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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Wat een heerlijk boek is dit. Mr. Stay kan verdraaid goed schrijven. Dit boek vertelt het verhaal van de magiërs Kosheen Katell en Sander Bree. Sander werkt voor de koning en Kosheen werkt voor wie haar wil hebben als een waarheidsziener. Maar dat verandert allemaal als de Lapis Maan door een groot brok graniet dat uit de ruimte komt vallen vernietigd wordt. Opeens hebben ze niets meer over van hun magische krachten. Rosheen's broertje Oskar heeft de eerste jaren van zijn leven doorgebracht als een geestelijk gehandicapt kind, dat gepest wordt door iedereen, ze noemen hem het Maan kind. Maar door de vernietiging van de Lapis Maan komen zijn krachten juist tot leven.
Ondertussen begint er een oorlog tussen het rebellenleger van Haldor Frang en de koning van Bhaltair van Ultan.
Goed geschreven en intrigerend van het begin tot het einde. Ik vind het achteraf jammer dat ik het boek even aan de kant heb geschoven om andere boeken voor te laten gaan. Want dit is het absoluut waard om in een ruk uit te lezen.
Ondertussen begint er een oorlog tussen het rebellenleger van Haldor Frang en de koning van Bhaltair van Ultan.
Goed geschreven en intrigerend van het begin tot het einde. Ik vind het achteraf jammer dat ik het boek even aan de kant heb geschoven om andere boeken voor te laten gaan. Want dit is het absoluut waard om in een ruk uit te lezen.
The End Of Magic…an ambiguous title that could suggest many things. One thing that it does deliver on is the benchmark that epic fantasy should aspire to reach. In very grim times it brought an element of light-hearted hilarity that was very much needed. The magical system is very cleverly constructed in which that it is integrated seamlessly into the bones of the story. It is believable and is manifested as an everyday occurrence. I very much liked that aspect of the story. Stay is a genius in that he took the usual formula for fantasy novels and turned it upside down. Rules be damned!
I instantly knew the reader was going to be in good hands with the author. Mark Stay’s personality was pretty obvious in the initial few pages of The End Of Magic and I knew that this was a tale that was going to stay with me for the long term. Rosheen Katell, a freelance mage and truth seer, a strong character with an undercurrent of vulnerability and a narration that is both wary and exciting. Her character runs deep, and I often felt a bubbling cauldron of trepidation fizzle my nerves. I could anticipate disastrous events coming but when and where?
As a mage her job takes her from town to town and in any great fantasy, you need a trusty sidekick, let me introduce you to, Anzu, the pretty amazing griffin. I am partial to a dragon in fantasy plots but give me a griffin and I’m anyone’s. I mean, who wouldn’t want to own the most magical mythical creature? The king’s mage, Sander Bree – a mage that is fed up and desperately looking for a way out. One major thing they have in common is the Lapis moon – the place where they draw their power from. It has been relied upon for hundreds of years but what happens when a cosmic event happens, and magic disappears. Lives are drastically changed forever.
What are the consequences of such a world altering event? What choices are ultimately being forced into fruition? Rosheen, against her better judgement and morals is forced to help an evil warlord in order to save the life of her brother, Oskar. The things we do for love. Conversely Sander Bree has to come to the rescue of the king’s daughter. It’s a race against time and both mages will be tested beyond anything they have experienced before.
The End Of Magic takes on a sinister edge at times, but it is essentially a story of epic proportions, one of loss, betrayal and hilarity in equal measures. The writing invites the brain to ask questions, it didn’t feel unbelievable, a reason that I couldn’t stop reading. The author did a fantastic job of laying hints and this book lover was only too happy to lap them up. The human condition was constantly at the forefront of this story and the ability to examine and process the very real human emotions and motivations behind decisions and actions.
The End Of Magic was a non-traditional coming of age epic fantasy that was thrilling and exciting in equal measures. Fans of Raymond Feist and Brandon Sanderson will find much to admire. Action aplenty with a generous splattering of gore!
I instantly knew the reader was going to be in good hands with the author. Mark Stay’s personality was pretty obvious in the initial few pages of The End Of Magic and I knew that this was a tale that was going to stay with me for the long term. Rosheen Katell, a freelance mage and truth seer, a strong character with an undercurrent of vulnerability and a narration that is both wary and exciting. Her character runs deep, and I often felt a bubbling cauldron of trepidation fizzle my nerves. I could anticipate disastrous events coming but when and where?
