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Magemother #1.5
The Empty Throne
Tabitha is pulled into an adventure all her own in this short follow up to The Mage and the Magpie.
Tabitha, whose job it is to keep an eye on things, is doing her job a little too well one night and finds herself alone with Archibald when he is kidnapped by the Queen of the Nymph Kingdom. When she tries to save him, she finds out that there is more behind the Queen's actions than meets the eye. In order to save her friend, she must navigate a series of tests, face her worst nightmare, and learn to understand the secrets of her own heart.
The Empty Throne is a short story in Austin J. Bailey's Magemother series: an epic middle-grade fantasy adventure series with witches, shapeshifters, and clifhangers, and awesome kids (There are very few boring adults in this book!). This story takes place in between books 1 and 2 of the series.
Tabitha, whose job it is to keep an eye on things, is doing her job a little too well one night and finds herself alone with Archibald when he is kidnapped by the Queen of the Nymph Kingdom. When she tries to save him, she finds out that there is more behind the Queen's actions than meets the eye. In order to save her friend, she must navigate a series of tests, face her worst nightmare, and learn to understand the secrets of her own heart.
The Empty Throne is a short story in Austin J. Bailey's Magemother series: an epic middle-grade fantasy adventure series with witches, shapeshifters, and clifhangers, and awesome kids (There are very few boring adults in this book!). This story takes place in between books 1 and 2 of the series.
39 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 19, 2015
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176 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 26, 2018
I really enjoyed this short story, it gave me a chance to learn more about the herald to the mage mother. I could understand more about Tabitha and why she will be a good mage and herald. I like what Halis the queen of Nymphs told her after she fulfilled her quest: "Our gift to you is the test itself,for we have given you a great knowledge. To know yourself is theforemost mystery of life, to find yourself, the critical discovery. Use it well".
This short story is well written, I was disappointed that it didn't last longer!
This short story is well written, I was disappointed that it didn't last longer!
September 8, 2016
Interesting series
The Magemother series is a middle grade fantasy written by Austin J. Bailey. The gorgeous cover artwork is eyecatching, and the premise, well, the premise of misfit girl being summoned to another world and uncovering her true past could be either totally lame or really work well. The first book was (and at the time of this publication still is) free, so I figured, what did I have to lose?
The Mage and the Magpie
This book was free on Amazon and had high reviews. Honestly, I usually pick up freebies with high reviews so I can give an honest negative review. Many people seem to think that if they like a book, it deserves five stars. Five stars, imo, should be reserved for the most excellent, memorable, standout books. Not every single book you read.
Sometimes, though, books deserve the praise. I was surprised to find that I actually enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed, the search was enjoyable, and since we're in an unfamiliar world there are lots of surprises. Some things that I think were supposed to be "reveals" were obvious to me, but others were not.
I haven't quite figured out how I feel about the magic in this series. I think magic is neutral and you use it for good or bad, like you would a car, and it seems like the mages and apprentices possess their particular magic. Like a gift. I don't think that the wind mage's apprentice could learn the magic of the metal mage. In this world, magic is either something you have or something you don't. If you have it, but are not a mage or mage apprentice, I'm not sure what you do. That's never addressed in the series.
I liked this book so much that I immediately looked the author up and signed up to receive updates from him. I received Magemother 1.5 as a "thank you."
4.5 stars
The Empty Throne
This is a novella, not a full length novel. It was offered as a "thank you" gift for signing up to receive updates from the author.
It is a very short and quick read, but it is an important link in the story. If you don't read this, there will be things you scratch your head at in later books trying to figure out if missed something.
While I didn't find this short story as compelling as the larger series narrative, I still thought it was important and highlighted the vulnerable side of Tabitha. It also makes the reader think about how they would respond if they had to go through Tabitha's test.
4 stars
The Paradise Twin
Book 2 largely focuses on finding the hidden mages and on Hugo's struggle with Molad. And there's a dragon. Dragon's are always fun, right?
In Hugo you really get that Jekyll and Hyde feel. His struggle is real, and it's easy to empathize with him. The search for the hidden mages was not as compelling, though, and almost became tedious at times. I had guessed part of Chantra's location, Unda's hiding place was obvious to me, but Lignumis' was well done.
In this book that I started feeling like the series was very similar to the Farworld series by J. Scott Savage.* A lot of necessary things happened in this book, but overall is wasn't as compelling as the others in the series. It moved things along, but I didn't feel anyone particularly developed as a character.
3 stars
The Bridge to Nowhere
This book was very interesting - and not entirely happy. There were a couple moments where I was actually surprised at something truly bad/sad happenings. Realism! I like books that have happy endings, but when absolutely everything works out perfectly as planned, it is eye-roll worthy. You see more development in Brinley and Hugo, others hold their own, and there are a couple flat characters. Some "twists" in the book I saw coming, but the intended audience would largely find them unexpected.
