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Clem & Wist #1
The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage
“I never forgot the sound of you calling for me. Not for a second.”
The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage is a slow-burn f/f romance set in an original modern-era fantasy world, featuring a magical tower with countless curious rooms. It’s a story of friends to enemies to reluctant allies, guilty secrets, love mixed inextricably with hate, fragile second chances, and the true price of boundless magical power.
In a country where mages have all the power and healers supposedly only exist to support them, Clematis—a talented healer—is despised for her past attempts to defy the mageocracy. In her early thirties, she’s already on year seven of a life sentence for treason.
But when the most powerful mage in the nation suddenly loses all her magic, the government wants unconventional Clematis to help get it back.
The mage is a tall, distant woman called Wist, and Clematis knows her all too well. They used to be classmates. Best friends. Perhaps more. Wist is also the person who reported Clematis for leaking state secrets. She’s the reason Clematis spent the last seven years in prison.
Clematis wants revenge for her betrayal, but she wants freedom even more. She’s got thirty days to recover Wist’s magic: miss the deadline, and she’ll be shunted back to prison for the rest of her life. Yet attempting to resurrect Wist’s lost magic will force her to face the real reason why Wist betrayed her—and to face her unresolved, unspoken feelings for the mage who stabbed her in the back and walked away.
The Clem & Wist Series
Prequel: No One Else Could Heal Her
Book 1: The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage
Book 2: The Reverse Healer Case Files
Book 3: Clematis and the Queen of the Void
Book 4: Three Murdered Mages, Two Broken Bonds
Book 5: A Chalice for a Kraken
Each novel revolves around the same couple. The prequel can be read at any point prior to Book 4. (The prequel and Book 1 also work as satisfying standalone stories.)
The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage is a slow-burn f/f romance set in an original modern-era fantasy world, featuring a magical tower with countless curious rooms. It’s a story of friends to enemies to reluctant allies, guilty secrets, love mixed inextricably with hate, fragile second chances, and the true price of boundless magical power.
In a country where mages have all the power and healers supposedly only exist to support them, Clematis—a talented healer—is despised for her past attempts to defy the mageocracy. In her early thirties, she’s already on year seven of a life sentence for treason.
But when the most powerful mage in the nation suddenly loses all her magic, the government wants unconventional Clematis to help get it back.
The mage is a tall, distant woman called Wist, and Clematis knows her all too well. They used to be classmates. Best friends. Perhaps more. Wist is also the person who reported Clematis for leaking state secrets. She’s the reason Clematis spent the last seven years in prison.
Clematis wants revenge for her betrayal, but she wants freedom even more. She’s got thirty days to recover Wist’s magic: miss the deadline, and she’ll be shunted back to prison for the rest of her life. Yet attempting to resurrect Wist’s lost magic will force her to face the real reason why Wist betrayed her—and to face her unresolved, unspoken feelings for the mage who stabbed her in the back and walked away.
The Clem & Wist Series
Prequel: No One Else Could Heal Her
Book 1: The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage
Book 2: The Reverse Healer Case Files
Book 3: Clematis and the Queen of the Void
Book 4: Three Murdered Mages, Two Broken Bonds
Book 5: A Chalice for a Kraken
Each novel revolves around the same couple. The prequel can be read at any point prior to Book 4. (The prequel and Book 1 also work as satisfying standalone stories.)
234 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 11, 2022
135 people are currently reading
1283 people want to read
About the author
Hiyodori
10 books250 followersHiyodori is not a bird. But she is dearly fond of her namesake, a plain-looking brown-gray bird that likes to perch near her Tokyo apartment and unleash the most incredible primal screams. Hiyodori (the human author) loves stories with fantastical settings and complicated, difficult-to-define relationships. All of her books take place in the same shared fantasy universe. Her latest novel is A Chalice for a Kraken, a new entry in the Clem & Wist series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
July 22, 2022
Something happened in the past between these two leads and I gave up waiting to find out what. The thing is that the past is bound up in Clematis' rebellion against the oppressive blah blahs. Only, we're years past that and she has mellowed to where she just wants her freedom any more. Which is a double dose of "why should I care." The story so far has been a fairly isolated setting so we aren't seeing any oppression. And Clem growing past caring makes me wonder why I should care, either. So all I really care about is this broken relationship with Wist.
Only Wist is so closed off she could be be Al Capone's vault. And as far as I can tell, she's just as empty. I mean, she doesn't show any signs of caring about herself, let alone her once-friend turned bitter enemy. So again, why should I care?
Before halfway, I found myself asking that one time too many and stopped. One star for blowing an interesting premise and a clever protagonist (Clematis may be a crap conspirator, but she has gumption and a flare for the dramatic I kind of liked).
Only Wist is so closed off she could be be Al Capone's vault. And as far as I can tell, she's just as empty. I mean, she doesn't show any signs of caring about herself, let alone her once-friend turned bitter enemy. So again, why should I care?
Before halfway, I found myself asking that one time too many and stopped. One star for blowing an interesting premise and a clever protagonist (Clematis may be a crap conspirator, but she has gumption and a flare for the dramatic I kind of liked).
April 24, 2022
Kindle Unlimited. I stayed up til 2AM to finish this. It was perlpexing and yet I needed to continue it til the end!
Almost akin to the film The Butterfly Effect, only with Mages, Magics and Healers.