As a mage her job takes her from town to town and in any great fantasy, you need a trusty sidekick, let me introduce you to, Anzu, the pretty amazing griffin. I am partial to a dragon in fantasy plots but give me a griffin and I’m anyone’s. I mean, who wouldn’t want to own the most magical mythical creature? The king’s mage, Sander Bree – a mage that is fed up and desperately looking for a way out. One major thing they have in common is the Lapis moon – the place where they draw their power from. It has been relied upon for hundreds of years but what happens when a cosmic event happens, and magic disappears. Lives are drastically changed forever.
What are the consequences of such a world altering event? What choices are ultimately being forced into fruition? Rosheen, against her better judgement and morals is forced to help an evil warlord in order to save the life of her brother, Oskar. The things we do for love. Conversely Sander Bree has to come to the rescue of the king’s daughter. It’s a race against time and both mages will be tested beyond anything they have experienced before.
The End Of Magic takes on a sinister edge at times, but it is essentially a story of epic proportions, one of loss, betrayal and hilarity in equal measures. The writing invites the brain to ask questions, it didn’t feel unbelievable, a reason that I couldn’t stop reading. The author did a fantastic job of laying hints and this book lover was only too happy to lap them up. The human condition was constantly at the forefront of this story and the ability to examine and process the very real human emotions and motivations behind decisions and actions.
The End Of Magic was a non-traditional coming of age epic fantasy that was thrilling and exciting in equal measures. Fans of Raymond Feist and Brandon Sanderson will find much to admire. Action aplenty with a generous splattering of gore!
The End of Magic offers its readers an intriguing premise. While many of us are no doubt familiar with books where seemingly normal people discover they possess magical powers (unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past twenty years and missed the Harry Potter phenomenon), this new fantasy novel, written by Mark Stay, turns the traditional tale on its head and, as the title suggests, deals with, well, the end of magic.
Rosheen Katell is a freelance mage and trusted truthseer who travels around the country from job to job with her griffin Anzu; Sander Bree is the king’s mage, stuck in a rut and desperately seeking a way out. Both draw their power from the Lapis Moon in orbit above, but when a comet collides with the moon, the magic they’ve relied upon disappears and their lives are changed forever. Rosheen is forced to help an evil, power-hungry warlord in a bid to save the life of her brother Oskar, a moonchild alone in his own world; while Sander faces a race against time to rescue the king’s daughter. What follows is a thrilling adventure packed full of action, conflict, loss, betrayal, heartache and a belly full of laughs.
The End of Magic is a gripping read from start to finish, with unexpected twists and turns throughout, culminating in a dark and bittersweet ending sure to tug at the heartstrings. The detailed descriptions in this neatly woven tale vividly bring to life the numerous inhabitants of this imaginary world, and the well-paced action ensures that The End of Magic is a page-turner you won’t want to put down. Sander, Rosheen and Oskar are all refreshingly strong characters affected by the collapse of the Lapis Moon in very different ways and forced to embark on dangerous journeys against their will. Though their paths are at odds at times, it’s hard not to champion the unlikely heroes of this tale, despite their own imperfections, and that's thanks to the human aspect to the story, the way readers can get inside their heads and understand their motivations. The characterisations are relatable and realistic, but what makes The End of Magic really stand out is the wit and sarcastic humour dripping off the pages at times, notably through Stay’s dialogue (“He’s not magical you morons, he’s just short.”). Don’t be fooled however, it’s certainly not a laugh-a-minute novel and the lighter moments instead neatly balance out the drama and tragedy, of which there’s plenty.
The End of Magic is a brave, compelling story of human endurance and determination and is sure to entertain. Stay previously co-wrote the screenplay to hit film Robot Overlords, starring Ben Kingsley, and its subsequent novelisation, and The End of Magic is a novel that certainly wouldn’t look out of place on the big screen.
Rosheen Katell is a freelance mage and trusted truthseer who travels around the country from job to job with her griffin Anzu; Sander Bree is the king’s mage, stuck in a rut and desperately seeking a way out. Both draw their power from the Lapis Moon in orbit above, but when a comet collides with the moon, the magic they’ve relied upon disappears and their lives are changed forever. Rosheen is forced to help an evil, power-hungry warlord in a bid to save the life of her brother Oskar, a moonchild alone in his own world; while Sander faces a race against time to rescue the king’s daughter. What follows is a thrilling adventure packed full of action, conflict, loss, betrayal, heartache and a belly full of laughs.
