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Mage Errant #5
The Siege of Skyhold
The Havath Dominion is marching to war.
Humiliated in the ruins of Imperial Ithos, the Exile Splinter stolen from their grasp by the ancient sphinx Kanderon Crux, Havath's Duarchs have assembled an army that dwarfs the entire population of Skyhold. Led by their Great Powers, monsters and mages individually capable of leveling a city, they pose a threat that even Kanderon, one of the mightiest of Great Powers, and her equally monstrous allies might be unable to stop.
As the Havathi forces push closer and closer to Skyhold, Hugh and his friends train relentlessly, hoping to make a difference in the oncoming siege. While they venture into dangerous realms of untested experimental magic, though, they're already caught up in currents far beyond their control.
Once you're a pawn in the games of the Great Powers, there's no escape.
Humiliated in the ruins of Imperial Ithos, the Exile Splinter stolen from their grasp by the ancient sphinx Kanderon Crux, Havath's Duarchs have assembled an army that dwarfs the entire population of Skyhold. Led by their Great Powers, monsters and mages individually capable of leveling a city, they pose a threat that even Kanderon, one of the mightiest of Great Powers, and her equally monstrous allies might be unable to stop.
As the Havathi forces push closer and closer to Skyhold, Hugh and his friends train relentlessly, hoping to make a difference in the oncoming siege. While they venture into dangerous realms of untested experimental magic, though, they're already caught up in currents far beyond their control.
Once you're a pawn in the games of the Great Powers, there's no escape.
449 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 14, 2021
699 people are currently reading
1168 people want to read
About the author
John Bierce
11 books1,189 followersJohn Bierce is a fantasy novelist, history and science buff, SFF fan, and general all-around dork. He currently lives in Lisbon, Portugal.
https://johnbierce.com/
https://johnbierce.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews
April 20, 2021
Dear John Bierce
How dare you
Love Chris
How dare you
Love Chris
January 20, 2022
This was an emotional rollercoaster, mostly of PAIN!!!!
I am still in denial of almost everything that happened at the end.
This book literally consists of people, mages, archmages and great powers dropping dead like flies. It is definitely too much death for my taste!!!!
Two deaths especially I will never forget or forgive!
How many souls are left alive on this continent after all what happened in this book??
The magic system in this series is complex and interesting but in this book it got a little bit too confusing. Some mages with certain affinities spend a few years mastering it to extent that it can withstand attacks from other mages with opposing affinities that can easily kill them...ONLY TO DIE IN ONE MILISECOND!?
In this world I would be a non-battle mage or just I don't know I would be a manual labourer in some city (even then I would probably end up like a collateral victim of some neverending power play on the continent).
Furthermore what can I say about these powerful, almost omnipotent great powers. One of them maybe isn't so magnificent after all, especially if you can for example bribe it with stupid promises after violently encroaching on it's teritory-isn't that really idiotic behaviour??).
That is to say, here we have a couple of beings who are considered as great powers because of their magic, strength and brain while some of them are just strong but dumb. One of these great powers is seemingly indestructible until a bigger?? great power comes along. If all of them have different affinities and are truly sentient how can they be truly compared in lieu of how easy they are to kill if they overcome their affinity weaknesses during their centuries-old life. Who is then at the top of the "food" chain?
Which also reminds me, I want to know more about Galvachrean bestiary.
Plot rant is over so I can "calmly" explain other things I didn't like here. Firstly, romantic pairings are random, unconvincing and forced. Secondly, I wanted to read more about Mackarel because he is important and his progress (to something magnificent hopefuly) shouldn't be rushed in only two books that will conclude the Mage Errant series.
I should have waited more than a minute after closing this book to write a review....
I like it but I also HATE it from the bottom of my heart.
I need book 6 ASAP.
I am still in denial of almost everything that happened at the end.
This book literally consists of people, mages, archmages and great powers dropping dead like flies. It is definitely too much death for my taste!!!!
Two deaths especially I will never forget or forgive!
How many souls are left alive on this continent after all what happened in this book??
The magic system in this series is complex and interesting but in this book it got a little bit too confusing. Some mages with certain affinities spend a few years mastering it to extent that it can withstand attacks from other mages with opposing affinities that can easily kill them...ONLY TO DIE IN ONE MILISECOND!?
In this world I would be a non-battle mage or just I don't know I would be a manual labourer in some city (even then I would probably end up like a collateral victim of some neverending power play on the continent).
Furthermore what can I say about these powerful, almost omnipotent great powers. One of them maybe isn't so magnificent after all, especially if you can for example bribe it with stupid promises after violently encroaching on it's teritory-isn't that really idiotic behaviour??).
That is to say, here we have a couple of beings who are considered as great powers because of their magic, strength and brain while some of them are just strong but dumb. One of these great powers is seemingly indestructible until a bigger?? great power comes along. If all of them have different affinities and are truly sentient how can they be truly compared in lieu of how easy they are to kill if they overcome their affinity weaknesses during their centuries-old life. Who is then at the top of the "food" chain?
Which also reminds me, I want to know more about Galvachrean bestiary.
Plot rant is over so I can "calmly" explain other things I didn't like here. Firstly, romantic pairings are random, unconvincing and forced. Secondly, I wanted to read more about Mackarel because he is important and his progress (to something magnificent hopefuly) shouldn't be rushed in only two books that will conclude the Mage Errant series.
I should have waited more than a minute after closing this book to write a review....
I like it but I also HATE it from the bottom of my heart.
I need book 6 ASAP.
October 17, 2023
This entry has twists and turns that are masterful in execution. Easily the best Mage Errant book
August 14, 2023
WHAT THE FUCK JOHNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
December 29, 2023
Rating:-5 stars
April 18, 2021
Three main problems:
1) Characterization: Specifically, the lack of it. The majority of these books tends to just be long stretches of dry exposition about how the characters have become magically stronger. I was hoping we had reached an end to that so that we could really dig into character development, but unfortunately not. Maybe now that will happen because all of their teachers are dead or missing. I can dream.
2) Plot structure: Given that the series is ending at 7 books I still highly doubt it will end in a satisfying way, mainly because of that lack of strong development. What development we have gotten has been pretty darn quick. Suddenly they're in love, suddenly they're not in love. Suddenly it's revealed that Alustin has been planning a betrayal for a long time now. It's like the series wants to just jump over all the build up that makes climaxes interesting.