We only get one protagonists first person view with our MC Asa Clematis who is in prison after trying to usurp the current government. She's jaded and sarcastic, especially regarding her ex-best friend/lover who ended up being the one who turned her in. Clem is a skilled Healer, and infact had learned to reverse heal, so to speak, binding magics and being called a "magebreaker".
Her ex, named Wist - is called a 'Kraken' a highly skilled Mage that is incredibly rare, but incredibly powerful. But she has lost her magics, and the government cannot let their greatest weapon and protector go unskilled, so the one person who may be able to figure it all out gets a deal for parole.
But there's far, far more going on than I could have guessed. What kept me reading was piecing together their history bit by bit.
I did feel we should have got a lot more information on their pasts earlier, to really form some sort of bond between them - other than the betrayal. Also why Clematis is so strongly opposed to their government - these are details we do get, eventually, but I felt it took way too long to discover. I would have been more invested, had I known her motivations from the get go. The same with their bond, I wanted more information and emotion.
There are reasons for the deft concealment, and the reveal is fascinating. But again, the lack of connection and motivations early on, just continue to thwart the progress and emotion for me. Especially with not hearing much from Wist's character, and being stuck in Clem's head.
Ultimately Clementis is a frustrating character, who doesn't forgive. Though, we sympathize with that. But her love interest Wist also doesn't emote, at all - nor say much of anything, until the end reveals. (Not that she could get much of a word in edgewise with Clem anyway). But again it was incredibly frustrating.
Yet, I kinda loved it? It's strange, the writing is evocative, and the plot unique and solid. The characters are flawed. The system they are party to also flawed. The direction it goes is completely different to what I had expected - so yes it had it's issues, and yet I enjoyed reading it immensely.
I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for romance. There is action (and some gore) but there's also a lot of mystery and intrigue with metaphysical elements. On KU.
Almost akin to the film The Butterfly Effect, only with Mages, Magics and Healers.
We only get one protagonists first person view with our MC Asa Clematis who is in prison after trying to usurp the current government. She's jaded and sarcastic, especially regarding her ex-best friend/lover who ended up being the one who turned her in. Clem is a skilled Healer, and infact had learned to reverse heal, so to speak, binding magics and being called a "magebreaker".
Her ex, named Wist - is called a 'Kraken' a highly skilled Mage that is incredibly rare, but incredibly powerful. But she has lost her magics, and the government cannot let their greatest weapon and protector go unskilled, so the one person who may be able to figure it all out gets a deal for parole.
But there's far, far more going on than I could have guessed. What kept me reading was piecing together their history bit by bit.
I did feel we should have got a lot more information on their pasts earlier, to really form some sort of bond between them - other than the betrayal. Also why Clematis is so strongly opposed to their government - these are details we do get, eventually, but I felt it took way too long to discover. I would have been more invested, had I known her motivations from the get go. The same with their bond, I wanted more information and emotion.
There are reasons for the deft concealment, and the reveal is fascinating. But again, the lack of connection and motivations early on, just continue to thwart the progress and emotion for me. Especially with not hearing much from Wist's character, and being stuck in Clem's head.
Ultimately Clementis is a frustrating character, who doesn't forgive. Though, we sympathize with that. But her love interest Wist also doesn't emote, at all - nor say much of anything, until the end reveals. (Not that she could get much of a word in edgewise with Clem anyway). But again it was incredibly frustrating.
Yet, I kinda loved it? It's strange, the writing is evocative, and the plot unique and solid. The characters are flawed. The system they are party to also flawed. The direction it goes is completely different to what I had expected - so yes it had it's issues, and yet I enjoyed reading it immensely.
I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for romance. There is action (and some gore) but there's also a lot of mystery and intrigue with metaphysical elements. On KU.
September 27, 2024
You know how the Locked Tomb series has this whole necromancer/cavalier asymmetrical relationship system that governs all necromancer society and it's really interesting but you can't get enough of it because the series focuses on different topics?
Try the mage-healer dynamic where one is a powerful mage but will go berserk if not healed and a healer without magic who is necessary to mages' survival.
It's the exact kind of dynamic I wanted to read. A failed revolutionary still angry at her ex (the most powerful person in the world) for putting her in prison and now she has to help her to even get a chance at freedom.
Now imagine you are Asa Clematis, a healer - the strongest healer in the world actually - in a society where healers must yield to mages, accept to be controlled by them and you do a little revolution, maybe get someone killed and end up in prison for treason. Now imagine that a mage - the strongest mage in the world -, a mage who used to be your closest ally, someone you maybe loved enough to bond yourself to her forever until she betrayed you, walks in asking for your help.
You are not bonded, she's not your mage and you are not her healer. You've considered it in the past but you liked your independence too much, after all a healer bonding a mage is bound to them forever. They will be in your head forever.
And you hate her, you hate Wist with all of the heart that loved her but they offer you parole if you help. So you help, but you are at your core a sarcastic stubborn little shit with a grudge. And Wist won't talk, she's always been like that but she holds her secrets close. But you want that parole.
It's not a series for everyone especially because of the writing but of its your kind of thing you're going to eat so well
Try the mage-healer dynamic where one is a powerful mage but will go berserk if not healed and a healer without magic who is necessary to mages' survival.
