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The Black Witch Chronicles #0.5, 1.5
The Rebel Mages
The New York Times bestselling series!
Journey to the world of Erthia in these two exciting prequel novels to The Black Witch Chronicles by critically acclaimed fantasy author Laurie Forest.
Wandfasted
Twenty years before Elloren Gardner enrolled at Verpax University, the Realm War was tearing apart Erthia. When Tessla Harrow is driven from her home by the fighting, she discovers a depth of power she never knew she had…and an irresistible draw toward Vale Gardner, the son of the most powerful mage her people have ever known—the Black Witch.
Light Mage
Before Elloren came to possess the Wand of Myth, the Wand was drawn to Sagellyn Gaffney. Sage’s rare magical ability makes her the perfect protector for the one tool that can combat the evil forces in Erthia. But in order to keep the Wand safe, Sage must abandon everything she once knew and take a path that could lead to triumph…or utter ruin.
Books in The Black Witch
The Black Witch The Iron Flower The Shadow Wand The Demon Tide The Dryad Storm Wandfasted (ebook novella)* Light Mage (ebook novella)*
* Also available in print in The Rebel Mages anthology
Journey to the world of Erthia in these two exciting prequel novels to The Black Witch Chronicles by critically acclaimed fantasy author Laurie Forest.
Wandfasted
Twenty years before Elloren Gardner enrolled at Verpax University, the Realm War was tearing apart Erthia. When Tessla Harrow is driven from her home by the fighting, she discovers a depth of power she never knew she had…and an irresistible draw toward Vale Gardner, the son of the most powerful mage her people have ever known—the Black Witch.
Light Mage
Before Elloren came to possess the Wand of Myth, the Wand was drawn to Sagellyn Gaffney. Sage’s rare magical ability makes her the perfect protector for the one tool that can combat the evil forces in Erthia. But in order to keep the Wand safe, Sage must abandon everything she once knew and take a path that could lead to triumph…or utter ruin.
Books in The Black Witch
The Black Witch The Iron Flower The Shadow Wand The Demon Tide The Dryad Storm Wandfasted (ebook novella)* Light Mage (ebook novella)*
* Also available in print in The Rebel Mages anthology
572 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 26, 2019
181 people are currently reading
6477 people want to read
About the author
Laurie Forest
22 books4,286 followersLaurie Forest is a New York Times, USA Today & Internationally Bestselling Author who lives deep in the backwoods of Vermont where she sits in front of a wood stove drinking strong tea and dreaming up tales full of dryads, dragons and wands. She has penned THE BLACK WITCH CHRONICLES including - THE BLACK WITCH, THE REBEL MAGES (a compilation of the prequel novels WANDFASTED & LIGHT MAGE), THE SHADOW WAND, THE DEMON TIDE & THE DRYAD STORM. She is currently working on her first standalone adult romantasy - SILVERLING.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
December 29, 2018
Didn't realize that WANDFASTED & LIGHTMAGE would be put out as a single audio! Just found this! Excited! :) My books have truly brilliant audio readers - honored to work with such talented people.
November 30, 2024
Originally published as promotional e-novellas, Wandfasted (2017) and Light Mage (2018) take us deeper into the history of Laurie Forest's debut series. In 2019 the novellas were released as a single book, The Rebel Mages, and the two stories are a perfect fit together. A generation before Elloren Gardner would leave for Verpax University in The Black Witch, her mother, Tessla Harrow, lives at a tumultuous time in Erthia's history. The Gardnerians are breaking free from their own history of oppression and making war on Elves, Kelts, and other foreign peoples. These conquests are spearheaded by Carnissa Gardner, the Black Witch, but not all Gardnerians share her ambitions. Tessla is close friends with Jules Kristian, a Kelt who will not bow to Gardnerian aggression, but when their village of Doveshire is raided, Jules is violently snatched away and Tessla barely escapes with her life. Her purity is questioned by those loyal to the Black Witch: is it true that Tessla spent much of her time alone in the company of a Kelt? Did she use her magic to defend Jules against Gardnerian soldiers? Spurned by most of her people, Tessla finds refuge with Vale Gardner (Carnissa's son) and Fain Quillen, a pair of male Gardnerian Mages whose status protects Tessla from unproven accusation. This buys her some time before her grandfather's inevitable order that she be wandfasted against her will to a man she doesn't love.
Rumors swirl that Tessla's reluctance to fast is because she had an illicit relationship with Jules Kristian, and few believe her insistence that they're just friends. Whispers surround Vale and Fain as well, speculation that they share an unnatural same-sex attraction, but Vale's identity as the Black Witch's son stops anyone from directly accusing him. Tessla appreciates Fain's gentle, witty friendship, but she clashes with Vale immediately, their mutual affinity lines hot like molten fire. Yet only he can prevent her from being fasted to Malkyn Bane, a man she loathes. At least Vale's offer to fast to her is motivated by selflessness, unlike Malkyn's. Painful as her affinity lines with Vale are when fully inflamed, she can handle being his fastmate so long as it frees her from her grandfather's legal authority. For better or worse, Tessla is wedded to the Black Witch's son.
"Rumors are like chaff, my love. Don't give them anything rough to hook on to, and they float away on the wind."
