former partner’s son, Fray, in order to assist in tracking down the assailant. With frightening similarities between the current murders and those of Fray’s father’s final case, Fray is eager to learn more of what happened back then in the hopes it will help him stop the building magical tension on the streets. Choss is a former fighter, well respected on the streets, and present when the so-called fleshmage initiates a frenzy at the fighting arena. From here he works with one of the families to discover just what is going on. We also follow Katja, a spy investigating the rumoured plot to assassinate the queens of two lands when they come together in the city. With leads taking her to dark and murky areas, she finally makes progress, but the questions that are raised show that there is more at stake than she initially thought.
Now, Bloodmage is a different beast to Battlemage, let me say that straight away. Where Battlemage was about the war, frontline fighting, and epic magic battles between skilled users, Bloodmage has a much narrower focus, reading more along the lines of a thriller. With magical murders, assassination plots, and gang-family disagreements all taking place in one city, Aryan has managed to fine-tune his approach to storytelling.
Following on from events in Battlemage, magic is no longer a skill to be proud of, instead one to hide given the fear surrounding it after the conclusion of the war. This makes Fray, our magically gifted protagonist, a very good viewpoint to have. We see first-hand how scared the people are of magic, with one example showing a young boy beaten in the streets by a crowd that includes his mother. But it is still a skill that is in dire need, and without Fray’s input Byrne may have run out of leads in his hunt for the killer. Their relationship is a strange one given that Byrne used to partner Fray’s father before he died in the service of the Guardians. There is both respect, friendship, and mistrust present, and Aryan delves into this confidently, examining the impact of past events on the current situation.
Katja’s storyline is also fascinating, and done in a completely different way. A loyal spy desperately searching for answers before she runs out of time, we see her infiltrate the disgruntled citizens that want the city returned to its better days, not bowing to another nation. The way she questions events leads to some interesting situation and revelations, and it was always a pleasure to follow her quest throughout the story. However, Choss’ progress was my favourite. A former champion fighter that has risen to co-ownership of the arena, and a man that is much deeper than initial impressions may show. His exploits throughout the novel were a highlight, and also one of the centre pieces of the story.
I had very few issues with Bloodmage, finding the story, characters, and pacing excellent. I was immersed from the first page, enjoying the change of scenery while also appreciating the underlying threads that had been carried forward from Battlemage. Being a hard-to-please reader when it comes to the fantasy genre, Stephen Aryan’s Age of Darkness novels have measured up exceedingly well. Great stuff.
March 19, 2017
Chronique tirée de mon blog :
Un gros changement comparé au précédent dont la lecture avait été mitigée, j'ai trouvé ce tome vraiment très intéressant et donc bien meilleur. J'ai hésite à le lire en fait, vu l'échec du premier, mais une chronique m'a décidé à lui donner sa chance, et j'ai très bien fait.
Mage de Guerre, le tome précédent, était un livre de ce qu'on ne peut qu’appeler Fantasy Épique. De grosses batailles, des personnages guerriers dans une terrible guerre contre un tyran, des héros malgré eux.
Mais la guerre est maintenant finie et il faut vivre avec les conséquences. Et la conséquence principale c'est que les gens ont maintenant peur de la magie. Une peur viscérale, au point de lyncher leurs propres enfants si ils s'aperçoivent qu'ils ont le don. Et personne n'est plus la pour les éduquer car la tour d'argent a été détruite.
C'est dans cette atmosphère de constante suspicion que nous commençons notre histoire. De mystérieux cadavres sont retrouvés comme vidés de leur substance. Fray jeune mage qui se cache va devoir enquêter sur eux car on découvre bien vite qu'ils ont été tués avec de la magie, de quoi déclencher une panique énorme. Il doit donc se dépêcher de trouver de coupable ou sinon c'est une véritable croisade contre toute magie qui va finir par arriver.
