Notorious Sorcerer

The Burnished City #1

by Davinia Evans

In a city filled with dangerous yet heavily regulated alchemical magic, a man from the slums discovers he may be its only hope to survive certain destruction in this wickedly entertaining fantasy. 

Welcome to Bezim, where sword-slinging bravi race through the night and rich and idle alchemists make magic out of mixing and measuring the four planes of reality.

Siyon Velo, Dockside brat turned petty alchemist, scrapes a living hopping between the planes to harvest ingredients for the city’s alchemists. But when Siyon accidentally commits an act of impossible magic, he’s catapulted into the limelight—which is a bad place to be when the planes start lurching out of alignment, threatening to send Bezim into the sea.

It will take a miracle to save the city. Good thing Siyon has pulled off the impossible before. Now he just has to master it.

A dazzling fantasy bursting with wild magic, chaotic sword-fighting street gangs, brazen flirting, malevolent harpies, and one defiant alchemist.

"From the razor-sharp social climbing to the glimmering alchemist's library to the hidden realms beneath it all, I loved getting lost in this dazzling debut." —Shannon Chakraborty

Genres: Fantasy, LGBT, Queer, Fiction, Adult, Romance, Magic

448 pages, Paperback

First published September 13, 2022

About the author

Davinia Evans was born in the tropics and raised on British comedy. With a lifelong fantasy-reading habit and an honours thesis in political strategy, it was perhaps inevitable that she turn to a life of crafting stories full of sneaky ratbags tangling with magic. Dee lives in Melbourne, Australia, with two humans (one large and one small), a neurotic cat and a cellar full of craft beer.

Reviews

[Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alas, a wonderous tale of magical ingenuity has graced the pages of this novel—a story of a young man's journey for knowledge that comes at the expense of social status. Evans gives us the tale of Siyon, The Notorious Sorcerer.
Evans's novel circulates mainly around the beautiful characters she has imagined.

Her main character, Siyon, is the most endearing and focal, an amateur Alchemist with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge in the pursuit of learning alchemy. Siyon, a petty alchemist, has left Dockside and joined the Bracken Bravi Tribe in Bezim to try to make more money to learn alchemy. However, the art of "real" magic has been outlawed to only the "rich" to use and understand. Siyon is neither. Unfortunately, he can only do their bidding as an errand boy by traveling to the different planes to retrieve items for the elite. By doing this, he is trying to make enough money to earn enough to take lessons to qualify as a "Skilled Alchemist."


One day while performing a trick out in public (it was not a trick; he was trying to save one of his friends in the Bravi Tribe Zagiri), he ends up doing an impossible feat of magic. Next thing you know, Siyon is thrust headfirst into the life he only ever dreamed of. But now he is seeking refuge, living with the town's most skilled alchemist Jeddani and his wife, Anahid.

Siyon's character is spunky and yet arrogant in his way type of character. No matter what, he still performs his magic tricks even though magic is essentially outlawed. His personality still wants to, in a sense, fight for what is unfair in his society, as far as academia for the poor. However, if he had not been arrogant in his ways, he would never have honestly noticed the injustice of the caste system and never met his love interest Izmirlian.


Izmirlian and Siyon happen to be locked in the same jail cell together when they notice each other. Izmirlian, an upper-class noble, is immediately set free, while Siyon gets to stay behind bars. Why? Because he is poor and he is of the lower caste. But as fate would have it, Izmirlian and Siyon become friends, and their friendship turns into something more than that. Izmirlian is one such that he is always curious and adventurous, never one to let the caste systems stand in his way. The mere fact that one is traditionally taught and one untraditionally taught alchemy makes their bond together all the more special.

Izmirilian never treats Siyon as if he does not belong. On the contrary, he and Siyon's other friends always encourage him. Many times although Siyon is arrogant, he is sometimes doubtful of himself. However, he has wonderful friends that inspire him and provide that extra encouragement.

Notorious Sorcerer is filled with witty humor and sometimes emotional passages. There are hairpin turns on this roller coaster ride of fantastical escape. The imagery portrayed is blindly vivid in imagination, with almost cinematic quality as far as your mind's eye can take you.

This novel takes the quote "SKY'S THE LIMIT!!" to an entirely new dimension.
This novel's world-building is stellar; her characters are likable and beyond loveable. However, even as two-dimensional as Jeddani, who you want to strangle, you find you simply cannot.


Evans has done a fantastic job on this book; I cannot express it enough.
I am sure I could go on and on into more detail, but her characters were so enthralling to me that it was just easier to write about them instead.

Notorious Sorcerer is one book that should most definitely be read; Evans has outdone herself!

Kudos to The Notorious Sorcerer!

Splendid!

Absolutely Splendid!

Thank you, NetGalley/Davinia Evans/Orbit Books.Orbit/ For this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Orbit books always have the best Authors.


Thank you, Goodreads Giveaways/Davinia Evans/ Orbit Books/ for this wonderfully "AMAZING" COPY OF THIS BOOK. I AM SO GLAD TO HAVE WON A COPY. I'M BEYOND TICKLED PINK. THANK YOU AGAIN!

[K.J. Charles]

Extremely YA so not for me. Didn't see that on the marketing at all, though it's shelved as YA a lot here so that's on me for not looking further I guess.

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I loved this!

The story follows Siyon, a bit of a street urchin with a curiosity for alchemy. Bezim is a city that practices this art that involves connection to the three other planes of existence: Aethyr, Empyre and Abyss. No magic here, kids, just pure unexplainable science. Siyon delves to procure ingredients for the other alchemists in the city, but he longs to learn more.

