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The Spellmonger #4
Knights Magi
Opposites Attack!
When the Magelord Minalan the Spellmonger’s two apprentices, Tyndal and Rondal, were knighted after the battle of Timberwatch, they were dubbed Knights Magi: a new class of nobility for distinguished High Magi. Designed to combine the pursuit of arcane knowledge with the noble aspirations of chivalry, it elevated them above common warmage . . . in theory. The problem was they had no idea how to be a Knight Mage . . . because no one had ever been one before. And as a couple of half-trained rustic apprentices from the Mindens they did not feel up to the task or the high ideals of their title.
But Master Minalan the Spellmonger decided to cure that ignorance. He arranges for Tyndal and Rondal to be tutored and trained together in their new vocation, learning the arts of magic, the craft of warfare and the subtleties of chivalry from the finest masters in the kingdom.
If they didn’t kill each other, first.
The two young spellmonger’s apprentices from the Minden mountain domain of Boval Vale have much in common: both had their homes destroyed, they were both sent into exile by the goblin invasion, and they both serve the same master. Yet they could not be more different.
Rondal is quiet, bookish, and introspective, dedicated to the disciplines of academic magic and anticipating a future of study, service, and, perhaps, romance. Tyndal is bold and brash: an extroverted over-achiever with dreams of glory, gold, and girls. Fate, circumstance, and the whims of the gods have forced them together, but the raw emotions of adolescence and the trauma of war put them at each others’ throats with depressing frequency. Master Minalan can’t have that, especially not in his fragile new domain with another baby on the way . . . so he sends them on the road.
Jealousy, anxiety, passion and frustration conspire to make them rivals - but if they don’t figure out a way to learn to work together, and quickly, then their stubborn feud could end up affecting the fate of the entire war. Along the way they pick up some enemies, gain a few allies, master a few new skills, and attempt to learn the laws of love. But as they stumble through their lessons and learn to master their tempers they discover that the strongest bonds between men are forged by the most difficult of trials.
For after they become proficient at magic, war, and errantry they are put to the test in the field, the most difficult of circumstances . . . a mission where the strength of their friendship and the quality of their honor may be what defines them best as
Knights Magi!
When the Magelord Minalan the Spellmonger’s two apprentices, Tyndal and Rondal, were knighted after the battle of Timberwatch, they were dubbed Knights Magi: a new class of nobility for distinguished High Magi. Designed to combine the pursuit of arcane knowledge with the noble aspirations of chivalry, it elevated them above common warmage . . . in theory. The problem was they had no idea how to be a Knight Mage . . . because no one had ever been one before. And as a couple of half-trained rustic apprentices from the Mindens they did not feel up to the task or the high ideals of their title.
But Master Minalan the Spellmonger decided to cure that ignorance. He arranges for Tyndal and Rondal to be tutored and trained together in their new vocation, learning the arts of magic, the craft of warfare and the subtleties of chivalry from the finest masters in the kingdom.
If they didn’t kill each other, first.
The two young spellmonger’s apprentices from the Minden mountain domain of Boval Vale have much in common: both had their homes destroyed, they were both sent into exile by the goblin invasion, and they both serve the same master. Yet they could not be more different.
Rondal is quiet, bookish, and introspective, dedicated to the disciplines of academic magic and anticipating a future of study, service, and, perhaps, romance. Tyndal is bold and brash: an extroverted over-achiever with dreams of glory, gold, and girls. Fate, circumstance, and the whims of the gods have forced them together, but the raw emotions of adolescence and the trauma of war put them at each others’ throats with depressing frequency. Master Minalan can’t have that, especially not in his fragile new domain with another baby on the way . . . so he sends them on the road.
Jealousy, anxiety, passion and frustration conspire to make them rivals - but if they don’t figure out a way to learn to work together, and quickly, then their stubborn feud could end up affecting the fate of the entire war. Along the way they pick up some enemies, gain a few allies, master a few new skills, and attempt to learn the laws of love. But as they stumble through their lessons and learn to master their tempers they discover that the strongest bonds between men are forged by the most difficult of trials.
For after they become proficient at magic, war, and errantry they are put to the test in the field, the most difficult of circumstances . . . a mission where the strength of their friendship and the quality of their honor may be what defines them best as
Knights Magi!
Audible Audio
First published March 9, 2014
356 people are currently reading
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About the author
Terry Mancour
42 books1,175 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 115 reviews
January 27, 2018
Jeez! The idea of this book is solid, but the execution makes it a mire to navigate. Starting off strong it looked like this book might actually delve into character growth for both protagonists, the addition of a shared love interest and love unrequited was simplistic but none the less drove an important aspect of the story.
However, the unbalanced treatment of both characters in the second part of this novel lead me to dislike a character I initially liked. While in prior books Tyndall has been a bit of a glory hog, his treatment in this book or maybe the poor execution by the author, made him a victim of Rondal's jealous machinations. While Tyndall's actions / words aren't intended as a put down to Rondal, Rondal's actions / words seem particularly designed to humiliate Tyndall.
At the end of the day I left feeling that Tyndall was the more sympathetic character albeit a misunderstood one. A viewpoint I'm pretty sure the author did not intended. Rondal on the other hand comes off as a self important ass, and a poorly written one at that.
However, the unbalanced treatment of both characters in the second part of this novel lead me to dislike a character I initially liked. While in prior books Tyndall has been a bit of a glory hog, his treatment in this book or maybe the poor execution by the author, made him a victim of Rondal's jealous machinations. While Tyndall's actions / words aren't intended as a put down to Rondal, Rondal's actions / words seem particularly designed to humiliate Tyndall.
At the end of the day I left feeling that Tyndall was the more sympathetic character albeit a misunderstood one. A viewpoint I'm pretty sure the author did not intended. Rondal on the other hand comes off as a self important ass, and a poorly written one at that.