It's the exact kind of dynamic I wanted to read. A failed revolutionary still angry at her ex (the most powerful person in the world) for putting her in prison and now she has to help her to even get a chance at freedom.
Now imagine you are Asa Clematis, a healer - the strongest healer in the world actually - in a society where healers must yield to mages, accept to be controlled by them and you do a little revolution, maybe get someone killed and end up in prison for treason. Now imagine that a mage - the strongest mage in the world -, a mage who used to be your closest ally, someone you maybe loved enough to bond yourself to her forever until she betrayed you, walks in asking for your help.
You are not bonded, she's not your mage and you are not her healer. You've considered it in the past but you liked your independence too much, after all a healer bonding a mage is bound to them forever. They will be in your head forever.
And you hate her, you hate Wist with all of the heart that loved her but they offer you parole if you help. So you help, but you are at your core a sarcastic stubborn little shit with a grudge. And Wist won't talk, she's always been like that but she holds her secrets close. But you want that parole.
It's not a series for everyone especially because of the writing but of its your kind of thing you're going to eat so well
August 24, 2022
2.5 - This is hard to rate. There were some really interesting ideas and some scenes that stand out in my mind, but overall I felt a lack of emotional payoff from this story. Which is strange given how high-stake the plot is. Also, I don't think this should be marketed as a romance. The relationship between the two main characters is central to the plot, but to call this a romance is a stretch.
October 24, 2025
In an alternate near-modern world everyone is either a mage or a healer, with varying levels of power, from subliminal (powerless) through to incredible levels of magic for mages and incredible abilities to manipulate the power of mages for healers. We start with Clematis, also known as the Magebreaker, and her imprisonment for life as a traitor to the mage-run country she lives in. She receives an offer of parole if she heals the greatest mage in her country, Wist, the Kraken, who's also the person who turned in Clematis to the authorities and now seems to have completely lost her magic.
Clem is angry, now and then. In the past she was angry because her country is mage-ruled with healers having few (if any) rights. Now she's angry at Wist for betraying her, but she doesn't need to stop being angry at her to try and heal her. As Clem works through her anger and understands why Wist is in her current situation. their relationship begins to develop again.
I enjoyed the tension in the relationship but I think the book has some major pacing issues. Notably certain major plot points feel like they come out of nowhere (Clem self-harming, the attack on the tower, the second life thing) and I think the first half starts well and then more-or-less stalls for the rest of it. The other issue I had with the book is that a lot of the things that Clem is angry about with her society are off the page. A lot of tell, and not very much show. I expect the next book should address that.
Clem is angry, now and then. In the past she was angry because her country is mage-ruled with healers having few (if any) rights. Now she's angry at Wist for betraying her, but she doesn't need to stop being angry at her to try and heal her. As Clem works through her anger and understands why Wist is in her current situation. their relationship begins to develop again.
I enjoyed the tension in the relationship but I think the book has some major pacing issues. Notably certain major plot points feel like they come out of nowhere (Clem self-harming, the attack on the tower, the second life thing) and I think the first half starts well and then more-or-less stalls for the rest of it. The other issue I had with the book is that a lot of the things that Clem is angry about with her society are off the page. A lot of tell, and not very much show. I expect the next book should address that.
April 11, 2022
Not a feel-good story, more of a think-much story
Ach. I liked it. It made me mad. But I liked it. Its one of those books that has lots to say about morality and life if you're paying attention, but it's not overly obvious. It's the kind of story literature professors love making students examine because they'll take away different things from it.
Its gritty, and engaging, and gory, and very cerebral. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a romance, though it does center around a romantic plot....sort of....
It was good as it was. It would have been great if it had alternated between POVs. Or perhaps it was great as is and the POV thing would have made it feel more like a fantasy romance and not just a dark cerebral fantasy.
Whatever. It was definitely a really cool book, very unique.
Ach. I liked it. It made me mad. But I liked it. Its one of those books that has lots to say about morality and life if you're paying attention, but it's not overly obvious. It's the kind of story literature professors love making students examine because they'll take away different things from it.
Its gritty, and engaging, and gory, and very cerebral. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a romance, though it does center around a romantic plot....sort of....
It was good as it was. It would have been great if it had alternated between POVs. Or perhaps it was great as is and the POV thing would have made it feel more like a fantasy romance and not just a dark cerebral fantasy.
Whatever. It was definitely a really cool book, very unique.
January 13, 2023
4 stars. A very good introduction to the series. It’s well written, paced well and the world building and magic system, while a bit murky at times, seems really cool and I’m sure will be expanded upon in book two. I liked the characters. Clem is a great character. I liked her chemistry with Wist and this first installment is definitely not a romance in the slightest I’m looking forward to when they do get together. Overall, this was a really solid read and I’m excited to read book two and see where the story goes from here.
May 26, 2025
What do you do when the power is out for all the afternoon and night? Well, first off you thank the gods your e reader is charged and then, you read a whole book until you can barely see.
If you ask me, this was a very satisfying unromantic Romance story about a very unsatisfying love. The world building continues to be intriguing, as I already read Carrion Saints, which is part of the same Universe, the characters and their relationship are complex and I will certainly keep reading the series.
If you ask me, this was a very satisfying unromantic Romance story about a very unsatisfying love. The world building continues to be intriguing, as I already read Carrion Saints, which is part of the same Universe, the characters and their relationship are complex and I will certainly keep reading the series.