—Fain Quillen, The Rebel Mages, P. 130
Do Vale and Fain harbor forbidden feelings for each other? Vale has long declined to end gossip about his sexual orientation by taking a female fastmate, but the situation is more complicated than it appears. Now Tessla and Vale bear each other's fastlines, sealed by magic so neither can bond to anyone else without suffering debilitating pain. Being Carnissa's son would seem to put Vale at political odds with Tessla, but he actually agrees that Kelts and other peoples deserve humane treatment; taking revenge for past injustice will not establish a better future for Gardneria. Vale abhors the way his mother's soldiers brutalized Jules Kristian because of his Keltic blood, and is as eager as Tessla to find out if he's alive. As Tessla and Vale's affinity lines spark ever hotter, they realize their reasons for holding back from loving each other are not the dealbreakers they thought they were. Can the Black Witch's son make a life with Tessla Harrow, an alleged Keltic sympathizer? Their legacy of rejecting Gardnerian supremacism is destined to produce an heir who could tip the balance in Erthia's ethnic wars: Mage Elloren Gardner, herself. The endgame is almost at hand.
Skip ahead a generation for Light Mage, which takes place directly prior to The Black Witch. At age twelve, Sagellyn (Sage) Gaffney is pledged to Tobias Vasillis as her future fastmate, a handsome boy from an elite family. Sage's father—a Mage Council member—and her stepmother, Mother Eliss, carefully select Tobias for Sage. As adherents of the old Gardnerian religion that serves the Ancient One, her parents take fasting seriously. Being promised to Tobias doesn't seem so bad, but Sage gets an eerie feeling when she meets Gwynnifer (Gwynn) Croft, another twelve-year-old being pledged to a fastmate. Gwynn discreetly produces a pale wooden wand and gives it to Sage. This is the legendary White Wand, she claims, a talisman from Tessla Harrow's era. Demons would give anything to possess it, Gwynn warns; Sage must not lose this powerful item. The White Wand is supposed to be merely a fable, yet Sage feels a chill whenever she ponders the remote possibility it could be real. Skeptical as she is, some instinct prevents her from discarding Gwynn's wand.
When Sage and Tobias next see each other, as young adults, he corners her in an isolated room, demanding to have his way with her. It's all Sage can do to ward off the sexual attack, but the worst is only beginning. Her father and Mother Eliss choose to believe Tobias's version of events, and Sage becomes a pariah. She could grovel to get back in Tobias's good graces, and absorb whatever abuse he would inflict for the remainder of their lives, but what about her kid sisters Retta and Clover, promised as fastmates to Tobias's younger brothers? Picturing them being harmed by the Vasillis men makes her physically ill. Disillusioned with family and religion, Sage runs away from home and winds up in the company of Ciaran, a Kelt with deep-red hair and intense green eyes who lives among the Elves. He is outraged by Sage's story, but defying her father, a member of the Mage Council, would be a huge risk. Hiding Sage among the Elves would put their race at peril of war with Gardneria. Are Ciaran and the Elves willing to take that chance?
The Gaffney and Vasillis families launch an extensive hunt for Sage, spreading rumors that a foreign race abducted her, but Ciaran won't give in. Terrified of being found, Sage calms down over time as the Elves welcome her into their community: Za'ya and Zeymir become parental figures to her, and little Na'bee treats Sage with earnest compassion. The young Smaragdalfar Elf has scales for skin, like all his people, but he isn't a monster as Sage's parents would have her believe. He's a sweet child, helping soothe Sage's stress however he can. Gratitude takes root as the Elves hide her from her own family and Tobias; just who are the monsters and who the heroes in the lands of Erthia?
Ciaran and the Elves have enough magic to camouflage Sage's whereabouts so not even the wealthy Gaffney and Vasillis families can locate her, but being a fugitive is hard. The romantic impulse between Sage and Ciaran increases into a physically painful yearning to be bound to each other in the way that Sage and Tobias are promised to be. But Sage bears Tobias's fastlines, which cannot be violated without consequences. She might die if she engages in intercourse with someone other than her betrothed, but as Sage and Ciaran fall in love, they resolve to break the wandfast spell. What are the consequences of defying age-old religious doctrine and wedding a Kelt? Will the Ancient One condemn Sage's soul? After all these years Sage still carries the White Wand that Gwynn presented to her at age twelve; perhaps this remarkable sliver of wood will help her cast off the shackles of religious and ethnic intolerance in favor of a better tomorrow. Sage's role in the battle between good and evil is grander than she could believe.
Wandfasted and Light Mage are extraordinary stories, as enjoyable as they are profound. Tessla and Sage are rejected by cultural systems they have faithfully followed their entire lives, harangued by family and community members who put tribal allegiance ahead of all else. Tessla meets a soulmate of sorts in Fain, whose own feelings don't conform to societal expectations, and his support is indispensable. "It's hard, isn't it?" he asks Tessla, in a moment of emotional transparency. "To have a mind that strays outside the lines?" Fain doesn't feel attraction the same way other young men do, and Tessla can't quiet her unease over the human rights violations perpetrated by the Gardnerian army. Standing against the tide of public opinion is rarely comfortable, but Tessla and Fain have to do so if they're to fulfill their destinies.
Vale is as subversive as Fain in his own way, a moral thinker who won't favor tribe over truth. He acknowledges Gardneria's history of suffering, but discrimination and vengeance is no way to right past wrongs. We get a glimpse of his beliefs when he comments to Tessla about a group of Gardnerian military men in formation. "Look at them...So untroubled. So sure. So ready to rain the suffering done to us down on everyone who isn't Gardnerian." Tessla's instincts scream that it's better for her own people to be in power than those who tormented the Gardnerians for years, even if the Black Witch is bent on genocidal retribution, but Vale sees that as a losing proposition for the soul of their country. "Where does it end, Tessla?...We're simply dressing the nightmare up in different clothes. Ours." To inflict punitive grief on their enemies today is to perpetuate evil, not balance out a cosmic scale that needs to be evened if different races are to live in harmony. Yesterday's tribulation is a fact of history, but we can choose to let go and embrace tolerance and justice in our own time. It's the only avenue to lasting peace.