October 3, 2017
One of the weakest books in the series. It started ok, but went down hill fast. I hated the "dead Bond girl" cliche - killing off a strong sympathetic female character to motivate the 2 callow male MCs into doing something about it. And the ending threesome was simply bizarre.
Does the author really feel the only way to get the 2 young male MCs to get along is to kill off a girl they both like, and then have them reconcile by double teaming a girl neither of them likes?
Does the author really feel the only way to get the 2 young male MCs to get along is to kill off a girl they both like, and then have them reconcile by double teaming a girl neither of them likes?
November 30, 2014
I did like the book, but i found quite annoying how Tyndall was put in a very low position of development, while the other apprentice Rondal seems to just get better and better, even thought everyone says that tyndal is more like his master, he is thoroughly diminished i just found the whole thing stupid and useless, i get that Rondal needed a "boost" but the way the author made him rise is just plain stupid
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June 22, 2018Absolute hogwash and a complete discredit to the characters development and plausibility.
I haven't even finished this book at this point, and frankly, I don't want to. While I greatly enjoyed the previous 3 entries, I found the 2nd part so insufferably bullshit that I wanted to repeatedly wring the authors neck at the pure absurdity and impossibility and absolute unbelievable insane degree of unreasonableness of literally every single word, thought, and interaction between Tyndal and Rondal. But what was the most aggravating and bullshit is the overplaying of a mildly cocky and in no way blatantly hostile, after all, it was ALWAYS Rondal who is hostile to Tyndal, and Tyndal just doing his thing, and that rubbing Rondal wrong because he is a whiny little child, to then have literally every strength that Tyndal has in excellent spades, natural talent and constant daily dedication gets soundly beaten and humiliated because... of 4 weeks of marching and spinning and a few cursory martial lessons? I have trained in swordfighting and martial arts, and been through bootcamp. There is absolutely no way in hell these humiliations one after another after another of Rondal picking fight after fight after fight that he would have won every time and everyone loved him for his nasty scumbag hostile disposition. This book I despise. I would give it 0 stars if I could.
I haven't even finished this book at this point, and frankly, I don't want to. While I greatly enjoyed the previous 3 entries, I found the 2nd part so insufferably bullshit that I wanted to repeatedly wring the authors neck at the pure absurdity and impossibility and absolute unbelievable insane degree of unreasonableness of literally every single word, thought, and interaction between Tyndal and Rondal. But what was the most aggravating and bullshit is the overplaying of a mildly cocky and in no way blatantly hostile, after all, it was ALWAYS Rondal who is hostile to Tyndal, and Tyndal just doing his thing, and that rubbing Rondal wrong because he is a whiny little child, to then have literally every strength that Tyndal has in excellent spades, natural talent and constant daily dedication gets soundly beaten and humiliated because... of 4 weeks of marching and spinning and a few cursory martial lessons? I have trained in swordfighting and martial arts, and been through bootcamp. There is absolutely no way in hell these humiliations one after another after another of Rondal picking fight after fight after fight that he would have won every time and everyone loved him for his nasty scumbag hostile disposition. This book I despise. I would give it 0 stars if I could.
December 19, 2018
I loved the first three books in this series and was excited for this book. However, that excitement dimmed quickly as I got into the meat of the story.
Rondal, came off as a cruel, childish and petty character, that I found myself disliking more and more with each word that was written about him. His claim that Tyndal did not even like the girl, despite the fact that Tyndal met her first, and pursued her before Rondal even laid eyes on her is ludicrous. His whining and pining over her was so over the top, when he barely even knew or spent time with her, was almost as bad as Sir Caye's instantly falling for a woman he had seen once in the previous book. At least in that instance the story didn't revolve so deeply around something so ridiculous that it became such a big portion of the story's motivation. On top of that, making Rondal suddenly into some sort of warrior savant because he spent a couple weeks marching and feeling sorry for himself, despite all Tyndal's training with some of the best fighter's in the land, was beyond what my suspension of disbelief could tolerate.
I find that I cannot even finish the book, so poorly written and cliche was the tale. I am sad to have had such a wonderful series ruined by such a travesty of story telling.
Rondal, came off as a cruel, childish and petty character, that I found myself disliking more and more with each word that was written about him. His claim that Tyndal did not even like the girl, despite the fact that Tyndal met her first, and pursued her before Rondal even laid eyes on her is ludicrous. His whining and pining over her was so over the top, when he barely even knew or spent time with her, was almost as bad as Sir Caye's instantly falling for a woman he had seen once in the previous book. At least in that instance the story didn't revolve so deeply around something so ridiculous that it became such a big portion of the story's motivation. On top of that, making Rondal suddenly into some sort of warrior savant because he spent a couple weeks marching and feeling sorry for himself, despite all Tyndal's training with some of the best fighter's in the land, was beyond what my suspension of disbelief could tolerate.
I find that I cannot even finish the book, so poorly written and cliche was the tale. I am sad to have had such a wonderful series ruined by such a travesty of story telling.
November 15, 2018
I was sorta enjoying this series...
but this book is pretty garbage.
DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT MINOR SPOILERS
This book doesn't have alot of content that moves the plot along of the series. It is just backstory for Tyndal and Rondal. Essentially it boils down to "RONDAL GOOD! TYNDAL BAD!". Somehow the bookish Rondal gets some sword training for a couple of weeks and then defeats Tyndal who has been training for a long time. I'm all for progression, but it is just unrealistic.
The worst part of the story though is the 3 way near the end of the book with Rondal, Tyndal, and a girl that is a terrible person that Rondal is supposed to punish for crimes. First off, I legitimately feel like Terry Mancour just got horny while writing the book and decided, to throw a completely needless 3 way in there. Second, it doesn't add positively to the story in any way... In fact, it goes against any reasoning. It actually broke my suspension of disbelief in a book about mages and knights. It was so ridiculous that I feel like I got punked just for reading the book. It was so offputting to the plot of the book that I am not even interested in the series anymore. Rondal and Tyndal don't even get along. It makes 0 sense.