The End of Magic is a gripping read from start to finish, with unexpected twists and turns throughout, culminating in a dark and bittersweet ending sure to tug at the heartstrings. The detailed descriptions in this neatly woven tale vividly bring to life the numerous inhabitants of this imaginary world, and the well-paced action ensures that The End of Magic is a page-turner you won’t want to put down. Sander, Rosheen and Oskar are all refreshingly strong characters affected by the collapse of the Lapis Moon in very different ways and forced to embark on dangerous journeys against their will. Though their paths are at odds at times, it’s hard not to champion the unlikely heroes of this tale, despite their own imperfections, and that's thanks to the human aspect to the story, the way readers can get inside their heads and understand their motivations. The characterisations are relatable and realistic, but what makes The End of Magic really stand out is the wit and sarcastic humour dripping off the pages at times, notably through Stay’s dialogue (“He’s not magical you morons, he’s just short.”). Don’t be fooled however, it’s certainly not a laugh-a-minute novel and the lighter moments instead neatly balance out the drama and tragedy, of which there’s plenty.
The End of Magic is a brave, compelling story of human endurance and determination and is sure to entertain. Stay previously co-wrote the screenplay to hit film Robot Overlords, starring Ben Kingsley, and its subsequent novelisation, and The End of Magic is a novel that certainly wouldn’t look out of place on the big screen.
Abandoned on page 133 of 371. Just didn’t care enough about any character to keep reading.
this is the story of Rosheen Katell and Sander Bree who start the story as magicians and then there's a catastrophy where the magical moon that provides the power for magic and magical creatures is destroyed by an impact from space. Into the mix comes a warlord, determined to exploit this and also with a strong sense of how to exploit people. When the moon is destroyed, those people known as Moon-children suddenly become powerful.
It's a complex world with characters who have different motivations (mostly survival) and to whom this is not a game.
A story with a lot of messy events happening and a lot of setting up for the next part of the story. I would read more in the series but I'm not really invested in hunting it up.
It's a complex world with characters who have different motivations (mostly survival) and to whom this is not a game.
A story with a lot of messy events happening and a lot of setting up for the next part of the story. I would read more in the series but I'm not really invested in hunting it up.
The Power of your actions
While the backdrop of sword & sorcery is familiar the interplay of characters makes all the difference. The underlying story is of redemption and the cost your actions incur.
This is a breezy swirl of mostly engaging characters and through the arc of the story the good aren’t necessarily as good as they are but at least the bad are.
A final twist does leave a bitter taste and could leave a open door to a sequel.
While the backdrop of sword & sorcery is familiar the interplay of characters makes all the difference. The underlying story is of redemption and the cost your actions incur.
This is a breezy swirl of mostly engaging characters and through the arc of the story the good aren’t necessarily as good as they are but at least the bad are.
A final twist does leave a bitter taste and could leave a open door to a sequel.
The End Of Magic…an ambiguous title that could suggest many things. One thing that it does deliver on is the benchmark that epic fantasy should aspire to reach. In very grim times it brought an element of light-hearted hilarity that was very much needed. The magical system is very cleverly constructed in which that it is integrated seamlessly into the bones of the story. It is believable and is manifested as an everyday occurrence. I very much liked that aspect of the story. Stay is a genius in that he took the usual formula for fantasy novels and turned it upside down. Rules be damned!
I instantly knew the reader was going to be in good hands with the author. Mark Stay’s personality was pretty obvious in the initial few pages of The End Of Magic and I knew that this was a tale that was going to stay with me for the long term. Rosheen Katell, a freelance mage and truth seer, a strong character with an undercurrent of vulnerability and a narration that is both wary and exciting. Her character runs deep, and I often felt a bubbling cauldron of trepidation fizzle my nerves. I could anticipate disastrous events coming but when and where?
As a mage her job takes her from town to town and in any great fantasy, you need a trusty sidekick, let me introduce you to, Anzu, the pretty amazing griffin. I am partial to a dragon in fantasy plots but give me a griffin and I’m anyone’s. I mean, who wouldn’t want to own the most magical mythical creature? The king’s mage, Sander Bree – a mage that is fed up and desperately looking for a way out. One major thing they have in common is the Lapis moon – the place where they draw their power from. It has been relied upon for hundreds of years but what happens when a cosmic event happens, and magic disappears. Lives are drastically changed forever.