May 27, 2022
A captivating and unique read with a lot of interesting characters, good world building and a plot with enough intrigue to keep me reading.
There's some minor weird things in the end (What WAS the significance of the It felt like it was supposed to be something important, for how it was brought up a few times, but I am not sure?) and some of the later plot threads felt like they should have gotten some more time to unfold.
Still I couldnt go to bed until I finished it, so it held my attention in all the good ways.
There's some minor weird things in the end (What WAS the significance of the It felt like it was supposed to be something important, for how it was brought up a few times, but I am not sure?) and some of the later plot threads felt like they should have gotten some more time to unfold.
Still I couldnt go to bed until I finished it, so it held my attention in all the good ways.
March 13, 2023
More of a 4.5*, but I'm feeling generous, haha.
This is not a fast paced story, which made it a little dense at times to read, but I just absolutely adored the world the author created that it got me through those passages. The world is divided in mages and healers (and non-magic users, but those are not really important). There is quite a power imbalance between those two, since healers are not really respected and they are expected to fullfill their duty to heal mages and that's it. Now this is where our two protagonists enter the stage: Clem, a very skilled healer, and Wist, the Kraken - the most powerful mage of her generation. They were lovers, but a lot has happened between those two, like for example Clem being in prison for 7 years... because of Wist (not a spoiler, that's within the first 20 pages or so). Both of them have to work together to solve the mystery of restoring Wist's missing magical core, but they also have so much to process emotionally. The relationship often reminded me of Gideon the Ninth, but less funny. I love the complexity and vulnerability Hiyodori created with these two characters and although this book has a satisfying ending, I'm looking forward to reading more in this universe in the future.
This is not a fast paced story, which made it a little dense at times to read, but I just absolutely adored the world the author created that it got me through those passages. The world is divided in mages and healers (and non-magic users, but those are not really important). There is quite a power imbalance between those two, since healers are not really respected and they are expected to fullfill their duty to heal mages and that's it. Now this is where our two protagonists enter the stage: Clem, a very skilled healer, and Wist, the Kraken - the most powerful mage of her generation. They were lovers, but a lot has happened between those two, like for example Clem being in prison for 7 years... because of Wist (not a spoiler, that's within the first 20 pages or so). Both of them have to work together to solve the mystery of restoring Wist's missing magical core, but they also have so much to process emotionally. The relationship often reminded me of Gideon the Ninth, but less funny. I love the complexity and vulnerability Hiyodori created with these two characters and although this book has a satisfying ending, I'm looking forward to reading more in this universe in the future.
June 6, 2022
Unexpectedly amazing for a random kindle unlimited suggestion. I was drawn in from the beginning. Fun and creative and surprising and sweet and complicated and all the things I like. It reminded me a lot of Gideon the Ninth, a favorite of myself and many others. This is an author to watch!!
January 22, 2025
very strange very sapphic five stars
May 12, 2022
I need more great stories like this
I highly enjoyed this book. It is quite different and interesting. I would like to read more from this author. I recommend this book.
I highly enjoyed this book. It is quite different and interesting. I would like to read more from this author. I recommend this book.
March 21, 2025
Every once in awhile while trawling the depths of hell (ie kindle unlimited), I find a hidden gem. This book had everything: a wonderfully unique magic system, compellingly flawed characters, and a genuinely surprising mystery. Also, there was one scene that was metal as fuck. I’m no connoisseur of gore, but it was imaginative and like nothing I had personally read before.
October 18, 2024
3.75 stars, I am really enjoying this author's books!
In this book, Clem has spent 7 years in prison after Wist, her kind of best friend, kind of lover, denounced her to the nation as a traitor. Wist, a supremely powerful magician, suddenly loses her powers and Clem is promised freedom if she can cure Wist in 30 days. But in seven years, everything has changed and what used to be love and friendship has turned into bitter resentment bordering on hate... Or has it?
So my whole question getting into the series was the reading order: originally this is the first book released by the author, and the prequel was published after book 2. So I wondered if I should read it in publication order but I ended up reading it in chronological order and started with the prequel. I am really happy to have read the prequel, I feel like it established so much when it comes to the lore and worldbuilding and I would've been probably super confused without it. I was also super attached to both Clem and Wist and reading about their days at the academy, almost 20 years prior to this book's event, really helped me get into the book because I was so intrigued at this two-decade gap.
On the other hand, I am sooo curious of what it'd be like to jump into the series starting with this book, with no prior knowledge of these characters. I am kind of sad that I'll never get to experience it, but also I had to make a choice.
There is a huge plot twist at the end that totally surprised me in the best way, peak tragic crazy obsessive soulmate love. I feel like the story didn't lean into it as much as I would've liked but also I really loved that twist. And reading the prequel kind of gave me a deeper insight into that twist, and that's when I wondered "oh what it must feel like to be dropped this huge thing when you don't know these characters as well?".
I do think that reading the prequel gave me a better understanding of the characters and a more satisfying character development so in the end I absolutely do not regret reading it first. I really like Clem & Wist's characters and dynamics, especially since their feelings are so complex and tangled. Wist especially is a very interesting character and I love her so much.