3) Magical combat: This is one that I'd say it worse in this book than in any other of the series. It's really hard for me to buy the fact these super veteran, super powerful combatants who wield powers great and terrible would waste so much of their time and resources with things that ultimately don't matter. If your magic system enables weird and powerful effects then it's hard to convince me that there's any merit to having the equivalent of magical firearms thrown around.
When the series does small combat magical combat it's still pretty fun. I really enjoyed the end of book 4 for that reason. But large scale combat is really not somewhere it shines.
We see this best with Veil vs. the party and with Artur vs. Heliothrax.
Veil is particularly noted for being hard to kill and being a full archmage. Which is supposed to mean she does weird shit per the setting's own description. But she's a very ho-hum, "let me throw shadow spears that all of the main characters just shrug off with what seems like what should be the very first tool of any mage" (protection) but every single Havathi soldier seems to lack. And then Hugh just . . . traps her in a leg lock and burns her face off with fire. Really? She's NEVER run into that before huh? She can't use that armor that creates shadows to just overwhelm Hugh's own shields while he's making himself as vulnerable as possible by clinging onto said armor? She just sits there and lets herself die.
Or with Artur. Heliothrax specifically calls out dealing with lots of Great Powers . . . and she starts monologuing. If she has dealt with many, then suicidal attacks can hardly be a shock to her, or opponents with great strength. If long-range is her talent then she should have ways of ensuring it.
Or even better-HAVATH HAS HELIOTHRAX. Why didn't Havath just have her use her Eye to burn the shields down to begin with? Then they just could just bombard the mountain to rubble from afar.
The only reason our main characters seem powerful is because everyone else is apparently a drooling moron.
ETA:
I'll also that "Luthe's husband" is weird. If it was just once it would be whatever. But the dude never get a name for some reason.
Also, it would have been much more effective for Alustin to have been the one to kill Loarna.
1) Characterization: Specifically, the lack of it. The majority of these books tends to just be long stretches of dry exposition about how the characters have become magically stronger. I was hoping we had reached an end to that so that we could really dig into character development, but unfortunately not. Maybe now that will happen because all of their teachers are dead or missing. I can dream.
2) Plot structure: Given that the series is ending at 7 books I still highly doubt it will end in a satisfying way, mainly because of that lack of strong development. What development we have gotten has been pretty darn quick. Suddenly they're in love, suddenly they're not in love. Suddenly it's revealed that Alustin has been planning a betrayal for a long time now. It's like the series wants to just jump over all the build up that makes climaxes interesting.
3) Magical combat: This is one that I'd say it worse in this book than in any other of the series. It's really hard for me to buy the fact these super veteran, super powerful combatants who wield powers great and terrible would waste so much of their time and resources with things that ultimately don't matter. If your magic system enables weird and powerful effects then it's hard to convince me that there's any merit to having the equivalent of magical firearms thrown around.
When the series does small combat magical combat it's still pretty fun. I really enjoyed the end of book 4 for that reason. But large scale combat is really not somewhere it shines.
We see this best with Veil vs. the party and with Artur vs. Heliothrax.
Veil is particularly noted for being hard to kill and being a full archmage. Which is supposed to mean she does weird shit per the setting's own description. But she's a very ho-hum, "let me throw shadow spears that all of the main characters just shrug off with what seems like what should be the very first tool of any mage" (protection) but every single Havathi soldier seems to lack. And then Hugh just . . . traps her in a leg lock and burns her face off with fire. Really? She's NEVER run into that before huh? She can't use that armor that creates shadows to just overwhelm Hugh's own shields while he's making himself as vulnerable as possible by clinging onto said armor? She just sits there and lets herself die.
Or with Artur. Heliothrax specifically calls out dealing with lots of Great Powers . . . and she starts monologuing. If she has dealt with many, then suicidal attacks can hardly be a shock to her, or opponents with great strength. If long-range is her talent then she should have ways of ensuring it.
Or even better-HAVATH HAS HELIOTHRAX. Why didn't Havath just have her use her Eye to burn the shields down to begin with? Then they just could just bombard the mountain to rubble from afar.
The only reason our main characters seem powerful is because everyone else is apparently a drooling moron.
ETA:
I'll also that "Luthe's husband" is weird. If it was just once it would be whatever. But the dude never get a name for some reason.
Also, it would have been much more effective for Alustin to have been the one to kill Loarna.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2021
The book picks up nicely from end of Book 4 and we see the conflict between Kanderon and Havathi Empire coming to a head. As the blurb says, the Havathi’s have mounted a massive invasion and despite all the spying and advance preparations, the invalid force dwarves anything anyone including Kanderon expected, leaving Skyhold in a desperate battle to survive against overwhelming odds.
This is actually a book of two parts. The first 70% is all about the Siege itself, the preparations and the anticipation. It’s kind of a slow burn which fits the psych of people in Skyhold as news filters about their mounting losses in initial engagements and progressive dampening of morale of its residents. People are scared, they are losing hope by the day. This has a more serious impact on our group of protagonists. The battle in Imperial Ithos at end of book 4 has made them realize the harsh realities of real life conflicts. The brutal truths about killing and getting near-killed themselves turns them from happy adventure seekers to a more jaded veterans as they seek to battle their internal fears and doubts. The transition is done really well, and we get to see our team debating the necessity of dubious ethics and morality associated with their fight and macro situation across the world. They realize that the line between good and evil isn’t as clear cut as their believed and stress of their actions having fallen into the grey area in-between takes its toll on them. Though we get some classic battles in-between, the pacing is a bit heavy and slow. Though it fits the overall feel of the book, in hindsight this could have been tightened up and made more taut.
The last 30% makes up for the pacing of the early segments as the battle begins. Then the roller coaster ride begins and we get pages and pages of glorious actions and epic battle scenes…oh, loved it! This is probably the epic-est of the battle scenes in the series and we get tons of Great Powers going at each other. Brilliant chaos. Most of the previously names Great Powers and some new ones go all out. The scale of fight is truly massive and has everything a battle loving adrenalin junkie reader like me could hope for.
At the end…let’s just say both the plot direction and decision of the author left me speechless in bittersweet surprise. Definitely NOT what I’d have expected from John or from the Mage Errant’s. I can’t wait for the next book. Get cracking, John!
