Months of imprisonment have forged Gwyn into something new; something dangerous. Eight dead sorceresses whisper in her ear, hungry for blood and vengeance – and after unleashing the red magic to make her escape, she fears she won’t be able to stop. All Gwyn really wants is to go home. But as she soon discovers, escaping the Clockwork City may prove an impossible task. The wizards of the Syndicate wage a silent, bloody war over her fate, and to survive, she must play their deadly game. As strange storms ravage the city and wizards start turning up dead, Gwyn finds herself in more danger than ever. With enemies on every side, the immortal Scions massing their armies, and the dark power inside her growing stronger, she must make a choice... To save everything she loves, is she willing to become the monster the Syndicate fears? A Wind from the Rift is the electrifying second volume in Bonnie Wynne’s spellbinding fantasy series, The Price of Magic .
Imprisonment hasn’t cowed Gwyn. Instead it has honed her into something “more,” something to be feared, justification for the fears that imprisoned her in the first place, but does she have the magic under control or is it controlling her?
The wizards of the Syndicate are determined not to let her get free of the Clockwork City, but they have no idea how far her magic and that of the sorceresses before her will go to beat them at their own game. With few she can trust, and even fewer she can count as allies, she is alone, terrified and not fully aware of the darkness that rages within her. How many deaths will it take to turn her into the monster they believe she is? The will to survive is strong, but her love for those she must keep safe is even stronger…
Bonnie Wynne’s A WIND FROM THE RIFT continues Gwyn’s tale as this young woman struggles against the world she never asked to be part of and the powers that rage within her. Dark, grim and yet, still spell binding, this addition to the series is just as emotionally taut, richly detailed and raw as book one, but this time out, Ms. Wynne has stepped up her game and enriched the story into a finely woven fantasy with an ever stronger heroine.
Gwyn comes alive, one can feel her desperation to be free, to survive and to understand the darkness she possesses. Her anger seems real, yet not hers, more like someone else’s, but her fears seems to come from her alone. Brilliant creative writing has gone into this tale and the author has done an amazing job of letting readers become part of the story. Highly recommended fantasy for all ages.
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Talem Press! This is my honest and voluntary review.
Series: The Price of Magic - Book 2 Publisher: Talem Press Release Date: November 19th, 2020 Genre: Fantasy For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
I want to thank Talem Press very much for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this sequel, I think the first book has many solid points that were highlighted even more in this one, but at the same time, I think the first could be a little more solid and better built than this one, that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it, in fact, I did!One of the things that I liked the most is, no doubt, the author’s style that’s light even in the moments of greatest tension. The main character, super relatable and realistic & the tone of this fantasy in itself, I like a lot, the weight of playing with the human mind gives it a marked dark atmosphere.
3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
You can find more of my reviews & other fun content on my blog A Book. A Thought.
I can’t say much about what the book is about, because spoilers, but I’ll say that in short, we follow Gwyn again, but now she’s in an even more vulnerable state after the events that took place at the end of the first book. Now all she wants is to go home, but there are voices in her head that torture her and take her to dark places, in addition to this, while she wants to escape from Clockwork City, wizards begin to appear dead in the city, and Gwyn realizes that she could be in even greater danger than she thinks, but in order to survive she must make decisions that could change her being forever.
I want to immediately talk a bit about the tone of the book because it’s one of my favorite points. I think the author has found the perfect middle point where she can give us super dark and heavy moments as well as light moments of great dynamism. I love when I read fantasies that have this dark tone, I feel that it differentiates them widely from other books, and also open many doors to infinite possibilities. I loved the author’s style, I really enjoyed reading her first book and in the same way, I enjoyed her style in this book, so I think her work will only get better. The plot itself is super interesting and the truth is that I never lost interest, but I think the characters are stronger than the construction of the world and the plot itself, which doesn’t bother me, I enjoy it, anyway, but I thought it would be something interesting to mention. Gwyn is just amazing, all of them are, even the villains in this story, but my girl gets all my applause. This time everything was even more difficult for her, and we see her fight a lot against the inside of her. I LOVE that there’s a breaking point in her in this sequel as she has shown that anger that maybe she was trying to hide before, she’s so strong and this time I saw her more determined and confident in many situations, which I loved.