Anyway, rant over I cannot recommend this book to anybody.
but this book is pretty garbage.
DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT MINOR SPOILERS
This book doesn't have alot of content that moves the plot along of the series. It is just backstory for Tyndal and Rondal. Essentially it boils down to "RONDAL GOOD! TYNDAL BAD!". Somehow the bookish Rondal gets some sword training for a couple of weeks and then defeats Tyndal who has been training for a long time. I'm all for progression, but it is just unrealistic.
The worst part of the story though is the 3 way near the end of the book with Rondal, Tyndal, and a girl that is a terrible person that Rondal is supposed to punish for crimes. First off, I legitimately feel like Terry Mancour just got horny while writing the book and decided, to throw a completely needless 3 way in there. Second, it doesn't add positively to the story in any way... In fact, it goes against any reasoning. It actually broke my suspension of disbelief in a book about mages and knights. It was so ridiculous that I feel like I got punked just for reading the book. It was so offputting to the plot of the book that I am not even interested in the series anymore. Rondal and Tyndal don't even get along. It makes 0 sense.
Anyway, rant over I cannot recommend this book to anybody.
October 6, 2020
this book anoyed me to the point where i had to put it down several times, before i could manage to finnish it. I've enjoyd the previous entries in this series, but this book was just infuriating. It made me hate one of the main characther, for his spitefull actions, and how the book presented his ridiculous development, to the point that it breaks imersion. one doesn't become some kind of sword savant, ready to best people who's traind for year, after a couple weeks of basic training. still willing to give the next book a go, but this one seriously drained me.
December 11, 2022
Have you read the book "The Game" ?
Did you think to yourself "That is good material for a fantasy story!"...
Well, congratulation, here you have it.
For the second book in a row, the goblin invasion is put on hold, and we leave the original MC, to instead follow his two horny 16yo apprentices, as they delve into the art of picking up women while at the same time dealing with the animosity between them.
Chad and Incel are very different. Chad is a goodlooking, extroverted womanizer, who bullies poor Incel simply by effect of him making Incel feel insecure about himself.
Chad is superficial, manipulative and stupid(compared to Incel), while Incel is the 'nice guy' of the story. He is courteous but insecure, and he is a romantic who bows deeply to the women he likes and calls them "m'lady", he only lacks the fedora..
But that is all to change(not the fedora part).. Incel is in fact superior to Chad in every way. With just a month of soldier training, where he after all accounts spends the majority of the time learning how to march properly, he becomes a better fighter than Chad, who is a swordplay enthusiast and spends all his time training with the sword, and he is finally able to humble him.
The majority of the book is spend on discussions between Chad and Incel on whether it's common sense or immoral to use psychological tricks to get women to put out, and about what situations it's proper to take advantage.
In the end they overcome their differences and have a threesome. How poetic.
It was mind-numbingly uninteresting, childish and inane, and if I'm being a bit harsh, it's primarily because I was so pleased with the previous installment in the series.
It seemed like Mancour finally had set aside his obsession with making sex a major part of the story, we still got told everytime the MC got laid, but at least there were no weird deux-ex-machina sex-magic and the world-building and writing was excellent.
But now we are back to a story whose demo seems to be horny incels, and all of the great things the series had going for it, becomes a mere backdrop.
Im super frustrated with this author.. What a series this could have been, if he had taken a wank or something, before he started writing it.
Did you think to yourself "That is good material for a fantasy story!"...
Well, congratulation, here you have it.
For the second book in a row, the goblin invasion is put on hold, and we leave the original MC, to instead follow his two horny 16yo apprentices, as they delve into the art of picking up women while at the same time dealing with the animosity between them.
Chad and Incel are very different. Chad is a goodlooking, extroverted womanizer, who bullies poor Incel simply by effect of him making Incel feel insecure about himself.
Chad is superficial, manipulative and stupid(compared to Incel), while Incel is the 'nice guy' of the story. He is courteous but insecure, and he is a romantic who bows deeply to the women he likes and calls them "m'lady", he only lacks the fedora..
But that is all to change(not the fedora part).. Incel is in fact superior to Chad in every way. With just a month of soldier training, where he after all accounts spends the majority of the time learning how to march properly, he becomes a better fighter than Chad, who is a swordplay enthusiast and spends all his time training with the sword, and he is finally able to humble him.
The majority of the book is spend on discussions between Chad and Incel on whether it's common sense or immoral to use psychological tricks to get women to put out, and about what situations it's proper to take advantage.
In the end they overcome their differences and have a threesome. How poetic.
It was mind-numbingly uninteresting, childish and inane, and if I'm being a bit harsh, it's primarily because I was so pleased with the previous installment in the series.
It seemed like Mancour finally had set aside his obsession with making sex a major part of the story, we still got told everytime the MC got laid, but at least there were no weird deux-ex-machina sex-magic and the world-building and writing was excellent.
But now we are back to a story whose demo seems to be horny incels, and all of the great things the series had going for it, becomes a mere backdrop.
Im super frustrated with this author.. What a series this could have been, if he had taken a wank or something, before he started writing it.
August 24, 2018
So here we are. I love this series and Terry's refreshingly wry and ornery sense of humor. For me though, this book fell flatter than a sheet of graphene. I think this series and world lend itself to very interesting side stories and I'd gladly read more books of that variety. However, I struggled to finish this one.
In this book, there were, um, "romantic" scenes. Talk about out of place and unnecessary. I skipped them when I could because they felt like the weird "romance" novels that my grandma reads. I'm not opposed to such scenes, but these felt like really contrived fan-service... and the last one... yeesh, no thanks.
Compared to the other books in the series, Knights Magi has a ton of seemingly pointless dialogue. There are times in the book where the villain starts to give prolonged evil plan explanations that put even the old Bond villains to shame. Rather than driving the plot through events, the author tends to use dialogue to form the story. In my opinion, that makes things terribly boring. I'd rather have discovered certain plot points through events rather than an extended diatribe in the middle of a knife fight. That situation happened several times and was very jarring as a read because I eventually would realize that this discussion was happening while two people were supposedly having a fight to the death with swords drawn. This phenomenon really upset the rhythm of some fast paced scenes.
