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The Spellmonger #2
Warmage
The Goblin Invasion Is On...
...and a wizard's work is never done! After facing a hopeless siege, an implacable foe and an impossible escape, you would think that Minalan the Spellmonger would be able to rest -- but the armies of the undead goblin shaman Shereul (known as the Dead God to his human victims) are rolling over the western reaches of the rustic Duchy of Alshar and is headed toward the heart of the Duchy of Castal. Thousands are fleeing for their lives as hordes of goblins pour out of Boval Vale and devastate the rugged fiefs of the Alshari Wilderlands. And the super-charged shamans of the Dead God are making defending the realm almost impossible for the outnumbered Alshari country knights.
While the two Dukes play feudal politics to further their own ends, the only people who seem to care about the invasion are Minalan and his outlaw warmagi friends -- and they're busy dodging agents of the sinister Royal Censorate of Magic.
But if someone doesn't organize an army in northern Alshar soon, then there will be nothing to stop the armies of the divinely-powerful Dead God from conquering all five Duchies in his genocidal quest for vengeance.
But things are just not that simple: he has to cope with a sexy young Shadowmage assasin who works for a mysterious spymaster, a cocky new manservant, a dysfunctional group of suddenly-powerful warmagi, the Censor General, and a bunch of whiny nobles before the Dukes will grant him the troops and money he will need -- and the Dukes have plans of their own. If Minalan the Spellmonger can't lobby the courts of Alshar and Castal to work together -- and quickly -- the hordes of the Dead God will sweep over the frontiers of both states. Worse, the mysterious Umbra veil he has erected around Boval Vale may come to imperil all Five Duchies.
Minalan would rather just go home and let the Dukes handle it, but his conscience won't let him. Someone has to stop the Dead God . . . and that someone happens to be him. Beyond politics and plots, goblins and trolls, mercenaries and magic, the Soulless and the shamans, Censors and secret orders, for Minalan there is only the thought that his child is to be born in a world with such dangers, and that is something he cannot permit.
It is time for the Spellmonger to pick up his mageblade, summon his allies, and go to war again . . . as a Warmage!
Product Details
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 1620 KB
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B00701DQSU
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Lending: Enabled
...and a wizard's work is never done! After facing a hopeless siege, an implacable foe and an impossible escape, you would think that Minalan the Spellmonger would be able to rest -- but the armies of the undead goblin shaman Shereul (known as the Dead God to his human victims) are rolling over the western reaches of the rustic Duchy of Alshar and is headed toward the heart of the Duchy of Castal. Thousands are fleeing for their lives as hordes of goblins pour out of Boval Vale and devastate the rugged fiefs of the Alshari Wilderlands. And the super-charged shamans of the Dead God are making defending the realm almost impossible for the outnumbered Alshari country knights.
While the two Dukes play feudal politics to further their own ends, the only people who seem to care about the invasion are Minalan and his outlaw warmagi friends -- and they're busy dodging agents of the sinister Royal Censorate of Magic.
But if someone doesn't organize an army in northern Alshar soon, then there will be nothing to stop the armies of the divinely-powerful Dead God from conquering all five Duchies in his genocidal quest for vengeance.
But things are just not that simple: he has to cope with a sexy young Shadowmage assasin who works for a mysterious spymaster, a cocky new manservant, a dysfunctional group of suddenly-powerful warmagi, the Censor General, and a bunch of whiny nobles before the Dukes will grant him the troops and money he will need -- and the Dukes have plans of their own. If Minalan the Spellmonger can't lobby the courts of Alshar and Castal to work together -- and quickly -- the hordes of the Dead God will sweep over the frontiers of both states. Worse, the mysterious Umbra veil he has erected around Boval Vale may come to imperil all Five Duchies.
Minalan would rather just go home and let the Dukes handle it, but his conscience won't let him. Someone has to stop the Dead God . . . and that someone happens to be him. Beyond politics and plots, goblins and trolls, mercenaries and magic, the Soulless and the shamans, Censors and secret orders, for Minalan there is only the thought that his child is to be born in a world with such dangers, and that is something he cannot permit.
It is time for the Spellmonger to pick up his mageblade, summon his allies, and go to war again . . . as a Warmage!
Product Details
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 1620 KB
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B00701DQSU
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Lending: Enabled
27 pages, Audible Audio
First published January 19, 2012
988 people are currently reading
776 people want to read
About the author
Terry Mancour
42 books1,176 followersTerry Mancour is a New York Times Best-Selling Author who has written more than 30 books, under his own name and pseudonyms, including Star Trek: The Next Generation #20, Spartacus, the Spellmonger Series (more than 11 books and growing), among other works.
He was born in Flint, Michigan in 1968 (according to his mother) and wisely relocated to North Carolina in 1978 where he embraced Southern culture and its dedication to compelling narratives and intriguing characterizations. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he majored in Religious Studies.