From the very beginning, I was hooked. I mostly had no clue what was happening with all the 'alchemy' but I was content to just ride along with Siyon as he did his thing. It was such a fascinating, unique concept to me and I loved his quest for more.

The characters were a lot of fun - Zagiri, the girl resisting her heritage and taking part in street brawls and alchemical rituals instead of wearing dresses and going to tea; Izmirlian, the cocky rich kid using his influence because he has a thirst for discovery and a heart bigger than expected; feisty Anahid who is starting to push the boundaries of propriety to discover who she really wants to be ... and of course Siyon, who is not the typical street rat who likes to complain about rich people. I mean, he does complain of course, but he still gets things done and he's not one to judge the rich people until he's actually met them. So that was kind of refreshing. Siyon knows what he wants and goes after it, but he still cares a great deal for the people around him.

The city of Bezim was a lot of fun, and the down side to getting an ARC is that I wanted the map. I had a glance at a final copy and I think I could get lost tracing the paths of the characters through this city. It really has its own personality, and I could very much feel the atmosphere of it.

My only real complaint is the world-building - I feel like this story barely scraped the surface, and I wanted more. I wanted history, and descriptions, and just a better understanding of alchemy and its purpose. But I am patient enough to wait for the sequel to flesh things out a little more.

I never got bored reading this and it took so many twists and shared so many little adventures that I never quite knew what would come next. I enjoyed the growing relationship between Siyon and Izmilrlian, and felt it was the perfect balance of softness and honesty. They worked incredibly well together.

I wasn't quite expecting this to impress me as much as it did, but I'll be recommending it to all fantasy lovers looking for something unique. It was a really fun read that kept me hooked the entire time.

With thanks to the publisher for an ARC

**UPDATE 12/22**

Bumping this up to a 5-star because it's stuck with me and I keep recommending it to people. I wonder when the next book comes out?!

[Olivia Atwater · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant alchemical recipe! Notorious Sorcerer is a delicious melange of my favourite things, remixing historical magic with class consciousness. I couldn’t put it down.

I should start this review by saying that I am one hundred percent this book's intended audience, and if you are another would-be reader, you must measure your love next to mine with the following questions:

- Are you currently, or have you ever been, moderately obsessed with medieval alchemy?
- Do you enjoy watching arrogant upper-class magicians make total fools of themselves?
- Are rooftop parkour and sword fights in the street kind of your thing?
- Do you like a dash of scathing class consciousness in your fantasy?

Fantastic! Have I got a book for you.

Notorious Sorcerer primarily follows Siyon Velo, a young man from the roof-running, street-fighting bravi. Siyon regularly goes diving into other planes of existence in order to gather alchemical ingredients for the upper-class alchemists of Bezim, collecting intangible things like duty, conscience, or wrath for their experiments. Siyon has dreams of becoming a respected alchemist himself, despite the fact that it's basically illegal for all but the city's nobility, who ignore the laws against alchemy with impunity. When Siyon accidentally pulls off an impossible feat of alchemy in public, however, he's dragged into the sort of events which bring down cities, laws, and even entire planes of existence.

The beginning of Notorious Sorcerer was a bit of a difficult learning curve, with lots of concepts to absorb all at once, but it held my attention well despite throwing several fantastical concepts at me. I got my head around the setting by chapter two, at which point I didn't stop reading until I had finished (full disclosure: the sun came up, and I just kept going). The book had a bit of a romance between Siyon and one of the city's nobles, but I wouldn't call it the main draw: most of the story was focussed on the alchemy, the politics between alchemists, inquisitors, and the lower-class people caught between them, and a few fascinating jaunts into other planes of existence. For the alchemy geeks among us: by the end of the book, the Great Work is... well, if not finished, then at least well started, and the element of Earth is given its proper due.

I honestly feel the book wrapped up quite well as it is, though I know there's meant to be a sequel. There were a few interesting avenues for expansion left as hints, but I suspect that even readers who prefer self-contained novels will enjoy this one. It's nice to feel both a solid sense of closure and a hint of interest as to what comes next.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 stars
I went into this one looking for a fun witty urban fantasy, but I would not use those descriptors for this novel. I found this one a bit disappointing. The characters plot and a magic system that were average at best. It just lacked that "something" that makes a book special. I've heard other reviewers recommend this one to fans of D&D, but as a tabletop role player, I didn't recognize that connection. I hope other readers find more connection than I did.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[Holly Hearts Books]

I waited until the end of the month to mark this as DNF because I had a small spark of hope that one of the times I gave it another chapter, my thoughts would change but unfortunately that did not come to fruition. What started out as a strong first chapter ended with a string of confusing fancy words and places that I desperately wanted explained better. Ultimately got bored and called it quits on page 110.

[fatma]

DNF at 35%

Going into this book, I was expecting a fun and charming fantasy; what I got instead was okay, but not really compelling enough for me to keep reading. Notorious Sorcerer moves at such a breakneck speed that there is virtually no time for us to get to know its characters, or for them to actually process the events of the plot. It felt like every single scene we got had to move the plot forward, which is fine in itself, but there were barely any--or, from what I read, no--scenes that were just about the characters: how they were feeling, their dynamics with each other. Those two things are not mutually exclusive--scenes can help progress both plot and character--but I didn't find that to be the case with this novel. Also, I'd heard a lot about how funny and fun Notorious Sorcerer was, and while I definitely wouldn't say it's a dour book, there also wasn't anything about it that was tonally exceptional.

Thanks so much to Orbit for providing me with an eARC of this via NetGalley!

[Nils | nilsreviewsit · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Above all else, Bezim loved a spectacle. See it in the vigorous and
vibrant trade of the Flowerhouses, in the regular processions out to
the hippodrome, in the theatres scattered across the city both high
and low, in the race and challenge and following of the bravi tribes. The square sizzled around them, a stirred-up cauldron of steaming excitement.”