I missed the complicated discussion of the magic system, the spell analysis, and general technical war magic and throne politics of the previous books. Unfortunately, this book feels more like a young adult adventure book than the rest of the series. So as a gaudy coming of age book, it's probably alright.
Although not a series deal breaker for me, I hope Terry doesn't repeat this style too often.
In this book, there were, um, "romantic" scenes. Talk about out of place and unnecessary. I skipped them when I could because they felt like the weird "romance" novels that my grandma reads. I'm not opposed to such scenes, but these felt like really contrived fan-service... and the last one... yeesh, no thanks.
Compared to the other books in the series, Knights Magi has a ton of seemingly pointless dialogue. There are times in the book where the villain starts to give prolonged evil plan explanations that put even the old Bond villains to shame. Rather than driving the plot through events, the author tends to use dialogue to form the story. In my opinion, that makes things terribly boring. I'd rather have discovered certain plot points through events rather than an extended diatribe in the middle of a knife fight. That situation happened several times and was very jarring as a read because I eventually would realize that this discussion was happening while two people were supposedly having a fight to the death with swords drawn. This phenomenon really upset the rhythm of some fast paced scenes.
I missed the complicated discussion of the magic system, the spell analysis, and general technical war magic and throne politics of the previous books. Unfortunately, this book feels more like a young adult adventure book than the rest of the series. So as a gaudy coming of age book, it's probably alright.
Although not a series deal breaker for me, I hope Terry doesn't repeat this style too often.
March 20, 2015
1 of the best authors currently writting
I'm 58 years old, a retired Engineering Manager who started reading for enjoyment at the age of 12. I've calculated that I've read at least 2000 books. Basically what this means is that I'm really critical. I don't put up with with many errors (such as they left in the truck, but pull up in the car). Having said that, just to be able to write a single chapter that an hold your interest is far more than I could ever do, so I don't give out many ratings. The vast majority of what others rate as a 4 or 5 I would put down as a 3. I've now read all of the Spellmonger series and give each one as well as the entire series a 5. The guy can write like very few. intelligent, slightly edgy, and always entertaining. There were a few errors, I believe in Book 3 - not spelling, but there instead of their towards the last half of the book. I don't blame this on the author, that's what you hire editors and proof readers for. Unfortunately it subtracts, but just a little.
The Spellmonger isn't perfect, which makes him a much more interesting character. If you enjoy fiction, especially all of the greats, then this series is for you. I feel pretty comfortable putting Mr. Mancour in the circle of Goodkind, Hobb, and Jordan.
I read all of his books continuously over the past few weeks and can't say thank you enough. When someone can give you 60 hours of continuous entertainment and take you u from the crappy world live in, you really owe him a debt which most of us will never be able to repay. Thank you sir.
I'm 58 years old, a retired Engineering Manager who started reading for enjoyment at the age of 12. I've calculated that I've read at least 2000 books. Basically what this means is that I'm really critical. I don't put up with with many errors (such as they left in the truck, but pull up in the car). Having said that, just to be able to write a single chapter that an hold your interest is far more than I could ever do, so I don't give out many ratings. The vast majority of what others rate as a 4 or 5 I would put down as a 3. I've now read all of the Spellmonger series and give each one as well as the entire series a 5. The guy can write like very few. intelligent, slightly edgy, and always entertaining. There were a few errors, I believe in Book 3 - not spelling, but there instead of their towards the last half of the book. I don't blame this on the author, that's what you hire editors and proof readers for. Unfortunately it subtracts, but just a little.
The Spellmonger isn't perfect, which makes him a much more interesting character. If you enjoy fiction, especially all of the greats, then this series is for you. I feel pretty comfortable putting Mr. Mancour in the circle of Goodkind, Hobb, and Jordan.
I read all of his books continuously over the past few weeks and can't say thank you enough. When someone can give you 60 hours of continuous entertainment and take you u from the crappy world live in, you really owe him a debt which most of us will never be able to repay. Thank you sir.
January 23, 2020
This a well thought out series. I have a habit of reading a little and then reading another book, but that doesn't detracted from how well written the story is. The characters are unique and lovable. You will want to know what happens next. This book (book 4 of the series)dealls with the Speelmonger's two apprentices Tyndal and Rondel. They are spent away to train and return to home for a short while to be sent away again. Great story of the two and I loved it from thier prespective. You won't be disappointed when reading this series. Great Reading everyone!!!!
April 3, 2018
This really should not have been part of the main story line. It should have been an off shoot. I wanted to read about the damn Spellmonger. Its the name of the series!!! I started to read it but it just confirmed that yeah I really don't like his first apprentice and wasn't that interested in his second. So I will never finish it.
January 29, 2020
This is book 4 in the series and I love them, the characterizations are so good and the plots superb. I find myself totally wrapped up in this feudal world. Brilliant. The narrator John Lee is marvellous and brings it all to life.
January 13, 2018
The story would get 4 stars; the book barely earns three. The volume of typos and grammatical errors is such that reading is PAINFUL. It is a must read for anyone invested in the series, however be prepared.
***Update: Jan. 2018... Audible finally got this one produced & it is a much better experience than reading the ebook. I would give it 4⭐️. I like how the book breaks down into sections with differing viewpoints. The story itself is entertaining while focusing on two lesser characters rather than the “big picture”. This is something I appreciate. The character development is entertaining and though this book focuses on the apprentices, they’re strong enough personalities that the book is worth it.
***Update: Jan. 2018... Audible finally got this one produced & it is a much better experience than reading the ebook. I would give it 4⭐️. I like how the book breaks down into sections with differing viewpoints. The story itself is entertaining while focusing on two lesser characters rather than the “big picture”. This is something I appreciate. The character development is entertaining and though this book focuses on the apprentices, they’re strong enough personalities that the book is worth it.