The Hugo/Molad struggle continued, and while it certainly felt real at times, there was one point very near the end in a major moment (trying for no spoilers!) where the reaction seemed a little extreme. But I understand why the author wrote it that way.
There is a meeting with the gods of their world, near the end of the book, and it rather felt like a huge aside. I got it - and they had showed up in other books - but the direction they promise really hadn't been there the whole series, so it didn't feel quite genuine. They also appear to be modeled after the Mormon view of God - being God and his wife who live in another world, but sometimes interact with us. The moral underpinnings in what they say are close to what I believe as a Christian, but the framework is wrong. Not everyone will agree, but I thought I'd mention it for those who want to have conversations with their children about that aspect of the book.
The biggest thing for me is one unanswered question that is actually asked in the series - what about the bell Brinley's father heard? That is never explained. I feel that is an oversight, or maybe it was too complicated to work into the book without a huge expansion ... but in that case the question should have been removed from the book. Its one thing for a reader to have questions of their own, it's another for an author to pose a question within the series that never gets answered.
Overall, the book gets 4 stars.
Serial Thoughts
As mentioned in my review of book 1, I'm not sold on how magic works in this world. To be sure, it is a well crafted story, but something seems a tad off, but I can't put my finger on it. Maybe its the lack of complete explanation, I don't know.
*To expand on my Farworld comment from book 2's review. The Farworld and Magemother series aren't actually that similar. Just the whole looking for mages (who control the elements) that are hidden was bringing me strong vibes of the looking for the hidden elementals (basically the elements themselves). Also, the cross-world transfer of a main character. But the journeys are drastically different, as are the endings. The Magemother series actually has a more satisfying ending, but as a series I think I prefer Farworld. If you like one of the series, though, I'm pretty sure you'll like the other.
And, to reiterate from my review of book 3, I don't like unanswered questions posed within the story itself (If I missed this someone please point it out to me!). There is also the Mormon-esque deity thing going on that doesn't completely fit with the world that was built.
My biggest complaint for the series as a whole is the age of the our main cast. They're around 12 years old! Everything they do just seems better suited for someone at least an additional 5 years older. It's a little overdone in literature today to have THE FATE OF THE WORLD resting on pre-to-early teens.
I was grateful that while there is friendship (and hints of particular people probably liking each other) romance is not really in the book. Like I said, it's hinted around, but it's not the star. THANK YOU! That is so nauseously overdone, and these books show you can have a good story without the romance. Especially when we're talking this young.
Mage and the Magpie: 4.5 stars
The Empty Throne: 4 stars
The Paradise Twin: 3 stars
The Bridge to Nowhere: 4 stars
Magemother series average: 4
I received complimentary ecopies of books 2 & 3 in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Magemother series is a middle grade fantasy written by Austin J. Bailey. The gorgeous cover artwork is eyecatching, and the premise, well, the premise of misfit girl being summoned to another world and uncovering her true past could be either totally lame or really work well. The first book was (and at the time of this publication still is) free, so I figured, what did I have to lose?
The Mage and the Magpie
This book was free on Amazon and had high reviews. Honestly, I usually pick up freebies with high reviews so I can give an honest negative review. Many people seem to think that if they like a book, it deserves five stars. Five stars, imo, should be reserved for the most excellent, memorable, standout books. Not every single book you read.
Sometimes, though, books deserve the praise. I was surprised to find that I actually enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed, the search was enjoyable, and since we're in an unfamiliar world there are lots of surprises. Some things that I think were supposed to be "reveals" were obvious to me, but others were not.
I haven't quite figured out how I feel about the magic in this series. I think magic is neutral and you use it for good or bad, like you would a car, and it seems like the mages and apprentices possess their particular magic. Like a gift. I don't think that the wind mage's apprentice could learn the magic of the metal mage. In this world, magic is either something you have or something you don't. If you have it, but are not a mage or mage apprentice, I'm not sure what you do. That's never addressed in the series.
I liked this book so much that I immediately looked the author up and signed up to receive updates from him. I received Magemother 1.5 as a "thank you."
4.5 stars
The Empty Throne
This is a novella, not a full length novel. It was offered as a "thank you" gift for signing up to receive updates from the author.
It is a very short and quick read, but it is an important link in the story. If you don't read this, there will be things you scratch your head at in later books trying to figure out if missed something.
While I didn't find this short story as compelling as the larger series narrative, I still thought it was important and highlighted the vulnerable side of Tabitha. It also makes the reader think about how they would respond if they had to go through Tabitha's test.
