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qjbrown96's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway.
This was a nice run of the mill book. It had a magical system that reminded me of Mistborn in the sense that the characters consume a substance to gain powers like strength or healing.
It had a lot of violence that was entertaining most of the time but sometimes it was just okay.
Overall the story was a decent read but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to finish the series.
The story has lots of traditional fantasy elements that I love.
Emrail- main character is a teenager who is not aware of his upper echelon bloodline and comes to realize his magical powers. He seeks to find his brother and save him from the insurrectionists.
Jaina- mentor to Emrail who is an elite swordswoman who hones his abilities to prepare for the war to come
Elle- a beautiful love interest of Emrail who are obviously infatuated with each other but play coy about it
Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway.
This was a nice run of the mill book. It had a magical system that reminded me of Mistborn in the sense that the characters consume a substance to gain powers like strength or healing.
It had a lot of violence that was entertaining most of the time but sometimes it was just okay.
Overall the story was a decent read but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to finish the series.
The story has lots of traditional fantasy elements that I love.
Emrail- main character is a teenager who is not aware of his upper echelon bloodline and comes to realize his magical powers. He seeks to find his brother and save him from the insurrectionists.
Jaina- mentor to Emrail who is an elite swordswoman who hones his abilities to prepare for the war to come
Elle- a beautiful love interest of Emrail who are obviously infatuated with each other but play coy about it
ronercat's review
5.0
Rating: 4.5 stars
Rise of the Mages is an enjoyable action packed, "young adult coming into an unknown power" story. This book is a visceral, grimdark fantasy that is engaging from page one. While it does have dark elements, it still feels like it would be appropriate for teens.
If you are a fan of violent action, unique and interesting magic systems, political intrigue, and a bull-headed, imperfect lead, this is the book for you.
I will be picking up the sequels for sure.
Rise of the Mages is an enjoyable action packed, "young adult coming into an unknown power" story. This book is a visceral, grimdark fantasy that is engaging from page one. While it does have dark elements, it still feels like it would be appropriate for teens.
If you are a fan of violent action, unique and interesting magic systems, political intrigue, and a bull-headed, imperfect lead, this is the book for you.
I will be picking up the sequels for sure.
bethtabler's review
5.0
Rise of the Mages by first-time author Scott Drakeford is an epic fantasy story in the tradition of The Belgariad that will directly appeal to those who love the classic fantasy of that era. The story combines political machinations and a quest for vengeance with found family vibes. All of this is nestled comfortably in a fascinating magic system based on infusori. Infusori is the electromagnetic energy and soul of everything around us. Practitioners can tap into this power and harness it for anything from tinkering to crumbling walls and battle magic. It is a heady combination that starts with a bang and never lets up.
The story starts with two brothers, Emrael and Ban. Two young men who are nationless refugees of a now-defunct royal bloodline. Emrael is working to keep his brother in materials used for tinkering and to further his crafting skill with infusori. At the same time, Emrael is learning daily to become a master warrior and political commander at training school. This training will allow the brothers to make something of themselves, and they would no longer have to rely on their mother for Ban's support. No matter the two brothers' work, they are constantly regarded as lesser by their peers, save for Ban's best friend, Elle.
Due to the political intrigues of the existing nations and the church's influence, Governor Corrande, the governor of the state that Emrael's school is located in, brokers a deal with the church to enslave users of infusori to build machines that will give him an edge in an upcoming war for territory. Corrande is setting himself up to consolidate the existing domains under his authority. Emrael and Ban, due both to their ability to use infusori and their political connections, get stuck in the middle of this war.
The crux of the story happens when Emrael and Ban attempt to flee the Citadel, the school they train at, and Ban is captured. Elle, Ban's teacher, and Emrael's master and trainer Jaina barely escape with their lives. The extremely close brothers are separated by the direst of circumstances. This separation sets Emrael on a quest for revenge on those who captured and enslaved Ban, and Emrael will burn the world to ashes before abandoning his brother.