Terry, his beautiful wife and three children live just outside of Durham, N.C. atop Red Mountain. He was nominated for the 2018 Audie Award for Best Fantasy for the audiobook for Spellmonger (narrated by John Lee), the first book in his Spellmonger Series.
He has plotted the Spellmonger Series for at least thirty books, in addition to his Spellmonger Cadet (young adult) series, stand-alone novels, short stories and novellas set within the Spellmonger Universe, all of which will be published by Podium as audiobooks. He is also the author of a series of sequels to Golden Age sci-fi master H. Beam Piper's novel, Space Viking, as well as original sci-fi novels.
He was born in Flint, Michigan in 1968 (according to his mother) and wisely relocated to North Carolina in 1978 where he embraced Southern culture and its dedication to compelling narratives and intriguing characterizations. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he majored in Religious Studies.
Terry, his beautiful wife and three children live just outside of Durham, N.C. atop Red Mountain. He was nominated for the 2018 Audie Award for Best Fantasy for the audiobook for Spellmonger (narrated by John Lee), the first book in his Spellmonger Series.
He has plotted the Spellmonger Series for at least thirty books, in addition to his Spellmonger Cadet (young adult) series, stand-alone novels, short stories and novellas set within the Spellmonger Universe, all of which will be published by Podium as audiobooks. He is also the author of a series of sequels to Golden Age sci-fi master H. Beam Piper's novel, Space Viking, as well as original sci-fi novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
November 16, 2021
This book was good. I won't deny it. It kept me interested and wanting to read but it didn't enrapture me. It didn't rock my world. Though I struggled to give WARMAGE four stars, I just couldn't do it.
The series follows a battle mage as he struggles against a goblin invasion and in this book we get into the bones of a magical war. Interesting but nothing too special. The truly great thing is we get to see a battle mage do what he does best and what I've wanted to see other battle mages do in other books. He cast and orchestrates really awesome and devastating battle spells.
The story itself is good. There is plenty of action and enough intrigue to make the brain tingle a bit. The author did quit using so many parenthesis which was a pleasant surprise.
Alright, let's get to the crap. First of all, I personally don't care for goblins. There is just something corny and childish about them. I don't feel this way about many fantasy races but for some reason goblins just don't do anything for me and this book is filled to the brim with goblins.
Secondly, the thing that probably bothers me most about any fantasy book is the ridiculous proper nouns. In most books they become fluid and you eventually get used to them. In this series the names of people and places were so clunky and ugly that I found myself constantly stumbling through them. It really makes it difficult to submerge yourself in the story.
Thirdly, the writing and editing was just sloppy. I read a lot of indie books and this didn't usually bother me. When you pick up an indie you know what you're in for but this was like a big middle finger sometimes. Mancour over explains things and reiterates constantly. Like, I'm not a moron. I don't need to be told who is in a war council there times or be told multiple times how a character feels about a certain thing. Tell me once and fricking move on. He gets so wrapped up in the details sometimes that he forgets who recently died or left and suddenly they appear, saying something redundant when they're dead or supposed to be far away.
And the editing! Fuck! There were several sentences and paragraphs that were cut right in the middle. They just trailed off into nothingness. Like a fucking cliffhanger.
Lastly, Minalin, the main character is all around pretty douchy. Sometimes you like him, sometimes you hate him and sometimes you really hate him.
I did like this book and will most likely continue reading the series... someday. It's just not urgent. I could die and not really care that i didn't finish.
Recommended?
The series follows a battle mage as he struggles against a goblin invasion and in this book we get into the bones of a magical war. Interesting but nothing too special. The truly great thing is we get to see a battle mage do what he does best and what I've wanted to see other battle mages do in other books. He cast and orchestrates really awesome and devastating battle spells.
The story itself is good. There is plenty of action and enough intrigue to make the brain tingle a bit. The author did quit using so many parenthesis which was a pleasant surprise.
Alright, let's get to the crap. First of all, I personally don't care for goblins. There is just something corny and childish about them. I don't feel this way about many fantasy races but for some reason goblins just don't do anything for me and this book is filled to the brim with goblins.
Secondly, the thing that probably bothers me most about any fantasy book is the ridiculous proper nouns. In most books they become fluid and you eventually get used to them. In this series the names of people and places were so clunky and ugly that I found myself constantly stumbling through them. It really makes it difficult to submerge yourself in the story.
Thirdly, the writing and editing was just sloppy. I read a lot of indie books and this didn't usually bother me. When you pick up an indie you know what you're in for but this was like a big middle finger sometimes. Mancour over explains things and reiterates constantly. Like, I'm not a moron. I don't need to be told who is in a war council there times or be told multiple times how a character feels about a certain thing. Tell me once and fricking move on. He gets so wrapped up in the details sometimes that he forgets who recently died or left and suddenly they appear, saying something redundant when they're dead or supposed to be far away.
And the editing! Fuck! There were several sentences and paragraphs that were cut right in the middle. They just trailed off into nothingness. Like a fucking cliffhanger.