4 stars
The Paradise Twin
Book 2 largely focuses on finding the hidden mages and on Hugo's struggle with Molad. And there's a dragon. Dragon's are always fun, right?
In Hugo you really get that Jekyll and Hyde feel. His struggle is real, and it's easy to empathize with him. The search for the hidden mages was not as compelling, though, and almost became tedious at times. I had guessed part of Chantra's location, Unda's hiding place was obvious to me, but Lignumis' was well done.
In this book that I started feeling like the series was very similar to the Farworld series by J. Scott Savage.* A lot of necessary things happened in this book, but overall is wasn't as compelling as the others in the series. It moved things along, but I didn't feel anyone particularly developed as a character.
3 stars
The Bridge to Nowhere
This book was very interesting - and not entirely happy. There were a couple moments where I was actually surprised at something truly bad/sad happenings. Realism! I like books that have happy endings, but when absolutely everything works out perfectly as planned, it is eye-roll worthy. You see more development in Brinley and Hugo, others hold their own, and there are a couple flat characters. Some "twists" in the book I saw coming, but the intended audience would largely find them unexpected.
The Hugo/Molad struggle continued, and while it certainly felt real at times, there was one point very near the end in a major moment (trying for no spoilers!) where the reaction seemed a little extreme. But I understand why the author wrote it that way.
There is a meeting with the gods of their world, near the end of the book, and it rather felt like a huge aside. I got it - and they had showed up in other books - but the direction they promise really hadn't been there the whole series, so it didn't feel quite genuine. They also appear to be modeled after the Mormon view of God - being God and his wife who live in another world, but sometimes interact with us. The moral underpinnings in what they say are close to what I believe as a Christian, but the framework is wrong. Not everyone will agree, but I thought I'd mention it for those who want to have conversations with their children about that aspect of the book.
The biggest thing for me is one unanswered question that is actually asked in the series - what about the bell Brinley's father heard? That is never explained. I feel that is an oversight, or maybe it was too complicated to work into the book without a huge expansion ... but in that case the question should have been removed from the book. Its one thing for a reader to have questions of their own, it's another for an author to pose a question within the series that never gets answered.
Overall, the book gets 4 stars.
Serial Thoughts
As mentioned in my review of book 1, I'm not sold on how magic works in this world. To be sure, it is a well crafted story, but something seems a tad off, but I can't put my finger on it. Maybe its the lack of complete explanation, I don't know.
*To expand on my Farworld comment from book 2's review. The Farworld and Magemother series aren't actually that similar. Just the whole looking for mages (who control the elements) that are hidden was bringing me strong vibes of the looking for the hidden elementals (basically the elements themselves). Also, the cross-world transfer of a main character. But the journeys are drastically different, as are the endings. The Magemother series actually has a more satisfying ending, but as a series I think I prefer Farworld. If you like one of the series, though, I'm pretty sure you'll like the other.
And, to reiterate from my review of book 3, I don't like unanswered questions posed within the story itself (If I missed this someone please point it out to me!). There is also the Mormon-esque deity thing going on that doesn't completely fit with the world that was built.
My biggest complaint for the series as a whole is the age of the our main cast. They're around 12 years old! Everything they do just seems better suited for someone at least an additional 5 years older. It's a little overdone in literature today to have THE FATE OF THE WORLD resting on pre-to-early teens.
I was grateful that while there is friendship (and hints of particular people probably liking each other) romance is not really in the book. Like I said, it's hinted around, but it's not the star. THANK YOU! That is so nauseously overdone, and these books show you can have a good story without the romance. Especially when we're talking this young.
Mage and the Magpie: 4.5 stars
The Empty Throne: 4 stars
The Paradise Twin: 3 stars
The Bridge to Nowhere: 4 stars
Magemother series average: 4
I received complimentary ecopies of books 2 & 3 in exchange for my honest opinion.
December 24, 2017
This was a great way to learn more about the herald to the mage mother. I am going to assume this will help us to better understand actions that take place in book 2, and I can't wait to get started. I am going to get busy with it now.
June 6, 2017
My kindle e-book
January 1, 2019
Good novel, I’ve enjoyed it. I read after the full series and helped meto understand the references made in the following books,on Tabita’s secret adventure. In this novel we have a chance to learn more about Tabitha, her past, her skills that will have a great importance in the future of Aberdeen.
June 12, 2017
This novella was better constructed than part 1. We learn more about Tabitha and why she will be a good mage and herald. I am not sure I understand how one person could meaningfully be both. I guess I will keep reading the series to find out.
August 13, 2017
Wonderful!
July 1, 2018
Tests of the heart can be dangerous.
This story is inviting you to a world like no other. It's well written and worth more than its price.
This story is inviting you to a world like no other. It's well written and worth more than its price.