The side characters were also pretty great, especially Fanren the mage duelist bodyguard and Mori the cutiepie Healer. I am shipping them so hard and I want their story so bad, but I tried to look into the later books to see if I'd get any side ships there, but it seems unlikely. This is my toxic trait of making up random ships only I will like and be disappointed when they don't happen. I need... a book about Fanren... and Mori.... obsessed with the easygoing duelist champ and the cute nerdy healer. I need it so badly I want a side ship so bad.
Mourning my delusional side ship, I am super excited to continue reading Hiyodori's books! I decided to stick with the chronological book order:
1. No One Else Could Heal Her
2. The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage
3. The Reverse Healer Case Files
4. The Forest at the Heart of Her Mage: A Sapphic Fantasy Romance
5. The First and Last Demon
6. Clematis and the Queen of the Void
7. Three Murdered Mages, Two Broken Bonds
In this book, Clem has spent 7 years in prison after Wist, her kind of best friend, kind of lover, denounced her to the nation as a traitor. Wist, a supremely powerful magician, suddenly loses her powers and Clem is promised freedom if she can cure Wist in 30 days. But in seven years, everything has changed and what used to be love and friendship has turned into bitter resentment bordering on hate... Or has it?
So my whole question getting into the series was the reading order: originally this is the first book released by the author, and the prequel was published after book 2. So I wondered if I should read it in publication order but I ended up reading it in chronological order and started with the prequel. I am really happy to have read the prequel, I feel like it established so much when it comes to the lore and worldbuilding and I would've been probably super confused without it. I was also super attached to both Clem and Wist and reading about their days at the academy, almost 20 years prior to this book's event, really helped me get into the book because I was so intrigued at this two-decade gap.
On the other hand, I am sooo curious of what it'd be like to jump into the series starting with this book, with no prior knowledge of these characters. I am kind of sad that I'll never get to experience it, but also I had to make a choice.
There is a huge plot twist at the end that totally surprised me in the best way, peak tragic crazy obsessive soulmate love. I feel like the story didn't lean into it as much as I would've liked but also I really loved that twist. And reading the prequel kind of gave me a deeper insight into that twist, and that's when I wondered "oh what it must feel like to be dropped this huge thing when you don't know these characters as well?".
I do think that reading the prequel gave me a better understanding of the characters and a more satisfying character development so in the end I absolutely do not regret reading it first. I really like Clem & Wist's characters and dynamics, especially since their feelings are so complex and tangled. Wist especially is a very interesting character and I love her so much.
The side characters were also pretty great, especially Fanren the mage duelist bodyguard and Mori the cutiepie Healer. I am shipping them so hard and I want their story so bad, but I tried to look into the later books to see if I'd get any side ships there, but it seems unlikely. This is my toxic trait of making up random ships only I will like and be disappointed when they don't happen. I need... a book about Fanren... and Mori.... obsessed with the easygoing duelist champ and the cute nerdy healer. I need it so badly I want a side ship so bad.
Mourning my delusional side ship, I am super excited to continue reading Hiyodori's books! I decided to stick with the chronological book order:
1. No One Else Could Heal Her
2. The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage
3. The Reverse Healer Case Files
4. The Forest at the Heart of Her Mage: A Sapphic Fantasy Romance
5. The First and Last Demon
6. Clematis and the Queen of the Void
7. Three Murdered Mages, Two Broken Bonds
July 30, 2024
I love books that leave me a little broken, and this one hits deep.
Finished it at 4 AM on a workday. Not only do I feel like a sleep-deprived zombie, but my mind and emotions are also irrevocably entangled with this story. (I need a healer myself)
I recommend reading the prequel first to get a thorough introduction to this amazing world and its unique characters. Then, read this book, and you'll find yourself wanting to reread the prequel because the plot twists here change everything you thought you knew. The overall execution is so masterful, it blows my mind.
Hiyodori is one of the best storytellers, period.
Highly recommended for readers of The Locked Tomb series.
Finished it at 4 AM on a workday. Not only do I feel like a sleep-deprived zombie, but my mind and emotions are also irrevocably entangled with this story. (I need a healer myself)
I recommend reading the prequel first to get a thorough introduction to this amazing world and its unique characters. Then, read this book, and you'll find yourself wanting to reread the prequel because the plot twists here change everything you thought you knew. The overall execution is so masterful, it blows my mind.
Hiyodori is one of the best storytellers, period.
Highly recommended for readers of The Locked Tomb series.
July 21, 2025
This was my first Hiyodori novel, and I look forward to many more. There’s a bit of a Tamsyn Muir/Gideon the Ninth feel to her writing – the emotions are heavy, raw, and real, and the protagonists are a hot mess. There’s anger and yearning, and even though you don’t always like them, you want them to get through this. You want them to have peace.
Healer Clem is granted a reprieve from prison if she heals the strongest mage of their generation, Wist, her ex, the woman who put her there in the first place, who has somehow lost all of her powers. What follows is a dark fantasy with some gore, plenty of drama, and Feelings. The world-building is creative (there’s a complex mageocracy), the side characters compelling (I loved the roguish Fanren) and Our Heroines are complicated and at times abrasive. I loved it.
Healer Clem is granted a reprieve from prison if she heals the strongest mage of their generation, Wist, her ex, the woman who put her there in the first place, who has somehow lost all of her powers. What follows is a dark fantasy with some gore, plenty of drama, and Feelings. The world-building is creative (there’s a complex mageocracy), the side characters compelling (I loved the roguish Fanren) and Our Heroines are complicated and at times abrasive. I loved it.