What are the consequences of such a world altering event? What choices are ultimately being forced into fruition? Rosheen, against her better judgement and morals is forced to help an evil warlord in order to save the life of her brother, Oskar. The things we do for love. Conversely Sander Bree has to come to the rescue of the king’s daughter. It’s a race against time and both mages will be tested beyond anything they have experienced before.
The End Of Magic takes on a sinister edge at times, but it is essentially a story of epic proportions, one of loss, betrayal and hilarity in equal measures. The writing invites the brain to ask questions, it didn’t feel unbelievable, a reason that I couldn’t stop reading. The author did a fantastic job of laying hints and this book lover was only too happy to lap them up. The human condition was constantly at the forefront of this story and the ability to examine and process the very real human emotions and motivations behind decisions and actions.
The End Of Magic was a non-traditional coming of age epic fantasy that was thrilling and exciting in equal measures. Fans of Raymond Feist and Brandon Sanderson will find much to admire. Action aplenty with a generous splattering of gore!
I instantly knew the reader was going to be in good hands with the author. Mark Stay’s personality was pretty obvious in the initial few pages of The End Of Magic and I knew that this was a tale that was going to stay with me for the long term. Rosheen Katell, a freelance mage and truth seer, a strong character with an undercurrent of vulnerability and a narration that is both wary and exciting. Her character runs deep, and I often felt a bubbling cauldron of trepidation fizzle my nerves. I could anticipate disastrous events coming but when and where?
As a mage her job takes her from town to town and in any great fantasy, you need a trusty sidekick, let me introduce you to, Anzu, the pretty amazing griffin. I am partial to a dragon in fantasy plots but give me a griffin and I’m anyone’s. I mean, who wouldn’t want to own the most magical mythical creature? The king’s mage, Sander Bree – a mage that is fed up and desperately looking for a way out. One major thing they have in common is the Lapis moon – the place where they draw their power from. It has been relied upon for hundreds of years but what happens when a cosmic event happens, and magic disappears. Lives are drastically changed forever.
What are the consequences of such a world altering event? What choices are ultimately being forced into fruition? Rosheen, against her better judgement and morals is forced to help an evil warlord in order to save the life of her brother, Oskar. The things we do for love. Conversely Sander Bree has to come to the rescue of the king’s daughter. It’s a race against time and both mages will be tested beyond anything they have experienced before.
The End Of Magic takes on a sinister edge at times, but it is essentially a story of epic proportions, one of loss, betrayal and hilarity in equal measures. The writing invites the brain to ask questions, it didn’t feel unbelievable, a reason that I couldn’t stop reading. The author did a fantastic job of laying hints and this book lover was only too happy to lap them up. The human condition was constantly at the forefront of this story and the ability to examine and process the very real human emotions and motivations behind decisions and actions.
The End Of Magic was a non-traditional coming of age epic fantasy that was thrilling and exciting in equal measures. Fans of Raymond Feist and Brandon Sanderson will find much to admire. Action aplenty with a generous splattering of gore!
A lot of fun, turning traditional fantasy themes on their head and opening up a whole new fantasy world. I'm hoping the big unexplored chunk of world and set up ideas go on to let us see more of Rosheen, Sander and Oskar.
Read via Pigeonhole. Unfortunately "The End Of Magic" didn't really work for me. When I read fantasy, I am looking for pure escapism untempered by realism - particularly when it comes in the form of expletives and the demonstration of less than desirable personal habits, both of which felt incongruous. This review makes me sound far more prudish than I am but that's how I felt about it. Too many characters vying for attention so it felt like the story had no time to breathe as it developed. I am very much enjoying Mark Stay's "Bestseller Experiment" podcast but I'm sorry Mark, this book wasn't for me.
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fast paced story that forces our main characters to abandon the life they once knew for something unfamiliar. The world building is excellent, but the lore in this book has a few holes, particularly about these moon children and what they are exactly. Overall, though, The End of Magic is a tale that takes the sword and sorcery theme and presents a different take on it, focusing on the consequences on the characters’ actions and the road to redemption in the midst of power shifting from magic to ordinary humans.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Murder