January 25, 2019
Nice little story that answers some of the questions about what happened to Tabitha during a part of the Main series.
November 21, 2020
short, sweet and a good intro to the series. I haven't read book one so I think I'll go back and give it a try.
September 29, 2023
I don't really understand the title of this book, but it was nice to read about Tabitha.
March 16, 2017
An interesting little story.
February 24, 2017
Enjoyed
January 26, 2016
The Empty Throne is a magnificent and magical story! After reading the fist book in the Magemother series I was so excited to find out what happens next! Therefore, when I saw that another book in this series came out I quickly bought it and tried to savor every page because I knew these spinoff books were very short.
This short story, just like the first book, was captivating and the characters are filled with different unique personalities, making them memorable and identifiable. Since this was a spinoff it focuses on Tabitha and her emotional journey of becoming Brinley's Herold. Sometimes it may seem that these short stories are a little pointless but you learn so much background information about Brinley's parents and Tabitha's thoughts and struggles of trying to become the Magemother's protector.
I don't want to give too much away but this story is filled with heart, magic, and inspiration that makes you feel really good when finishing the story. Although It may be a fantasy, there is a real sophistication that brings in some darker elements to the story. Having this story to read while waiting for book two was really worth it and I highly recommend reading it even if it is not the direct sequel to the first book.
This short story, just like the first book, was captivating and the characters are filled with different unique personalities, making them memorable and identifiable. Since this was a spinoff it focuses on Tabitha and her emotional journey of becoming Brinley's Herold. Sometimes it may seem that these short stories are a little pointless but you learn so much background information about Brinley's parents and Tabitha's thoughts and struggles of trying to become the Magemother's protector.
I don't want to give too much away but this story is filled with heart, magic, and inspiration that makes you feel really good when finishing the story. Although It may be a fantasy, there is a real sophistication that brings in some darker elements to the story. Having this story to read while waiting for book two was really worth it and I highly recommend reading it even if it is not the direct sequel to the first book.
August 18, 2016
This is my very favorite narrative in the Magemother series! This account is primarily about Tabitha, who is probably my most adored character in these stories. Also predominate in the story is Archibald, who is definitely my next most cherished personality in these books. New characters are introduced, previously unknown talents are discovered, and different alliances are formed. Many little secrets and previously unknown bits of information are revealed here as well, some of which intersect quite interestingly with other portions of the overall story. This is a short tale, but certainly one of some importance, and most definitely worth the read!
I received a free e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 28, 2016
I liked this. It was a well needed insert into the development of such an interesting character like Tabitha. It brought some insight on Archibald and the old Magemother too. It sheds some light on a future possibility for the story and it's characters now, at least for Tabitha, Archibald and the old Magemother though. I wouldn't mind reading more of this for say, the Prince of Paradise and maybe even Brinley's adopted father. His experiences raising an unknown, mysterious child into the girl she is now. They're family dynamic is a healthy and quirky one. I would love to get in his head and understand his motivations.
December 7, 2016
Stupidly, though people told me not to, I read this book last (after I had finished the series). Because of this, I thought everything was going to be so much clearer.
Yeah, right! I was very impressed with all his other books, but this one did not go. So yes, this is coming from a person who did not read the books in order, however, I feel like he tried to be too analytical for me. I read through the book, was so excited for everything to be clearer, but nothing made more sense then then it did before.
On top of that, it felt like it was Tabitha and Tabitha alone, which I never saw the other books as this.
Yeah, right! I was very impressed with all his other books, but this one did not go. So yes, this is coming from a person who did not read the books in order, however, I feel like he tried to be too analytical for me. I read through the book, was so excited for everything to be clearer, but nothing made more sense then then it did before.
On top of that, it felt like it was Tabitha and Tabitha alone, which I never saw the other books as this.
October 17, 2016
Epic fantasy slightly reminiscent of The Chronicles of Narnia
The novella, The Empty Throne, fits between books one and two of the Magemother series. Unlike some series books, these do not work well unless you read all four books in the correct order.
Some things were predictable, but there were some unexpected surprises.
The novella, The Empty Throne, fits between books one and two of the Magemother series. Unlike some series books, these do not work well unless you read all four books in the correct order.
Some things were predictable, but there were some unexpected surprises.
April 16, 2017
Such a good short all about another character you can't help but love. I can't wait to see how Tabitha's story plays out
April 27, 2017
a very short book but extremely interesting as its about Brinley's herald herself!! Brinley is now Magemother and the bird girl is her herald but she is not only a bird, she is a shapeshifter and can take shapes of other animals according to their need!! She is also the apprenctice to the earth mage, so quite powerful in her own right, very quaint and weird but lovely weird!! a great filler, loved it!!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews