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Legends of Abreia #1
The Faceless Mage
He’ll protect her with his last breath…
Until she becomes his next target.
Leisa’s ambitions used to be simple. Guard the princess. Hide her magic. Wait for her family to return.
But all of that changes when her king demands that she use her unique abilities to spy on the rival kingdom of Garimore.
Alone, far from home, and living a lie that grows more perilous by the day, Leisa’s task is complicated by her most dangerous enemy yet—the masked assassin known only as the Raven.
Everyone in the Five Thrones knows to fear him, but the Raven is not what Leisa expected. As silent as he is lethal, he provokes her curiosity as much as her fear, and hides secrets she’s determined to learn.
When her already precarious mission takes a deadly turn, Leisa must evade the Raven himself if she is to succeed. It’s never been done before, but Leisa is nothing if not stubborn. And if she doesn’t become the first to escape his blade, her entire kingdom will pay the price—in blood.
Until she becomes his next target.
Leisa’s ambitions used to be simple. Guard the princess. Hide her magic. Wait for her family to return.
But all of that changes when her king demands that she use her unique abilities to spy on the rival kingdom of Garimore.
Alone, far from home, and living a lie that grows more perilous by the day, Leisa’s task is complicated by her most dangerous enemy yet—the masked assassin known only as the Raven.
Everyone in the Five Thrones knows to fear him, but the Raven is not what Leisa expected. As silent as he is lethal, he provokes her curiosity as much as her fear, and hides secrets she’s determined to learn.
When her already precarious mission takes a deadly turn, Leisa must evade the Raven himself if she is to succeed. It’s never been done before, but Leisa is nothing if not stubborn. And if she doesn’t become the first to escape his blade, her entire kingdom will pay the price—in blood.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 11, 2020
1895 people are currently reading
9837 people want to read
About the author
Kenley Davidson
35 books936 followersKenley Davidson is a romantic fantasy author and unrepentant caffeine addict who believes in the power of storytelling and loves nothing more than a good book hangover. Her books include romantasy, urban fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, and sci fi, but no matter the genre, she writes stories of hope and redemption with characters you can root for, heart-pounding romance without the spice, and happy endings that might just make you cry.
Her favorite things (besides books) are coffee, k-dramas, cats, and playing cozy video games. And also scones.
Kenley currently lives in Oklahoma, where she cares for a menagerie of misfit house plants while waiting for her adult children to occasionally pop in for laundry and a home-cooked meal.
Find out more about Kenley’s books at her website: kenleydavidson.com
Her favorite things (besides books) are coffee, k-dramas, cats, and playing cozy video games. And also scones.
Kenley currently lives in Oklahoma, where she cares for a menagerie of misfit house plants while waiting for her adult children to occasionally pop in for laundry and a home-cooked meal.
Find out more about Kenley’s books at her website: kenleydavidson.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 591 reviews
December 27, 2023
This book is free on Amazon (Canada) today (12/27/2023). 🙂
✅ Nice cover
✅ Good ideas
✅🆗 Action
✅🆗 Magic
🆗 Plot
🆗 Characters
🆗❌ Romance
🆗❌ Pace
Leisa is a mage with the ability to change her appearance. For the sake of her kingdom, and because the king ordered it, she must masquerade as the magicless princess of Farhall and go to the neighboring country to negotiate a marriage alliance. This is a dangerous mission because the neighbor king despises mages and because Leisa has apparently no skills at diplomacy and politics. Once she arrives at Garimore, she is separated from her ladies in waiting and her honorific guard, only to be placed under the guard of the king’s personal bodyguard, the Raven, who is known to be a ruthless and very efficient assassin.
There are some action scenes in this story, and I liked the concept of mirror magic, but the rest of the story: the general plot, the romance, and the side characters were quite predictable. Nothing is really bad about this book, but I found it a little bland, maybe because so many things were predictable. I kept waiting for something unexpected or something juicy to happen, but overall, the book felt long even if it’s only 300 pages.
There is definitely room for more development, but I am not sure yet if I will continue on with this series. I guess this is a good book if you are looking for something short (even though it felt long at times), sweet, simple, and predictable.