This is actually a book of two parts. The first 70% is all about the Siege itself, the preparations and the anticipation. It’s kind of a slow burn which fits the psych of people in Skyhold as news filters about their mounting losses in initial engagements and progressive dampening of morale of its residents. People are scared, they are losing hope by the day. This has a more serious impact on our group of protagonists. The battle in Imperial Ithos at end of book 4 has made them realize the harsh realities of real life conflicts. The brutal truths about killing and getting near-killed themselves turns them from happy adventure seekers to a more jaded veterans as they seek to battle their internal fears and doubts. The transition is done really well, and we get to see our team debating the necessity of dubious ethics and morality associated with their fight and macro situation across the world. They realize that the line between good and evil isn’t as clear cut as their believed and stress of their actions having fallen into the grey area in-between takes its toll on them. Though we get some classic battles in-between, the pacing is a bit heavy and slow. Though it fits the overall feel of the book, in hindsight this could have been tightened up and made more taut.
The last 30% makes up for the pacing of the early segments as the battle begins. Then the roller coaster ride begins and we get pages and pages of glorious actions and epic battle scenes…oh, loved it! This is probably the epic-est of the battle scenes in the series and we get tons of Great Powers going at each other. Brilliant chaos. Most of the previously names Great Powers and some new ones go all out. The scale of fight is truly massive and has everything a battle loving adrenalin junkie reader like me could hope for.
At the end…let’s just say both the plot direction and decision of the author left me speechless in bittersweet surprise. Definitely NOT what I’d have expected from John or from the Mage Errant’s. I can’t wait for the next book. Get cracking, John!
March 4, 2021
I'm not gonna say much, because it's hard not to spoil things otherwise, but The Siege of Skyhold contains probably the most insane, epic battle I've read in fantasy.
I guess it's not a spoiler to say that there's a siege in this. It's in the title, after all. The book can basically be divided into two parts: before the siege, and the siege. Both are really masterfully handled, and the reason for that largely boils down to Bierce's skill with worldbuilding.
While a large portion of the book can be summed up as the characters just "waiting," this section is never dull. Whether we're watching relationships grow and deepen between characters old and new, or mastering new magical techniques, or learning about aspects of the world, it's always compelling and keeps you engaged. The amount of detail Bierce has put into this world's magic, its cultures, and its history always astounds me, and it's on full display here. Not to mention the breadcrumbs he's laying that help set up the big battle and the future of the series.
Then in the battle, somehow Bierce is able to keep every chapter feeling fresh and exciting despite the amount of pages this thing lasts. There are so many wild setpieces, filled with a huge number of colorful characters (both human and non-), you're barely given a chance to catch your breath before the next one comes along. But with such a huge, varied cast that all possess wildly different abilities, Bierce's cleverness in how the characters employ them and how he matches opponents up together never gets anywhere near dull. It's not just endless pages of the same type of action over and over again; there's something new and unexpected, both small- and large-scale, happening on every page.
But action is nothing without emotional stakes, and I'll simply say that the book delivers this in spades as well. I won't say any more, though!
With The Siege of Skyhold, John Bierce has once more topped his own action and worldbuilding while setting up what will surely prove to be an epic final act of the Mage Errant series.
I guess it's not a spoiler to say that there's a siege in this. It's in the title, after all. The book can basically be divided into two parts: before the siege, and the siege. Both are really masterfully handled, and the reason for that largely boils down to Bierce's skill with worldbuilding.
While a large portion of the book can be summed up as the characters just "waiting," this section is never dull. Whether we're watching relationships grow and deepen between characters old and new, or mastering new magical techniques, or learning about aspects of the world, it's always compelling and keeps you engaged. The amount of detail Bierce has put into this world's magic, its cultures, and its history always astounds me, and it's on full display here. Not to mention the breadcrumbs he's laying that help set up the big battle and the future of the series.
Then in the battle, somehow Bierce is able to keep every chapter feeling fresh and exciting despite the amount of pages this thing lasts. There are so many wild setpieces, filled with a huge number of colorful characters (both human and non-), you're barely given a chance to catch your breath before the next one comes along. But with such a huge, varied cast that all possess wildly different abilities, Bierce's cleverness in how the characters employ them and how he matches opponents up together never gets anywhere near dull. It's not just endless pages of the same type of action over and over again; there's something new and unexpected, both small- and large-scale, happening on every page.
But action is nothing without emotional stakes, and I'll simply say that the book delivers this in spades as well. I won't say any more, though!
With The Siege of Skyhold, John Bierce has once more topped his own action and worldbuilding while setting up what will surely prove to be an epic final act of the Mage Errant series.
July 25, 2021
7/25/21: 4 stars. This book took me way too long to read, mostly because of a long 2 month long reading slump. I didn’t enjoy this one as much as 3-4, because 3-4 did a lot of character work while this one mostly focused on magic mechanics and preparations for the final battle, which weren’t as interesting to me. I think there was a missed opportunity to use this book to dig deeply into Godrick’s character for spoiler reasons, so that was a bit disappointing. Still, the character dynamics, especially every single sentence uttered by Talia, saved the first 2/3 of the book for me from dragging too much. It should’ve been more concise, but it was still fun.
The ending though, holy crap. Okay so, first of all, the ending battle did not make the best first impression on me. I don’t like cutting away to POVs we haven’t had earlier in the story just in climactic battles, and Bierce loves doing that, and this is the longest climactic battle he’s written thus far so of course it’s gonna have a lot of that.
BUT! Then he started being ruthless. He killed some characters. He gave some scary character moments to some of our mains. He did some REALLY cool things with those POV switches. He did some really cool magic twists. And in the end, he pulled off one of the coolest end twists I’ve seen in a fantasy book EVER! That ending is fantastic and I encourage people to push through some of the less interesting parts of the book to get to the ending.
Overall, I’d give the first 2/3 of the book 3 stars—not bad, but could be a lot better. The last 1/3 is 5 stars overall. And if picking between 3 and 4 stars, I’m gonna pick 4 stars based solely on the ending twist. Fantastic payoff for several books of buildup.
The ending though, holy crap. Okay so, first of all, the ending battle did not make the best first impression on me. I don’t like cutting away to POVs we haven’t had earlier in the story just in climactic battles, and Bierce loves doing that, and this is the longest climactic battle he’s written thus far so of course it’s gonna have a lot of that.