October 8, 2017
Thankfully, the editing is far better in this book. I'd say there are about 95% fewer errors, though some homophone errors (passed vs past) and the like slipped through. There were also some issues in the first 25% or so of the Kindle edition. Some conversion errors maybe? Missing words and interleaved sentences. At any rate, far less distracting than the first few books.
As far as the story itself, I generally enjoyed it. The overarching story continues to entertain. My biggest criticism is that all of the pickup artist/NLP/redpill stuff should really have been left out. It's creepy and pathetic, and, frankly, makes me a little suspicious of Terry Mancour's personality outside the books.
As far as the story itself, I generally enjoyed it. The overarching story continues to entertain. My biggest criticism is that all of the pickup artist/NLP/redpill stuff should really have been left out. It's creepy and pathetic, and, frankly, makes me a little suspicious of Terry Mancour's personality outside the books.
October 16, 2018
this is the book that i gave up on.
If the first books were enjoyable if not outstanding
it became just trite paint by numbers magic fantasy.
the telepathic threesome just pushed it over the edge
If the first books were enjoyable if not outstanding
it became just trite paint by numbers magic fantasy.
the telepathic threesome just pushed it over the edge
December 12, 2017
An interesting addition to the series. It felt like a meaty sidestory though. It follows The Spellmongers 2 teenage boy students who need to grow up fast. They go to the Mage academy, war school, and learn to be knights. Along the way they fight each other, meet girls with varying degrees of success and of course fight some goblins.
All written by an Author who knows his history well and thats mostly why I read this series, its like a interesting history lesson and made me realize how shallow other medieval fantasy can be. They use the setting but don't make sure its correct, unlike this book that has explained how knights make money, the pitfalls of being one with a bad reputation and other such details.
Now for some stuff other make not like about the book. While I don't mind these parts and even found they funny and enjoyable others may not.
Tindal, is a ladies man, Randel is "the nice guy". This changes of course but people may not like how that happens. Tindal who is handsome and confident has no problem with girls and it gets easier when he finds scrolls about love from Sir.Rose who gives such advice like "Dont call a girl pretty she heard it before" and "talk to that girls less pretty friend not her, so she wonders whats going on". Now Randel points out that this mathematical means of seduction is not fair and Tindal points out that Randels way is not working.
Its actually a pretty big part of the book, Randal has feeling for a girl and Tindal walks in and that girls then pretends that he does not exist. This culminates when they go on a mission and run into a noble lady, her manor and family has been attacked by goblins, Randel likes her, the she ignores him when Tindal comes in. Any more will go into spoilers, but basically she is hiding something and it ends with a threesome.
Another sexual encounter happens earlier when they go out to see why a manor has not paid taxes. A mother and daughter noble ladies, and get charmed. Even this is used as a history lesson, they dont respect their husband/father the rabbit lord and such don't mind sleeping around behind his back because they are left alone for far too long and the servants obey the ladies not the lord in actuality. They are not simpering ladies, but tactical social thinkers, when they see they owe to much debt the find a way out of it. We also learn that rich folk back then lost track of how much they have an owe easily, not realizing the worth of the stuff the own.
Anyways, if the above is OK with you then you will enjoy this book.
All written by an Author who knows his history well and thats mostly why I read this series, its like a interesting history lesson and made me realize how shallow other medieval fantasy can be. They use the setting but don't make sure its correct, unlike this book that has explained how knights make money, the pitfalls of being one with a bad reputation and other such details.
Now for some stuff other make not like about the book. While I don't mind these parts and even found they funny and enjoyable others may not.
Tindal, is a ladies man, Randel is "the nice guy". This changes of course but people may not like how that happens. Tindal who is handsome and confident has no problem with girls and it gets easier when he finds scrolls about love from Sir.Rose who gives such advice like "Dont call a girl pretty she heard it before" and "talk to that girls less pretty friend not her, so she wonders whats going on". Now Randel points out that this mathematical means of seduction is not fair and Tindal points out that Randels way is not working.
Its actually a pretty big part of the book, Randal has feeling for a girl and Tindal walks in and that girls then pretends that he does not exist. This culminates when they go on a mission and run into a noble lady, her manor and family has been attacked by goblins, Randel likes her, the she ignores him when Tindal comes in. Any more will go into spoilers, but basically she is hiding something and it ends with a threesome.
Another sexual encounter happens earlier when they go out to see why a manor has not paid taxes. A mother and daughter noble ladies, and get charmed. Even this is used as a history lesson, they dont respect their husband/father the rabbit lord and such don't mind sleeping around behind his back because they are left alone for far too long and the servants obey the ladies not the lord in actuality. They are not simpering ladies, but tactical social thinkers, when they see they owe to much debt the find a way out of it. We also learn that rich folk back then lost track of how much they have an owe easily, not realizing the worth of the stuff the own.
Anyways, if the above is OK with you then you will enjoy this book.
August 13, 2025
This book is a bit different than the other books in the Spellmonger series. First, it’s told almost entirely from the point of view of Minalan’s two apprentices, Rondal and Tyndal. Second, the book is told in 4 parts, plus a prologue and epilogue. Basically, each of the 4 parts is a novella: 2 told from Rondal’s POV and 2 from Tyndal’s. The prologue and epilogue are both from Minalan’s point of view.
I really enjoyed parts of this book, but I enjoyed the 2 novellas from Rondal’s POV the most.
Some negative reviews have been scathing, and I can see why. Those same reviews also strongly urge fans of the series to skip this one and, as much as I enjoyed some parts of this book, I’ve got to agree.
In particular, the way Rondal’s character development was motivated by the harm done to a female character was cringe-inducing. Then, there are a couple of sex scenes which really should have been left on the cutting room floor. The first one was where one of the apprentices had sex with an older woman while the other one had sex with her daughter! The apprentices in this book are 16 years old, so having boys that age get seduced by a woman in her 30s AND her daughter was beyond icky. Another distasteful scene involved a threesome with the 2 apprentices and a young woman they’d detained for serious crimes, so the level of consent there was highly questionable.