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✅ Nice cover
✅ Good ideas
✅🆗 Action
✅🆗 Magic
🆗 Plot
🆗 Characters
🆗❌ Romance
🆗❌ Pace
Leisa is a mage with the ability to change her appearance. For the sake of her kingdom, and because the king ordered it, she must masquerade as the magicless princess of Farhall and go to the neighboring country to negotiate a marriage alliance. This is a dangerous mission because the neighbor king despises mages and because Leisa has apparently no skills at diplomacy and politics. Once she arrives at Garimore, she is separated from her ladies in waiting and her honorific guard, only to be placed under the guard of the king’s personal bodyguard, the Raven, who is known to be a ruthless and very efficient assassin.
There are some action scenes in this story, and I liked the concept of mirror magic, but the rest of the story: the general plot, the romance, and the side characters were quite predictable. Nothing is really bad about this book, but I found it a little bland, maybe because so many things were predictable. I kept waiting for something unexpected or something juicy to happen, but overall, the book felt long even if it’s only 300 pages.
There is definitely room for more development, but I am not sure yet if I will continue on with this series. I guess this is a good book if you are looking for something short (even though it felt long at times), sweet, simple, and predictable.
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January 1, 2021
If you've ever imagined a scenario starring The Mountain as the love interest then you might be interested in this book. It shows how unimaginative I've been because I never thought such a story would be enjoyable.
The Mountain, called Raven in this book, is a someone who has been imprisoned by a paranoid king with a very obsessive hatred for anything magic. Raven is under such a deep compulsion that he can't refuse any orders, luckily he has some loopholes when the King is not clear in his wording which opens it up for his interpretation. He has been tasked to protect/spy on a visiting princess from a nation with magic. He finds himself intrigued with the princess as each day passes and can't help but feel connected to her.
The heroine is an orphan who was taken in by the King of the magic friendly kingdom. She is tasked with going to this vile pit of a kingdom to see if the Mad King's offer of marriage is legit. She has to pretend to be the princess and also do some sleuthing on the side. She gets to the kingdom and discovers that she might be out of her league. She is upset at being used this way, that the man she considered her father would send her on such a dangerous mission. As Raven continues to shadow her she tries to endear herself to him which doesn't work the way she wants.
I thought this book was pretty good, I see some reviews say nothing really happened and that is true, this book had more dancing around any kind of action that the act it self but still I liked it. Can't wait for book 2.
February 8, 2022
"To Melger, the Raven was no more than a thing—a tool to be used and not regarded unless it broke. And he would not, could not break."
...Think I might have something for stoic men in masks.
November 21, 2020
Sure it took me three to four days to finish this book (blame that on my slump) but this book was kinda awesome... ?
It was reaaaaalllyyy slow burn romance though. The world building was limited within the walls of Garimoran's castle. Our hero didn't speak a single damn word out loud until the last 10%. It ended with a cliffhanger.
With that said, I enjoyed it nonetheless and very excited for the next book coming this January. I love the slow progression towards the ending. I love the two main characters, I think they were both realistic and easy to root for.
Highly recommended to those who love slow burn fantasy romance with interesting heroine (yo, she's basically Mystique from X-Men and more!) and tortured quiet hero brimming with possibilities.
It was reaaaaalllyyy slow burn romance though. The world building was limited within the walls of Garimoran's castle. Our hero didn't speak a single damn word out loud until the last 10%. It ended with a cliffhanger.
With that said, I enjoyed it nonetheless and very excited for the next book coming this January. I love the slow progression towards the ending. I love the two main characters, I think they were both realistic and easy to root for.
Highly recommended to those who love slow burn fantasy romance with interesting heroine (yo, she's basically Mystique from X-Men and more!) and tortured quiet hero brimming with possibilities.
January 29, 2021
I LOVE This kind of book!! This has elements I love and crave in my reading. It is not Young Adult but feels less Adult. It is like a tweener book. It is dark but not really, it is a love story but not sex and lust, it is a bit violent but not stomach dropping. So most would call this YA but it was not immature and the writing is good! WHat a story line too! I soaked this up and am onto the next! Lots of good intrigue and castle life, evil bad guys and a slow burn love story I can not wait to read more of:}
I would give this first book to my 14 year old, not sure what the other books will hold.
I would give this first book to my 14 year old, not sure what the other books will hold.