BUT! Then he started being ruthless. He killed some characters. He gave some scary character moments to some of our mains. He did some REALLY cool things with those POV switches. He did some really cool magic twists. And in the end, he pulled off one of the coolest end twists I’ve seen in a fantasy book EVER! That ending is fantastic and I encourage people to push through some of the less interesting parts of the book to get to the ending.
Overall, I’d give the first 2/3 of the book 3 stars—not bad, but could be a lot better. The last 1/3 is 5 stars overall. And if picking between 3 and 4 stars, I’m gonna pick 4 stars based solely on the ending twist. Fantastic payoff for several books of buildup.
May 16, 2021
This review will probably be spoilery, nothing major, but you have been warned!!!
I literally just finished this and oh. my. word.
I cannot even.
AHHHHH
Okay, starting at the beginning lol.
The Siege of Skyhold picks up shortly after where The Lost City of Ithos left off, with the apprentice mages recovering from the gruelling battle they just survived. Everyone's a little shaken and channeling that, in typical progression fantasy style, into getting guder.
The first half of this book is dedicated to that process, with everyone focusing in on different areas. Sabae is working on her lightning affinity, previously subject to the same neglect as her healing affinity. Talia is busy coming up with something typically gruesome. Godrick is struggling to come up with armour that will take him once and for all out of his father's shadow, and Hugh is doing a thing with wards. It's, as always, fun to watch them all working and experimenting with the exceedingly complicated magic system of Mage Errant, and whilst there are definitely times where the exposition dumps drag, they do just sort of come with the territory in this series - someone clearly likes them if Bierce keeps leaving them in, skim reading them doesn't leave the reader at too much of a disadvantage when it comes to following the plot, and they do add a level of credence to the feeling of Skyhold very much being a school as opposed to just a place to have adventures.
One thing I would have liked to have seen be explored more would be the psychological impact of what they all went through. We get a couple of scenes of this, but it isn't really consistent. We're told rather than shown in a lot of cases how this is affecting everyone. The exception to this would be Sabae, who is definitely one of the more consistently interesting characters. Her quest to free herself and her friends from the manipulations of the great powers is engaging and ties neatly into both the revelation she had at the end of TLCoI and the final twist of the book. Her arc is the one we're getting to see some of the broader political themes through, and it's very interesting. Also she continues to be a disaster bi and I love it.
Aside from the main four, the other two characters I really enjoyed were Kanderon and Loarna of The Vault, especially the friendship and respect between them. Kanderon is perhaps the most shaken of all by the events of the last book, and it's clear why whilst also being clever foreshadowing. Pacted to Hugh, she is now more than ever realising just how vulnerable that leaves her - not just physically, but emotionally.
Loarna is a character we never actually saw in person before this book, and we quickly find out why. She also has social anxiety, as well as an autism spectrum disorder. As someone who also struggles with pretty bad social anxiety, it was really heartwarming to see the way everyone is just accepting of the accommodations she needs to be able to do her job, and it was nice to see her connecting with Hugh over that shared struggle. The way Mage Errant handles disability has hands down always been utterly fantastic and miles ahead of any other sff I've personally read when it comes to this topic, and this book really takes the cake. In combination with Hugh's use of his spellbook to talk whilst he recovers and the continuing theme of the main cast having to work around their magical encumberments, this book gives some really cool examples of how magic can be used to creatively explore disability accommodations as opposed to disability cures.
And then, we come to the second half of the book. Which OMG WTF AHHHHHHHHHH
This was one of those books that had me screaming into my pillow at THE SHEER AUDACITY. I don't want to spoil anything, so won't go into specifics, other than to say OH MY WORD. It's rare to find a twist as well executed as this one was - so many elements that had been hinted at beforehand just coalescing for the perfect gut punch that feels as true to the characters it is devastating. The only thing I really have to say beyond that is this - where the fudge is book six?
I literally just finished this and oh. my. word.
I cannot even.
AHHHHH
Okay, starting at the beginning lol.
The Siege of Skyhold picks up shortly after where The Lost City of Ithos left off, with the apprentice mages recovering from the gruelling battle they just survived. Everyone's a little shaken and channeling that, in typical progression fantasy style, into getting guder.
The first half of this book is dedicated to that process, with everyone focusing in on different areas. Sabae is working on her lightning affinity, previously subject to the same neglect as her healing affinity. Talia is busy coming up with something typically gruesome. Godrick is struggling to come up with armour that will take him once and for all out of his father's shadow, and Hugh is doing a thing with wards. It's, as always, fun to watch them all working and experimenting with the exceedingly complicated magic system of Mage Errant, and whilst there are definitely times where the exposition dumps drag, they do just sort of come with the territory in this series - someone clearly likes them if Bierce keeps leaving them in, skim reading them doesn't leave the reader at too much of a disadvantage when it comes to following the plot, and they do add a level of credence to the feeling of Skyhold very much being a school as opposed to just a place to have adventures.
One thing I would have liked to have seen be explored more would be the psychological impact of what they all went through. We get a couple of scenes of this, but it isn't really consistent. We're told rather than shown in a lot of cases how this is affecting everyone. The exception to this would be Sabae, who is definitely one of the more consistently interesting characters. Her quest to free herself and her friends from the manipulations of the great powers is engaging and ties neatly into both the revelation she had at the end of TLCoI and the final twist of the book. Her arc is the one we're getting to see some of the broader political themes through, and it's very interesting. Also she continues to be a disaster bi and I love it.
Aside from the main four, the other two characters I really enjoyed were Kanderon and Loarna of The Vault, especially the friendship and respect between them. Kanderon is perhaps the most shaken of all by the events of the last book, and it's clear why whilst also being clever foreshadowing. Pacted to Hugh, she is now more than ever realising just how vulnerable that leaves her - not just physically, but emotionally.
Loarna is a character we never actually saw in person before this book, and we quickly find out why. She also has social anxiety, as well as an autism spectrum disorder. As someone who also struggles with pretty bad social anxiety, it was really heartwarming to see the way everyone is just accepting of the accommodations she needs to be able to do her job, and it was nice to see her connecting with Hugh over that shared struggle. The way Mage Errant handles disability has hands down always been utterly fantastic and miles ahead of any other sff I've personally read when it comes to this topic, and this book really takes the cake. In combination with Hugh's use of his spellbook to talk whilst he recovers and the continuing theme of the main cast having to work around their magical encumberments, this book gives some really cool examples of how magic can be used to creatively explore disability accommodations as opposed to disability cures.