Lastly, Minalin, the main character is all around pretty douchy. Sometimes you like him, sometimes you hate him and sometimes you really hate him.
I did like this book and will most likely continue reading the series... someday. It's just not urgent. I could die and not really care that i didn't finish.
Recommended?
June 26, 2013
I had high hopes for this series but sadly the didn´t get fulfilled because this book fails in to many aspects.
#Slight spoilers ahead.
For example one of the major themes of the book is that the MC is separated from his one true love, the mother of his child and that he would like nothing more than to be with her... and yet he sleeps with the first attractive woman that he encounters and its somehow okay because he is not married and she looks like her? And everybody, even his lover, shares that sentiment. Hell we even got some bloodthirsty mercenary wizard trying to protect the relationship between the two because its something "special" and "right".
Or the constant bashing of the aristocracy and its high nobles and their affairs because they don´t believe every word of the MC or give him total control of everything. For one who always says that he doesn´t want the responsibility of being a leader he really asks for a lot... and expects to get it because somehow having supreme power means that he is always right and can do no wrong.
And how he can still think of himself as commoner when he is everything but that(I mean come on... he is the son of a rich merchant, highly educated, behaves like a noble and has nearly unlimited power-> what exactly is it that makes him "common"?) is beyond my understanding. Especially because only a few pages later he argues about how he is the only who is allowed to make mages into living gods and control them.
And last but not least we have the whole.. this is "Total War" theme going on and yet when they find the source of the improvement of the enemy army do they kill him? No they let him live and leave. And the same happens 100 pages later with the commander of the enemy army. It feels more like a friendly sparing match between two friends then a bloody genocide.
The only aspect of the story that really pleased me are the battles because despite all that they are still entertaining.
But if this book aspires to be anything better than a guilty pleasure it should get rid of the whole romance thingie and focus on the goddamn war and its horrors.
#Slight spoilers ahead.
For example one of the major themes of the book is that the MC is separated from his one true love, the mother of his child and that he would like nothing more than to be with her... and yet he sleeps with the first attractive woman that he encounters and its somehow okay because he is not married and she looks like her? And everybody, even his lover, shares that sentiment. Hell we even got some bloodthirsty mercenary wizard trying to protect the relationship between the two because its something "special" and "right".
Or the constant bashing of the aristocracy and its high nobles and their affairs because they don´t believe every word of the MC or give him total control of everything. For one who always says that he doesn´t want the responsibility of being a leader he really asks for a lot... and expects to get it because somehow having supreme power means that he is always right and can do no wrong.
And how he can still think of himself as commoner when he is everything but that(I mean come on... he is the son of a rich merchant, highly educated, behaves like a noble and has nearly unlimited power-> what exactly is it that makes him "common"?) is beyond my understanding. Especially because only a few pages later he argues about how he is the only who is allowed to make mages into living gods and control them.
And last but not least we have the whole.. this is "Total War" theme going on and yet when they find the source of the improvement of the enemy army do they kill him? No they let him live and leave. And the same happens 100 pages later with the commander of the enemy army. It feels more like a friendly sparing match between two friends then a bloody genocide.
The only aspect of the story that really pleased me are the battles because despite all that they are still entertaining.
But if this book aspires to be anything better than a guilty pleasure it should get rid of the whole romance thingie and focus on the goddamn war and its horrors.
February 14, 2012
This is a highly entertaining, often clever, and sometimes amusing story. Minalan, despite being no golden boy, is a really likeable reluctant hero, and the while there are really no surprises in the plot, there is still plenty going on to keep me turning the pages, figuratively. Oh, and it's long, even by fantasy standards this is a pretty hefty tome, or it would be if it was actually in physical form.
There are two things in my mind that hold this book back from being all it could be:
First, and easily, if not quickly, rectified, are the innumerable typos, missing words, inconsistencies, and other editorial issues rampant throughout the book. I read somewhere that this is a beta version, and these issues will be cleaned up later on, so I don't hold it against the story, which is still good, but it would certainly be a smoother read after all those issues are ironed out.
Second, which is more a matter of personal opinion, are the lengthy discourses on history and geography of the world which dominate whole swaths of the book. While I applaud the authors world building prowess, I think most of these could be pared down quite a bit, and occasionally cut out all together. As it is now, the story drags through these sections, affecting the pace of the overall story, and I think a little tightening up would really be beneficial.
There are two things in my mind that hold this book back from being all it could be:
First, and easily, if not quickly, rectified, are the innumerable typos, missing words, inconsistencies, and other editorial issues rampant throughout the book. I read somewhere that this is a beta version, and these issues will be cleaned up later on, so I don't hold it against the story, which is still good, but it would certainly be a smoother read after all those issues are ironed out.
Second, which is more a matter of personal opinion, are the lengthy discourses on history and geography of the world which dominate whole swaths of the book. While I applaud the authors world building prowess, I think most of these could be pared down quite a bit, and occasionally cut out all together. As it is now, the story drags through these sections, affecting the pace of the overall story, and I think a little tightening up would really be beneficial.