So, give this one a pass, but search online for a summary of the important plot points that will no doubt play a role in the rest of the series.
So, my rating would be: 4.5 stars for the narration by John Lee, 4 stars for the humor, 5 stars for the great action, but 1-2 stars for some of the plot elements. Overall, I guess that makes this a 3 star listen for me: great narration, great action, but some truly cringe-inducing plot points. So, I’ll never listen to it again.
I’ve enjoyed this series a LOT (books 2 & 3 were highly enjoyable, 4.5 star listens for me!). So, I’ll definitely give book #5 a try (despite how I feel about this one), but I might wait a while before I do.
I really enjoyed parts of this book, but I enjoyed the 2 novellas from Rondal’s POV the most.
Some negative reviews have been scathing, and I can see why. Those same reviews also strongly urge fans of the series to skip this one and, as much as I enjoyed some parts of this book, I’ve got to agree.
In particular, the way Rondal’s character development was motivated by the harm done to a female character was cringe-inducing. Then, there are a couple of sex scenes which really should have been left on the cutting room floor. The first one was where one of the apprentices had sex with an older woman while the other one had sex with her daughter! The apprentices in this book are 16 years old, so having boys that age get seduced by a woman in her 30s AND her daughter was beyond icky. Another distasteful scene involved a threesome with the 2 apprentices and a young woman they’d detained for serious crimes, so the level of consent there was highly questionable.
So, give this one a pass, but search online for a summary of the important plot points that will no doubt play a role in the rest of the series.
So, my rating would be: 4.5 stars for the narration by John Lee, 4 stars for the humor, 5 stars for the great action, but 1-2 stars for some of the plot elements. Overall, I guess that makes this a 3 star listen for me: great narration, great action, but some truly cringe-inducing plot points. So, I’ll never listen to it again.
I’ve enjoyed this series a LOT (books 2 & 3 were highly enjoyable, 4.5 star listens for me!). So, I’ll definitely give book #5 a try (despite how I feel about this one), but I might wait a while before I do.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2019
General Overview
Terry Mancour takes a bold and wise decision to move away from the Spellmonger directly in the next entry in his epic series. A coming of age story of sorts, I have no doubt it will be loved by all fantasy readers. A must read.
Style
Mr Mancour’s style and panache for writing continues in this book. He is a most capable writer, and his continued work on the Spellmonger series makes that clear for all.
There is a slight perspective change as this book follows the first two apprentices of the Spellmonger, Tindal and Rondel. It works well, and gives them a distinct feel to the internal narrative of Mininlan the titular character.
Story
Growing tired of the adolescent squabbling of his two male apprentices, Master Mininlan sends them away to school, one to learn better the arts of war, the other the finer points of magic. The two stories are clearly separated with each apprentices tale taking place one after the other. This makes the whole book as a piece flow well enough.
Following their education, the young men head out on task, and succeed in a most satisfying fashion. I’ll leave it at that to save spoilers.
Final Thoughts
A good read and addition to the series. I look forward to returning to the adventures of Mininlan himself in the near future.
Terry Mancour takes a bold and wise decision to move away from the Spellmonger directly in the next entry in his epic series. A coming of age story of sorts, I have no doubt it will be loved by all fantasy readers. A must read.
Style
Mr Mancour’s style and panache for writing continues in this book. He is a most capable writer, and his continued work on the Spellmonger series makes that clear for all.
There is a slight perspective change as this book follows the first two apprentices of the Spellmonger, Tindal and Rondel. It works well, and gives them a distinct feel to the internal narrative of Mininlan the titular character.
Story
Growing tired of the adolescent squabbling of his two male apprentices, Master Mininlan sends them away to school, one to learn better the arts of war, the other the finer points of magic. The two stories are clearly separated with each apprentices tale taking place one after the other. This makes the whole book as a piece flow well enough.
Following their education, the young men head out on task, and succeed in a most satisfying fashion. I’ll leave it at that to save spoilers.
Final Thoughts
A good read and addition to the series. I look forward to returning to the adventures of Mininlan himself in the near future.
June 7, 2020
he trouble with teenage boys
Minalan has two teenage male apprentices and they don't get along. They are 16 and causing problems at Sevendore. He decides to send them away to school. This is their story. The story flows naturally. I am not sure the basic plan, but I ended up liking Tyndal more than Rondal by the end and I had always favored Rondal in the previous books. This book brings out the worst in him and the best in Tyndal. Each is growing up and learning more about life. They are growing in their mage skills and their skills as warriors. It is an interesting story with several new characters. Every character is an individual and well thought out. I enjoyed the change of pace. It was nice to see things from someone else's view vice Minalan always saving the day.
I would recommend this book to those who like magic, goblins and other species, war, and some humor in a time of Monarch's.
The narrator is amazing. He brings each personality to life. He reads with energy and enthusiasm.
Minalan has two teenage male apprentices and they don't get along. They are 16 and causing problems at Sevendore. He decides to send them away to school. This is their story. The story flows naturally. I am not sure the basic plan, but I ended up liking Tyndal more than Rondal by the end and I had always favored Rondal in the previous books. This book brings out the worst in him and the best in Tyndal. Each is growing up and learning more about life. They are growing in their mage skills and their skills as warriors. It is an interesting story with several new characters. Every character is an individual and well thought out. I enjoyed the change of pace. It was nice to see things from someone else's view vice Minalan always saving the day.
I would recommend this book to those who like magic, goblins and other species, war, and some humor in a time of Monarch's.
The narrator is amazing. He brings each personality to life. He reads with energy and enthusiasm.