Light Mage is as lovely and emotional as Wandfasted. It's nearly impossible for Sage to accept she can never go home again, that she might never reconnect with her little sisters, but such realities are part of the game when you're battling a regime founded on cruelty. Za'ya does her best to comfort Sage, reminding her that her life is not over. "Sometimes," she says, "you cannot go home...Sometimes, you have to make a new home...And...it can be good, hm? You must hold onto the faith of this." Disavowed by her family, Sage has difficulty seeing any ray of hope tinting the gloom, but there's a future for her among the outcasts, one sweeter than any possible back home. Her life is not a predestined tragedy. Ciaran is a thrilling, passionate romantic partner whose political and social opinions cast a fresh vision of Gardneria and beyond, inspiring Sage. "I feel like someone is walking into my darkened world and firing up a million lanterns all at once. No one has ever talked to me like this, as if the workings of power are something I have the right to dissect. And it's a heady idea, that change could be possible. But...what if there could be a place where everyone could be free and together?" Good-faith discussion of big ideas refines your philosophy, sharpens your outlook, and is foundational to a close, intelligent relationship. Sage and Ciaran can't fix Erthia's issues by themselves, but no progress is ever made without putting forth an effort. I suspect these two will be a significant factor in the series going forward.
Morally complex themes, thoughtful social observations, and nuanced characters are hallmarks of The Rebel Mages. I hope to see more of Na'bee, the young Smaragdalfar Elf, in the books ahead; he's as lovable as any character in the Black Witch Chronicles. Losing myself in Laurie Forest's fantasy world is a rich literary experience on par with those generated by Cinda Williams Chima or Robin McKinley. If you appreciated the depth and excitement of The Black Witch, The Rebel Mages offers at least as much; I'd likely rate it three and a half stars, and my appetite for the second novel in the series, The Iron Flower, is at its peak. As a YA fantasy storyteller, Laurie Forest is the real deal.
Rumors swirl that Tessla's reluctance to fast is because she had an illicit relationship with Jules Kristian, and few believe her insistence that they're just friends. Whispers surround Vale and Fain as well, speculation that they share an unnatural same-sex attraction, but Vale's identity as the Black Witch's son stops anyone from directly accusing him. Tessla appreciates Fain's gentle, witty friendship, but she clashes with Vale immediately, their mutual affinity lines hot like molten fire. Yet only he can prevent her from being fasted to Malkyn Bane, a man she loathes. At least Vale's offer to fast to her is motivated by selflessness, unlike Malkyn's. Painful as her affinity lines with Vale are when fully inflamed, she can handle being his fastmate so long as it frees her from her grandfather's legal authority. For better or worse, Tessla is wedded to the Black Witch's son.
"Rumors are like chaff, my love. Don't give them anything rough to hook on to, and they float away on the wind."
—Fain Quillen, The Rebel Mages, P. 130
Do Vale and Fain harbor forbidden feelings for each other? Vale has long declined to end gossip about his sexual orientation by taking a female fastmate, but the situation is more complicated than it appears. Now Tessla and Vale bear each other's fastlines, sealed by magic so neither can bond to anyone else without suffering debilitating pain. Being Carnissa's son would seem to put Vale at political odds with Tessla, but he actually agrees that Kelts and other peoples deserve humane treatment; taking revenge for past injustice will not establish a better future for Gardneria. Vale abhors the way his mother's soldiers brutalized Jules Kristian because of his Keltic blood, and is as eager as Tessla to find out if he's alive. As Tessla and Vale's affinity lines spark ever hotter, they realize their reasons for holding back from loving each other are not the dealbreakers they thought they were. Can the Black Witch's son make a life with Tessla Harrow, an alleged Keltic sympathizer? Their legacy of rejecting Gardnerian supremacism is destined to produce an heir who could tip the balance in Erthia's ethnic wars: Mage Elloren Gardner, herself. The endgame is almost at hand.
Skip ahead a generation for Light Mage, which takes place directly prior to The Black Witch. At age twelve, Sagellyn (Sage) Gaffney is pledged to Tobias Vasillis as her future fastmate, a handsome boy from an elite family. Sage's father—a Mage Council member—and her stepmother, Mother Eliss, carefully select Tobias for Sage. As adherents of the old Gardnerian religion that serves the Ancient One, her parents take fasting seriously. Being promised to Tobias doesn't seem so bad, but Sage gets an eerie feeling when she meets Gwynnifer (Gwynn) Croft, another twelve-year-old being pledged to a fastmate. Gwynn discreetly produces a pale wooden wand and gives it to Sage. This is the legendary White Wand, she claims, a talisman from Tessla Harrow's era. Demons would give anything to possess it, Gwynn warns; Sage must not lose this powerful item. The White Wand is supposed to be merely a fable, yet Sage feels a chill whenever she ponders the remote possibility it could be real. Skeptical as she is, some instinct prevents her from discarding Gwynn's wand.
