Witch

The Mage Saga #2

by Ken H. Warner

An ancient darkness is rising again…

A millennium ago, the world’s most powerful necromancer slaughtered the Five Kings, enslaved the masses, and plunged all the land into darkness and despair. After three hundred years, the princedoms rose up against her and cast her out. Over the centuries, the memory of these events faded, until they were finally forgotten.

But now the darkness stirs again…

A rogue demon is terrorizing Jezebel's cousin, Princess Allison of Spanbrook. Jezebel sets out to find the one mage in all the land with the power to banish the specter. She doesn’t know the way, but the wayfarer boy, Khaldun, agrees to serve as her guide. On their journey, they discover long-forgotten secrets, revealing that Allison’s demon is but a lesser servant of a vastly greater evil. Now, the fate of an entire continent hangs in the balance. Can Jezebel and Khaldun overcome the forces arrayed against them before it’s too late?

Genres: Fantasy, High Fantasy

438 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 28, 2022

Reviews

[Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witch is the second book in the Mage Saga by Ken H. Warner. Unlike many fantasy sequels, Witch does not begin directly after the ending of the previous book (Wizard). I was honestly thrown at first because I had initially believed the opening of the book was just a prologue that would end and we would go back to our main characters from Wizard. However, while several of the previous characters do return, particularly Khaldun, our primary focus character is Jezebel.

To be clear, this is not a complaint. Witch is a great story that takes what happened in Wizard and expands upon the lore and world while telling it's own story. Prince Henry, Dredmort, and their wraiths are still the over arching antagonists of the story, but are not the primary antagonists. Plus, as we learn more about this world, we discover there is more going on with Prince Henry and Dredmort's plans than even they may be aware of.

Pros:
* The lore, history, and details of the world are expanded upon without feeling gimicky.
* The over-arching antagonist plotline continues, and deepens in a meaningful way.

Cons:
* The primary protagonist character from book 1 isn't the focul point of the story this time, which may be an issue for some readers.
* There is some sensitive subject matter that may bother some readers.

Rating:
Over all, I'd give this a 4 / 5 because it is a well crafted story that not only expands the world in an intelligent way, it left me wanting more in the best possible way.

Notes:
The edition that I read was the Kickstarter Deluxe Collector's Edition. Be aware that rape and suicide do come up in this book.

[Jake O'Malley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this second book. At first I was sad that not all the characters were the same from the first book in the Mage Saga, however there were 3 repeat characters that made an appearance. I really loved that and the new characters were so captivating that I forgot my initial sadness. The story truly continues from the first book.

[Damian Southam · Rating 4 out of 5]

At approximately 600 pages, Witch by Ken Warner offers value for money in multiple terms, least of which is in economic terms (the book length versus the number of pages/words). The aspect I treasured most during my reading of Witch was the very tangible experience/dimension of an imagined escape from reality. Falling down the rabbit hole and ending up in a universe that changes the way you look at your own position within your own micro-world, happens with ease as it relaxes you into its world. As you begin to grasp a new dimension (there are so many) via the interactions of its cast, via their own experiences with the world therein, you come to realise yet another aspect. Twists and turns aplenty, the story spans so many real and imagined values that it's however temporarily or permanently that you in turn consider your own understanding of your micro-world experience(s) and how they relate to the environment in which you partake of.

COULDN'T WITH ANY MORE EASE, COME UP AS A 4-STAR EXPERIENCE, THE GAP BEING NOTHING MORE THAN A POSSIBLE DESIRE TO REFLECT EVEN BETTER EXPERIENCES FROM ANY SEQUELS TO COME, PERHAPS AN UNFAIR IMPRESSION/DECISION OF THIS TITLE, BUT NOT INTENDED IN ANY WAY TO BE A POOR REFLECTION OF THIS INSTALMENT!!!

[Jesie Promenchenkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!!

I simply love this book I read it from cover to cover there is some twists and turns that I wasn't expecting that was just awesome and made the story so lifelike. Main character is a very strong headed strong-willed woman and she goes on a journey other than that I'm not ruining the book for you because it's awesome!!❤️❤️ I so cannot wait until the next book comes out by Ken 😁