May 21, 2023
This book is about two young teenage rival apprentices (Tyndal and Rondal) being sent away by Min to get educated and becoming men. They have intellectual studies to face in which Tyndal turns a weakness to an advantage discovering Blue Magic, and tries to impart the rules of love to Rondal. Both Knights Magi are targeted by a vengeful youth and it ends in tragedy for the girl who got between them, which will stay with them. They then go on to War College where Rondal faces his internal demons and ends up surprising everyone but mostly himself in mastering the art of command. Sir Cei teaches them the rudiments of being a Knight, particularly knight-errantry. They both take themselves off to the war front at their masters command and there another girl gets between them - but also brings them together, united, as friends and colleagues. Min could not be prouder. This was another fun book of adventures in the world of the spellmonger and Tyndal and Rondal both grow so much in this one that it will be interesting to see what's next!
January 8, 2025
The fourth Spellmonger book takes the focus away from Minalan where it has been for the first three volumes and takes a close look at the apprentices Tyndall and Rondal. We have watched these young men develop during the series, learning very practical war magic necessary for their survival and the survival of those around them. But they are very narrow in their knowledge and skill sets and Minalan decides to broaden their horizons by sending them first to the academy and then to other areas where they can further their education in magic, war, and chivalry.
These excursions permit Mancour to do a bit of worldbuilding without overtly explaining how his world works. We get to follow the two boys as they come to better understand how magic works, and to learn fighting skills and tactics, and finally the cultural expectations of a knight. These are all good adventures with major problems developing which must be contended with. But none are quite so great as the peril that faces the knights magi in the final section.
These excursions permit Mancour to do a bit of worldbuilding without overtly explaining how his world works. We get to follow the two boys as they come to better understand how magic works, and to learn fighting skills and tactics, and finally the cultural expectations of a knight. These are all good adventures with major problems developing which must be contended with. But none are quite so great as the peril that faces the knights magi in the final section.
May 16, 2025
I saw so many negative reviews of this novel before reading that I was filled with anticipatory dread for plummeting quality but in all honesty this was a perfectly acceptable continuation of the story.
It was nice to get a different perspective tbh, a view from the boys' points of view rather than Min's. Min, after all is a bit of dick to put it bluntly imo.
Yes, there's almost endless rivalry and lots of tedious and mostly pointless bickering between the guys but they're teenagers. It happens. Clearly the point of this novel was to enable the boys to become better trained, more rounded and mature, and to stop competing all the time.
Of course the spelling and grammatical errors persist and sometimes people are referred to using the wrong name. So many errors which a competent editor & publisher should have picked out and corrected, but once you mentally correct for the typographical failures the underlying story is quite satisfying imo.
As a novel in the Spellmonger series, this is, imo, a lot less irritating than the first one.
It was nice to get a different perspective tbh, a view from the boys' points of view rather than Min's. Min, after all is a bit of dick to put it bluntly imo.
Yes, there's almost endless rivalry and lots of tedious and mostly pointless bickering between the guys but they're teenagers. It happens. Clearly the point of this novel was to enable the boys to become better trained, more rounded and mature, and to stop competing all the time.
Of course the spelling and grammatical errors persist and sometimes people are referred to using the wrong name. So many errors which a competent editor & publisher should have picked out and corrected, but once you mentally correct for the typographical failures the underlying story is quite satisfying imo.
As a novel in the Spellmonger series, this is, imo, a lot less irritating than the first one.
October 1, 2020
Large sections to skip
I like this series quite a bit. This book was the first I didn't thoroughly enjoy. It has long discussions between Ron and Tyn about wooing women that don't serve much purpose. A lot was like reading a pick-up artist's manifesto, and then we watch Tyn use those moves to great effect. It's such an odd digression from the rest of the tale that I recommend folks skip this one and just go to the next. I skipped over a significant portion of the book and didn't miss anything. No plot was introduced, no character motivation was uncovered. I just didn't read how women don't know what they want, or that they like bad boys, or other drivel that's not fun to read. I would much rather have learned more about the Mysteries or Belsi or midnight trysts. Just spare me talk of flirting with the second prettiest girl to get the prettiest one to jealously chase after you. Ugh.
Two stars cause the fun mainly resumes once the boys get to Gilmora.
I like this series quite a bit. This book was the first I didn't thoroughly enjoy. It has long discussions between Ron and Tyn about wooing women that don't serve much purpose. A lot was like reading a pick-up artist's manifesto, and then we watch Tyn use those moves to great effect. It's such an odd digression from the rest of the tale that I recommend folks skip this one and just go to the next. I skipped over a significant portion of the book and didn't miss anything. No plot was introduced, no character motivation was uncovered. I just didn't read how women don't know what they want, or that they like bad boys, or other drivel that's not fun to read. I would much rather have learned more about the Mysteries or Belsi or midnight trysts. Just spare me talk of flirting with the second prettiest girl to get the prettiest one to jealously chase after you. Ugh.
Two stars cause the fun mainly resumes once the boys get to Gilmora.
December 8, 2019
I started liking this series again due to this book. It takes a break from telling the tale of Minalan the Spellmonger and continues the story through the eyes of Tyndal and Rondal, the two knights magi.
There are some good character development for Rondal while leaving Tyndal to be Tyndal. I felt it was a waste not to develop further Tyndal as a character.
The author took some shortcuts to push the story along. It's worth reading if you are a fan of the series and see where it leads.
In every book, the enemy is getting smarter and adapts quickly. I worry the future books will always push the boundaries by making the wizards perform more and more powerful magic through narrative shortcuts as the Dead God ups the ante. Will I read the next book in the series? Most probably but just to see how it ends.
There are some good character development for Rondal while leaving Tyndal to be Tyndal. I felt it was a waste not to develop further Tyndal as a character.
The author took some shortcuts to push the story along. It's worth reading if you are a fan of the series and see where it leads.
In every book, the enemy is getting smarter and adapts quickly. I worry the future books will always push the boundaries by making the wizards perform more and more powerful magic through narrative shortcuts as the Dead God ups the ante. Will I read the next book in the series? Most probably but just to see how it ends.
March 27, 2023
Another good book by Terry. I have only deducted a star due to the kind of odd formatting and my initial feedback to this book.