When Sage and Tobias next see each other, as young adults, he corners her in an isolated room, demanding to have his way with her. It's all Sage can do to ward off the sexual attack, but the worst is only beginning. Her father and Mother Eliss choose to believe Tobias's version of events, and Sage becomes a pariah. She could grovel to get back in Tobias's good graces, and absorb whatever abuse he would inflict for the remainder of their lives, but what about her kid sisters Retta and Clover, promised as fastmates to Tobias's younger brothers? Picturing them being harmed by the Vasillis men makes her physically ill. Disillusioned with family and religion, Sage runs away from home and winds up in the company of Ciaran, a Kelt with deep-red hair and intense green eyes who lives among the Elves. He is outraged by Sage's story, but defying her father, a member of the Mage Council, would be a huge risk. Hiding Sage among the Elves would put their race at peril of war with Gardneria. Are Ciaran and the Elves willing to take that chance?
The Gaffney and Vasillis families launch an extensive hunt for Sage, spreading rumors that a foreign race abducted her, but Ciaran won't give in. Terrified of being found, Sage calms down over time as the Elves welcome her into their community: Za'ya and Zeymir become parental figures to her, and little Na'bee treats Sage with earnest compassion. The young Smaragdalfar Elf has scales for skin, like all his people, but he isn't a monster as Sage's parents would have her believe. He's a sweet child, helping soothe Sage's stress however he can. Gratitude takes root as the Elves hide her from her own family and Tobias; just who are the monsters and who the heroes in the lands of Erthia?
Ciaran and the Elves have enough magic to camouflage Sage's whereabouts so not even the wealthy Gaffney and Vasillis families can locate her, but being a fugitive is hard. The romantic impulse between Sage and Ciaran increases into a physically painful yearning to be bound to each other in the way that Sage and Tobias are promised to be. But Sage bears Tobias's fastlines, which cannot be violated without consequences. She might die if she engages in intercourse with someone other than her betrothed, but as Sage and Ciaran fall in love, they resolve to break the wandfast spell. What are the consequences of defying age-old religious doctrine and wedding a Kelt? Will the Ancient One condemn Sage's soul? After all these years Sage still carries the White Wand that Gwynn presented to her at age twelve; perhaps this remarkable sliver of wood will help her cast off the shackles of religious and ethnic intolerance in favor of a better tomorrow. Sage's role in the battle between good and evil is grander than she could believe.
Wandfasted and Light Mage are extraordinary stories, as enjoyable as they are profound. Tessla and Sage are rejected by cultural systems they have faithfully followed their entire lives, harangued by family and community members who put tribal allegiance ahead of all else. Tessla meets a soulmate of sorts in Fain, whose own feelings don't conform to societal expectations, and his support is indispensable. "It's hard, isn't it?" he asks Tessla, in a moment of emotional transparency. "To have a mind that strays outside the lines?" Fain doesn't feel attraction the same way other young men do, and Tessla can't quiet her unease over the human rights violations perpetrated by the Gardnerian army. Standing against the tide of public opinion is rarely comfortable, but Tessla and Fain have to do so if they're to fulfill their destinies.
Vale is as subversive as Fain in his own way, a moral thinker who won't favor tribe over truth. He acknowledges Gardneria's history of suffering, but discrimination and vengeance is no way to right past wrongs. We get a glimpse of his beliefs when he comments to Tessla about a group of Gardnerian military men in formation. "Look at them...So untroubled. So sure. So ready to rain the suffering done to us down on everyone who isn't Gardnerian." Tessla's instincts scream that it's better for her own people to be in power than those who tormented the Gardnerians for years, even if the Black Witch is bent on genocidal retribution, but Vale sees that as a losing proposition for the soul of their country. "Where does it end, Tessla?...We're simply dressing the nightmare up in different clothes. Ours." To inflict punitive grief on their enemies today is to perpetuate evil, not balance out a cosmic scale that needs to be evened if different races are to live in harmony. Yesterday's tribulation is a fact of history, but we can choose to let go and embrace tolerance and justice in our own time. It's the only avenue to lasting peace.
Light Mage is as lovely and emotional as Wandfasted. It's nearly impossible for Sage to accept she can never go home again, that she might never reconnect with her little sisters, but such realities are part of the game when you're battling a regime founded on cruelty. Za'ya does her best to comfort Sage, reminding her that her life is not over. "Sometimes," she says, "you cannot go home...Sometimes, you have to make a new home...And...it can be good, hm? You must hold onto the faith of this." Disavowed by her family, Sage has difficulty seeing any ray of hope tinting the gloom, but there's a future for her among the outcasts, one sweeter than any possible back home. Her life is not a predestined tragedy. Ciaran is a thrilling, passionate romantic partner whose political and social opinions cast a fresh vision of Gardneria and beyond, inspiring Sage. "I feel like someone is walking into my darkened world and firing up a million lanterns all at once. No one has ever talked to me like this, as if the workings of power are something I have the right to dissect. And it's a heady idea, that change could be possible. But...what if there could be a place where everyone could be free and together?" Good-faith discussion of big ideas refines your philosophy, sharpens your outlook, and is foundational to a close, intelligent relationship. Sage and Ciaran can't fix Erthia's issues by themselves, but no progress is ever made without putting forth an effort. I suspect these two will be a significant factor in the series going forward.
Morally complex themes, thoughtful social observations, and nuanced characters are hallmarks of The Rebel Mages. I hope to see more of Na'bee, the young Smaragdalfar Elf, in the books ahead; he's as lovable as any character in the Black Witch Chronicles. Losing myself in Laurie Forest's fantasy world is a rich literary experience on par with those generated by Cinda Williams Chima or Robin McKinley. If you appreciated the depth and excitement of The Black Witch, The Rebel Mages offers at least as much; I'd likely rate it three and a half stars, and my appetite for the second novel in the series, The Iron Flower, is at its peak. As a YA fantasy storyteller, Laurie Forest is the real deal.