Nous suivons aussi Choss un ancien champion d’arène, qui est lié à la mafia et qui est engagé dans une guerre contre une drogue qui rend fou ses addicts, ainsi que Katja, une jeune espionne qui aide Talandra dans sa lute contre une conspiration qui provoque une situation très instable qui pourrait finir en seconde guerre.
C'est en quelque sorte un microcosme de ce qui se passe dans le monde, et arriver à dénouer la situation critique ne sera pas de tout repos. On est plus dans l'intimité ici, dans les bas fond d'une ville.
Et donc on est vraiment dans une atmosphère différente du précédent, dans une ambiance qui a tout du policier historique, le tout mélangé à une histoire de mafia et de lutte entre grands boss, une conspiration politique et à de l’espionnage. Vraiment très sympa.
J'ai trouvé que du coup on avait vraiment un focus plus sur les personnages et le dessous de l'affaire ce qui rendait mieux.
Les dieux sont aussi présent mais bien moins que dans le premier tome, ici on les voit au début et à la fin mais pas pendant l'histoire elle même.
Le rythme est vraiment bon, les points de vue se succèdent et les différentes intrigues et ambiances font que je suis vraiment rentré dans le livre très rapidement. Au début bien sur on ne voit pas le lien entre les trois affaires mais petit à petit des liens apparaissent et ça fini dans un grand final, a l'apogée de la tension accumulée. Je n'ai eu aucun souci avec cette histoire, je n'ai pas vu de facilités ou de deus ex machina, un bon point.
J'ai trouvé les personnage très sympathiques en général, bien plus que dans le premier ou j'avais vraiment du mal à m’intéresser à eux.
Résultat je peux dire que sur ces plans, le livre est vraiment bon.
Je lirais donc le suivant avec plaisir.
17/20
Un gros changement comparé au précédent dont la lecture avait été mitigée, j'ai trouvé ce tome vraiment très intéressant et donc bien meilleur. J'ai hésite à le lire en fait, vu l'échec du premier, mais une chronique m'a décidé à lui donner sa chance, et j'ai très bien fait.
Mage de Guerre, le tome précédent, était un livre de ce qu'on ne peut qu’appeler Fantasy Épique. De grosses batailles, des personnages guerriers dans une terrible guerre contre un tyran, des héros malgré eux.
Mais la guerre est maintenant finie et il faut vivre avec les conséquences. Et la conséquence principale c'est que les gens ont maintenant peur de la magie. Une peur viscérale, au point de lyncher leurs propres enfants si ils s'aperçoivent qu'ils ont le don. Et personne n'est plus la pour les éduquer car la tour d'argent a été détruite.
C'est dans cette atmosphère de constante suspicion que nous commençons notre histoire. De mystérieux cadavres sont retrouvés comme vidés de leur substance. Fray jeune mage qui se cache va devoir enquêter sur eux car on découvre bien vite qu'ils ont été tués avec de la magie, de quoi déclencher une panique énorme. Il doit donc se dépêcher de trouver de coupable ou sinon c'est une véritable croisade contre toute magie qui va finir par arriver.
Nous suivons aussi Choss un ancien champion d’arène, qui est lié à la mafia et qui est engagé dans une guerre contre une drogue qui rend fou ses addicts, ainsi que Katja, une jeune espionne qui aide Talandra dans sa lute contre une conspiration qui provoque une situation très instable qui pourrait finir en seconde guerre.
C'est en quelque sorte un microcosme de ce qui se passe dans le monde, et arriver à dénouer la situation critique ne sera pas de tout repos. On est plus dans l'intimité ici, dans les bas fond d'une ville.
Et donc on est vraiment dans une atmosphère différente du précédent, dans une ambiance qui a tout du policier historique, le tout mélangé à une histoire de mafia et de lutte entre grands boss, une conspiration politique et à de l’espionnage. Vraiment très sympa.
J'ai trouvé que du coup on avait vraiment un focus plus sur les personnages et le dessous de l'affaire ce qui rendait mieux.