I think the plot feels a bit week in the middle, there are a lot of pages so maybe that’s why I had moments where I felt a bit distracted from what was happening, that’s why my rating isn’t higher, but still, I think it’s more something personal and I don’t think that’s something that affects your enjoyment. In my personal opinion, I feel that perhaps this book didn’t need so many pages to be solid and to be able to reach the final point that the author wanted, but still, I LOVE the ending, and I felt that impact and those emotions that maybe I didn’t feel in the first book. This is a solid sequel with a great direction, which I think misses the focal point a bit in the middle, but recovers even more strongly to give us a shocking ending with lots of emotions. I love how the author has been able to create a character so credible that you simply want to support her and want to be there for her, I think this book does something unique with the reader, almost including us within the scenes and make you feel very committed, it which is great and only highlights the talent of the author.
It’s a great book, a super interesting fantasy that gives you that feeling of nostalgia since it feels like other urban fantasies that I’ve read, but it’s also unique in its own way, and the author makes that very clear with her creation of characters and addictive and easy to read style. Impossible not to feel connected to what’s happening and although it’s kind of rare in the middle, it has an excellent beginning and ending that will leave you wondering what will happen next! I highly recommend it, if you like fantasy but want to read something with a darker tone with credible characters and a good magic system.
First Thoughts 11/07/20
My review will be ready only in a couple of hours, but I wanted to tell you that I enjoyed it very much! I adore the author's style, it makes that reading a fantasy be something easy, but she has also added a dark tone that goes perfectly with the plot
A Wind From the Rift is the breathtaking sequel that surpasses Bonnie Wynne's stellar debut. It's addictive, fast-paced, full of adventure with a touch of romance - exactly what us fantasy-lovers crave. Wynne's prose pays homage to the classics while still maintaining a fresh, original voice that will no doubt become what Bonnie is known for, along with her fantastic characters. I can't wait to see where the rest of the series takes us! Highly recommend.
TL;DR: An off-putting start but an exhilarating and complex academy story more than makes up for it.
If The Ninth Sorceress was Sabriel by way of (a much toned down) Mark Lawrance, book two of the series is more The Magicians' Guild. You might not believe it from the utter freakiness that is Part 1 of the book (featuring a stay in a very confusing and dark prison), but trust me, it gets there and when it does there's a lot of interest to be found in this weird world's take on the magic academy. The blurb feels misleading: it is a school-set book of magical plotting, not a story of a girl with dark voices in her head (something that's barely referenced) and dark powers (as she doesn't explain or show us them).
I have a lot of feelings on this series so far, mostly because it's addictive as hell and I love it. Critical I may be, but dang is this one more-ish story. I'm only this thorough over things I loved enough to want more from, so take this all with a pinch of salt.
Would I recommend the series still? Oh yes.
Head's up: moderate spoilers for book 1 in 3, 2, 1...
We last saw Gwyn making her escape from the Syndicate's prison, having languished in their "care" for half a year without respite or rescue. She's accessed her new red sorceress magic and is determined to return to the Priory and her strange found family. Alas, escaping the floating Clockwork City of the mancers isn't that easy. Captured once again and thrown into the legendary Charnel Vaults from where there's no return, things look bad for her dreams of freedom. But when her powers are enough to confound even the best mancer, they decide they want a better way of keeping her under wraps. Resentfully, Gwyn agrees to become a novitiate, learn their magics... and plot her escape. Two can play the game of keeping your friends closer and your enemies closer. And unfortunately for everyone, the Scions are still out there with one in particular closing in fast.
Honestly, Part 1 that dealt with Gwyn's failed escape and stay in the hell-hole of the Charnel Vaults wasn't my favourite thing to read. I felt lost, with no idea why Gwyn did the things she did, or why her powers worked/didn't work. It also had those revisionist tendencies about events and knowledge from the previous book that made it seem a bit inconsistent to me. I felt like I was reading a completely different series tonally, and came very close to dropping reading it because everything seemed both confused and confusing.