Darlings, welcome to Bezim, where bravi tribes run rooftops sword-fighting and warring amongst each other in a bid to prove who rules the streets, where elite azantani live in luxury and their alchemists revel in magic by delving into the four planes of reality. But this magic does not come without its risks, for the planes themselves have become unbalanced and Bezim is feeling the unsettling effects. Alchemy has therefore become outlawed for all but the nobility, lest delving too far cause another Sundering.

Meet Siyon, a young man who left the Dockside and his fisherclan family for a better life. Though Siyon is not azantani, therefore with very little options open to him he joins the Little Bracken bravi tribe which becomes his home, his people. That doesn’t quell his thirst for knowledge though, his desire for a grasp at powers that the alchemist’s wield, a chance at a life more worthwhile, and so, for now, he earns a living being sent on errands into the four planes by those alchemist’s above him, in the hopes of earning enough coin to provide tutelage in the Art. However, when Zagiri Savani, Siyon’s new assistant and bravi member, is in peril, Siyon performs an impossible act of sorcery, astonishing all those in view. Unfortunately, at the same time the planes start lurching out of alignment and Bezim threatens to be completely destroyed. What is needed now is another act of impossible magic.

Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans is a debut which sweeps you away on a journey of wild and wonderous illicit magic, sword fighting bravi tribes, and a reluctant hero’s quest to save his home.

The beginning of Notorious Sorcerer is extremely light in tone, with much humour and jest injected throughout. Evan’s prose instantly captivated me with witty banter, her scenes of foolish shenanigans and peril were enticing. We are thrown into a fast paced narrative which sees Siyon making many blunders, although it takes some time to fully comprehend all that is unfolding, this puzzlement was part of my enjoyment. Not to mention that Siyon always acted first and thought afterwards! Pursued constantly by inquisitors who condemn those who use illicit alchemy, his arc consists of near escapes, of finding sanctuaries without bringing danger to his bravi tribe’s door nor to others who have helped him. Yet Siyon's desire for using alchemy never wanes, his pride takes over and his need to prove his worth consistently overrules his sensibilities. At every given turn he is warned of his uneducated and flippant use of alchemy, of the dangers of unbalancing the planes, yet Siyon quite blatantly carries on regardless. This made his character comical, at times frustrating for sure, but in a way Siyon is justified. Why should alchemy only be accessed by the rich and privileged?

‘Siyon grinned, or at least he bared his teeth. "Sure. I'm the best practitioner you've never heard of. I make angels dance and harpies weep. I make the others look staid, boring, uninspired." He leaned
forward; it was a feral relief to vent a little bile. "I could make all your wildest dreams come true."’

The theme of class divisions is one that is explored in great detail as it is significant in Bezim’s society. Education could only be accessed by the rich, or by the people who held the right names - the azantani. Wealth brought a whole host of privileges; nobles could be dismissed or use bribery to avoid punishment for crimes and public uses of alchemy, whereas the poorer classes or foreigners would be condemned with the harshest of consequences. The rich were given a host of opportunities and doors opened widely, whereas the rest were left to survive by any means necessary.

Through Zagiri and her sister Anahid’s characters, Evans also shows that life for the upper class was not always easy either. Within aristocratic society there were certain expectations for women, restrictions and propriety to uphold. Zagiri struggles between her family’s requirement for her to present herself at social events and her desire to be part of the Little Bracken bravi, and Anahid suffers in a loveless marriage with very little freedom of her own. As the novel progresses the light hearted tone takes a darker turn as the azantani begin being persecuted and killed by the inquisitors and also the Prefect for any use of alchemy. Their status no longer shelters them, their businesses begin closing, and they are forced into hiding. Evans brings a fantastic layer of depth to her novel. In a heavily policed state, how far is too far? She poses the conflict of having a world with dangerous, potentially world-ending alchemy, but having such tight restrictions against its use is detrimental to fixing the problem too.

“Tonight, Siyon's cellmates were an ever-changing parade of well-dressed practitioners bleating about their family standing and how this couldn't be done to them. One by one they were free to go.
Not Siyon, of course.”

This I believe is the sheer beauty of Notorious Sorcerer, Evans creates so many layers to her worldbuilding and magic system. When Siyon meets handsome Izmirlian Hisarani (who instantly catches his eye!), he is shown a whole different side to Bezim. Hisarani is a man who revels in deeper thinking, who displays an affinity to the arts, particularly operas which are a significant factor in Bezim’s culture. As Siyon’s attraction to Hisarani grows so does his influence and Siyon begins to think of his abilities with alchemy in an entirely new way. This was exciting to see unfold as we discover so much more about the four planes, Empyreal, Abyssal, Aethreal and our plane, the Mundane. I honestly would have liked each plane to have been explored in more detail with perhaps more scenes set within each one, because one of my favourite chapters sees Siyon fall into The Abyssal plane and meet a certain murderous Harpy! From then on we are driven to a high-octane, thrilling ending.

Notorious Sorcerer is a fresh epic fantasy full of astounding alchemy, charming characters and chaotic shenanigans aplenty. Evans weaves a delightfully fun hero’s quest set against the backdrop of class division and privilege.

ARC provided by Nazia at Orbit Books UK. Thank you for the copy! All quotes used are taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Notorious Sorcerer is out 15th September

[charlotte, · Rating 4 out of 5]

On my blog.

Rep: achillean mc, bi/pan mc

Galley provided by publisher

Notorious Sorcerer was a book I’d been anticipating for a while and it’s one that, in the midst of a minor book slump, I really enjoyed. Admittedly not something I completely loved, but still very much liked regardless (which, given the aforementioned book slump, I’ll take).