Les dieux sont aussi présent mais bien moins que dans le premier tome, ici on les voit au début et à la fin mais pas pendant l'histoire elle même.
Le rythme est vraiment bon, les points de vue se succèdent et les différentes intrigues et ambiances font que je suis vraiment rentré dans le livre très rapidement. Au début bien sur on ne voit pas le lien entre les trois affaires mais petit à petit des liens apparaissent et ça fini dans un grand final, a l'apogée de la tension accumulée. Je n'ai eu aucun souci avec cette histoire, je n'ai pas vu de facilités ou de deus ex machina, un bon point.
J'ai trouvé les personnage très sympathiques en général, bien plus que dans le premier ou j'avais vraiment du mal à m’intéresser à eux.
Résultat je peux dire que sur ces plans, le livre est vraiment bon.
Je lirais donc le suivant avec plaisir.
17/20
April 27, 2016
Unlike the first book in this series, Battle Mage, I came into Blood Mage by Stephen Aryan with a few expectations. The war that took place in Battle Mage was wrapped up with a smoldering black bow, a world ravaged left in its smoking ruins, and while it was the combined efforts and sacrifice of the land’s battle mages that ended the war, the people now fear magic and all its implications. This makes life difficult for a magic user like Fray. Before the war, he could openly practice his art without much derision, but now he must hide in the shadowy cracks for fear of persecution. He barely earns enough in trade goods to survive, so when his father’s old partner, Byrne, arrives to ask for Fray’s assistance in catching a strange, magic-wielding serial murderer, Fray knows he can’t refuse. Despite is stubborn refusal to follow in his father’s footsteps as a Guardian of the Peace, his father’s death left Fray feeling detached, and perhaps the similarities between the case Byrne needs his help with and the case that took his father’s life will bring the young man some closure.
For me, that was the core plot of the book. The story of the “Flesh Mage” serial killer. However, much like Battle Mage, the story was separated by character perspectives exploring several aspects of life in the city, including a crime syndicate preparing to collapse in upon itself on account of the “Flesh Mage’s” careful ministrations. Aryan also returned to the underground spy network, combining the overall plot with an assassination attempt on the queens of two nations. The politics tend to overshadow the actual magic in these books, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but for me I wanted far more magic and fantasy than I got with this book. A little balance and more emphasis on the actual magic would have been nice. Maybe I’ve spent too much time in Thedas over the years, and my expectations of blood magic is way too specific; I don’t know.
This is not to say it isn’t well-written. Stephen Aryan develops his characters really well. He takes a lot of time to get inside their heads and hearts, and works hard to make them believable people–something a lot of other authors skimp on, regrettably–but at times the characters feel like they overshadow the story itself. After the time spent developing the magic of the world in Battle Mage, I expected a little more about the actual “Flesh Mage,” perhaps more time in his head might have provided the balance I was personally looking for. There was mention of an end goal, motivation for these “Flesh Mages,” but it wasn’t explored as deeply as I would have liked. Instead the story kept returning to the crime families and the assassination plot, so the actual magic didn’t feel like it was done nearly as much justice as it was in the first book.
Which leaves me torn about whether or not I want to finish out the series in October when Chaos Mage releases. As I said above, Aryan is a decent writer. One of my favorite things about his work so far is the attention to character building he pays. This is only his second book, and on that account it is very well done, I’m just not sure the series is meeting my personal fantasy and magic needs at this time. I think I’m going to sit with it for a couple of months and make my decision about finishing out the series closer to release date for the final book.
I give Blood Mage three out of five stars, and recommend it to fantasy readers who find themselves slightly more intrigued by politics and intrigue than magic when it comes to their fantasy.
Original review posted on JenniferMelzer.com http://jennifermelzer.com/2016/04/26/...