April 14, 2016
The main character in these books is startlingly unlikable; a lecherous, pompous, self-satisfied git who sits around having one plum after another drop into his lap. I got extremely tired of him and his one-dimensional adventures long before the end of this gigantic book.
On top of this, the author's habit of hopping back and forth in time every other chapter is pretty jarring, not to mention frustrating as he uses it as a cheap tension generator ("At last! The big confrontation is upon us!" Next chapter: "Six weeks earlier I was having my chamber pot cleaned when...") He also drops a pretty serious clanger at least once per book; a character in this book dies conspicuously but is briefly resurrected at a later meeting, before being dead again.
But apart from that, Mrs. Lincoln, the play was fine. It's not a terrible book. I just got... tired. Of it.
On top of this, the author's habit of hopping back and forth in time every other chapter is pretty jarring, not to mention frustrating as he uses it as a cheap tension generator ("At last! The big confrontation is upon us!" Next chapter: "Six weeks earlier I was having my chamber pot cleaned when...") He also drops a pretty serious clanger at least once per book; a character in this book dies conspicuously but is briefly resurrected at a later meeting, before being dead again.
But apart from that, Mrs. Lincoln, the play was fine. It's not a terrible book. I just got... tired. Of it.
February 7, 2012
Great story, worldbuilding, and characters. My only complaint is the format of how he tells the story. I think it would have been better if he just told it chronologically instead of skipping back and forth
April 13, 2012
This is now one of my favorite series, ever. Min could be me or just about any one I know. The normal guy becomes the hero that forgets to pee before he puts on his armor. A great story that never tries too hard to be epic, but indeed is.
August 12, 2017
I let this book sit for a while before reviewing it...I really liked some parts and really had some major issues with the story.
I truly liked a lot of the story and my few reservations and complaints could possibly be solved even in book 3...however the time jumping was obnoxious.
I know the author wanted to mix-up politics with war but there was too much of it and it became distracting and annoying, and around 1/4 of the way the book I just wanted the story to be told straight, and figured their was some big reveal the author was hiding but nope...nothing.
Also I have no complaints with the protagonist being lecherous like he was in this book like some of the other reviewers as long as it comes back to bite him in book 3.
I truly liked a lot of the story and my few reservations and complaints could possibly be solved even in book 3...however the time jumping was obnoxious.
I know the author wanted to mix-up politics with war but there was too much of it and it became distracting and annoying, and around 1/4 of the way the book I just wanted the story to be told straight, and figured their was some big reveal the author was hiding but nope...nothing.
Also I have no complaints with the protagonist being lecherous like he was in this book like some of the other reviewers as long as it comes back to bite him in book 3.
February 9, 2018
The second adventure of the Spellmonger is marked by lots of strategizing, planning, politics manipulations, big battles and goblins.
The writing has that same didactic tone of the first book. That besides giving us long explanations in every chapter, don't give the reader a dragging feeling and apply the lectures in context with the adventures, I can only conjecture that Terry Mancour must be a truly great teacher.
Very good fantasy book, recommended for adult readers.
The writing has that same didactic tone of the first book. That besides giving us long explanations in every chapter, don't give the reader a dragging feeling and apply the lectures in context with the adventures, I can only conjecture that Terry Mancour must be a truly great teacher.
Very good fantasy book, recommended for adult readers.
February 10, 2018
Mechanically better than the first one, enough improvement to continue with the series.
February 18, 2013
I was a little disappointed with this sequel, after the strong potential the first book displayed. The first book (Spellmonger) had excellent pacing, an interesting story, funny and engaging characters, lots of action, a sardonic writing style, and a fairly well implemented and interesting magic system.
Book two is basically the reverse of the first book, in that the vast majority of the story is bogged down with how the main character is dealing with running his own army, then the city that he commandeers to be the military staging ground for the defense against the goblin invasion. A lot of the book is also taken up with the various political factions of not one but TWO different Duchies, and their relevant histories.
Speaking of TWO, there is also a dual narrative taking place in the book, both following the main character, but with about two months difference in the two timelines. Sound confusing? It is!
It does allow for some odd tricks that the author can play in allowing you to know what is going to happen in the earlier timeline, but leave out the specifics. However, the confusion comes in in that both timelines stories are pretty similar, and when I would set the book down and come back, I would forget which timeline I was reading.
One nitpick: I like well thought out magic systems. It’s why I loved the Wheel of Time, and Brandon Sanderson’s books as well. However, I can see the author is struggling with figuring out just how powerful his War Magi are. Most of the books are spent talking about how witchstones basically make any mage a GOD, who can destroy an army single handedly. Many times they mention how the Mad Mage nearly wiped out an army with a tiny sliver of witchstone. How come the main character doesn’t seem to have that much power? Sometimes he does powerful things, other times… not so much.