And then, we come to the second half of the book. Which OMG WTF AHHHHHHHHHH
This was one of those books that had me screaming into my pillow at THE SHEER AUDACITY. I don't want to spoil anything, so won't go into specifics, other than to say OH MY WORD. It's rare to find a twist as well executed as this one was - so many elements that had been hinted at beforehand just coalescing for the perfect gut punch that feels as true to the characters it is devastating. The only thing I really have to say beyond that is this - where the fudge is book six?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2022
Link to my blog post
As a lucky beta reader, I get to read the book early. I note down my reactions per chapter and highlight any typos I catch. I'm not a fast reader, so these additional steps do not affect my reading enjoyment much. But my beta reading role certainly takes a hit during fast paced portions of the book.
Coming to the review, the series just keeps getting better. "The Siege of Skyhold" picks up immediately after the events at the end of book 4 (which I re-read as a preparation for this book). As the title gives away, the setting moves back to Skyhold and we get to see events related to the impending siege. The author does a great job of showing various preparations and how it affects the daily functioning of the university, the mindset of students, etc. The uncertainty was palpable.
To nobody's surprise, Hugh and his friends want to get involved, beyond their student responsibilities. Their team dynamic continued to be one of my favorite parts of this series, along with worldbuilding and other characters (old and new). Once the siege started, I didn't want to stop reading. I stayed up late finishing the book, causing minor eye strain 👀👓 (despite knowing this would happen, which is why I usually go to sleep well before 10PM).
Subtle foreshadowing was another of my favorite things about "Into the Labyrinth". We got a pleasant surprise at the end of "The Lost City of Ithos". By the end of book 5, you'll get to see various clues planted right from book 1 come to fruition and a few hints of things to come.
As a lucky beta reader, I get to read the book early. I note down my reactions per chapter and highlight any typos I catch. I'm not a fast reader, so these additional steps do not affect my reading enjoyment much. But my beta reading role certainly takes a hit during fast paced portions of the book.
Coming to the review, the series just keeps getting better. "The Siege of Skyhold" picks up immediately after the events at the end of book 4 (which I re-read as a preparation for this book). As the title gives away, the setting moves back to Skyhold and we get to see events related to the impending siege. The author does a great job of showing various preparations and how it affects the daily functioning of the university, the mindset of students, etc. The uncertainty was palpable.
To nobody's surprise, Hugh and his friends want to get involved, beyond their student responsibilities. Their team dynamic continued to be one of my favorite parts of this series, along with worldbuilding and other characters (old and new). Once the siege started, I didn't want to stop reading. I stayed up late finishing the book, causing minor eye strain 👀👓 (despite knowing this would happen, which is why I usually go to sleep well before 10PM).
Subtle foreshadowing was another of my favorite things about "Into the Labyrinth". We got a pleasant surprise at the end of "The Lost City of Ithos". By the end of book 5, you'll get to see various clues planted right from book 1 come to fruition and a few hints of things to come.
April 16, 2021
Absolutely phenomenal - my favorite book from the series (so far!).
Bierce once again succeeds at striking a fine balance between seriousness and fun, without making the world feel all too light-hearted. The characters are just as likeable and interesting as in the first 4 novels and the worldbuilding continues in quite interesting ways. The battle scenes are exciting and creative and Bierce uses his established magic system absolutely superbly! Throughout my read I often found myself doing one of two things: Whispering to myself "This is so damn cool!" or laughing out loud because the characters and their interactions are just that loveable and funny.
This book (just like the whole series!) is an absolute must-read to anyone who likes fantasy and magic!
And, to me (and I know this will be controversial), it's better than Harry Potter!
Bierce once again succeeds at striking a fine balance between seriousness and fun, without making the world feel all too light-hearted. The characters are just as likeable and interesting as in the first 4 novels and the worldbuilding continues in quite interesting ways. The battle scenes are exciting and creative and Bierce uses his established magic system absolutely superbly! Throughout my read I often found myself doing one of two things: Whispering to myself "This is so damn cool!" or laughing out loud because the characters and their interactions are just that loveable and funny.
This book (just like the whole series!) is an absolute must-read to anyone who likes fantasy and magic!
And, to me (and I know this will be controversial), it's better than Harry Potter!
April 14, 2021
Awesome continuation of the series
Possibly the best book in the series. Action, adventure, romance, Mackerel, and battles between great powers.
Really enjoyed reading this.
Possibly the best book in the series. Action, adventure, romance, Mackerel, and battles between great powers.
Really enjoyed reading this.
March 12, 2021
Note: My review is based off a beta copy, however I wouldn't expect anything to change significantly between now and release.
So the short version of this review is this: Read this book! At all costs, read this book!
Longer (spoiler-free) version: Wow. Just... wow. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into based on the previous books in this series. A group of teenagers learn to use their powers in various clever ways, all the while growing closer to each other as they face off against a myriad of different problems arrayed against them. They got lost in a labyrinth, stopped a draconion coup, helped fend off a daemon invasion, and then stole one of the most powerful artifacts away from the largest empire in the world. All par-for-the-course stuff for a bunch of magical teenagers, right?
And for the first half of The Siege of Skyhold, my expectations were met. The book starts out right where the last one left off, with Hugh and his friends dealing with the fallout from taking on the Havath Dominion. They get tasked with with various tasks (of which continuing their education remains one of the key facets), all while the aforementioned Dominion draws ever closer to their school, bent on getting revenge or reclaiming the artifact or whatever reason is needed at a given moment to justify their expansion and conquest of the known world. There is even a good bit of time spent by several characters delving into these reasons, and what exactly both empires and greater powers mean for the world at large. All blended seamlessly with the action, and giving the book a nice feeling that it has a lot more going on just beneath the surface.
Then the titular siege begins, and all bets were off. I've read some amazing battle scenes in my time, some that were so immense and over the top they were hard to conceptualize. This one blew all of them away, and then got even crazier about five more times.
What could very easily have been a confusing mass of different characters clashing their powers against each other until everything was lost in the chaos was instead done as an expertly choreographed series of chapters, with each participant on the Skyhold side being constantly pushed to think quickly and outside the box to save themselves. Never was I as a reader left in the weeds, wondering what was happening to someone, as the action moved forward quickly and decisively, and yet there was SO MUCH of it. This was an epic battle to end all battles, the perfect culmination of what Bierce has been building towards with introducing characters and factions through four other books.