August 31, 2024
This has a very unique magic system that had me very interested from the beginning. I really enjoyed Clematis as a character. I feel like the book untangled some of the relationship history too quickly, but overall I wasn’t disappointed by it!
December 31, 2023
This was absolutely written for me in every way. No one can convince me otherwise. I loved EVERYONE and found myself slowing my reading because I didn’t want it to end.
July 19, 2025
thank you to dasha for pushing me to read because i think i just got out of my slump and this is a new favorite book.
January 15, 2024
tight, snappy prose thrusts the delightful characters into my imagination with the force and precision of a lance. i can't wait to start the next volume.
January 22, 2025
5/5
Every so often, I download a book sample on Kindle, read a few pages, and decide “Yup, I’ve just found my new favorite author.” You’d never tell from the blurb that The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage is the type of story where body horror and sexual innuendos are thrown out in the same paragraph. In that regard, Hiyodori’s writing reminds me a lot of Tamsyn Muir’s witticism—but with its own twist. If you liked the inherent weirdness of Gideon the Ninth, you’ll probably vibe with The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage.
When Clematis is betrayed by the most powerful mage in the world, she loses more than just her best friend. She’s also condemned to a life in prison. Seven years later, she’s finally offered a chance at freedom. All she has to do is resurrect the lost magic of the mage who betrayed her—the tall, brooding Wisteria Shien. Clem has also spent seven years learning how to cope with her feelings by developing a sharp wit and a penchant for assuming the worst in others. The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage strikes a refreshing balance between delicious moments of angst and sardonic humor.
In terms of tropes and narrative details, Hiyodori wears her influences on her sleeve. There’s the friends to enemies to lovers, but also the setting—a modern fantasy world where mages and healers can bond to become life partners. The magic system is simple but intuitive. Mages are born with a set number of branches that they can use to graft magical skills. The more branches they were born with, the more “skills” they can develop through training. The fictional nation of Osmanthus is a magocracy where mages wield power and healers are considered accessories.
Then there’s the cosmic horror. The vorpal holes. The gaping wounds in the fabric of reality that spew out otherworldly beasts from twisted dimensions. The setting of The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage could easily dissolve into “I’ve seen this before” territory, but it doesn’t. Rather than draw inspiration from other literary fantasy worlds, it draws more from anime and video games. The world reminds me more of Nier: Automata or Final Fantasy. The characters are living normal lives in a fantastical world where there are also lawyers and real-estate agents.
Hiyodori calls the relationship between Clem and Wist “complex, indelible, ambiguous—and perhaps a little tortured.” It’s the type of romance you don’t often see in mainstream Western media. It doesn't pretend to be normal or safe or even realistic. The characters are inextricably drawn to each other in a “I hate you, but I would end the world for you” way that defies all common sense and reason. They aren’t forced apart by misunderstandings or outside pressure. They are only affected by the consequences of their own actions.
The only complaint I have about The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage is that it works deceptively well as a standalone. I wasn’t immediately motivated to read the sequels, because that ending is so darn good. I read Hiyodori’s other standalone novels first, afraid that The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage had captured lightning in a bottle. I’m happy to report it did not, and Hiyodori is a brilliant writer. The next big thing in sapphic fantasy. So if you haven’t already, you should take the plunge and read Clem and Wist’s story.
Every so often, I download a book sample on Kindle, read a few pages, and decide “Yup, I’ve just found my new favorite author.” You’d never tell from the blurb that The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage is the type of story where body horror and sexual innuendos are thrown out in the same paragraph. In that regard, Hiyodori’s writing reminds me a lot of Tamsyn Muir’s witticism—but with its own twist. If you liked the inherent weirdness of Gideon the Ninth, you’ll probably vibe with The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage.
When Clematis is betrayed by the most powerful mage in the world, she loses more than just her best friend. She’s also condemned to a life in prison. Seven years later, she’s finally offered a chance at freedom. All she has to do is resurrect the lost magic of the mage who betrayed her—the tall, brooding Wisteria Shien. Clem has also spent seven years learning how to cope with her feelings by developing a sharp wit and a penchant for assuming the worst in others. The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage strikes a refreshing balance between delicious moments of angst and sardonic humor.
In terms of tropes and narrative details, Hiyodori wears her influences on her sleeve. There’s the friends to enemies to lovers, but also the setting—a modern fantasy world where mages and healers can bond to become life partners. The magic system is simple but intuitive. Mages are born with a set number of branches that they can use to graft magical skills. The more branches they were born with, the more “skills” they can develop through training. The fictional nation of Osmanthus is a magocracy where mages wield power and healers are considered accessories.
Then there’s the cosmic horror. The vorpal holes. The gaping wounds in the fabric of reality that spew out otherworldly beasts from twisted dimensions. The setting of The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage could easily dissolve into “I’ve seen this before” territory, but it doesn’t. Rather than draw inspiration from other literary fantasy worlds, it draws more from anime and video games. The world reminds me more of Nier: Automata or Final Fantasy. The characters are living normal lives in a fantastical world where there are also lawyers and real-estate agents.