In one scene, a Troll wanders across the battlefield and nearly kills the main character because he can’t think of anything to do. That doesn’t really fit with the “can wipe out an entire army single handedly” power level that the Magi are supposed to have.
Overall, the book was very slow going, and I found myself struggling to keep reading. It is a testament to how much I enjoyed the first book that I “just kept swimming”, but it was tough. There were still bright points in the book, and all the things that made the first book good were included, but with a whole lot of monotony thrown in to water down the good parts. The book could have easily been half as many pages, and would have been twice as good. I still have faith that book 3 - with a little help from an actively involved editor - will live up to the potential that was displayed in book 1.
Book two is basically the reverse of the first book, in that the vast majority of the story is bogged down with how the main character is dealing with running his own army, then the city that he commandeers to be the military staging ground for the defense against the goblin invasion. A lot of the book is also taken up with the various political factions of not one but TWO different Duchies, and their relevant histories.
Speaking of TWO, there is also a dual narrative taking place in the book, both following the main character, but with about two months difference in the two timelines. Sound confusing? It is!
It does allow for some odd tricks that the author can play in allowing you to know what is going to happen in the earlier timeline, but leave out the specifics. However, the confusion comes in in that both timelines stories are pretty similar, and when I would set the book down and come back, I would forget which timeline I was reading.
One nitpick: I like well thought out magic systems. It’s why I loved the Wheel of Time, and Brandon Sanderson’s books as well. However, I can see the author is struggling with figuring out just how powerful his War Magi are. Most of the books are spent talking about how witchstones basically make any mage a GOD, who can destroy an army single handedly. Many times they mention how the Mad Mage nearly wiped out an army with a tiny sliver of witchstone. How come the main character doesn’t seem to have that much power? Sometimes he does powerful things, other times… not so much.
In one scene, a Troll wanders across the battlefield and nearly kills the main character because he can’t think of anything to do. That doesn’t really fit with the “can wipe out an entire army single handedly” power level that the Magi are supposed to have.
Overall, the book was very slow going, and I found myself struggling to keep reading. It is a testament to how much I enjoyed the first book that I “just kept swimming”, but it was tough. There were still bright points in the book, and all the things that made the first book good were included, but with a whole lot of monotony thrown in to water down the good parts. The book could have easily been half as many pages, and would have been twice as good. I still have faith that book 3 - with a little help from an actively involved editor - will live up to the potential that was displayed in book 1.
March 3, 2012
The one thing I want to get out of the way in this review is my complaint. It's not about the writing, or the story, but rather about the formatting. It was BAD. Both the first and second book had the problem (on the Kindle app, at least) of having extra lines between each of the paragraphs. This would seem like a minor thing except that it really broke up the flow, and there were times where it interrupted the story. There were some other flaws there, as well, but none that were quite as vexing as that.
On to the good! I was very happy with just about everything else with this book. I loved that it was quite long and involved, but I will admit that some of that felt like padding. The thread of the story never dropped off, however, and it was compelling enough that I wanted to keep reading, even when I needed to stop.
One of the things that I thought was interesting was the switching from the "present" to the "past" to describe some of the things that were happening. The lead-ups felt a little contrived... "Oh, you mean that incident I had with the nun on the road? Well, let me tell you about that *scooby-do music*"
I'm really looking forward to the next installment. The hero is someone I wish I could be. His companions are people that I wouldn't mind spending time with and the villains are driven, ruthless, and compelling in their own right, even though they can be inconsistent at times.
On to the good! I was very happy with just about everything else with this book. I loved that it was quite long and involved, but I will admit that some of that felt like padding. The thread of the story never dropped off, however, and it was compelling enough that I wanted to keep reading, even when I needed to stop.
One of the things that I thought was interesting was the switching from the "present" to the "past" to describe some of the things that were happening. The lead-ups felt a little contrived... "Oh, you mean that incident I had with the nun on the road? Well, let me tell you about that *scooby-do music*"
I'm really looking forward to the next installment. The hero is someone I wish I could be. His companions are people that I wouldn't mind spending time with and the villains are driven, ruthless, and compelling in their own right, even though they can be inconsistent at times.
May 22, 2022
This is a book about court politics, the effort of rallying armies for a common goal, and about battle preparations described with minute detail.
The timeline is split in two (two months of court vs. two months of battle prep), and the chapters are shuffled in-between. This leads to a confusing read in the first part of the book. That's until the timeline gets more clear and everything starts to make sense.
There are two or three battles throughout the book, though the only one I've found interesting enough was the final stand against the goblin invasion at Timberwatch.
The first book was full of witty humor. This one is not. The first chapter starts with a humorous exposition from Minolan, but that's about all one will get in that department. I feel that's a pity as one of the main selling points of the first book was its fun read.
After reading the first book, I've bought the following four in the series. After reading the second book, I started thinking I might want a refund. Third time's a charm?!
The timeline is split in two (two months of court vs. two months of battle prep), and the chapters are shuffled in-between. This leads to a confusing read in the first part of the book. That's until the timeline gets more clear and everything starts to make sense.