April 3, 2020
Wow, I forgot so much about these books!
The Rebel Mages was a nice dip into memory lane. Mostly because I know I read these two novellas before.. maybe? Yet, I couldn't tell you what happened if it depended on my life. Now, I can sort of tell you what happened within these stories and I can also tell you that I'm excited to dive back into this series. Super stoked because I never made it past book one and I plan to rectify that.
Wandfasted and Lightmage were both pretty good books. I think I liked the audio version more because I was paying more attention to what was happening. Plus, it gave me something to listen to while staring at a computer screen all day. Also doesn't hurt that this was a long ass audio either.
Both MC's that you meet have to fight in one way or another. Mostly for their lives but sometimes for the life of a loved one. It hurt my heart to hear them go through what they did. I still can't believe what happened in the first book. If I was her parent, or even a family member, I would've yelled and protected what's mine. Not just go with what the other parent is doing just for the image.
As for the second story, I still can't imagine people going have a baby like that. I loved that she did whatever she could to protect him and never gave up. Then the whole wand moving throughout the story continuously was pretty interesting as well. Which is why I need to get back into this series just so I can see how it ends.
The Rebel Mages was a nice dip into memory lane. Mostly because I know I read these two novellas before.. maybe? Yet, I couldn't tell you what happened if it depended on my life. Now, I can sort of tell you what happened within these stories and I can also tell you that I'm excited to dive back into this series. Super stoked because I never made it past book one and I plan to rectify that.
Wandfasted and Lightmage were both pretty good books. I think I liked the audio version more because I was paying more attention to what was happening. Plus, it gave me something to listen to while staring at a computer screen all day. Also doesn't hurt that this was a long ass audio either.
Both MC's that you meet have to fight in one way or another. Mostly for their lives but sometimes for the life of a loved one. It hurt my heart to hear them go through what they did. I still can't believe what happened in the first book. If I was her parent, or even a family member, I would've yelled and protected what's mine. Not just go with what the other parent is doing just for the image.
As for the second story, I still can't imagine people going have a baby like that. I loved that she did whatever she could to protect him and never gave up. Then the whole wand moving throughout the story continuously was pretty interesting as well. Which is why I need to get back into this series just so I can see how it ends.
Want to read
September 2, 2018Omg, grab my money! Look at this beauty of a cover! 😍
March 28, 2020
Laurie! I’ve missed you.
I love Laurie’s books. They have their own unique magical aura about them. They’re so high fantasy without being too overwhelming, they’re super romantic in a way that literally shatters my heart and glues it back together. The harshness of her world was what really captivated me though. The racism and discrimination that is always heavily present was handled so carefully. The sexual abuse, the ignorance of other cultures, the understanding that came with time and education, there are so many THINGS that Laurie touches on and she just does them perfectly. There are so many people who’ve attacked her for this, but you have to understand that ever character starts somewhere.
I went into this novella not very excited to be honest. I’ve become so attached to Elloren and her friends that I didn’t see myself reading about anything else or rather anyone else, but that was quickly remedied with the fast-paced magical writing that Laurie always delivers.
Wandfasted was a cute story to me. A story about love between two people And (spoiler) Elloren’s parents! Yaaaas. I found Tessla to be a refreshing woman who wouldn’t take shit from anyone. The moment she crossed paths with Vale Gardner she put him in his place, and from there my love for her was sealed.
I loved seeing the world during that time, right before the world shifted on its axis and the Gardenerians took power for themselves. It was so weird, seeing them cower in fear instead of the Kelts and Faeries and Icarals.
I loved the romance between Vale and Tessla. It was cute, fun, and naughty. I will say it felt a bit fast-paced but when magic is what binds two people then I’m not entirely worried about the speed of their romance.
Moving on to Light Mage
This one was interesting considering we already know Sage and her epic entrance scene in book one that sets of all other events.
I don’t know why I pictured her being more of a badass than she was. She was more of a typical Gardnerian until that tragic night she suffered at the hands of (spoiler) Tobias.
Either way she morphed into a beautiful woman who accepted the world beyond what she had been told. I found that to be a lovely story and it reminded me so much of Elloren and how she came to understand the world as well.
Shockingly I remembered her romance with a Kelt. Mind you, Ciaran was hot. He was soooo hot. That’s all I could picture when he came about. I love how he helped Sage as she battled darkness and he became like an anchor for her. It was lovely. And seeing how all of these events led up to The Black Witch really made me emotional.
and now I’m exited to read the Shadow Wand. YUUUUS.
I love Laurie’s books. They have their own unique magical aura about them. They’re so high fantasy without being too overwhelming, they’re super romantic in a way that literally shatters my heart and glues it back together. The harshness of her world was what really captivated me though. The racism and discrimination that is always heavily present was handled so carefully. The sexual abuse, the ignorance of other cultures, the understanding that came with time and education, there are so many THINGS that Laurie touches on and she just does them perfectly. There are so many people who’ve attacked her for this, but you have to understand that ever character starts somewhere.
I went into this novella not very excited to be honest. I’ve become so attached to Elloren and her friends that I didn’t see myself reading about anything else or rather anyone else, but that was quickly remedied with the fast-paced magical writing that Laurie always delivers.
Wandfasted was a cute story to me. A story about love between two people And (spoiler) Elloren’s parents! Yaaaas. I found Tessla to be a refreshing woman who wouldn’t take shit from anyone. The moment she crossed paths with Vale Gardner she put him in his place, and from there my love for her was sealed.