But from Part 2 onwards where we went all Magician's Guild changed everything. While it still seemed a bit of a tonal change from The Ninth Sorceress (and still had those revisionist feelings to the world building and characters) I really enjoyed the intrigues being played out. The writing is as solid and compulsive as ever, and the setting, while limited here to the mancer's city, it gorgeously realised. I loved the extra background of the world we gleaned from meeting tutors and student alike, though there aren't as many on screen magic lessons as I'd hoped (there is the ever traditional student ball though!)
There are a number of new side characters to get to know while the old cast are away. The most stand-out is undoubtedly Tavi the fellow mancer student with a too-cool-for-you attitude who became a firm favourite of mine. I was glad to see the return of Enoch too as the jailer turned mentor figure too even if he isn't around often. We get little hints about old friends too, ones that ease and fascinate as you wonder how it all fits in to the bigger picture.
Now for the nitpicky critique. For me, it still had the same weaknesses as book 1, namely the explanation of world lore and events, as well as character relationships.
There were a number of times I felt confused about what monumental things had just happened, sometimes needing to re-read sections and still not being sure until a while after the fact. There were moments of muddiness, such as the big bang ending to the Charnel Vaults section where I just wasn't sure what had just happened, or if it had happened off-screen like the ending of book 1. Some details seemed bizarre or inconsistent; why would a legendary "evil" sorceress be acceptable while a dime-a-dozen necromancer can never be? The way characters like Margen and Tavi just shrug off Gywn's terrible cosmic powers struck me as weird. I didn't get how she supposedly had all this power and agency gained from the events of the first book only for them to be drained away in practise, like she'd reverted back to the same character she'd been at the beginning (like the second instalment of a video game series; we know about all the cool boss-beating abilities but are going to have to re-learn them again). The climactic battles also seemed a little bit of a convenient: one a bit Deus ex machina as there was no real foreshadowing of the resolution being a possibility, the other well foreshadows but oddly easy after all the time taken to get there.
To be honest, I have so many questions that I wish I understood because the world is so deep and unusual.
I think I found the characters cold and lacking in emotional connections because more often than not it seemed we were told their relationships were developing without seeing it. Friendships from book 1 are looked back on even though I never really saw them as being that close; Gwyn references conversations that would have been nice to witness rather than just have reported off-hand. The romance angle especially for me didn't have quite the chemistry I'd hoped would come before the Big Kiss. In both cases the characters have only ever really talked about their mission, world lore and what to do next rather than have a good old fashioned heart-to-heart that would have sealed the deal rather than making it a love/friendship by proximity.
Grumbles aside, when the world lore is set out and the big bad Scion comes a-calling, things get super twisty and interesting. There is honestly so much going on in the slow simmer of a plot it's delicious and many layered. I could barely put the darn book down because I wanted to know more. The ending is again left open on a cliffhanger full of foreboding that made me know book 3 was a no-brainer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Nope. No, no, no. This veered in a direction so different from the first one and I hated it. That's not to say others might not like it, but it definitely wasnt for me.
Thank you to Talem Press for providing me with a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review!
A Wind From the Rift is book 2 in the Price of Magic series and therefore my review could contain spoilers for book 1, The Ninth Sorceress.
After really enjoying The Ninth Sorceress last year, I was so excited to read the sequel and it did not disappoint. In fact, I think I actually enjoyed this one even more!
Kicking off right where the Ninth Sorceress finished, Gwyn thinks she is in the most dangerous place she could be, until she's thrown underground into a prison she never even knew existed. Trying her best not to call upon the red magic, she is intent on escaping the inescapable place, but what comes after?
Caught in a situation where she needs to play along with the Mancers to stay alive, she is torn between her need to escape and fear of what those inside the Syndicate could do to her. As she struggles to rein control over the dark powers that now rage inside her, Gwyn finds herself making new, unlikely friends and learning more about the sorceress that came before her.
The writing in A Wind from the Rift felt even richer than the first book. This series stands up so well as a brilliant fantasy, with relatable characters and fantastic world building. I had no trouble immersing myself back into Gwyn's world, even though it had been a while since I'd read The Ninth Sorceress. I especially adore some of the side characters in this series. There's some fun banter that contrasts nicely with the darkness of the storyline, bringing extra emotion to the bonds between the characters. The shapeshifter Lucian is my absolute favourite and I loved Tavi as a new character too!
If you haven't picked up this series yet, I'd highly recommend you do, especially if you love dark magic, sorceresses, desperate situations and unusual friendships!