June 24, 2021
Man, I can't remember the last time a book bored me this much. The story wasn't awful but it certainly felt like most of the pages were filled with so many paragraphs that consisted mainly of questions (can't even call it inner monologue since the narration was 3rd person) and I just ~didn't care at all~
December 3, 2020
This is a great start to an amazing, clean romantic fantasy series! It has so much intrigue and adventure and, of course, a super scary assassin who might just be hiding a heart of gold beneath his armor (both literal and figurative armor).
If you like stories featuring magic and romance and elves, then you'll want to check out this book!
If you like stories featuring magic and romance and elves, then you'll want to check out this book!
June 24, 2024
As a romantasy this was okay. In general I struggled to suspend my disbelief about the politics of this world (they sent her off to negotiate her OWN MARRIAGE???? With ZERO DIPLOMATS???? The other option is WAR and the king did not go himself????) but the romance was cute (found it a bit rushed but it was mostly plausible)
January 9, 2022
Leisa the faceless woman and the Raven, the faceless man.
A match made in heaven? Perhaps. More like a match made in purgatory.
It's certainly a slow burn!
Unfortunately this one isn't a stand-a-lone but it was so good, I have no trouble continuing into the next book!
In a rather medieval land where women wear enormous dresses, there is magic. It weaves through the world but not in Garimore if King Melger can help it. But that doesn't stop him from being a huge hypocrite. There are 5 kingdoms and Farhall is the poorest. When King Melger, their wealthy and powerful neighbour shows an interest in marrying Farhall's meek and mousy princess to his second son, King Soren doesn't have much choice really. But he can't send his daughter to that man's land without being sure of her safety. So he sends Leisa whose secret magic allows her to take on the visage of anyone she meets.
But Leisa is no spy and has no diplomatic skills. She's one of princess Evaraine's personal bodyguards. Wear a dress? Dance? Eat with the right fork? Not to mention the 47 different ways to curtsy!
At the palace of King Melger, Leisa/Evaraine is slowly maneuvered under King Melger's thumb. And there's an underbelly of deceitfulness to the kingdom of Garimore. But how can she warn her king when her every movement is shadowed by the Raven, King Melger's mysterious henchman. He wears a suit of armor and never speaks, but kills without question on the king's command.
This was an intriguing tale. It's pretty straight forward, but Leisa and the Raven are such compelling characters. There is more mystery in them than there is in the King's rotten palace.
I'm totally looking forward to the next book to find out more about Leisa and the Raven.
safety is good and the content is clean
A match made in heaven? Perhaps. More like a match made in purgatory.
It's certainly a slow burn!
Unfortunately this one isn't a stand-a-lone but it was so good, I have no trouble continuing into the next book!
In a rather medieval land where women wear enormous dresses, there is magic. It weaves through the world but not in Garimore if King Melger can help it. But that doesn't stop him from being a huge hypocrite. There are 5 kingdoms and Farhall is the poorest. When King Melger, their wealthy and powerful neighbour shows an interest in marrying Farhall's meek and mousy princess to his second son, King Soren doesn't have much choice really. But he can't send his daughter to that man's land without being sure of her safety. So he sends Leisa whose secret magic allows her to take on the visage of anyone she meets.
But Leisa is no spy and has no diplomatic skills. She's one of princess Evaraine's personal bodyguards. Wear a dress? Dance? Eat with the right fork? Not to mention the 47 different ways to curtsy!
At the palace of King Melger, Leisa/Evaraine is slowly maneuvered under King Melger's thumb. And there's an underbelly of deceitfulness to the kingdom of Garimore. But how can she warn her king when her every movement is shadowed by the Raven, King Melger's mysterious henchman. He wears a suit of armor and never speaks, but kills without question on the king's command.
This was an intriguing tale. It's pretty straight forward, but Leisa and the Raven are such compelling characters. There is more mystery in them than there is in the King's rotten palace.
I'm totally looking forward to the next book to find out more about Leisa and the Raven.
safety is good and the content is clean
January 27, 2021
This was a little slow but really good. I went into this one already assuming I was going to fall head over heels for the faceless mage 🤷🏻♀️ when I really found myself wanting to know more of the young prince, Vaniell. We’ll see what happens in the second book!