Then there were the last two chapters, which I will not spoil other to say that I may have to spend some time rocking myself in a corner before I'll be anywhere close to emotionally moving past. This book was epic in the grandest sense of the term, and yet the ending still managed to defy my expectations and leave me both hungering for the next volume, and desperately, desperately afraid for what Bierce has in store.
So yeah, I imagine if you're reading this, you're already a fan of Mage Errant. Go read the next book as soon as its out. And if it's out already, what are you doing wasting time reading my far inferior words, when you could be enjoying Siege of Skyhold?
(Oh, and in the spirit of posting an honest review, I must note that this book did not If you can get over this grievous oversight, then please, by all means, read the book.)
So the short version of this review is this: Read this book! At all costs, read this book!
Longer (spoiler-free) version: Wow. Just... wow. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into based on the previous books in this series. A group of teenagers learn to use their powers in various clever ways, all the while growing closer to each other as they face off against a myriad of different problems arrayed against them. They got lost in a labyrinth, stopped a draconion coup, helped fend off a daemon invasion, and then stole one of the most powerful artifacts away from the largest empire in the world. All par-for-the-course stuff for a bunch of magical teenagers, right?
And for the first half of The Siege of Skyhold, my expectations were met. The book starts out right where the last one left off, with Hugh and his friends dealing with the fallout from taking on the Havath Dominion. They get tasked with with various tasks (of which continuing their education remains one of the key facets), all while the aforementioned Dominion draws ever closer to their school, bent on getting revenge or reclaiming the artifact or whatever reason is needed at a given moment to justify their expansion and conquest of the known world. There is even a good bit of time spent by several characters delving into these reasons, and what exactly both empires and greater powers mean for the world at large. All blended seamlessly with the action, and giving the book a nice feeling that it has a lot more going on just beneath the surface.
Then the titular siege begins, and all bets were off. I've read some amazing battle scenes in my time, some that were so immense and over the top they were hard to conceptualize. This one blew all of them away, and then got even crazier about five more times.
What could very easily have been a confusing mass of different characters clashing their powers against each other until everything was lost in the chaos was instead done as an expertly choreographed series of chapters, with each participant on the Skyhold side being constantly pushed to think quickly and outside the box to save themselves. Never was I as a reader left in the weeds, wondering what was happening to someone, as the action moved forward quickly and decisively, and yet there was SO MUCH of it. This was an epic battle to end all battles, the perfect culmination of what Bierce has been building towards with introducing characters and factions through four other books.
Then there were the last two chapters, which I will not spoil other to say that I may have to spend some time rocking myself in a corner before I'll be anywhere close to emotionally moving past. This book was epic in the grandest sense of the term, and yet the ending still managed to defy my expectations and leave me both hungering for the next volume, and desperately, desperately afraid for what Bierce has in store.
So yeah, I imagine if you're reading this, you're already a fan of Mage Errant. Go read the next book as soon as its out. And if it's out already, what are you doing wasting time reading my far inferior words, when you could be enjoying Siege of Skyhold?
(Oh, and in the spirit of posting an honest review, I must note that this book did not If you can get over this grievous oversight, then please, by all means, read the book.)
May 29, 2022
Quite a drop from the last book. Felt like it was trying to be TOO epic. All the Powers going at it one after the other should have felt awesome but kind of felt flat to me. The smaller battles were more far more interesting. My favorite being the one featuring the Vault.
As the bodies kept piling up it just seemed wasteful. I know it’s supposed to be all focused on grand scales and sacrifices. Showing that not every one gets to walk away and that there’s a price to be paid. The end of the siege was just kind of anticlimactic with the ape thing taking over the hydra after Artur kamikazes himself wastefully.
Not to mention the twist at the end felt like a total pulled out of the ass maneuver. Alustin and the other Librarians just turning traitor plus the sphinx’s “death” has no build up. Can almost understand Alustin’s blind hatred but the others joining him on mass genocide against civilians seems to be overreaching.
Not even going to start on the whole multiverse political shadow council that was mentioned.
As the bodies kept piling up it just seemed wasteful. I know it’s supposed to be all focused on grand scales and sacrifices. Showing that not every one gets to walk away and that there’s a price to be paid. The end of the siege was just kind of anticlimactic with the ape thing taking over the hydra after Artur kamikazes himself wastefully.
Not to mention the twist at the end felt like a total pulled out of the ass maneuver. Alustin and the other Librarians just turning traitor plus the sphinx’s “death” has no build up. Can almost understand Alustin’s blind hatred but the others joining him on mass genocide against civilians seems to be overreaching.
Not even going to start on the whole multiverse political shadow council that was mentioned.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2024
I really enjoyed this book despite being spoiled the most major spoiler possible.
John Bierce / His publisher decided to make the first 3 words in the following book's description the biggest spoiler possible. They seriously made it so that when I purchased the book while it was on sale, that I had no choice but to keep my eyes from even accidentally reading words from the description?? On my audible and on goodreads, just looking up mage errant in my library it comes up with those 3 words that spoiled it all in the preview message for the book. Despite the book being fantastic, I'm incredibly disappointed by their decision to make spoilers on that level THE FIRST THREE WORDS THAT SHOW UP WHEN LOOKING UP THE SERIES.
John Bierce / His publisher decided to make the first 3 words in the following book's description the biggest spoiler possible. They seriously made it so that when I purchased the book while it was on sale, that I had no choice but to keep my eyes from even accidentally reading words from the description?? On my audible and on goodreads, just looking up mage errant in my library it comes up with those 3 words that spoiled it all in the preview message for the book. Despite the book being fantastic, I'm incredibly disappointed by their decision to make spoilers on that level THE FIRST THREE WORDS THAT SHOW UP WHEN LOOKING UP THE SERIES.
December 20, 2021
I don't know what to say. Bierce punched me in the feelings so quickly at the end I barely catched what was going on. I'm devastated. I'm tempted to grade the book lower for the pain but I can't it was excellent. One of the best and most intriguing so far. I'm crushed.
December 24, 2023
Waste of a series
The authors need for a shocking twist ruins any enjoyment that I've had from this series so far. Will not be buying the next one.
The authors need for a shocking twist ruins any enjoyment that I've had from this series so far. Will not be buying the next one.