When I first read The Ninth Sorceress by Bonnie Wynne, I was impressed by the author’s world-building and the unique story-line. I love that the book explored the chosen one trope but from a different angle – rather than being the one to save the world, what if you were the one meant to destroy it? A Wind from the Rift takes off from where we last saw Gwyn, imprisoned by the Syndicate. But the Mancers soon come to a decision. The Syndicate deems Gywn too dangerous to be imprisoned but too important to be killed. So she is enrolled in the Syndicate to learn to become one of the Mancers.
A Wind from the Rift is fast-paced and far darker than The Ninth Sorceress. Between glimpses of a future disaster, A Wind from the Rift is far more introspective than its predecessor. Throughout the novel, Gwyn tries on several masks – the evil sorceress, the reluctant student, the secretive friend. Yet no matter where she goes or who she tries to be, whispers follow her. She is known as nothing else than the sorceress. Eventually, Gwyn’s own identity begins to break down. Loss of self and fear over the lack of control is the central theme of this novel. If you are born with powers meant for destruction, what other path is there for you? This is the inherent question of the book.
Despite being a student to the very society that had her tortured, Gwyn cannot help but want to belong. She is tempted by the routine and knowledge the Syndicate has to offer. Yet though she tries to fit in, Gwyn yearns for freedom – not just from the Syndicate but from the red magic growing within her.
The author’s creation of the Scions and their history was one aspect I enjoyed a lot about the book. Anything to do with religion in books is my jam. I enjoyed knowing more about the Scions’ history; however, they are not given as precedence as Gwyn’s own story. Personally, I wanted a bit more focus on the Scions to provide readers that real sense of claustrophobia and impending doom the Scions can evoke. Because by the end, when we faced the Scion, it felt lacklustre. However, even with that, I found the last chapters to be addictive and breath-taking. I love how the author managed to keep upping the climax and the struggle.
Also, THAT conclusion. I was incredibly impressed with how the author handled the loose threads. It felt so right for the story and the characters. Overall, I found the book to be a story of survival. I can already tell that some readers might not be impressed by Gywn. Remember: what we have is a sixteen-year-old girl struggling to survive, trying to find agency despite her terrible fate and that, itself, is a frightening feat.
I received physical copy of this book from Talem Press in exchange for an honest review. You can find me at Camillea Reads || Twitter || Instagram || Tumblr
From the beginning, just as the first, this one draws the reader in, picking up where book 1 left off. Good strong start to the 2nd. (Just a quick note, in my review, I won't be going over the details, characters, or synopsis of the series. There's plenty of reviews out there, rehashing all that has already provided by the publisher.)
One of the first things I feel is necessary for me to mention, is the fact that I had some confusion in the last book with a particular term, which the author started cross mixing more and more, and tried to ignore it. Unfortunately 20 pages in, the cross mixing has become worse. She uses "Vim" to refer to what I assume is magic, or in the truest definition of the word-Energy, but yet in the very next sentence she uses it almost like a swear word or slang. It makes it unclear as to whether the characters are, or at least trying to, pull on the "Vim," or are they just frustrated, upset, baffled, or surprised?? Minor as it may seem to some, it's not a good indicator for a clear and concise understanding of what is meant at the time.
This one, just like the first, is pretty face-paced, and flies along at an amazing speed, but not to the point that it becomes overwhelming-at least for most of the book. Until... It begins to accelarate at an even quicker tempo. You're kept on the edge of your seat trying to figure out just exactly who are the true comrades in arms for the cause, versus the villains supporting the evil side of justice.
Then, as the author begins to wrap up the final scenes in the book, it rockets forth with an even stronger blast, with no breathers in between. This is not necessarily a positive. I myself as a reader, need a point where my heart isn't racing along, trying to keep up with all the heavy drama as it pours forth with alarming alcarity. Let alone the fact, I may need to actually put the book down to attend to daily life events. Lol
This approach is often found in first releases and in young unseasoned writers. There's no break in between the sensationalism as it is dropped on the reader, within the entire chapter, from one to the next, or even between different scenes which are evolving. Exciting yes, but once again, overwhelming and at times oppressive. If you choose to read this, which I highly recommend, be prepared to set the pace for yourself.