I loved seeing the world during that time, right before the world shifted on its axis and the Gardenerians took power for themselves. It was so weird, seeing them cower in fear instead of the Kelts and Faeries and Icarals.
I loved the romance between Vale and Tessla. It was cute, fun, and naughty. I will say it felt a bit fast-paced but when magic is what binds two people then I’m not entirely worried about the speed of their romance.
Moving on to Light Mage
This one was interesting considering we already know Sage and her epic entrance scene in book one that sets of all other events.
I don’t know why I pictured her being more of a badass than she was. She was more of a typical Gardnerian until that tragic night she suffered at the hands of (spoiler) Tobias.
Either way she morphed into a beautiful woman who accepted the world beyond what she had been told. I found that to be a lovely story and it reminded me so much of Elloren and how she came to understand the world as well.
Shockingly I remembered her romance with a Kelt. Mind you, Ciaran was hot. He was soooo hot. That’s all I could picture when he came about. I love how he helped Sage as she battled darkness and he became like an anchor for her. It was lovely. And seeing how all of these events led up to The Black Witch really made me emotional.
and now I’m exited to read the Shadow Wand. YUUUUS.
December 9, 2021
Review of Rebel Mages by @laurieannforest
This book is two novella in one. My friend Jen recommended that the novellas be read after The Black Witch but before Iron Flower.
I am so glad she suggested this because both these stories are so good and the little details that they give to Iron Flower are amazing.
Highly recommend reading these!
Wandfasted
Overall ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/ 5
This is the story of Elloren's parents but there is little gems in this story that come up in the other books!
Light Mage
Overall ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/ 5
This is the story of Saige and this one was a little more emotional for me. Still well written and planned out and I am so glad I read them.
This book is two novella in one. My friend Jen recommended that the novellas be read after The Black Witch but before Iron Flower.
I am so glad she suggested this because both these stories are so good and the little details that they give to Iron Flower are amazing.
Highly recommend reading these!
Wandfasted
Overall ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/ 5
This is the story of Elloren's parents but there is little gems in this story that come up in the other books!
Light Mage
Overall ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/ 5
This is the story of Saige and this one was a little more emotional for me. Still well written and planned out and I am so glad I read them.
July 31, 2019
This was sooo good
March 13, 2020
loved this! especially sage's story (the second half). it comes with an assault warning that i was nervous about, but it was handled really well, and i felt like the eventual aftermath was healing.
February 12, 2022
Loved the first novel (4.5⭐️) and enjoyed the second one (4⭐️)!
The first novella is about Elloren’s parents and that was definitely one I couldn’t put down! It explains many things and is definitely useful to know for that rest of the main series to feel complete! It’s more heavily romance based but I loved every single moment of it!
The second novella felt a bit long at times but I really loved to get to know more about different races and different types of magic and how Sage came to be who she is. I think it’s instrumental to the series to read this novella to understand it fully! I was maybe just not as interested in Sage as I knew where the plot was heading, having read Book 1 of The Black Witch Chronicles. So I wasn’t as much invested in the story and was a bit less surprised than in the first novella.
Overall, loved it and really recommend to read this one between book 1 and book 2 for better comprehension of the world, characters, and history of the Black Witch Saga! Go read it! Now! ☺️
The first novella is about Elloren’s parents and that was definitely one I couldn’t put down! It explains many things and is definitely useful to know for that rest of the main series to feel complete! It’s more heavily romance based but I loved every single moment of it!
The second novella felt a bit long at times but I really loved to get to know more about different races and different types of magic and how Sage came to be who she is. I think it’s instrumental to the series to read this novella to understand it fully! I was maybe just not as interested in Sage as I knew where the plot was heading, having read Book 1 of The Black Witch Chronicles. So I wasn’t as much invested in the story and was a bit less surprised than in the first novella.
Overall, loved it and really recommend to read this one between book 1 and book 2 for better comprehension of the world, characters, and history of the Black Witch Saga! Go read it! Now! ☺️
December 23, 2024
These two novellas are SO good. Sometimes a prequel doesn’t feel worth reading, but these…… so insightful and full of information.
My only gripe is that I demand more Tesla and Fane, I love them so much 😭😭😭
My only gripe is that I demand more Tesla and Fane, I love them so much 😭😭😭
February 16, 2025
"Light mage": ☆☆☆☆
al fin una historia con TRAMA (re que eran solo dos)
mi único problema con esta historia es que yo quería que me respondieran una pregunta pero la respuesta no me convenció ("que lo demuestre" diría more rial)
el promedio da 3.5 estrellas pero redondeo para abajo porque todavía me queda pendiente saber si esta información es útil o son casi 600 páginas de nada
al fin una historia con TRAMA (re que eran solo dos)
mi único problema con esta historia es que yo quería que me respondieran una pregunta pero la respuesta no me convenció ("que lo demuestre" diría more rial)
el promedio da 3.5 estrellas pero redondeo para abajo porque todavía me queda pendiente saber si esta información es útil o son casi 600 páginas de nada
August 26, 2024
One of my new favorite series!!
February 7, 2023
Solid 3.5 as it's a prequel two stories. Would be higher but it hurts my heart personally reading about two characters I know don't make it in the future.
April 11, 2019
I loved delving into Laurie Forest’s world again. The images that she creates in my mind with her words are so beautiful. I adore her characters and enjoyed reading the back story to The Black Witch. The characterisations are on point, and the issues that she addresses run seamlessly throughout the story. There were a number of moments in both novellas when I got goosebumps – the author’s words pulled me in and then suddenly a sentence would take me back to the first book I read in the series – or to a moment in human life that is reflected in the scene.