July 24, 2022
Well this was a ride, 2.5 to 3 stars for me because in the end it was enjoyable even if it took its time to get there. After 5 books I find the whole world and magic system very interesting and creative, even if I don't find myself loving it yet as much as other systems. What I find less interesting and frankly very often unbearable is the author's writing of some thing:
1. The whole slice of life thing, with birthdays and birthdays and gifts and romance is just unnecessary stupid fluff that has a point (sometimes) but is annoying presented if anything.
2. The exposition dumps presented as nonsensical lectures or teaching moments. In the previous book it was the whole explanation of Talia's dreamfire effect and in this one Sabea's whole looking for a purpose by reading philosophy and then explaining it to us....
3. The fucking eye rolling... Every 5 page there's one of those, it is so repetitive that it gets annoying.
4. The fucking meta humor about "this is not novel" or " this is how it would be if it was a novel" ... It was never funny and it is very grating. It just makes me like less Talia.
5. Mackerel and Yardang I have never hated more words in my life... That is a new achievement that I didn't think possible but this book manages effortlessly.
These are some of the problems I have with the book overall. Plus the 4 main protagonists leave me very indifferent... Even Sabae, who I liked before, I don't care about anymore. On the other hand Austin, Artur and Kanderon are excellent characters with the best POVs.
In the end the book had a nice beginning and the best ending of the series so far, but again the middle was just sub-par or even bad!! It's a pity to have the same complains after 5 books.
For the moment I will take a break from the series because the last book is too expensive and because I am tired of hating so many things in just one author, time to read something else and one day maybe I will finish the series because the ending will be explosive.
1. The whole slice of life thing, with birthdays and birthdays and gifts and romance is just unnecessary stupid fluff that has a point (sometimes) but is annoying presented if anything.
2. The exposition dumps presented as nonsensical lectures or teaching moments. In the previous book it was the whole explanation of Talia's dreamfire effect and in this one Sabea's whole looking for a purpose by reading philosophy and then explaining it to us....
3. The fucking eye rolling... Every 5 page there's one of those, it is so repetitive that it gets annoying.
4. The fucking meta humor about "this is not novel" or " this is how it would be if it was a novel" ... It was never funny and it is very grating. It just makes me like less Talia.
5. Mackerel and Yardang I have never hated more words in my life... That is a new achievement that I didn't think possible but this book manages effortlessly.
These are some of the problems I have with the book overall. Plus the 4 main protagonists leave me very indifferent... Even Sabae, who I liked before, I don't care about anymore. On the other hand Austin, Artur and Kanderon are excellent characters with the best POVs.
In the end the book had a nice beginning and the best ending of the series so far, but again the middle was just sub-par or even bad!! It's a pity to have the same complains after 5 books.
For the moment I will take a break from the series because the last book is too expensive and because I am tired of hating so many things in just one author, time to read something else and one day maybe I will finish the series because the ending will be explosive.
June 23, 2024
Every entry into this series serves to make me infinitely more excited for every future entry.
John Bierce is creating his Aetheriad, a shared universe for his stories to exist in(a la, a Willverse or Cosmere).
Knowing that the Aetheriad is still in its infancy and is still this GOOD makes me so happy that I’m getting in on this early.
Bierce just continues to improve. It’s a wonderful thing to see his writing skill develop and improve along with the stories he writes. Extrapolating out into the upcoming years, I can only imagine how incredible both the stories and the writing therein will be.
As I said to the very person who recommended the series to me, there are two main aspects I absolutely adore about this series, and two big takeaways for an aspiring writer like myself. I feel as though I’m learning when I read these books. Bierce will drop little facts and bits of science to explain phenomena in his world and, as a proud nerd, it’s one of my favorite things about the series and something I would like to emulate in my own work. The second takeaway is how beautifully Bierce plots. In each scene there are multiple axes which contribute to the necessary friction which drives the story forward. There is never simply a single element, like you might see in a bad fetch quest in a video game. Rather, it presents more as “well we do need to go here and do this, but also watch out for this, and have you heard about this threat, also there’s an impending war.” It seems very difficult to do that without making each scene too busy or overwhelming for the reader, and Bierce excels at it.
There are so many loose threads that he leaves dangling oh so titillatingly, leaving the reader to stew over them, wondering when he’ll decide to yank. Then, when he does decide to do so, it still comes as a shock!
I realize that this review is far more meandering and far less about this actual book than a review on this actual book should be, however I can’t help but give effusive praise to Bierce for the entirety of what he is creating. I’m so so excited to see which heartstrings of mine he decides to play with next.
Also THAT ENDING OH MY GOODNESS.
Good day <3
John Bierce is creating his Aetheriad, a shared universe for his stories to exist in(a la, a Willverse or Cosmere).
Knowing that the Aetheriad is still in its infancy and is still this GOOD makes me so happy that I’m getting in on this early.
Bierce just continues to improve. It’s a wonderful thing to see his writing skill develop and improve along with the stories he writes. Extrapolating out into the upcoming years, I can only imagine how incredible both the stories and the writing therein will be.
As I said to the very person who recommended the series to me, there are two main aspects I absolutely adore about this series, and two big takeaways for an aspiring writer like myself. I feel as though I’m learning when I read these books. Bierce will drop little facts and bits of science to explain phenomena in his world and, as a proud nerd, it’s one of my favorite things about the series and something I would like to emulate in my own work. The second takeaway is how beautifully Bierce plots. In each scene there are multiple axes which contribute to the necessary friction which drives the story forward. There is never simply a single element, like you might see in a bad fetch quest in a video game. Rather, it presents more as “well we do need to go here and do this, but also watch out for this, and have you heard about this threat, also there’s an impending war.” It seems very difficult to do that without making each scene too busy or overwhelming for the reader, and Bierce excels at it.
There are so many loose threads that he leaves dangling oh so titillatingly, leaving the reader to stew over them, wondering when he’ll decide to yank. Then, when he does decide to do so, it still comes as a shock!
I realize that this review is far more meandering and far less about this actual book than a review on this actual book should be, however I can’t help but give effusive praise to Bierce for the entirety of what he is creating. I’m so so excited to see which heartstrings of mine he decides to play with next.
Also THAT ENDING OH MY GOODNESS.
Good day <3
April 17, 2021
A fantastic continuation of an already great series
I would give this book about a 4.6/5, I really enjoyed the pacing and story telling. We get to see all our main characters Hugh, Talia, Sabae and Godrick grow in their abilities and in their personalities. There is so much progression and that is primarily why I read stories like these. The story builds and builds and builds and you get to the culmination of all the foreshadowing and preparation and it's just as exciting and astonishing as you would expect it to be.