I can't put a finger on it, but my initial reaction was utter boredom with this book. I kept wanting more spellmongery, however after reading the book over in the events of the series, it has become a solid character arc building novel. Time periods just were a bit weird. I'm still having trouble fitting together when exactly everything takes place until I get to reading the following books and can find little reference points. Either way, in retrospect this book is great, but at the moment of reading it, I was quite distressed.
Oh and the sex. While necessary, I'm sure. I'm just not a sex in books guy. It's not too graphic but I don't know it just irks me a bit.
I can't put a finger on it, but my initial reaction was utter boredom with this book. I kept wanting more spellmongery, however after reading the book over in the events of the series, it has become a solid character arc building novel. Time periods just were a bit weird. I'm still having trouble fitting together when exactly everything takes place until I get to reading the following books and can find little reference points. Either way, in retrospect this book is great, but at the moment of reading it, I was quite distressed.
Oh and the sex. While necessary, I'm sure. I'm just not a sex in books guy. It's not too graphic but I don't know it just irks me a bit.
June 25, 2019
So, in interesting attempt to give the story a bit of a shift by concentrating on the two apprentices that, to this point, were amusing secondary characters.
Failed a bit for me as for most of the book I was kinda hoping they'd both die. Both were annoying and less than enjoyable to read about after the death that sets the tone for the book.
It's a grind thru mostly 1 POV so narrow minded as to make me feel railroaded by the time he gets around to the actual growth and expected reconciliation.
A last chapter setting the stage for the next book felt tacked on.
Still, I'll check out the next book as I expect that, while these 2 may have elevated focus now, they should return to being background characters and thus not too annoying.
Failed a bit for me as for most of the book I was kinda hoping they'd both die. Both were annoying and less than enjoyable to read about after the death that sets the tone for the book.
It's a grind thru mostly 1 POV so narrow minded as to make me feel railroaded by the time he gets around to the actual growth and expected reconciliation.
A last chapter setting the stage for the next book felt tacked on.
Still, I'll check out the next book as I expect that, while these 2 may have elevated focus now, they should return to being background characters and thus not too annoying.
November 11, 2025
3.75 rounded to 4
Others say that this book is a weak entry and while I agree, I also loved it. Knights Magi de-centers Minalin and instead focuses on his two older apprentices. This is a coming-of-age story and Minalin, as a new father and lord, wouldn't serve the narrative as the protagonist for the journey a boy takes into manhood. Tyndal and Rondal get their moment in the spotlight, and it was genuinely fun getting to know them more as characters.
That said there are definitely moments I don't care for, but I figure I'm not the target audience for every pitfall that needs to overcome on the path to manhood. I do appreciate that as the books go on women characters are rising to more notoriety beyond satellite love interests. Pentandra is mentioned several times as a mentor to the boys beyond being a somewhat maternal figure or a practitioner of sex magic. More female characters are introduced in minor roles, but are still given more depth and dimension than is required to beat allegations of misogyny. These are still women characters written from a man's perspective, but they are written as people and not merely adornments.
The book also isn't skippable as Mancour still uses it to grow the beard of the greater tale. I'm a third through High Mage, the next book in series, as I write this and Knights Magi has been referenced several times. This entry in the series is different, but not bad. I think it'll actually be a favorite to revisit.
Others say that this book is a weak entry and while I agree, I also loved it. Knights Magi de-centers Minalin and instead focuses on his two older apprentices. This is a coming-of-age story and Minalin, as a new father and lord, wouldn't serve the narrative as the protagonist for the journey a boy takes into manhood. Tyndal and Rondal get their moment in the spotlight, and it was genuinely fun getting to know them more as characters.
That said there are definitely moments I don't care for, but I figure I'm not the target audience for every pitfall that needs to overcome on the path to manhood. I do appreciate that as the books go on women characters are rising to more notoriety beyond satellite love interests. Pentandra is mentioned several times as a mentor to the boys beyond being a somewhat maternal figure or a practitioner of sex magic. More female characters are introduced in minor roles, but are still given more depth and dimension than is required to beat allegations of misogyny. These are still women characters written from a man's perspective, but they are written as people and not merely adornments.
The book also isn't skippable as Mancour still uses it to grow the beard of the greater tale. I'm a third through High Mage, the next book in series, as I write this and Knights Magi has been referenced several times. This entry in the series is different, but not bad. I think it'll actually be a favorite to revisit.
March 19, 2020
I had this book for so long, but put off reading it because it was about the apprentices, and not the Master.
It took me a long while after I started reading to enjoy myself. The apprentices didn't craft and experiment as much as their Master.
I liked how the boys bonded slowly closer throughout the book, and the "fraternity before sorority" actions they showed when a girl tried to turn them on each other.
I also enjoyed how both the boys grew into their own power by the end.
What I didn't enjoy is the lack of Master Spellmonger. If the next book is also some side character, I will have to put this series on hold for a couple of months, until I feel up to it.
3/5 Stars
It took me a long while after I started reading to enjoy myself. The apprentices didn't craft and experiment as much as their Master.
I liked how the boys bonded slowly closer throughout the book, and the "fraternity before sorority" actions they showed when a girl tried to turn them on each other.
I also enjoyed how both the boys grew into their own power by the end.
What I didn't enjoy is the lack of Master Spellmonger. If the next book is also some side character, I will have to put this series on hold for a couple of months, until I feel up to it.
3/5 Stars
October 6, 2020
Much better. The series continues to get better with each new addition. My only complaint about this book was the way it seemed to lean towards painting Rondal in a better light than Tyndal. It was done in a way that almost make the book seem like it was really about Rondal and not the development of both characters. Additionally Rondal seems to come across as petty and extra in a way that wasn’t appealing. I was so excited to see Tydal’s return and hoped it would give me more of his perspective, but no such luck. Rondal is fine and was better recurved by the end but hands down I’m TEAM TYNDAL! ☺️👍🏾
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