![Profile Image for julia ☆ [owls reads].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1636739475i%2F5520447._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
January 22, 2022
The Faceless Mage was such a fun and entertaining read! The writing was engaging and I really enjoyed the world-building here in regard to magic and non-human beings. Leisa's POV was so much fun to read about and the entire mystery surrounding the Raven and his presence/identity were also really well done. I also really appreciated that the romance was pretty light in this installment so as to give focus to the political subplot. All of the scheming and secrets and Leisa having to (very carefully) stand up for herself and defend her kingdom's interests were great to read about, though a few tiny parts of it could have been more development.
July 12, 2024
Sin duda alguna, una de mis parejas favoritas literaria de este año. Un perfecto slow burn, en una fantasía llena de mentiras, conspiraciones, secretos y una próxima guerra.
October 2, 2022
So I did a thing. When choosing a book, I usually read the synopsis and several reviews before diving in. This time, however, I did not. Y'all. Can I just tell you how scary that was me?! I had no clue what I was getting into and no clue what to expect! 🤣
I adored Leisa and the Raven. I felt connected to them from the very beginning. I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop. It was definitely slow going because both of them have trust issues, which is understandable since they are both being used by their kings. Slow going or not, I absolutely LOVED the end of the book! Y'all. It was AMAZING!
I'm not going to lie, the beginning of this book dragged for me. I struggled for the first 45% of the book. But then it started picking up. I was sitting on the edge of my seat around 80% and then I blinked and it was over. I may or may not have been staring at my kindle for a minute or two before I realized it was indeed over. It ends in a cliffhanger and I'm SO glad book 2 is out because I cannot WAIT to dive in. I need to know what happens with these two!
This is my second book by Ms. Davidson and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by her!
As for my casting... this was a no brainer for me! I love these two! What do you think?!
I adored Leisa and the Raven. I felt connected to them from the very beginning. I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop. It was definitely slow going because both of them have trust issues, which is understandable since they are both being used by their kings. Slow going or not, I absolutely LOVED the end of the book! Y'all. It was AMAZING!
I'm not going to lie, the beginning of this book dragged for me. I struggled for the first 45% of the book. But then it started picking up. I was sitting on the edge of my seat around 80% and then I blinked and it was over. I may or may not have been staring at my kindle for a minute or two before I realized it was indeed over. It ends in a cliffhanger and I'm SO glad book 2 is out because I cannot WAIT to dive in. I need to know what happens with these two!
This is my second book by Ms. Davidson and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by her!
As for my casting... this was a no brainer for me! I love these two! What do you think?!
November 18, 2020
Kenley Davidson has managed to create this magnificent world of intrigue wherein she seamlessly spins a tale bewitching us with its magic. Intrigued is the constant state I've been in ,ever since I started reading The Faceless Mage and ended up finishing it in one sitting. Eloquently written , the story is bound to captivate everyone with its simplicity . This is a perfect entry into this new world the author has created and holds up to the her other writing works where she has always created spectacular worlds and interesting characters- be it the fairy tale retellings in Andari chronicles(which is my favorite) or the Conclave Worlds sci-fi series(which has a great world building and story line .) Basically she has upheld to her standards and I can't wait to see how this story goes forward. There is so much potential to be explored!!!
Highly recommend!
( I received a digital copy of the book. Thanks to Kenley Davidson! )
Highly recommend!
( I received a digital copy of the book. Thanks to Kenley Davidson! )
April 9, 2021
Even though it didn't wow me, I still want to read the next book and see what happens. :)
Leisa is the bodyguard for Princess Evaraine. Their kingdom is small and isn't the wealthiest on the continent, but it is a free land where mages and non-humans can live without fear. When a neighboring kingdom proposes Evaraine's marriage to one of its princes, the offer seems too good to be true: King Melgar's realm is vast and wealthy; why choose a marital alliance with a kingdom that has little to offer in return? To find out, Leisa is sent in disguise as Evaraine. King Melgar better not find out - not only will he have been tricked, he'll be furious to find out Leisa is a mirror mage, able to appear like anyone.