Reading The Rebel Mages underscored, for me, what it is I enjoy about the fantasy known as The Black Witch Chronicles. The story is more than just a Fantasy set in a world of fantastical characters. Instead it is a critique on society, on oppression, on prejudice. It is also a story of hope and the dream that all peoples, no matter what race or culture, can live together in freedom. Forest is a writer who has woven her experiences of the world into a magical tale that has certainly captured – and held – my attention.
Now I wait impatiently for the third novel in the series. These novellas have only whet my appetite for more of Elloren’s story.
Reading The Rebel Mages underscored, for me, what it is I enjoy about the fantasy known as The Black Witch Chronicles. The story is more than just a Fantasy set in a world of fantastical characters. Instead it is a critique on society, on oppression, on prejudice. It is also a story of hope and the dream that all peoples, no matter what race or culture, can live together in freedom. Forest is a writer who has woven her experiences of the world into a magical tale that has certainly captured – and held – my attention.
Now I wait impatiently for the third novel in the series. These novellas have only whet my appetite for more of Elloren’s story.
April 9, 2019
I have been looking for a series that keeps me up at night with breathless anticipation for the next book since Harry Potter ended...well I have found that in spades with the Black Witch Chronicles!! This book is two prequels combined but with just as much detail and diversity as the series. I can barely wait for more from this series!!! Thank you as always Laurie!!💜💜
November 12, 2019
Mehhhh...
I really wanted more from this
I really wanted more from this
November 23, 2022
i just went into this book thinking it was another tbw novella but it's just wandfasted & light mage in the same book ! whoops !!
August 29, 2021
This book includes two novellas from The Black Witch Chronicles - Wandfasted and Light Mage. Given that I am wholly invested in all things The Black Witch, of course I had to read this.
In Wandfasted, we learn the story of Elloren's mother Tessla and how she comes to meet what will be Tessla's father, Vale. He's a powerful level five mage and son of the black witch. Tessla is a poor, low river girl who has power, but none of the women are allowed to channel their powers. It all must be reserved for their sons. The story starts with Tessla being ostracized and run out of her village for being Gardnerian by the Kelts, who are in power. Tessla comes to meet Vale when he and another level five mage come to rescue all of the Gardnerians who've been rounded up for slaughter at the hands of the Kelts. They misjudge one another as people are ought to do, and let's just say these two would be incredibly proud of their daughter.
In Light Mage, we get the full picture of what happened with Sage, who brought Elloren the wand at the beginning of The Black Witch. We learn how she was wandfasted at just thirteen and attacked by her fastmate at 18. She ran away and was taken in by the resistance, learning much of what she was taught was not actually true at all. In the safety of the resistance, she meets a man who makes her feel safe again, which is so small feat. Their journey takes them to the Amaz and ultimately to Elloren Gardner, and thus begins The Black Witch.
By now you know I can't get enough of this series. I have The Shadow Wand but I'm holding off starting it so I can stretch out this series. I love the characters and the story so much. I just don't want to be done and have to wait for the next to be released!
In Wandfasted, we learn the story of Elloren's mother Tessla and how she comes to meet what will be Tessla's father, Vale. He's a powerful level five mage and son of the black witch. Tessla is a poor, low river girl who has power, but none of the women are allowed to channel their powers. It all must be reserved for their sons. The story starts with Tessla being ostracized and run out of her village for being Gardnerian by the Kelts, who are in power. Tessla comes to meet Vale when he and another level five mage come to rescue all of the Gardnerians who've been rounded up for slaughter at the hands of the Kelts. They misjudge one another as people are ought to do, and let's just say these two would be incredibly proud of their daughter.
In Light Mage, we get the full picture of what happened with Sage, who brought Elloren the wand at the beginning of The Black Witch. We learn how she was wandfasted at just thirteen and attacked by her fastmate at 18. She ran away and was taken in by the resistance, learning much of what she was taught was not actually true at all. In the safety of the resistance, she meets a man who makes her feel safe again, which is so small feat. Their journey takes them to the Amaz and ultimately to Elloren Gardner, and thus begins The Black Witch.
By now you know I can't get enough of this series. I have The Shadow Wand but I'm holding off starting it so I can stretch out this series. I love the characters and the story so much. I just don't want to be done and have to wait for the next to be released!
December 17, 2019
I didn’t love this the way I loved The Black Witch, but that’s to be expected with two shorter novels.
Wandfasted is a prequel about the parents of the main character from The Black Witch and i really enjoyed it. Dang it Laurie Forest, making me care about straight people.
The Light Mage was also a prequel but it was about the events directly leading up to the start of The Black Witch. I really liked the extra world building we got and I liked that it ended right where the first book began, we even got a repeat scent but from the other characters perspective.
The only thing I didn’t love is that I found the main characters voices all sounded similar. Especially the character in the light mage and the main character in the black witch (ive been listening to the audiobooks so I’m not even going to attempt to spell their names) I just found that a lot of the time they sounded like the same person, their narrative voice was very similar, even though their personalities are actually very different. But that’s just sort of a nitpicky thing. Overall they were two really good stories that filled in a lot of info and I loved the characters in wandfasted a lot
Wandfasted is a prequel about the parents of the main character from The Black Witch and i really enjoyed it. Dang it Laurie Forest, making me care about straight people.
The Light Mage was also a prequel but it was about the events directly leading up to the start of The Black Witch. I really liked the extra world building we got and I liked that it ended right where the first book began, we even got a repeat scent but from the other characters perspective.