The writing is straight forward and easy to read, there aren't very many stale sections and the sections that seem slow seem to always have a purpose behind them. I am so incredibly curious to see what direction the story heads towards based on where it ends in this book and we have two books left to explore.
If you've been reading the series thus far, there is no excuse to not continue. If you haven't read the series yet and you are reading a review of the 5th book, please go back to the first and if you are a fan of progression fantasy you'll love this series and you'll certainly love this when you get to it
I would give this book about a 4.6/5, I really enjoyed the pacing and story telling. We get to see all our main characters Hugh, Talia, Sabae and Godrick grow in their abilities and in their personalities. There is so much progression and that is primarily why I read stories like these. The story builds and builds and builds and you get to the culmination of all the foreshadowing and preparation and it's just as exciting and astonishing as you would expect it to be.
The writing is straight forward and easy to read, there aren't very many stale sections and the sections that seem slow seem to always have a purpose behind them. I am so incredibly curious to see what direction the story heads towards based on where it ends in this book and we have two books left to explore.
If you've been reading the series thus far, there is no excuse to not continue. If you haven't read the series yet and you are reading a review of the 5th book, please go back to the first and if you are a fan of progression fantasy you'll love this series and you'll certainly love this when you get to it
December 9, 2022
I should come back and write more about this series because you all need to read it!
We have everything you can ask for, and more!
We have unforgettable characters, because Hugh, Talia, Sabae, Godrick, and Mackerel would steal your heart. And they would not be the only ones, trust me! (You need to meet Clan Castis, for one, and you need to meet Kanderon, for twice, and Artur, and Alustin!).
And we have a school of magic. And you can see the lessons and see our characters learn new things and get better and better at what they do!
And we have mental health really well portrayed, too. And friendship, and family, and so much banter, sassiness, and humor all around.
Even if it is not always a happy story. And this particular book is less so than others since we have a Siege and a really really bad battle.
And the ending, oh my god the ending! You just need to read this series!
We have everything you can ask for, and more!
We have unforgettable characters, because Hugh, Talia, Sabae, Godrick, and Mackerel would steal your heart. And they would not be the only ones, trust me! (You need to meet Clan Castis, for one, and you need to meet Kanderon, for twice, and Artur, and Alustin!).
And we have a school of magic. And you can see the lessons and see our characters learn new things and get better and better at what they do!
And we have mental health really well portrayed, too. And friendship, and family, and so much banter, sassiness, and humor all around.
Even if it is not always a happy story. And this particular book is less so than others since we have a Siege and a really really bad battle.
And the ending, oh my god the ending! You just need to read this series!
April 16, 2021
Wow uhhhhh
This is difficult because I mean only to compliment my read of this book. Unfortunately, I can't play it so cool, I'm not used to such excellent reads at the fifth novel historically. I understand that this is supposed to be dramatic, the rest of the series set the tone I was expecting, so here on the 5th book I wasn't expecting a magnus opem. Wow, alright John, break our hearts again, I dare you, because I bet you can't after what you've already done, you sly dog.
This is difficult because I mean only to compliment my read of this book. Unfortunately, I can't play it so cool, I'm not used to such excellent reads at the fifth novel historically. I understand that this is supposed to be dramatic, the rest of the series set the tone I was expecting, so here on the 5th book I wasn't expecting a magnus opem. Wow, alright John, break our hearts again, I dare you, because I bet you can't after what you've already done, you sly dog.
April 17, 2021
John Bierce continues his fine coming-of-age fantasy about four misfit mages with the Siege of Skyhold. The stakes escalate as the avaricious Havath empire seeks to conquer Skyhold the home of the Mage Errants and superpowerful sphinx Kalderon.
The empire brings thousands of mages and many 'great powers'--super powerful beings like Kalderon. But Skyhold has many defensive surprises waiting for the Havath empire as well.
This book has some of the best magical battle scenes in the series. As usual, John Bierce ends with several surprising twists that will affect the series going forward.
Be sure to read it.
The empire brings thousands of mages and many 'great powers'--super powerful beings like Kalderon. But Skyhold has many defensive surprises waiting for the Havath empire as well.
This book has some of the best magical battle scenes in the series. As usual, John Bierce ends with several surprising twists that will affect the series going forward.
Be sure to read it.
December 18, 2021
A solid entry in a consistently entertaining series. This one does deal with more mature ideas throughout, about relationships, politics, and developing a set of morals when you have no clear ideological mentors. It is nice to read a Fantasy series about young people who grapple with those issues in a detailed way, while also learning to do rad magic.
August 30, 2024
Let me be very clear: the twist was definitely foreshadowed, it was hinted at, it was even shoved in my face. Still, when it happened, my jaw dropped. My heart hurts, I'm so absolutely scared for the next installment, but by god I'll be damned if I stop now. This one has earned its spot in the Best Of The Best shelf.
April 16, 2021
Best in the Series thus far
Book 5 pays off a lot of ground work laid earlier in the series. It makes you want to go back and reread passages to understand why characters end up choosing sides in the great game. The battle sequences are awesome and answer questions of whether skill trumps raw power. It’s the best of Star Wars and Harry Potter with more grit. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Book 5 pays off a lot of ground work laid earlier in the series. It makes you want to go back and reread passages to understand why characters end up choosing sides in the great game. The battle sequences are awesome and answer questions of whether skill trumps raw power. It’s the best of Star Wars and Harry Potter with more grit. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
April 22, 2021
Whoa
The last half of the book felt like watching a huge GOT battle scene add to that you have a weakened Stromward - death that hits home and a crazy ending. Very well done!
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 3/5
Narration: N/A
Favorite Line: N/A
The last half of the book felt like watching a huge GOT battle scene add to that you have a weakened Stromward - death that hits home and a crazy ending. Very well done!
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 3/5
Narration: N/A
Favorite Line: N/A
April 21, 2021
I've never been so glad to continue a series I thought started mediocre. Out with the relatable schoolkids in melodramas, in with insane sieges and nasty twists on the found family trope.
May 9, 2021
Best installment of the Mage Errant series yet. Bierce's world and magic continues to impress, but the scale and approach to this book is on another level to what has come before it.
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