Leisa is the bodyguard for Princess Evaraine. Their kingdom is small and isn't the wealthiest on the continent, but it is a free land where mages and non-humans can live without fear. When a neighboring kingdom proposes Evaraine's marriage to one of its princes, the offer seems too good to be true: King Melgar's realm is vast and wealthy; why choose a marital alliance with a kingdom that has little to offer in return? To find out, Leisa is sent in disguise as Evaraine. King Melgar better not find out - not only will he have been tricked, he'll be furious to find out Leisa is a mirror mage, able to appear like anyone.
October 3, 2022
I've been wanting to read this series for a while now and I'm glad I finally started! I enjoyed this first book, getting to know the characters and see the world building Ms. Davidson is creating.
Leisa was a likable character. At the request of her king, she has to use her magical abilities to go undercover as his daughter, the princess Evaraine, as she visits a neighboring kingdom to determine if it is safe for Evaraine to marry the prince. I liked Leisa a lot, she was easy to relate to and I thought she was a well developed character.
Raven is a haunted character; you can't help but feel sorry for the position he is in. Being held captive by the king and forced to do whatever he commands, literally. I was grateful for the chapters from his POV so we could really see what he was thinking. The author did a good job having Leisa and Raven interact and get to know each other considering their circumstances.
I thought the book moved along well, it definitely felt like a first book in a series, I don't think it would stand well on its own, it leaves you wanting/needing to pick up the next book to really see their story unfold and find out what happens next. Luckily, the next book and the whole series is complete so I can look forward to reading the whole thing without having to wait.
Overall, an enjoyable high fantasy series, good plot ideas and world building. I look forward to reading more.
Content Rated PG
Very very mild romance, no kissing. No language, mild violence
Leisa was a likable character. At the request of her king, she has to use her magical abilities to go undercover as his daughter, the princess Evaraine, as she visits a neighboring kingdom to determine if it is safe for Evaraine to marry the prince. I liked Leisa a lot, she was easy to relate to and I thought she was a well developed character.
Raven is a haunted character; you can't help but feel sorry for the position he is in. Being held captive by the king and forced to do whatever he commands, literally. I was grateful for the chapters from his POV so we could really see what he was thinking. The author did a good job having Leisa and Raven interact and get to know each other considering their circumstances.
I thought the book moved along well, it definitely felt like a first book in a series, I don't think it would stand well on its own, it leaves you wanting/needing to pick up the next book to really see their story unfold and find out what happens next. Luckily, the next book and the whole series is complete so I can look forward to reading the whole thing without having to wait.
Overall, an enjoyable high fantasy series, good plot ideas and world building. I look forward to reading more.
Content Rated PG
Very very mild romance, no kissing. No language, mild violence
December 31, 2020
💫 💫 💫 💫 💫 (five stars as rated in MAGIC!)
Oh. My. Gosh. I really loved this. Like, I really REALLY loved this. I don't think I was expecting to enjoy it as much as I did BUT WOW! I can not wait for the next one.
First, I really like these characters. Especially in terms of their dynamic with the more villainous members of court. Nothing felt forced or superficial. Who knew that throwing The Man in the Iron Mask into the world of The Fae would work so well?
Seriously counting the days until the release of book 2.
Def recommend to anyone looking for a "popcorn" romance read. This one was quick and fun.
Content Warnings for this book: Imprisonment, manipulation, forced marriage, kidnapping
December 19, 2020
Steady Build
It took me a minute to settle in with this story. It was a bit slow going at first but the story has a steady build and I enjoyed the growing tensions between characters and in the plot. By the end I was completely invested. I wanted to keep reading well past the ending which left me hanging. Fortunately for me I only have to wait a couple weeks for the next book.
Content: mild peril, mild violence.
It took me a minute to settle in with this story. It was a bit slow going at first but the story has a steady build and I enjoyed the growing tensions between characters and in the plot. By the end I was completely invested. I wanted to keep reading well past the ending which left me hanging. Fortunately for me I only have to wait a couple weeks for the next book.
Content: mild peril, mild violence.
June 23, 2021
4.5 Stars
This book kept popping up on Kindle and I kept passing it over thinking I wouldn't enjoy the story. But thank goodness I finally broke down and ordered it because I truly devoured this story and can't wait to start the next book in the series.
This book kept popping up on Kindle and I kept passing it over thinking I wouldn't enjoy the story. But thank goodness I finally broke down and ordered it because I truly devoured this story and can't wait to start the next book in the series.