There are two or three battles throughout the book, though the only one I've found interesting enough was the final stand against the goblin invasion at Timberwatch.
The first book was full of witty humor. This one is not. The first chapter starts with a humorous exposition from Minolan, but that's about all one will get in that department. I feel that's a pity as one of the main selling points of the first book was its fun read.
After reading the first book, I've bought the following four in the series. After reading the second book, I started thinking I might want a refund. Third time's a charm?!
January 2, 2026
Minalans The Spellmonger burvis nekāro pēc dzīves, kur katra diena būtu politsko intrigu un varas spēļu pārsātināta. Tādēļ, kad aizsākas The Spellmonger sērijas darbība, par savu mājvietu tas izvēlējies pirmajā acu uzmetienā salīdzinoši necilu Minden’s Hall ciematu iekš Boval ielejas attālā Alshar hercogistes ziemeļu reģionā. Tālāk mīt vien kalni, kuros jau sen kā cilvēce aizdzinusi par gobliniem sauktos Gurvani rases senčus. Kas gan būtu varējis iedomāties, sērijas galvenais varonis Minalans noteikti nav starp tiem, ka goblini pēc vairāk kā divsimts gadiem tieši tad izdomās uzsākt jaunu karu ar cilvēci.
https://poseidons99.com/2026/01/02/te...
https://poseidons99.com/2026/01/02/te...
March 7, 2024
This series is really growing on me. It’s not your typical hack and slash magic series(although there is plenty of that). It has a large and complex mixing of political power struggles and maneuvering.
Extremely likable and down to earth characters makes for a very interesting mix of action and relatability. I am excited to continue the series and wish I had found out about it earlier!
Extremely likable and down to earth characters makes for a very interesting mix of action and relatability. I am excited to continue the series and wish I had found out about it earlier!
July 14, 2017
good read. The story continues on. Not much to say, its more of the first book. The politics is bubbling underneath and comes to a head. If you were upset with MC not standing up to the Family, a spy network run by the Dutch's mother; they get what's coming to them. They are playing politics in the middle of a war! MC though keeps saying he is not involved in politics and is angry at the Duke who is worried about invasion from other duke even though he was very right to be worried. He fixes this problem near the end and it was very satisfying to watch someone who tried to work with others even though he could just overpower them show his strength.
May 21, 2018
Loved it! Very entertaining. Lots of developments within the story and I am eager to get started on book 3.
Read this if you like reluctant heroes with foibles
Read this if you can tolerate swearing, sex and war scenes
Don't read this if you are a feminist, pacifist or prude.
That is it in a nutshell. This won't be to everyone's taste but I found it entertaining.
Read this if you like reluctant heroes with foibles
Read this if you can tolerate swearing, sex and war scenes
Don't read this if you are a feminist, pacifist or prude.
That is it in a nutshell. This won't be to everyone's taste but I found it entertaining.
March 13, 2012
Better than the first book.
Loads of action.
Very good story.
Sucks you right in and never lets go.
Loads of action.
Very good story.
Sucks you right in and never lets go.
October 27, 2016
I grew bored
The endless battle descriptions bores me to tears-I didn't see much of the spellmonger I had started to like in the first novel
The endless battle descriptions bores me to tears-I didn't see much of the spellmonger I had started to like in the first novel
May 27, 2017
I'm enjoying this series despite a few inconsistencies in character development and a few problems with the magic system. The storyline is too good to ignore.
September 4, 2022
Great series. Good, grande follow up to the first book and a unexpected find within the genre.
July 15, 2022
In Warmage, Minalan returns from the events of the last book to try and rally a defense against the goblin invasion. He has two major deficits working against him in accomplishing this task. The first is that he was not born to a noble family and the second is that he is a mage, precluded by the bans from receiving a title and with it the right to lead armies. Now, because of the structure of the novel with every second chapter taking place in the past, the reader knows from chapter one that Minalan will overcome these problems and lead a small army into the field against the goblins. That does not make the challenge of getting the support he needs any less exciting as Mancour proves he can write very credible and interesting political storylines.
Yet the heart of the book remains the goblin invasion with more than a quarter million of the creatures, plus trolls and doubtless other things, determined to wipe humanity off the face of the planet. This is a serious threat made much more so by the goblins’ dead god—also introduced in the last book—whose rage is what is driving the creatures.
For those of you who don’t like politics as much as I do, the battle scenes in this novel are frequent and superbly written. To add to the considerable tension, Mancour makes it quite clear that everything that Minalan is doing is intended merely to stymie the first wave of the invasion. This is going to be a very long, very drawn-out war. And of course, much of the problems are Minalan’s fellow humans, who are all kinds of treacherous. And I’d like to also point out that while Minalan thinks that he and his mages are the only ones with access to witch stones, the censors have been collecting witch stones from the mages they have brought down for centuries and our hero had better be preparing a defense against them when they decide to more vehemently protest his efforts to eliminate the bans.