There is a strong power in this familial bond between the brothers, especially in Emrael and how he relates to Ban. Ban is the younger brother, and while competent and a man in his own right, Emrael takes care of him as an older brother should. This helps drive the narrative of why Emrael will stop at nothing to save his brother. I think had the reverse happened; Ban would do the same. Although due to the story's structure, we learn and get to know Emrael a lot more than we do Ban. I am hoping in the second and third parts of this trilogy, we will get to know Ban a lot more and learn what drives him.
In Rise of the Mages, behind the story of Emrael and his quest to become a warrior or Ban's quest to learn to tinker and create are strong female characters. In the periphery, but no less important is the boy's mother, who is more than she claims. But at this junction, we only know fragments and pieces of her story.
Jaina, Emrael's master, is a warrior and one of the best fighters that the world has ever seen. Instead of slipping into convention, Drakeford gives her added depth by making her devoutly religious to the Ordenan religion. It is a beautiful contrast that she is not all hard planes but a soul beyond fierce battle. And finally, we have Ban's best friend Elle, who is powerful also but very different from the brothers. While the narrative is always about Emrael, I couldn't help but wonder about Elle in the backdrop of his extraordinary quest. Elle is in the background experiencing moments that bifurcate her life into the before and after. She is not the same character at the end that started the story.
I am thoroughly impressed by this story. I know that this story took ten years to craft and was a labor of love for all involved. With its rounded characters and exciting action sequences, you can tell this will have a gigantic appeal to lovers of classic fantasy stories. Author Scott Drakeford just stepped into the publishing world of SFF and slammed his ax down.
I am very much looking forward to the next book, so I may dive back into the world of Ire and watch the brothers come into their power.
The story starts with two brothers, Emrael and Ban. Two young men who are nationless refugees of a now-defunct royal bloodline. Emrael is working to keep his brother in materials used for tinkering and to further his crafting skill with infusori. At the same time, Emrael is learning daily to become a master warrior and political commander at training school. This training will allow the brothers to make something of themselves, and they would no longer have to rely on their mother for Ban's support. No matter the two brothers' work, they are constantly regarded as lesser by their peers, save for Ban's best friend, Elle.
Due to the political intrigues of the existing nations and the church's influence, Governor Corrande, the governor of the state that Emrael's school is located in, brokers a deal with the church to enslave users of infusori to build machines that will give him an edge in an upcoming war for territory. Corrande is setting himself up to consolidate the existing domains under his authority. Emrael and Ban, due both to their ability to use infusori and their political connections, get stuck in the middle of this war.
The crux of the story happens when Emrael and Ban attempt to flee the Citadel, the school they train at, and Ban is captured. Elle, Ban's teacher, and Emrael's master and trainer Jaina barely escape with their lives. The extremely close brothers are separated by the direst of circumstances. This separation sets Emrael on a quest for revenge on those who captured and enslaved Ban, and Emrael will burn the world to ashes before abandoning his brother.
There is a strong power in this familial bond between the brothers, especially in Emrael and how he relates to Ban. Ban is the younger brother, and while competent and a man in his own right, Emrael takes care of him as an older brother should. This helps drive the narrative of why Emrael will stop at nothing to save his brother. I think had the reverse happened; Ban would do the same. Although due to the story's structure, we learn and get to know Emrael a lot more than we do Ban. I am hoping in the second and third parts of this trilogy, we will get to know Ban a lot more and learn what drives him.
In Rise of the Mages, behind the story of Emrael and his quest to become a warrior or Ban's quest to learn to tinker and create are strong female characters. In the periphery, but no less important is the boy's mother, who is more than she claims. But at this junction, we only know fragments and pieces of her story.