Hiyodori calls the relationship between Clem and Wist “complex, indelible, ambiguous—and perhaps a little tortured.” It’s the type of romance you don’t often see in mainstream Western media. It doesn't pretend to be normal or safe or even realistic. The characters are inextricably drawn to each other in a “I hate you, but I would end the world for you” way that defies all common sense and reason. They aren’t forced apart by misunderstandings or outside pressure. They are only affected by the consequences of their own actions.
The only complaint I have about The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage is that it works deceptively well as a standalone. I wasn’t immediately motivated to read the sequels, because that ending is so darn good. I read Hiyodori’s other standalone novels first, afraid that The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage had captured lightning in a bottle. I’m happy to report it did not, and Hiyodori is a brilliant writer. The next big thing in sapphic fantasy. So if you haven’t already, you should take the plunge and read Clem and Wist’s story.
March 13, 2022
I wanted to love this book and couple. I bought it so excited about the friends-enemies-lovers. I did like some aspects- I liked the tower. I’ll definitely keep an eye out in the future for the author because they did well with sapphic adult fantasy books I’ve been looking for. I liked the world building and descriptions (minus the people because they weren’t described well- I just had to assume). I liked the magical person going that way and the description- pretty much the most we get of Wist reacting to things. But I truly feel like this book would’ve benefited from a dual perspective. We get Clem’s pov the whole time which gives her a rounded character. Sometimes I rolled my eyes but all in all, I actually love having a character that was bitter about it instead of instant forgiveness. Wist, however, was very one dimension. She’s basically just a tall, short haired human embodiment of the poker face. She rarely shows reactions or emotions to anything. Which I get because of her past. But because of that I wasn’t really rooting for the couple. I kept waiting for me to go “yes, get together already!” I didn’t feel any chemistry between them. They didn’t even show attraction towards each other until Wist was like that. (I assume Clemis ace???) I also think it would’ve helped if we’d gotten some romantic flashbacks of them- something outside of the blurb and intuition saying they’d always been at that -will they, won’t they- place before everything went sideways. Also would’ve loved more people descriptive scenes. Like 60% through the book, I found out I’d been picturing Clem all wrong.
March 17, 2023
I read this book several months ago and I absolutely loved it for one reason: Wist. This tall dark & handsome woman is like a feral cat that has always watched over you without getting too close.
Her 1000% loyalty and devotion make her a desirable love interest, and her alien attitude is hilarious. Every now and then, I read a new book with a tall raven-haired woman who doesn’t adequately express how much she’s in love and it brings me right back to Wist. She will always be one of my favorites—Just for the tuna can scene!
Her 1000% loyalty and devotion make her a desirable love interest, and her alien attitude is hilarious. Every now and then, I read a new book with a tall raven-haired woman who doesn’t adequately express how much she’s in love and it brings me right back to Wist. She will always be one of my favorites—Just for the tuna can scene!
August 24, 2023
First time i read this book i gave it three stars, on a second reread. I'm going to give it 5.
everything makes so much more sense, Wist gets so much more depth, you understand so much more behind what she does. It genuinely makes everything 10x better. For some reason the humor also just felt funnier. Clem is lowkey hilarious and an annoying piece of shit. Just a brat, really.
I reread this because i wanted to read the second book again, because i knew that one was incredible. I'm surprised and grateful that this book was incredible aswell.
everything makes so much more sense, Wist gets so much more depth, you understand so much more behind what she does. It genuinely makes everything 10x better. For some reason the humor also just felt funnier. Clem is lowkey hilarious and an annoying piece of shit. Just a brat, really.
I reread this because i wanted to read the second book again, because i knew that one was incredible. I'm surprised and grateful that this book was incredible aswell.
April 5, 2022
Really kinda weird progression
I felt like I missed an entire books worth of story while reading this one. This entire story was the main character reaction to events that happen to the other person. It ended up being kind of a let down. I found myself waiting the entire book for the pic to switch to Wist's but it didn't. All we got was Clemantis's reaction to major events that didn't get shown.
I felt like I missed an entire books worth of story while reading this one. This entire story was the main character reaction to events that happen to the other person. It ended up being kind of a let down. I found myself waiting the entire book for the pic to switch to Wist's but it didn't. All we got was Clemantis's reaction to major events that didn't get shown.
November 25, 2022
I actually went into this book having no information on it at all so my hopes for it were not very high to be honest with you. I just wanted something shorter to read while I do night shifts.
If I could give this book a 10 I would.
I am completely blown away with how well written this story is and the story itself is absolutely amazing. Everything is not how it seems and the end had completely blown away.
THIS IS A MUST READ, DO THE THING!
If I could give this book a 10 I would.
I am completely blown away with how well written this story is and the story itself is absolutely amazing. Everything is not how it seems and the end had completely blown away.
THIS IS A MUST READ, DO THE THING!
January 11, 2023
excellent
Amazing read, not everyday you have an author tie up ever loose end and pay off every set up so smoothly and naturally.
Spoiler? Only gripe is i love the characters so much i wished i could see them together when they werent in pain a little more. But thats just me being greedy.
Amazing read, not everyday you have an author tie up ever loose end and pay off every set up so smoothly and naturally.
Spoiler? Only gripe is i love the characters so much i wished i could see them together when they werent in pain a little more. But thats just me being greedy.