July 12, 2024
Ever have one of those books where you don’t want to put it down but you don’t want to continue either, because you are afraid of what will happen next? That is this story! I loved it but kept wanting to stop reading because I knew what would probably happen and didn’t want to see it!
Happily, the big, feared event didn’t materialize. There is a twist that takes us in a different direction and that made it even better than I anticipated. The story doesn’t end, though. It just walks off the page and (I’m assuming) into the next book. SO… I guess I’m off to find that next book! (Annoyed but not enough to let that stop me).
Happily, the big, feared event didn’t materialize. There is a twist that takes us in a different direction and that made it even better than I anticipated. The story doesn’t end, though. It just walks off the page and (I’m assuming) into the next book. SO… I guess I’m off to find that next book! (Annoyed but not enough to let that stop me).
October 27, 2022
Well ... not a complete dissapointment. I expected more action though xD
⇢ What to expect:
∘ YA Fantasy
∘ Romance (very little)
∘ Dual POV
∘ Fae & Mage
∘ Silent & broody guard x Undercover & Reckless Mage
∘ Enemies to Lovers
∘ Slowburn
⇢ What to expect:
∘ YA Fantasy
∘ Romance (very little)
∘ Dual POV
∘ Fae & Mage
∘ Silent & broody guard x Undercover & Reckless Mage
∘ Enemies to Lovers
∘ Slowburn
February 13, 2024
4⭐️ I really enjoyed this book! It’s definitely a slow burn and ends on a cliffhanger, but I will start the next book cause I must know what happens. Loved the relationship and it’s just pure and cute. Just FYI, no spice with this one but the relationship is solely based on their care for one another. I already have the second book on my kindle lol
“She was smiling now, as she gazed into her tea—a mysterious expression that made her look… happy. Why should it have made the princess happy to give him tea? And why did she not smell so afraid anymore?”
“She was smiling now, as she gazed into her tea—a mysterious expression that made her look… happy. Why should it have made the princess happy to give him tea? And why did she not smell so afraid anymore?”
March 9, 2023
Re-read
*Happy sigh*
I love spirited, compassionate, hopeful female leads and broody, tortured, despairing male leads falling in love and I cannot lie.
I love re-reading previous books in a series after reading the sequels and seeing/understanding things in a new light.
A solid 5 stars on re-read because it's a comfort read now, I think.
----
Original review
4.5 stars
I'd seen this cover around on Amazon and in some friends' reviews and had looked at the blurb and thought it sounded interesting, but only after reading and loving Stolen Thorn Bride did I decide I needed to read this one. I'm glad I finally got to it!
There were some things I didn't love--some points that felt slightly slow, probably because this one does have a lot of political intrigue (but I mostly enjoyed it, and it did still hold my attention), some times the Raven's thought processes didn't quite make sense (for example, it surprised me he was like "I hate Melger and will seize any bits of rebellion" but at no point was he like "I wonder if I could help her wreck Melger's plans more"...but at least this was partly explained by his attempts to not get attached and hopeless belief he'd end up being ordered to kill her), and I love parenthetical statements (obviously, haha), but they feel super weird and out of place to me in fiction, especially in third person, so the times that happened I found pulled me out of the story a bit. Maybe a few places describing the opulence of Garimore got slightly long, but it wasn't bad.
A few moments some might find cheesy or sappy or over-dramatic, but I loved it. Gimme angsty tension and drama and characters being oblivious to or denying romantic tension and mysterious emotional bonds.
But, this is one of those books I kept thinking about while I wasn't reading it, which is always a good sign a book captured me. Also I finished it at a Ren Fair yesterday--reading on my Kindle app on my phone while waiting for jousts or performances to start--and I'd stayed up late the last couple nights reading it and so was very tired, and I was wearing a dress with long flowy sleeves and there were knights about, and my brain might have been like "I AM Leisa and I walked into this book." 😂😂
I love Leisa--she's smart and determined and compassionate and loyal even though she's also carrying a lot of hurt and loneliness. She's also has a lot of agency in the story in spite of being forced into a role she didn't want and knew she wasn't the best fit for, and that was excellent. And if you know me at all, the Raven...oooooooh. A tortured soul who still has goodness in his heart but has suffered so much and been forced to do some much evil that he's lost sight of goodness and is just filled with bitterness and rage and self-loathing but deep down still cares and has a sense of humor and deeply-seated sense of justice? And then meets a girl who breaks through his walls and starts dragging those better parts of himself back to light and tempting him to hope again? I'm WEAK. Also powerful and mysterious with secrets. I like it.