Jaina, Emrael's master, is a warrior and one of the best fighters that the world has ever seen. Instead of slipping into convention, Drakeford gives her added depth by making her devoutly religious to the Ordenan religion. It is a beautiful contrast that she is not all hard planes but a soul beyond fierce battle. And finally, we have Ban's best friend Elle, who is powerful also but very different from the brothers. While the narrative is always about Emrael, I couldn't help but wonder about Elle in the backdrop of his extraordinary quest. Elle is in the background experiencing moments that bifurcate her life into the before and after. She is not the same character at the end that started the story.
I am thoroughly impressed by this story. I know that this story took ten years to craft and was a labor of love for all involved. With its rounded characters and exciting action sequences, you can tell this will have a gigantic appeal to lovers of classic fantasy stories. Author Scott Drakeford just stepped into the publishing world of SFF and slammed his ax down.
I am very much looking forward to the next book, so I may dive back into the world of Ire and watch the brothers come into their power.
punkhazard's review
The book was marketed as being fast paced action. That’s technically true but not in a fun way. Just running from scene to scene without making sure the audience cares about what’s happening. I liked fast paced stories. No one likes rushed stories. And Like i said I just didn’t care about anything it was telling. The world building was blah with a lot of fantasy jargon to make you think its worth remembering. The magic system just didn’t entice me. It felt weirdly one note and boring(at least as far as I got). It was setting up to be this epic fantasy but everything somehow felt small and petty. I didn’t get anything from this book thats going to stick with me.
thatrainbowbrownie's review
3.5
I received a audio ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t know how to feel about Rise of the Mages, there were aspects in which I loved, the world building, magic system and the epic battles. But then I also found myself not caring for the characters and that it felt like the story was dragging on in some parts. I can say though that I like it enough to give it another go when I get a physical copy as opposed to listening to it.
darbter's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.75
Personally, I would’ve enjoyed more character development & relationship building between all the seemingly nonstop action. It was difficult for me to get invested in what was happening because there wasn’t enough world & character building. Unsure if I will continue this series.
staceyrz's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
itsmarcy's review
2.0
Please check out my full review at my blog here!
Please note in an exchange for an honest review, I received an advance reader copy (ARC) from NetGalley.
Drakeford's first entry to his Age of the Ire series will be enjoyed by any who wished to read a story of young man, with unknown potential, and his ragtag group of friends embarking on a quest to save his younger brother. The magic system is interesting and constantly in present in the world built by Drakeford.
Personally, the book's main protagonist irked me. The only other person I felt was fleshed out was Jaina and I actually really did like her. While I enjoyed the world, I only ever was interested in Jaina and another character. And because this book is about Emrael you won't get to know much about them so I'm out of luck.
Would I recommend this? By all means if you are into what I mentioned pick it up. It has the worldbuilding and definitely more of hack and slash feel rather than a character driven book. As for me, I think I will pass on the sequel but consider Drakeford's future books.
Please note in an exchange for an honest review, I received an advance reader copy (ARC) from NetGalley.
Drakeford's first entry to his Age of the Ire series will be enjoyed by any who wished to read a story of young man, with unknown potential, and his ragtag group of friends embarking on a quest to save his younger brother. The magic system is interesting and constantly in present in the world built by Drakeford.
Personally, the book's main protagonist irked me. The only other person I felt was fleshed out was Jaina and I actually really did like her. While I enjoyed the world, I only ever was interested in Jaina and another character. And because this book is about Emrael you won't get to know much about them so I'm out of luck.
Would I recommend this? By all means if you are into what I mentioned pick it up. It has the worldbuilding and definitely more of hack and slash feel rather than a character driven book. As for me, I think I will pass on the sequel but consider Drakeford's future books.
kkalonick's review
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
bookish_wanderluster's review
DNF @ 27%
though the story has potential and I was interested in it, the writing is not smooth. there is a lot of tell and not a lot of show and I could not stand it any longer.
though the story has potential and I was interested in it, the writing is not smooth. there is a lot of tell and not a lot of show and I could not stand it any longer.