June 20, 2025
hmmmmm ok so. many things to say but i’m really lazy to anyway i DID expected a little bit more… specially for the first book and since everyone’s making so many noise about it. also idk if i’m just influenced by the edits (that’s why i hate books with edits) but wdym they’re both hags 😭 why people editing them like teenagers i’m crying
August 10, 2022
I read this for SPFBO. My review only. More about the contest and links at the bottom.
I was so curious about this one! Such a neat cover. Goodreads has no summary but luckily Amazon did.
*
Asa Clematis has thirty-days to figure out why Wisteria, aka. the Kraken, the highest mage in the country (and the woman responsible for Asa’s imprisonment) has lost her magic and cure her. Earning Asa, an early ticket out of jail- if she succeeds.
*
Told from Asa’s pov. as she tries to mend Wist’s magic; which has been pretty much ripped from her body, leaving her the weakest mage in the country. With no memories of how it happened Wist, doesn’t seem inclined to care to fix it either.
A little about the magic- Magic is centered in the torso of the body and branches from there, and I quite literally pictured it as the root ball of a plant at its “core” and the plant itself the branches of its growth. (It’s possible it was described that way as well)
The use of magic twists up a mage, becoming more painful with time and use. Asa’s gift as a healer helps to unknot the ball, and branches, to keep things running smoothly and pain-free. Every mage has an assigned or bonded to them, healer, to help with this problem (The Kraken is an exception as she refused to bond).
Because Asa is one of the few healers that is also able to take away a mage’s magic for a period of time, they believe she is the best candidate (they hope) to help return Wist’s magic. But, between Wist’s bad attitude, and grappling with her own feelings for the other woman- which range from hatred and anger over her betrayal, to love and regret, Asa, has her work cut out for her.
*
The world can be quite dangerous at times, with wild magic, and portals that spring up to other worlds- some of which could suck you in, or even spit out a monster or two. For the most part, though, it’s kind of in the background as the larger portion of the story takes place at the tower.
The tower though, is quite cool, with its many random and occasionally booby-trapped rooms. The building comes to life like a crazy rpg dungeon- rooms and floors added with magic as needed, or at times feeling almost like storage for the memories and the whims of its creator. Making the tower as much an exploration of Wist’s psyche as the story itself was.
The world was neat, and the politics etc helped to give it more depth. There were a few unexpected turns plot-wise, some of which seemed a bit out of the blue and I felt could have been better telegraphed. The biggest highlight for me in the story though was the exploration of the women’s relationship. I liked them. I wanted forgiveness and the happily-ever-after for them.
Because this is from Asa’s pov we get to know her quite well. Occasionally I wished for more from Wist’s side, but I also think this worked well for getting to see all of Asa’s journey of healing, and the working through the steps of grieving a relationship- from letting it go, to realizing you are willing and able to forgive them and try it again. Nicely done.
spfbo score- 7 or 4 stars (6.5-8/10)
Learn more about the contest here-
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Phase one is here-
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
I was so curious about this one! Such a neat cover. Goodreads has no summary but luckily Amazon did.
*
Asa Clematis has thirty-days to figure out why Wisteria, aka. the Kraken, the highest mage in the country (and the woman responsible for Asa’s imprisonment) has lost her magic and cure her. Earning Asa, an early ticket out of jail- if she succeeds.
*
Told from Asa’s pov. as she tries to mend Wist’s magic; which has been pretty much ripped from her body, leaving her the weakest mage in the country. With no memories of how it happened Wist, doesn’t seem inclined to care to fix it either.
A little about the magic- Magic is centered in the torso of the body and branches from there, and I quite literally pictured it as the root ball of a plant at its “core” and the plant itself the branches of its growth. (It’s possible it was described that way as well)
The use of magic twists up a mage, becoming more painful with time and use. Asa’s gift as a healer helps to unknot the ball, and branches, to keep things running smoothly and pain-free. Every mage has an assigned or bonded to them, healer, to help with this problem (The Kraken is an exception as she refused to bond).
Because Asa is one of the few healers that is also able to take away a mage’s magic for a period of time, they believe she is the best candidate (they hope) to help return Wist’s magic. But, between Wist’s bad attitude, and grappling with her own feelings for the other woman- which range from hatred and anger over her betrayal, to love and regret, Asa, has her work cut out for her.
*
The world can be quite dangerous at times, with wild magic, and portals that spring up to other worlds- some of which could suck you in, or even spit out a monster or two. For the most part, though, it’s kind of in the background as the larger portion of the story takes place at the tower.
The tower though, is quite cool, with its many random and occasionally booby-trapped rooms. The building comes to life like a crazy rpg dungeon- rooms and floors added with magic as needed, or at times feeling almost like storage for the memories and the whims of its creator. Making the tower as much an exploration of Wist’s psyche as the story itself was.
The world was neat, and the politics etc helped to give it more depth. There were a few unexpected turns plot-wise, some of which seemed a bit out of the blue and I felt could have been better telegraphed. The biggest highlight for me in the story though was the exploration of the women’s relationship. I liked them. I wanted forgiveness and the happily-ever-after for them.
Because this is from Asa’s pov we get to know her quite well. Occasionally I wished for more from Wist’s side, but I also think this worked well for getting to see all of Asa’s journey of healing, and the working through the steps of grieving a relationship- from letting it go, to realizing you are willing and able to forgive them and try it again. Nicely done.
spfbo score- 7 or 4 stars (6.5-8/10)
Learn more about the contest here-
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Phase one is here-
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
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