For me, that was the core plot of the book. The story of the “Flesh Mage” serial killer. However, much like Battle Mage, the story was separated by character perspectives exploring several aspects of life in the city, including a crime syndicate preparing to collapse in upon itself on account of the “Flesh Mage’s” careful ministrations. Aryan also returned to the underground spy network, combining the overall plot with an assassination attempt on the queens of two nations. The politics tend to overshadow the actual magic in these books, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but for me I wanted far more magic and fantasy than I got with this book. A little balance and more emphasis on the actual magic would have been nice. Maybe I’ve spent too much time in Thedas over the years, and my expectations of blood magic is way too specific; I don’t know.
This is not to say it isn’t well-written. Stephen Aryan develops his characters really well. He takes a lot of time to get inside their heads and hearts, and works hard to make them believable people–something a lot of other authors skimp on, regrettably–but at times the characters feel like they overshadow the story itself. After the time spent developing the magic of the world in Battle Mage, I expected a little more about the actual “Flesh Mage,” perhaps more time in his head might have provided the balance I was personally looking for. There was mention of an end goal, motivation for these “Flesh Mages,” but it wasn’t explored as deeply as I would have liked. Instead the story kept returning to the crime families and the assassination plot, so the actual magic didn’t feel like it was done nearly as much justice as it was in the first book.
Which leaves me torn about whether or not I want to finish out the series in October when Chaos Mage releases. As I said above, Aryan is a decent writer. One of my favorite things about his work so far is the attention to character building he pays. This is only his second book, and on that account it is very well done, I’m just not sure the series is meeting my personal fantasy and magic needs at this time. I think I’m going to sit with it for a couple of months and make my decision about finishing out the series closer to release date for the final book.
I give Blood Mage three out of five stars, and recommend it to fantasy readers who find themselves slightly more intrigued by politics and intrigue than magic when it comes to their fantasy.
Original review posted on JenniferMelzer.com http://jennifermelzer.com/2016/04/26/...
September 9, 2016
4.5 stars
I'm loving, LOVING the kind of fantasy which leaves behind the focus on epic journeys, wildly complex magical systems and years and years of time passing in one story, to focus instead on five characters, or one incident, or one mystery, or one month in time......and that's exactly what Bloodmage does.
The story, to me, was more of a crime mystery (with a bit of mafia-style organisation thrown in) which just happens to be set in a fantasy world with some folks who can do weird magical stuff - it kept me up more than a few nights with the kind of hunger I get with crime novels where I continually think 'one more chapter'. It felt like reading an episode of 24! Politics, plots, crime, conspiracies, spies - the lot. It felt really different from lots of other fantasy and couldn't be more different from Battlemage.
Like the good little orderly reader that I am, I read Battlemage first although Bloodmage was definitely my favourite. This novel addresses some of the things it left me wanting more of at the end of the first book like 'who are the Vorga 'cos they're interesting!' and 'Did Eloise die?!' and 'I want to know more about The Red Tower!' but better than that, it just took me off to explore a different part of the world.
The dialogue is excellent and the characterization is varied, giving you different perspectives and motivations. There are enough characters to make it a bit of a 'web' that keeps you wondering how everyone is going to come together (because you know that's what is going to happen) but not so many that you don't have a chance to get to know each of them. I also loved seeing the recovery of the city Perizzi after the war depicted in the first book; not often do we see the rebuild after the battle.
Very much looking forward to Chaosmage, especially since I can't even imagine what the story will focus on and where we'll go next :)
I'm loving, LOVING the kind of fantasy which leaves behind the focus on epic journeys, wildly complex magical systems and years and years of time passing in one story, to focus instead on five characters, or one incident, or one mystery, or one month in time......and that's exactly what Bloodmage does.
The story, to me, was more of a crime mystery (with a bit of mafia-style organisation thrown in) which just happens to be set in a fantasy world with some folks who can do weird magical stuff - it kept me up more than a few nights with the kind of hunger I get with crime novels where I continually think 'one more chapter'. It felt like reading an episode of 24! Politics, plots, crime, conspiracies, spies - the lot. It felt really different from lots of other fantasy and couldn't be more different from Battlemage.