The only thing I didn’t love is that I found the main characters voices all sounded similar. Especially the character in the light mage and the main character in the black witch (ive been listening to the audiobooks so I’m not even going to attempt to spell their names) I just found that a lot of the time they sounded like the same person, their narrative voice was very similar, even though their personalities are actually very different. But that’s just sort of a nitpicky thing. Overall they were two really good stories that filled in a lot of info and I loved the characters in wandfasted a lot
December 31, 2024
this series is heavy, and these were only the prequel novellas introducing us to the overarching story.
the worldbuilding is complex, the lore is complicated, and while the characters are deeply YA in their dialogues and romance, they’re terribly traumatized and adult in their experiences.
there are some heaaaaavy themes of racism, religious extremism, and brutality in this, specifically between the different races in this world that echo in deeply painful ways for the world we’re living in (especially post US election in 2024). the oppression, cruelty, and subjugation of different races for the benefit of another makes for a difficult read, even in just a set of novellas – tread carefully if those are sensitive topics for you. the parallels are paralleling, so though this is a fantasy novel with fae and dryads and sorceresses, the stratification of this society feels resonant in ways that make this less escapism and more microcosm of the real world.
check out my review for book one for more details if you’re looking for a heavy fantasy, both in terms of level of worldbuilding and the nature of its themes.
the worldbuilding is complex, the lore is complicated, and while the characters are deeply YA in their dialogues and romance, they’re terribly traumatized and adult in their experiences.
there are some heaaaaavy themes of racism, religious extremism, and brutality in this, specifically between the different races in this world that echo in deeply painful ways for the world we’re living in (especially post US election in 2024). the oppression, cruelty, and subjugation of different races for the benefit of another makes for a difficult read, even in just a set of novellas – tread carefully if those are sensitive topics for you. the parallels are paralleling, so though this is a fantasy novel with fae and dryads and sorceresses, the stratification of this society feels resonant in ways that make this less escapism and more microcosm of the real world.
check out my review for book one for more details if you’re looking for a heavy fantasy, both in terms of level of worldbuilding and the nature of its themes.
March 12, 2023
I really enjoy THE BLACK WITCH series, so I was looking forward to some bonus stories set in the same universe. The results were a little unbalanced, since I must admit that I did not get through WANDFASTED.
WANDFASTED just c0uldn't seem to hold my focus. Though I did empathize with Tessla in the beginning, by the time I got to the midpoint, I found her to be a little melodramatic. I stopped halfway through and moved onto the next story.
LIGHT MAGE was much different. I've always liked Sage, so I found her to be far more engaging and proactive as a protagonist. She has a good heart and had good conversation/relationships with other characters. I enjoyed seeing her journey as her world was turned on its head. The story had a good pacing and great dialogues. It was good to see familiar faces, and this truly felt like a full story rather than just a novella.
If readers were trying to decide, I would recommend LIGHT MAGE on its own.
WANDFASTED just c0uldn't seem to hold my focus. Though I did empathize with Tessla in the beginning, by the time I got to the midpoint, I found her to be a little melodramatic. I stopped halfway through and moved onto the next story.
LIGHT MAGE was much different. I've always liked Sage, so I found her to be far more engaging and proactive as a protagonist. She has a good heart and had good conversation/relationships with other characters. I enjoyed seeing her journey as her world was turned on its head. The story had a good pacing and great dialogues. It was good to see familiar faces, and this truly felt like a full story rather than just a novella.
If readers were trying to decide, I would recommend LIGHT MAGE on its own.
May 9, 2019
Dark, raw and real.
I adored The Black Witch when I read it, so I was so glad to hear both Wandfasted and Light Mage were being made into one book - The Rebel Mages!
Laurie has built a lush immense world, and I can't get enough of it. It's like Lord Of The Rings meets Harry Potter and I adore it!
I can't wait to read The Iron Flower right now!
I adored The Black Witch when I read it, so I was so glad to hear both Wandfasted and Light Mage were being made into one book - The Rebel Mages!
Laurie has built a lush immense world, and I can't get enough of it. It's like Lord Of The Rings meets Harry Potter and I adore it!
I can't wait to read The Iron Flower right now!
June 30, 2019
The black witch series is one of my favorite new fantasy series and these two novellas didn’t disappoint. Although a bit slow in places they tie into the series in new and interesting ways-excited to see where the series will go next!
November 29, 2023
I'm obsessed with this series! I love how much insight these two prequel novellas give to the series and the lightbulb moments when things connect to the main series. I wish we could get spin off books of the FMC/MMC in both novellas!
November 9, 2020
These were perfect side stories! Love this whole series.
July 14, 2021
I'm between 1-2 stars on this. The first book, Wandfasted (Book 0.5) was awful. I don’t know if it was the narrator or the story or both. A 1 star I couldn’t wait to finish just so I wouldn’t have to listen to it anymore.
The second book, Light Mage (Book 1.5) was good in the first half and then went downhill from there.
I love The Black Witch so so much, and wanted to love these, but they were so superficial and disappointing and the characters' love stories were eye roll inducing.
The second book, Light Mage (Book 1.5) was good in the first half and then went downhill from there.
I love The Black Witch so so much, and wanted to love these, but they were so superficial and disappointing and the characters' love stories were eye roll inducing.
December 31, 2021
Laurie Forest reminds me a lot of SJM in that I find the side characters way more interesting and her idea of a novella is ~250 pages.
January 10, 2024
Enjoying this series, keeps me interested!
Read
December 27, 2024this entire series should have been about Sage
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