The story follows Siyon, primarily, who is making ends meet by travelling to other planes to collect alchemical ingredients, in the hopes of trading them for lessons. Because, in Bezim, alchemy is the remit of the rich and powerful, someone that Siyon is not. But then a series of events happens that shoves him, reluctantly, into the limelight.

The highlight of this book is the characters. There are multiple POVs, so it’s not just about Siyon (although he is probably the primary protagonist, if I had to pick), and each of those characters feels vibrant and real. That extended to the side characters too—it’s one of those books where everyone feels distinct. No one blurs into some amorphous mass of background characters, because here, you could imagine so easily even the most minor of side characters getting their own clear voice and POV. I wish I could say I loved all of the POV characters equally, but that would be a lie. While I did love them all, I think I have to say Izmirlian was my favourite, followed closely by Siyon.

And that was largely down to their relationship. I’m not quite sure how to describe it without spoilers, so I won’t try to. But. When I say “honey, you’ve got a big storm coming,” I mean it. If I think too hard about Siyon and Izmirlian, I have the uncontrollable urge to scream into a pillow. That’s the kind of thing you’ve got to look forward to.

Moving on from the characters, next up is the plot. This is a book that doesn’t lack for things happening, but manages to make it fast-paced, while giving events room enough to breathe. The plot as according to the blurb ends pretty quickly, and after that you’re kind of in the dark as to where things might lead, but in a good way. In the dark in a way that makes you want to keep turning pages. There are some books where you get to the end of the blurb plot and think, okay what could possibly happen from here, but not this one. And that ending! I need book two in my hands as soon as possible!

If there’s one weakness to this book—and I’d kind of hesitate to call it an out-and-out weakness—it’s the worldbuilding. The reason I’d not quite call it a weakness is because it’s not really weak so much as I wanted a little more. For the pace of the plot, this amount of worldbuilding works. It balances well between explaining the world without info-dumping, explaining enough about the world that you’re not confused, and letting what’s happening do the explaining. The reason I wanted more was because I always want more depth to the worldbuilding. I live in hope of worlds like Tasha Suri’s or Andrea Stewart’s, where it’s so intricately detailed and beautifully brought to life. That’s not to say this one was a bad world. But it wasn’t quite that (although, book two? I have some hopes, since the focus will probably be expanding).

Overall then, I think this is a book I’m going to be begging people to pick up. Writing this review alone makes me want to reread, so I’m hoping it does something for you too.

[Karin Nott (page after page) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Many Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing the digital review copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
For anyone that has read my reviews will know that fantasy is my main genre, I read a lot, and this book has been on my radar for a while, I was super excited to get the Arc, so as soon as I was approved it was in my e-reader ready to go. I tried with this book, and I really did, I got through about 25% and just got so bored. So, I put it down and tried again a week later, and it went the same way. Like previous reviews of this book, the world-building fell flat, because there is zero backstory, and the slow-burn romance was painful. That said there are some really good ideas here, I loved the characters, and with some insight, I think that the world of Bezim, would be a place where I would visit again. Maybe I will pick this up again another day and get through it, but for now, it’s a DNF.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notorious Sorcerer has one of the most unique magic systems I've seen in a while, with a not-quite portal fantasy element when Siyon goes ingredient harvesting in other planes and an intricate, if not fully explained, system between the different planes and how they interact with Siyon's world. The novel is extremely fast-paced, and I felt that some of the character work suffered for it. There was a degree of disconnect between Siyon and everyone else where I felt the motivations never truly felt fully justified. I also wish we could have dived more into city's history and the academia aspect, especially since I never felt like I really understood what the law's definition of magic vs alchemy was. Luckily, it seems we will be diving much more into the city's history in the sequel! Overall, I rate this book a 3.5/5.

__

3.5/5

A gripping fantasy novel with a unique magic system! Not quite portal fantasy but most of the elements are there. I wish the worldbuilding was just a little stronger, felt like there was a bit of disconnect and some of the city's history could have been expanded more. Hoping to learn more in book 2!

[Eva Müller]

I really really tried. But after having read a quarter of the book, I still couldn't tell you much about the world or the magic system because the author has really internalized Infodumping is bad and should be avoided at all costs. And so everything has to be pieced together from dialogue snippets from conversations between characters who know exactly what's going on and therefore have no need to explain anything, which feels like having to figure out quantum physics solely from listening to a conversation between people who already have a PhD in it.

[Simona]

I found it particularly flat and lacking of the kind of worldbuilding a fantasy should have

[tira · Rating 2 out of 5]

2✰ // Notorious Sorcerer had a lot in its synopsis that caught my interest and i was very excited for the lgbtq+ rep in a fantasy setting, but for me, it fell short in several ways. the world building and set-up were severely lacking for me; it felt as though, from the very start, you were thrown into the middle of a story and it constantly felt like different facets of the world/story were just being dropped in at random, without having any clear context or relevance to the plot. also, while i usually love multiple povs, the way they were presented in Notorious Sorcerer felt abrupt and circuitous at times. overall, i think this book had a lot of potential but would have greatly benefitted from having a more concrete structure and tenacious flow in its storyline.
thank you so much to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Natasha Leighton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notorious Sorcerer is a high octane, epic fantasy filled with sword fights, roof top hijinks, alchemy and a reluctant hero just trying to protect his home (and people) that I couldn’t get enough of!

It’s set in Bezim, where warring tribes fight for control of the streets—a place where magic is technically illegal due to possibility of causing another sundering. But the upper echelons (The Azatani) flaunt their wealth & freely practice the unique magic of alchemy despite its many risks. Alchemists may delve into the four planes of reality fairly frequently but the danger it entails is still pretty high.