Like the good little orderly reader that I am, I read Battlemage first although Bloodmage was definitely my favourite. This novel addresses some of the things it left me wanting more of at the end of the first book like 'who are the Vorga 'cos they're interesting!' and 'Did Eloise die?!' and 'I want to know more about The Red Tower!' but better than that, it just took me off to explore a different part of the world.
The dialogue is excellent and the characterization is varied, giving you different perspectives and motivations. There are enough characters to make it a bit of a 'web' that keeps you wondering how everyone is going to come together (because you know that's what is going to happen) but not so many that you don't have a chance to get to know each of them. I also loved seeing the recovery of the city Perizzi after the war depicted in the first book; not often do we see the rebuild after the battle.
Very much looking forward to Chaosmage, especially since I can't even imagine what the story will focus on and where we'll go next :)
August 13, 2016
Only the second book I have read - and, indeed, only the second book released by - this author (Stephen Aryan), and I'm beginning to think I may have found my replacement fix for the relatively recently-deceased David Gemmell ...
Set not long (roughly a year or so, if memory serves) after the events of Battlemage, this takes a closer, more intimate look at the effects that war has had: rather than the grand battles/magics of the previous, we're into one city, where a plot is afoot to murder the Queen and visiting royalty.
Much like Gemmell did before, Aryan focuses on a series of flawed characters, all of whom are looking for redemption in their own way. I think I saw a little of Druss in Choss ...
Based on the last 2 entries, I also think I'll be picking up Chaosmage whne it comes out.
Set not long (roughly a year or so, if memory serves) after the events of Battlemage, this takes a closer, more intimate look at the effects that war has had: rather than the grand battles/magics of the previous, we're into one city, where a plot is afoot to murder the Queen and visiting royalty.
Much like Gemmell did before, Aryan focuses on a series of flawed characters, all of whom are looking for redemption in their own way. I think I saw a little of Druss in Choss ...
Based on the last 2 entries, I also think I'll be picking up Chaosmage whne it comes out.
June 22, 2016
Bloodmage was a continuation of the story began in Battlemage, with an almost completely new set of characters. There were a few old favorites that were back, but a myriad of new friends to meet as well. The story jumped right in and carried you fast-paced all the way to the end (save a few chapters that dragged a little, but weren’t super slow). It ends in a way that opens up the world to many more adventures in the future.
There wasn’t quite as much a focus on the religion as there was in the first book Battlemage, nor was there as much detail on the essence and mechanism behind the magic. I was hoping for a little more insight into the relm and world of this series. Still, it was satisfactory and fun, adventuresome, and just dark enough to keep me interested.
All in all, fun and interesting, it kept me reading, but a little bit of a let-down because I expected more after the first one was so amazing.
There wasn’t quite as much a focus on the religion as there was in the first book Battlemage, nor was there as much detail on the essence and mechanism behind the magic. I was hoping for a little more insight into the relm and world of this series. Still, it was satisfactory and fun, adventuresome, and just dark enough to keep me interested.
All in all, fun and interesting, it kept me reading, but a little bit of a let-down because I expected more after the first one was so amazing.
November 21, 2016
The first book in this trilogy dealt with a war betwen nations, with the focus being on the Battlemages using their tools of magical destruction and defence. Plenty of other characters to get interested in and some interesting aspects of "other beings" taking an interest. I was surprised with this second volume to see new characters and some of the old ones surprisingly absent. But this still remains an excellent story. We have the aftermath and the resentment of the war and in Perizzi, when things should be getting better - they aren't. Magic is being used to drain all life from people and to change behavior. Wrapped into this we also have gang warfare, political plots and assassination bids, and the human side of people standing up for what they believe in.
This is turning out to be a great trilogy, I ordered volume three about two minutes after I put this down.
This is turning out to be a great trilogy, I ordered volume three about two minutes after I put this down.
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