I'd also just like to gush without spoilers about how freaking BRILLIANT the title is.
Already grabbed and started the next one!
*Happy sigh*
I love spirited, compassionate, hopeful female leads and broody, tortured, despairing male leads falling in love and I cannot lie.
I love re-reading previous books in a series after reading the sequels and seeing/understanding things in a new light.
A solid 5 stars on re-read because it's a comfort read now, I think.
----
Original review
4.5 stars
I'd seen this cover around on Amazon and in some friends' reviews and had looked at the blurb and thought it sounded interesting, but only after reading and loving Stolen Thorn Bride did I decide I needed to read this one. I'm glad I finally got to it!
There were some things I didn't love--some points that felt slightly slow, probably because this one does have a lot of political intrigue (but I mostly enjoyed it, and it did still hold my attention), some times the Raven's thought processes didn't quite make sense (for example, it surprised me he was like "I hate Melger and will seize any bits of rebellion" but at no point was he like "I wonder if I could help her wreck Melger's plans more"...but at least this was partly explained by his attempts to not get attached and hopeless belief he'd end up being ordered to kill her), and I love parenthetical statements (obviously, haha), but they feel super weird and out of place to me in fiction, especially in third person, so the times that happened I found pulled me out of the story a bit. Maybe a few places describing the opulence of Garimore got slightly long, but it wasn't bad.
A few moments some might find cheesy or sappy or over-dramatic, but I loved it. Gimme angsty tension and drama and characters being oblivious to or denying romantic tension and mysterious emotional bonds.
But, this is one of those books I kept thinking about while I wasn't reading it, which is always a good sign a book captured me. Also I finished it at a Ren Fair yesterday--reading on my Kindle app on my phone while waiting for jousts or performances to start--and I'd stayed up late the last couple nights reading it and so was very tired, and I was wearing a dress with long flowy sleeves and there were knights about, and my brain might have been like "I AM Leisa and I walked into this book." 😂😂
I love Leisa--she's smart and determined and compassionate and loyal even though she's also carrying a lot of hurt and loneliness. She's also has a lot of agency in the story in spite of being forced into a role she didn't want and knew she wasn't the best fit for, and that was excellent. And if you know me at all, the Raven...oooooooh. A tortured soul who still has goodness in his heart but has suffered so much and been forced to do some much evil that he's lost sight of goodness and is just filled with bitterness and rage and self-loathing but deep down still cares and has a sense of humor and deeply-seated sense of justice? And then meets a girl who breaks through his walls and starts dragging those better parts of himself back to light and tempting him to hope again? I'm WEAK. Also powerful and mysterious with secrets. I like it.
I'd also just like to gush without spoilers about how freaking BRILLIANT the title is.
Already grabbed and started the next one!
January 7, 2024
The Faceless Mage is kind of like if someone had written au Sansa x The Mountain fanfic, and I am so here for it. A giant, broody, stoicly silent man in a mask? That is what the girlies want (yes he's being controlled by evil magic but details, details).
It's definitely a slowburn in that not a huge amount particularly happens, the Raven doesn't actually speak out loud for most of the book, and there's only hints to a romantic connection. But honestly this didn't bother me at all, there were enough cute romantic moments and the ~vibes~ between them to keep me going, I enjoyed the 'political intrigue' (this is definitely an easy read so it was more surface level but those were the vibes over dramatic action), and honestly we like a man that knows how to use his words carefully. And the confused yearning but neither really being aware of it teehee, I eat that up.
There is a liiiiittle bit of overexplaining their inner thoughts at the end which I wasn't the biggest fan of (readers aren't stupid, we'd worked that out), but also I didn't really care because they were sooooo cute and like yes I just want a man that's giant and protective like that even if he doesn't know why, okay? Plus if we're being real the moment with the tea had me giggling and kicking my feet and I was down so bad it was carrying me through. Very excited for the next book!! This is a re-read (of the first two books) but if there's one thing about me it's that I remember nothing from books, so I only have a vague memory of what happened and am really excited to see what happens next (also for future books because Danric sounds like my kinda love interest).