As the four planes of reality become unaligned and Bezim’s very foundations are in severe peril, Siyon (an alchemy loving member of the Little Bracken Bravi tribe,who left his fisher-clan family for a better life) just might be the only one who can save them all. Earning a living doing errands (collecting rare ingredients from the four planes, etc) Siyon finds himself in a spot of trouble when he accidentally performs an impossible act of magic—& saving the life of his new assistant, Zagiri. Unfortunately, this spontaneous act of magic coincides with a Planar tilting incident which threatens to destroy Bezim. What the Cory and the realm truly needs now is one more act of impossible magic… before it’s too late.

I did enjoy this one, however the beginning was a little overwhelming (and confusing at first) with so much lore to digest; including the laws of magic, the alchemical planes and the hierarchical structures of Bezim. But thankfully, with such a fast moving pace things quickly started to make sense after a couple of chapters. And the pace really doesn’t let up after that!

The tone is consistently light for most of the shenanigan filled plot and I loved the humour which was imbued in the plot, not to mention all that deliciously witty banter which was second to none.

There’s plenty of elements woven into the intricately woven narrative that read like a love letter to the genre, and fans of popular fantasy series such as Six of Crows or Darker Shades of Magic are bound to adore this eccentric, ragtag group of characters that Davinia Evans has lovingly crafted.

I was absolutely intrigued by the portal fantasy element which isn’t often used (and rarer still, used well) and though we don’t get to spend much time exploring the four planes, the time we do get was utterly thrilling. Angels, Demons, demonic Harpys and one loveable, wannabe alchemist just blundering through deadly magic and even deadlier realms, what more could a fantasy lover want?

The prose was marvellous but it was the characters and their antics that really drew me in; Zagiri, Anahid and Izmirlian were all such endearing characters and, alongside our loveable rogue Siyon really brought Bezim and it’s discriminatory class divide into startling focus. Anahid, Zagiri and Izmirlian were all raised in the same elite circles which allowed them privileges that Siyon, a member of the poorer classes couldn’t even begin to imagine.

As education (particularly alchemical education) is reserved for this upper class (Azatani) these nobles are given soo many opportunities to use (and profit) from the illegal magical practices that Siyon’s class would be executed for. But life as an Azatani isn’t all that great for everyone. As women, both Anahid and Zagiri must adhere to expectations and claustrophobic restrictions that neither relish. For Anahid, that means she’s trapped in a loveless marriage with hardly any freedom of her own, while her husband galavants around with his lover. Likewise, Zagiri likewise isn’t ready to give the little freedom she has for the strict social events her parents want her to attend. But even the privileges they can look forward to dry up when the planar surges begin and the inquisitors start persecuting (and executing) anyone, practicing alchemical magic.

I have to admit though that Siyon, with his determined (and singleminded) goal of becoming an alchemist and his overly rash actions in the persuit of proving himself was probably my favourite character. Yes, he’s a flawed and complex, but he’s also just trying to find his place in the world and I think we all can relate to that.

The LGBTQ+ centric romance between Siyon and Izmirlian Hisarani was really enjoyable, but brief though I’m hoping we get to see more of my fave couple in the sequel.

Overall, an expansive and vividly rich, fantasy that merges important social commentary with a delightfully thrilling magic system, loveable characters and a splash of whimsy that will most definitely have you eagerly anticipating the sequel. If you enjoy epic fantasy or action/ adventure based stories then you must give this a read!

Also, thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for the e-arc.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

So much love for this book! I had such a fun time reading Notorious Sorcerer. This is definitely not getting enough attention.

With dynamic characters, a rich, well thought out world, and a plot that keeps you glued to the pages, Davinia Evans has really outdone herself with this one. I highly recommend this book for those who love worlds full of magic, adventure, and high society shenanigans.

I really can't wait to get my hands on the second book.

[Meredith Katz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow, I loved this book. It's probably one of my favorite reads of the year for me (and I'm up to 130 or so reads so far this year, so that's no small feat!)

I found the pacing to be extremely good -- everything lingered for as long as it needed to, but momentum was never lost. It gave just enough time for the character interactions to resonate and for mistakes and decisions to lead very deliberately onto the next beat.

The characters were great. I LOVED all the leads, and it was so nice to have a m/m-focused book (with both the protagonist and the LI as bisexual, mind) with such strong female point of view characters in it; I LOVED Zagiri and Anahid, not just Siyon and Izmirlian. Everyone's pov provided something different and unique but they all had compelling stories and strong drive in pushing the plot.

The themes held incredibly solid throughout and there were several cases where something worked out differently than I expected but in a way that made so, so much sense. (I'm still not sure why this one city is the only one where alchemy works, but I imagine future books might go into that).

The worldbuilding was very slightly confusing at first -- it was very environmental, with no explanations, but around the 30% mark I'd picked up the gist of the social structures and expectations in the different classes, and by the 50% mark I more or less felt like I understood everything and anticipated people's roles in the world.

Basically: A fun, well-written and complex fast-paced fantasy that cared as much for character growth and desires as it did for the plot; it sold me on the romance and ripped my heart out more than once.

I also appreciated that Evans did everything she could to promise that Siyon and Izmirlian would be reunited.

Very very much looking forward to book two.

Thank you to Orbit Books and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ETA: I reread this (the final published version this time) and if anything, it was even BETTER on reread when I could see everything she'd done to set things up and all the little hints and references to the twists and secrets. Absolutely brilliant.

[ALI · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me actually finishing ARCs before they're released? Unheard of. 4.5 stars rounded up + longer review to come. :)

[Cassidy | fictionalcass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eARC of this book which will be released on 9/13/22!