I really enjoyed this book, but I feel the need to point out that like the first one, this is an impressively thick tome. I listened to it audio and it’s more than 28 hours long. Fortunately, the superb narrator, John Lee, speaks very clearly and I could push the text speed up considerably, but it’s still a long book so carve out some time when you decide to read it because it’s exciting enough that you’re going to want to find out what’s going to happen as fast as you can.
Yet the heart of the book remains the goblin invasion with more than a quarter million of the creatures, plus trolls and doubtless other things, determined to wipe humanity off the face of the planet. This is a serious threat made much more so by the goblins’ dead god—also introduced in the last book—whose rage is what is driving the creatures.
For those of you who don’t like politics as much as I do, the battle scenes in this novel are frequent and superbly written. To add to the considerable tension, Mancour makes it quite clear that everything that Minalan is doing is intended merely to stymie the first wave of the invasion. This is going to be a very long, very drawn-out war. And of course, much of the problems are Minalan’s fellow humans, who are all kinds of treacherous. And I’d like to also point out that while Minalan thinks that he and his mages are the only ones with access to witch stones, the censors have been collecting witch stones from the mages they have brought down for centuries and our hero had better be preparing a defense against them when they decide to more vehemently protest his efforts to eliminate the bans.
I really enjoyed this book, but I feel the need to point out that like the first one, this is an impressively thick tome. I listened to it audio and it’s more than 28 hours long. Fortunately, the superb narrator, John Lee, speaks very clearly and I could push the text speed up considerably, but it’s still a long book so carve out some time when you decide to read it because it’s exciting enough that you’re going to want to find out what’s going to happen as fast as you can.
December 24, 2024
This was a very enjoyable listen. I love John Lee's narration and the story was excellent.
Minalan, the Spellmonger, is a randy, foul mouthed lech who drinks too much & is unfaithful to his girlfriend. So, he's not the most sympathetic of main characters, but I still enjoyed this story. A LOT.
I love the sense of humor in this series so far: Min has a sarcastic, biting sort of wit and the banter between the various mages was often laugh out loud funny. So, this series is fun, has great action and likeable characters. Min might be a bit of a "Gary Sue" but I don't mind that.
One thing that impresses about this series is Mancour's ability to keep me engaged & "into" the story from start to finish. He manages to keep all the fights & politicking interesting and managed to avoid the tedium that battle-heavy stories can get bogged down in. I was never bored or felt my interest wander while listening to this audiobook, which is saying something for a book that's nearly 30 hours in length.
My only quibble is that I am not a fan of the author's decision to tell parts of the story out of chronological order. That didn't really work for me because I found it a bit confusing at first until I realized that's what was happening, then I just kind of rolled with it. Thankfully, the final chapters were all in chronological order. But I really enjoyed the book despite that issue, so it's a minor quibble for me.
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook & look forward to the next book in the series.
I'm giving this 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5.
Minalan, the Spellmonger, is a randy, foul mouthed lech who drinks too much & is unfaithful to his girlfriend. So, he's not the most sympathetic of main characters, but I still enjoyed this story. A LOT.
I love the sense of humor in this series so far: Min has a sarcastic, biting sort of wit and the banter between the various mages was often laugh out loud funny. So, this series is fun, has great action and likeable characters. Min might be a bit of a "Gary Sue" but I don't mind that.
One thing that impresses about this series is Mancour's ability to keep me engaged & "into" the story from start to finish. He manages to keep all the fights & politicking interesting and managed to avoid the tedium that battle-heavy stories can get bogged down in. I was never bored or felt my interest wander while listening to this audiobook, which is saying something for a book that's nearly 30 hours in length.
My only quibble is that I am not a fan of the author's decision to tell parts of the story out of chronological order. That didn't really work for me because I found it a bit confusing at first until I realized that's what was happening, then I just kind of rolled with it. Thankfully, the final chapters were all in chronological order. But I really enjoyed the book despite that issue, so it's a minor quibble for me.
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook & look forward to the next book in the series.
I'm giving this 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5.
August 4, 2020
This second installment in The Spellmonger series was truly an enjoyment! I found it interesting throughout. The multiple timelines really worked for this particular title, but it took a little more concentration than normal. As long as you pay attention, this one is still really enjoyable.
April 19, 2018
This is a great extension to the series. Lots of action and interesting political angles. That said, Min is a pratt. He is overly dense and his values are definitely not contemporary. Which is very hard to accept as someone who doesn't much believe that someone should sleep around on his wife. Just sayin'.
January 20, 2023
It's difficult for me to think of an epic fantasy that feels less epic than this one. It has all the ingredients necessary; large world, evil lord, hordes of enemies, magic everywhere, political intrigue, etc. But it all feels lifeless and boring. There's an essential element missing that leaves it flat and uninteresting, and that element is prose.