Didn't care for the final "Epilogue." It's more a teaser, than a cliffhanger though. Just didn't care for where it's leading one of the character's development and role in the storyline.
Having previously had a take on the classic "heroine is being chased and discovers she has unusual powers", in A WIND FROM THE RIFT we now get the author's take on "magic schools." It's no secret that I love classic fantasy and this series now firmly falls into that category as we have evil "gods" to defeat (called scions) and the book ends by setting up a quest to go kill them.
The beginning was a little disjointed. There are three chapters that jump in time from each other, and you have to get halfway through the next chapter to work out what had happened to get from the end of the previous to the start of this one. It does settle down after that (beyond one point where the same thing happened) but it made it hard to get into the start of the book.
After that, though, the book comes together quickly and becomes far easier to follow. The pacing is very nice, and Gwyn now knows she's the sorceress. Instead, she's struggling against the lure of red magic and the suspicion/desire of those around her to prove that she is in fact evil. She makes new friends, learns a bit more magic, and has to fight the scion Molech - the storm "god" destroying the city, and whom no one wants to believe is real.
I really likes staying in one place for this book. The previous careened all around the north, not really giving the reader any chance to get to know the location well. However, here, we spend the whole book in the clockwork city (a floating island suspended above the rift using massive chains) or in the rift below (with one side trip to the palace.) It meant I got to know the location well, the magical training school, and understand better what made a mancer - both in terms of powers and psychologically. That is doubtless going to help in later books now they're no longer vague bogeymen.
The third book has just come out, so I'm diving into that one straight away - definitely another series where waiting for multiple instalments to be published and then binging in one go was a good idea.
Oh my god this book was amazing! There was so many plot twists, that you didn't know what was going to happen. I thought I had it all figured out towards the middle of the book, but nope! I love Gwyen. I loved her character. I didn't find her annoying. I thought she was strong and likeable. I do like the relationship between her and Lucien. I think that is really cute. I seriously can not wait for book 3. I feel like that would be more amazing. Plus, I miss Faolan.
Gwyn’s journey continues in this second book in The Price of Magic series. The story picks up right where The Ninth Sorceress left off. Gwyn has discovered the Red Magic in her veins and now free from the Birdtower, attempts to find a way out of the Clockwork City. And fails spectacularly. I can’t go into much more detail without spoilers, however, I will say this book heads into magic academy territory with a darkish tint as Gwyn must navigate the looming threats of the scions, wizard rules, bigotry, serial killings and first love.
After Gwyn’s relative passiveness in the first book, it’s great to see her character grow and making decisions (and mistakes) for herself. We get to see her struggle with doubt, trust and her own powers as she tries to fit into a society that would rather she didn’t exist. A new raft of characters are introduced and some old ones return and all while the stakes ratchet up.
A particular highlight for me was Gwyn’s test to become an adept, which she completed in her own unique way, along with the surprise twist at the end (of which I will say no more!). If you love darker coming of age fantasies full of magic, floating cities and gods who walk among mortals, you will not be disappointed in this instalment.
This second book in the Price of Magic series is just as exciting as the first. Gwyn finds herself in more got water. From being imprisoned in a tower to feeling imprisoned in a mancer school. She finds herself continuing to grow in abilities.
Bonnie has a very entertaining way of writing a story that keeps you interested. A story that allows you to relate with the characters. Lots of action, lots of magic, mixed with a little blood. And maybe make a friend or two.
Ok bummed by a few deaths here BUT the payoff at the end sets up a great book 3. And Gwyn really has come into her own; that she has managed to keep her humanity through all of this, and believably so, is interesting. Although there is a bit of intrigue as to what she is to Alcide and also who is in her mind. She says it was just her own thoughts but she can't have those memories so I hope book 3 touches on that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Gunn who in the first book is struggling with overcoming her lack of training emerges as a full blown sorceress. She manages to not only survive the wizards who want her dead but to end up saving them
Wow !!! These books are amazing. The writer Bonnie Wynne , she paints the scene for you so as you read you can see just what she is seeing. Readers you really should give these books a read....
WOW. An amazing successor to an already incredible first novel. Bonnie Wynne is one of my favorite new fantasy authors! You will not regret reading this book.