I went into this with the synopsis expecting a fun little adventure and what I got was so much more than that! I was so happy to discover that this had some elements that reminded me of the Shades of Magic trilogy and so much fun banter between such amazing characters. I already know this is going to be one of my favorite reads of the year.

Evans completely drops you into the city of Bezim with very little explanation of the world, which was confusing at first, but I loved the way the edges were peeled back and just getting to see this world unfold. The alchemical elements were so fascinating, and combined with the social structure I was hooked pretty quickly and wanted to be fully immersed in the world. I loved getting to know the different parts of Bezim and seeing the characters relearn their own city and reshape some of their own views on the way it functions.

I so loved each and every character in this book. Getting the POVs of Siyon, Zagiri, Izmirlian, and Anahid was really interesting and I loved all their different perspectives on the events of the book. It was such a delight getting to know all of these characters and seeing them start to find their own way was so beautiful, even if a little heartbreaking. I am already so desperate to see where their individual stories go in the next installment, because I need to know if my faves will be reunited!!

Getting dropped into the world was delightful, and at first I was curious to see where the plot would go and I loved the way the different strings all came together to reveal the bigger plot of balancing the planes. It was such a cool story and I found myself not knowing which direction things were going to go. I laughed, I cried, and I really loved every minute of this story. It was complex, funny, and I was rooting for the love story the whole time. It’s definitely a 5⭐️ read for me. Every detail, even the smallest things, felt so important and I just wanted to fully be in this world.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, the publishing company, and Goodreads for the e-arc of this book.

This book is a startlingly human story full of exploration, failure, and doubt. Siyon is an amusing blend of cocky ruffian, seat-of-your-pants scholar, and wildly daring mad scientist. Each of the characters in this book is an interesting blend of want and frustration, each in their own ways and for their own reasons, and all are entirely compelling.

This book feels like dipping your toes into a puddle after a rainstorm. Familiar, but with some differerences, the scent of new on the horizon. And while it is clear that this book only scratches the surface of the world and its mythos, it never gets overwhelming. It even ends with tantalizing morsels for the next book in the series.

The overall plot of the story is simple, but the richness imbued in the details, the attention paid to the peaks and valleys of Siyon's journey turns this into an excellent frollick of 500 pages that went by in a blink.

I very much look forward to picking up the hardcover when it releases and to the next work in the series.

[Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great blend of Sci-Fi, fantasy, and historical genres! I absolutely loved the physical magic system and how our dimension is in balance with three other planes. Unfortunately for the characters, there’s been a imbalance between the four planes and our underdog hero, Siyon, must step in and try to save the day as a surprisingly talented, but untrained, alchemist. All the characters had interesting arcs, but my favorite characters were definitely Izmirlian and Anahid. The queer romance was *chef’s kiss*. The classism made the storyline even more dynamic and was a huge factor amongst the various characters. The worldbuilding was rich, though it did take me some time to get into it and understand. There was a lot of humor in the dialogue, with Siyon especially, and that helped keep the story light. Despite being a first book in a series, this was wholly satisfying and did well to set up the next book without leaving the reader with a cliffhanger. Overall, fantastic introduction to this world and its characters! I cannot wait to continue on with the series.

[Coco Smit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put this down! This book was amazing and more than I hoped for. I picked it up in a bookshop, never heard or read about it before. I loved Davinia's writing style which was poetic but smooth enough to not be distracting at all. This story had warmth in every page. The friendships were beautiful, the family bonds strong and grinding. There's betrayal, suspicion, scruples but also hope.

Not to mention the alchemy, witchcraft or however you want to call it. Nothing about waving with a wand but much more complex sorcery which had me at the edge of my seat sometimes; will it work? Do they have the right ingredients? Will they lose another part of their city?

I really loved all the points of views. The switching, the seeing other perspectives was really well done.

Really can't wait for the next book!

[Jo Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a solid fun read (which was necessary after my last book lol).

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Notorious Sorcerer has an incredibly strong emotional core and this story, one that I at first thought would be more of a lighthearted jaunt, ended up being quite moving (in fact, it had me in tears for the final 20% or so) It centers around Siyon, an amateur street "practitioner," someone who makes a living selling alchemical materials obtained from other planes of existence to more experienced practitioners. He does this in hopes of gaining an education and becoming a full alchemist himself. When performs an unexpected and supposedly impossible feat, and this gains him possible entry into a circle of elite alchemists from the privileged class, while also getting him tangled up with the law, which officially outlaws alchemy. Siyon lacks the social cachet to avoid repercussions of his actions, and thus is forced into hiding, ironically taking refuge in the upper class home of the town's most skilled alchemist, Nihath Jeddani and his wife Anahid.

The characters in Notorious Sorceror are extremely sympathetic and human, with the main character, Siyon, at the center of a strong ensemble cast. Siyon is an incredibly endearing main character, an unlikely hero who despite having everything stacked against him, including his own suspicion that he's just not good enough, never stops trying. Siyon lacks the formal education of the elite alchemists, and suffers from imposter syndrome as a result. There is so much triumph in his rare bursts of confidence. Likewise, the strength he draws from those who believe in him make me love those characters even more. My heart broke for him with each setback and loss, and I was sincerely rooting for him to prevail.

Class issues are up front and center in Notorious Sorcerer, and they're handled well. There are unexpected alliances between the upper class and lower class characters, and while Siyon becomes more comfortable with, and even falls in love with someone from the ruling class, he never loses awareness of the fact that he is an outsider, and even when he gains nominal status and access to some privilege through his power, it is always conditional and can be revoked at any moment. Siyon spends most of the book acutely aware that he is doing things that would get him killed, whereas his upper class friends might receive a slap on the wrist. There is a scene in which Siyon is stuck outside after curfew and his upper class lover walks out brazenly into the night to rescue him, and the way Evans handles Siyon's warring emotions, the relief, gratitude, and resentment, is very well done.