I don't expect, or require, an authors prose to be flowery and poetic like Tolkien, or breathlessly fast paced like Sandersons, but it has to at least be interesting enough to convey to me something other than a simple rendition of events. Prose, more than plot or characters, is what grabs a readers attention and instills a sense of commitment necessary to read a long series like this.
Unfortunately, books 1 and 2 both suffer from a boring prose that does little to engage my interest. Even as epic battles with trolls, dragins, magic spells, etc, are described, still I must stifle a yawn at how boring it all is. These books just aren't interesting to read, and no amount of sex or violence can change that.
Not that what the boring prose describes is all that great either. The setting is your standard western European feudal system with goblins, elves, and magic thrown in for good measure. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but most writers have the good sense to add something unique to the mix. The world simply is not interesting and I care very little what happens to it.
The tone is also very inconsistent. Throughout most of the story it has a light hearted, almost whimsical feel, but on occasion it will venture into grimdark territory with events so horrific they'll make a Warhammer 40k author blush. Much as I like grimdark like 40k, and whimsy adventures like The Hobbit, the two make strange bedfellows when combined.
Overall, there is little here that makes me want to read on. There are far better fantasy serious out there to spend all my time reading the 10+ books in this series.
I don't expect, or require, an authors prose to be flowery and poetic like Tolkien, or breathlessly fast paced like Sandersons, but it has to at least be interesting enough to convey to me something other than a simple rendition of events. Prose, more than plot or characters, is what grabs a readers attention and instills a sense of commitment necessary to read a long series like this.
Unfortunately, books 1 and 2 both suffer from a boring prose that does little to engage my interest. Even as epic battles with trolls, dragins, magic spells, etc, are described, still I must stifle a yawn at how boring it all is. These books just aren't interesting to read, and no amount of sex or violence can change that.
Not that what the boring prose describes is all that great either. The setting is your standard western European feudal system with goblins, elves, and magic thrown in for good measure. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but most writers have the good sense to add something unique to the mix. The world simply is not interesting and I care very little what happens to it.
The tone is also very inconsistent. Throughout most of the story it has a light hearted, almost whimsical feel, but on occasion it will venture into grimdark territory with events so horrific they'll make a Warhammer 40k author blush. Much as I like grimdark like 40k, and whimsy adventures like The Hobbit, the two make strange bedfellows when combined.
Overall, there is little here that makes me want to read on. There are far better fantasy serious out there to spend all my time reading the 10+ books in this series.
January 17, 2021
Okay so the story is quite interesting, but I wish the author would stop writing a book for horny somethings I am honestly not sure to whom this book would appeal.
What do you do if you find a nice girl and get her with child and fully intend to marry her well off course the first thing you do is bang the first woman you come across. But it is alright because you are not married yet. Everything related to sex is just unnecessary and absolutely weird. After I was finished with the first book I thought I would give the author the benefit of the doubt. Well, nothing has changed and even though I am interested in how the story continues I am stopping here.
What do you do if you find a nice girl and get her with child and fully intend to marry her well off course the first thing you do is bang the first woman you come across. But it is alright because you are not married yet. Everything related to sex is just unnecessary and absolutely weird. After I was finished with the first book I thought I would give the author the benefit of the doubt. Well, nothing has changed and even though I am interested in how the story continues I am stopping here.
November 8, 2017
A bit crass at times, but a great story overall.
This is well written, enjoyable, and very engaging. The characters are intricately crafted. It is a pleasure to watch the plot unfold and it has some riveting fight scenes. I very much enjoyed the first book and this second book did not disappoint either.
While I do think the sexual aspects of the book are a bit crass and over done, besides that I can’t really think of anything bad. The audible version is fantastic and definitely an enjoyable listen. It makes my hour commute, each way, fly by!
This is well written, enjoyable, and very engaging. The characters are intricately crafted. It is a pleasure to watch the plot unfold and it has some riveting fight scenes. I very much enjoyed the first book and this second book did not disappoint either.
While I do think the sexual aspects of the book are a bit crass and over done, besides that I can’t really think of anything bad. The audible version is fantastic and definitely an enjoyable listen. It makes my hour commute, each way, fly by!
May 11, 2017
Great book, i liked it but I do wish Minaland would stop diverting from telling the story, and wish he was faithful to the girl he loves, if he wished to then he should do with her permission or involve her too. Betrayal is a big no for me and lastly he shoud've taken the stone from Esselie after she killed the duke. Looking forward to the next book.
June 25, 2017
I'm really loving this series. While some have complained that the author is "over-descriptice" I actually appreciate it. My only complaint has nothing to do with the book, it's that the Audiobook is not yet available as of the time of this review.
I Highly Recommend this series to any lovers of the fantasy genre!
I Highly Recommend this series to any lovers of the fantasy genre!
August 29, 2017
I wanted to like this book more. I almost put 2 stars because though it has many parts that are good and likable... the main character is very unfaithful to his fiance and the book plays it off like it is fine and natural. It made me dislike the main character much more then I should. I think the author's intent is to make him very likable...
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