It's definitely a slowburn in that not a huge amount particularly happens, the Raven doesn't actually speak out loud for most of the book, and there's only hints to a romantic connection. But honestly this didn't bother me at all, there were enough cute romantic moments and the ~vibes~ between them to keep me going, I enjoyed the 'political intrigue' (this is definitely an easy read so it was more surface level but those were the vibes over dramatic action), and honestly we like a man that knows how to use his words carefully. And the confused yearning but neither really being aware of it teehee, I eat that up.
There is a liiiiittle bit of overexplaining their inner thoughts at the end which I wasn't the biggest fan of (readers aren't stupid, we'd worked that out), but also I didn't really care because they were sooooo cute and like yes I just want a man that's giant and protective like that even if he doesn't know why, okay? Plus if we're being real the moment with the tea had me giggling and kicking my feet and I was down so bad it was carrying me through. Very excited for the next book!! This is a re-read (of the first two books) but if there's one thing about me it's that I remember nothing from books, so I only have a vague memory of what happened and am really excited to see what happens next (also for future books because Danric sounds like my kinda love interest).
June 14, 2025
No ha estado mal, no ha sido nada nuevo de lo que estamos habituados a leer en romanfantasy. Sin embargo, la lectura ha sido buena. Tengo ganas de leer la segunda parte cuando sea publicada en francés.
***
À vrai dire, ce n’était pas une histoire différente de ce qu’on est habitué en romanfantasy. Cependant, la lecture a été bonne. J’ai besoin de lire la deuxième partie une fois, elle soit publiée en français.
***
À vrai dire, ce n’était pas une histoire différente de ce qu’on est habitué en romanfantasy. Cependant, la lecture a été bonne. J’ai besoin de lire la deuxième partie une fois, elle soit publiée en français.
July 25, 2021
Found by accident...bless you annoying Amazon algorithm, you sometimes get it right!
I admit to selecting it on account of the stunning cover and absolutely loved it! Couldn't put it down, read it in 24h and now I gotta go read book 2 ..review to follow!
I admit to selecting it on account of the stunning cover and absolutely loved it! Couldn't put it down, read it in 24h and now I gotta go read book 2 ..review to follow!
Read
January 18, 2021this book wasn't super plotty, but the VIBES and the TROPES were most enjoyable!
September 7, 2022
Gosh, THAT ENDING!
January 9, 2021
“Don’t get attached, she chided herself silently. Don’t fall for all that gorgeous, mysterious elf-ness.”
There are mages, elves, and night elves in this world, and these nonhumans have a place in the small Farhall kingdom. A little kingdom that has caught the attention of King Melger. The young mage Leisa is forced travel to the neighboring kingdom, Garimore, disguised as Princess Evaraine. Leisa’s mission was given by her King Soren, to find out Garimore’s King Melger’s plans for the small Farhall kingdom. As Leisa enters the Garimore court, she realizes that her “fiancé” is a playboy with no desire to marry, and King Melger’s plans for the Farhall kingdom are far more insidious.
At the beginning of this story, it appears to be a fantasy spy novel as Leisa is going undercover as Evaraine to figure out the plans of King Melger. The moment that Leisa gets off her carriage, there is a suspicious nature to King Melger, his family, and his assassin, the Raven. The most mysterious element in this story is the Raven, bounded by magic. Once the Raven becomes Leisa’s bodyguard, the connection between them begins to grow.
The main character, Leisa, is a likable character trying her best despite being forced into being a spy. The Raven is truly a fascinating character in this story. As a person bound by magic, the Raven becomes a friend among the liars for Leisa. There are a few chapters from the Raven’s POV that gives insight into the mysterious character. Witnessing the trust that grows between the Raven and Leisa is fantastic. As the story progresses, the Raven becomes less of a soulless assassin to a man hopeful of gaining freedom.
The frustrating part is the story ends on a cliffhanger, which makes it pretty tough to review. There isn’t much character growth with Leisa since we know that she is a challenging and powerful mage. Even as King Melger threatens Leisa, she does not lose face and gains the upper hand. It is a book that is a lovely world builder but does not give the reader enough; hopefully, the second book will help flesh out the Five Kingdoms.
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