The romance between Siyon and Izmirlian blooms slowly and is more satisfying for it. Izmirlian, an explorer with an insatiable curiosity, is drawn immediately to Siyon, whose alchemy is unconventional and often outside the boundaries of the known "rules" of the practice. They both defy borders, both socially, romantically, and magically, and in a book that establishes a "like attracts like" magical principle early on, there is certainly an element of these two being kindred spirits. While their romance does not dominate the story, it is very much present, and I found myself looking forward to scenes with Izmirlian. While their story is certainly not over, their goodbye in this book was heartwrenching and I sincerely hope there is something less bittersweet in store for them in future books.

I was surprised how attached I became to some of the other characters, such as Anahid, the society wife who learned only after her marriage that her new husband already had a live in lover. Her friendship with Siyon was unexpected and heartfelt. Her husband, Nihath, who could have been a cardboard villain type, is somewhat sympathetic. Anahid's younger sister, Zagiri, is endearing (if a bit naïve) as an emerging firebrand who has avoided fully joining upper class adult society but finally decides to do so specifically so that she can wield her privilege to enact change.

The prose is accessible and easy to read, if slightly quippy at times. The tone is almost deceptively light at first, but handles the switch between madcap action and quiet melancholy with relative ease. Sometimes overly quippy, modern sounding prose can be a miss for me in fantasy, particularly if it breaks immersion by recalling current modern slang or references too strongly (fantasy characters going "well that happened," which I've read in other books). Here, once I'd gotten into the story and was emotionally on the hook, which happened fairly early on, the breezy quippy prose, which was never really overdone anyway (the closest it came was a stray "get bent" early on) didn't really bother me.

Overall, Notorious Sorcerer is a strong recommend from me.

[L (Nineteen Adze)]

I didn't hate this one, but I didn't love it either: I feel like it would have landed at 3 stars, with an absolute ceiling of 3.5 stars. This is a DNF around the halfway point because it's just not gripping me. Every time I put it down, I'd be okay not picking it back up again.

I love some of the worldbuilding details (like the roof-running bravi bringing showmanship to the city and the expanded role for women of the local nobility-- many are in politics or trade), but the characterization is only okay and I feel like I've read too many books like this before.

This seems like it would be a good pickup for someone who's read a lot of YA and is looking to move into adult fantasy, in part due to the simple structure. There's one main POV and a handful of others who get shorter segments, and they all interact rather than starting in distant places and converging. Siyon just has too much of a whiff of the brash YA protagonist around him for me to care, and there's not enough of my favorite POV (Anahid, a lady/ azata in an unhappy marriage) for me to finish this book.

In fact, most of the other POVs feel too short and too focused on Siyon-- in fairness, he's the nexus bringing many of them together, but it also plays into his Very Special Scrappy Underdog Street Boy characterization and sucks the oxygen out of other connections these characters have with each other. Anahid and her noble/bravi sister Zagiri probably have an interesting relationship, but we barely see it. The romance between Siyon and the character who's obviously his love interest on first meeting also felt flat in a very "I don't care enough about either of these people to care if they like each other" way.

Time to find another pick for my Weird Ecology part of the current reading challenge, but "there are other magical planes" feels like kind of a stretch on that point anyway.

Other recommendations:
-Some details of the setting and the overall writing style reminded me of The City of Brass.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘺𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘫𝘪𝘯𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥.”

Siyon Velo, a purple coated, alchemical brained, unshaven, plane raiding dockside brat sporting a dastardly grin—do I have a new favorite boy? Mayhaps 👀
He has an unquenchable hunger for alchemy, tempered only by his lowly standing on the social ladder, but he is determined to do what he can to even get the chance to read an alchemy book—despite it being extremely illegal.

WOW what a cool tale this was to experience. Ya’ll know how much I love a good djinn story set in an Egyptian/Arabian type setting—generally in a fantastical world. Notorious Sorcerer did NOT disappoint!! I was hooked right off the bat with that stellar first chapter. The writing in this book is spectacular. It’s smart and beautiful, rich in description and swoon worthy with romanticisms. I’m still thinking about it.

There’s a really cool void jumping element to this story—tied in with illegal alchemy and magic. It’s something the city and it’s people are afraid of after a Cataclysmic event from the past in which half the city fell into the sea. I love the unknown nature of it all—Siyon is gifted, yes, but he’s still learning and trying to figure out what he can do with these gifts he’s uncovering about himself.

And HELLO the romance. Ermahgerd the slow burn. Hands brushing, sidelong glances, hand holding for “reasons”, forced proximity, rich boy x street rat dynamics?? YES. Izmirlian is suave, sexy and sophisticated and also just the best. You’ll fall in love with them as fast as I did. Please go pick this one up!! You will not be disappointed.

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘦’𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶”

[Emma Cathryne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE physical magic systems. The more tangible, the better. Give me gross and fun and squishy hands-on magic: stirring pots and combing devilish ingredients and crawling around on the ground to draw summoning circles. I struggle with magic that feels ephemeral and theoretical, so it was a delight to see Davinia Evans make magic into a hard science of trial and error and hypotheses and action that makes my little researcher heart happy. Yet, the magic system is only one star in the constellation that makes this story brilliant. I’m also a sucker for well-realized fantasy societies, and I loved learning about the hierarchies of the Azatani (the rich and privileged elite), the hilarious theatrics of the Bravi (Shakespearean gangs of play-fighting dandies), and even the dirty politics of the dockworkers (a close, clan-like society of criminal fisherman).

The main characters are well-situated in their respective tribes, but stood out less to me as individuals and more as representative of their respective, memorable communities. My one disappointment is the world-building of the city of Bezim itself. For all that the inhabitants of the city and their dynamic were beautifully imagined, I struggled to place myself inside the physical location. Evans’ writing style is comedic and action-oriented but sometimes fails to linger on descriptions of the city. Bezim feels faceless: like a person you’ve talked to over the phone and can generally imagine, but not vividly picture in the same way you would a trusted friend.

[Hanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this casttt; Auntie Geryss with her “I believe in you, now fuck off”. The adorable captain Daruj with all his hugs and swashbuckling and “you be careful”s. And the Savani sisters. oooooof they really said move we’re the mains. (Anahid, especially—I liked her best, probably because her love language is card games and guest beds.)

Couldn’t tell you shit about the alchemy or magic system lol but what a crew.

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the eARC of this book, which will be released on September 13, 2022! All opinions are my own.

Notorious Sorcerer promised to be “a wickedly entertaining fantasy”, and boy…. did it deliver!!
I was expecting a fun and engaging adventure (which I got), but this book also gave me SO much more. Alchemical magic, sword fighting streetgangs, visits to different planes of existence, alluring city setting, rebellious women, snarky banter, slow-burn queer romance and a whole heck of a lot of trouble and fun.

This story mainly follows Siyon Velo, a young and brazen man from the lower-class bravi. He wants nothing more than to become a respected Alchemist himself, but since he isn’t part of the upper-class Azantani, that dream isn’t likely to come true.
Still, that doesn’t stop him from fumbling his way through his own alchemical experiments. However, when he accidentally performs an impossible feat of alchemy in public, he finds himself at the centre of a conflict where the existence of magic, the city of Bezim and entire planes of existence are at stake… oh, and did I mention that he is absolutely, completely, 100% out of his depth.

Now, I have to admit that I had to start this book over twice, because the author drops you straight into the enticing world that she has created and the unfamiliar terms and concepts are not explained straight away. However, if you trust the author, you will see that things quickly start falling into place and I can assure you that it will be one hell of an enjoyable ride from there!
This story is set in the city of Bezim, the only place in this world where alchemical magic is possible. The descriptions of this setting were so vivid and lush that I truly felt like I was transported into this alluring and captivating world myself. That said, I do wish the world/city was fleshed out just a little more. I feel like we barely scratched the surface here and I would’ve really liked some more history/lore, because that would make the world feel even more real and lived-in.

Luckily, I didn’t mind that too much, because the characters absolutely stole the show for me. Siyon is just a delight to follow; he is snarky, brazen and mostly acts before thinking his actions through, resulting in some unfortunate, but hysterical situations.
He is not the only character we follow though, because there are some great additional POV characters who provided some interesting new perspectives into this world. By following characters from both the lower and upper class, we get to see that life in this world is pretty rough, no matter what class you are from or how wealthy you are.
When we were first introduced to our characters, I was a bit worried that they would feel more like representatives of their respective communities, but luckily there was some great character development throughout the story and I came to really care for them! Each character had a very distinct personality and I loved that they all had their own internal and external struggles to overcome.
Also, the level of snarky, sassy and flirty banter in this book was just so entertaining, I loved the dynamics between these characters.
Oh and there is a deliciously slow-burn m/m romance that I was completely sold on. It was an important part of the plot, but it never took over the story and it was just executed perfectly for me.

Now, the plot was definitely fun and engaging, but I don’t think it was the strongest aspect of the book. There were some convenient moments where I actively had to suspend my disbelief to go along with the story, but in the end I was just having such a fun time with these characters that I personally didn’t even care anymore.
Also, the writing had me completely spellbound. The descriptions were vivid and lush, which evoked a sensuous and beautiful atmosphere. But that was juxtaposed with light-hearted, snarky, flirtatious and entertaining dialogue and banter, which made it SO easy to fly through this book.

So yeah, all in all, I think this was a very promising and intriguing start to this new series and I am eager to return to this world in the future. This first book definitely wrapped up in a satisfying way, but there are some threads left open that I am dying to see pursued in future instalments.
Also, I could read thousands of pages following these characters’ shenanigans, so I look forward to seeing what they are up to next.
Needless to say I had a blast with this book and I highly recommend keeping this one on your radar, because I promise you won’t want to miss out on this wild ride.

[The Man from DelMonte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never really engaged with this story. It just didn’t gel. All the various pieces felt independent of one another.*
Let’s start with Zagiri. That she’s a young noblewoman running with street gangs - even if the gangs seem to be more about showing off than real combat - just didn’t wash, given the potential impact on her parent’s reputation. And where were her parents? They barely made an appearance; it seemingly being left to her older sister to ‘manage’ her.
Then above the street bravi must come organised crime, because in an ancient city like Bezim there will be such, deeply rooted in corruption, and with tentacles all the way from dockside to the Palace. It would surely have had its sticky fingers on Siyon’s specialised procurement business and the bravi.
The character of Siyon was familiar. A bit of gutter trash, alienated from his family and his roots, surviving on latent ability, who turns out to be The One. His story arc was never in doubt. Occasionally he rails a bit at the established aristocracy but otherwise he’s taking full advantage of his lover’s connections and never seems to want for anything.
The Inquisitors niggled as well. They exist because a previous magical act led to a catastrophe with half the city falling into the sea. They also felt toothless because as a consequence of the Sundering you’d expect any & all magic to be undercover, not advertising its presence at the Summer Club. (Doh!)
I’ll probably read the sequel but it’s going to have to pull its bootstraps up!
*See M.A. Carrick’s Rook & Rose for how this is done better