Reviews with content warning for Violence - Minor Mage

This was a lot of fun, and I plan to hand it to my 12 yo, who I think will love it, too. It's funny and reflective about the very real issues of mob mentality. I also appreciated Armadillo's amusing input and wise advice throughout, especially to focus on doing the things well that you can actually do and not work beyond your attainable scope.

There was a bit more violence than is average for a middle grade novel and more death of only partially guilty people. Oliver reflects on their unwanted deaths with regret. Some very mild and occasional swearing.

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bibble_kingly's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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mabellene's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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caterina_1212's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Funny adventure, a little scary at times but a really sweet book. Middle grade level for sure. Wouldn't call it cozy, but now I want an armadillo to snuggle with.

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starlitpage's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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bexi's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny reflective 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

3.75

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emily_mh's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

This was a well-crafted novella. Kingfisher knows how to write a quest narrative! Often I find these to be filled with nonsensical obstacles thrown in to extend the story, but Kingfisher’s always serve a purpose beyond creating tension, and they also are tied up in who the characters are. The narrative was also well-structured, with the right amount of time spent at each stage of the quest.

I appreciated that Kingfisher actually acknowledged that traumatic events, such as being sent on a quest as a child by yourself, has an impact on a person. This is a concept rarely explored in fantasy.

There were a couple negatives. Oliver is our main character and while he undergoes development in regard to his confidence as a mage, I just wasn’t compelled by him as a person. As he is the one the story is focussed on, this was problematic for my enjoyment.

Another criticism is that the most interesting aspect of the world-building, the cloud herders, only comes in at the very end, so the world unfortunately feels bland up until that point.

While I do have these two critiques, I enjoyed my time with this novella overall.

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betsw's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

A fabulous tween/YA fiction book. Oliver and his armadillo familiar are a delightful pair as they stumble through a journey that they are definitely too young and inexperienced to undertake. In the tradition of Brian Jaques or Don Bluth, it is obviously geared toward younger readers but depicts our heroes in frightening and violent situations with gravitas without veering into gratuitous displays. As a young reader I always appreciated authors treating me with enough respect not to "baby" me while also not taking it too far--T. Kingfisher manages this with aplomb. A really fun, scary, and ultimately hopeful little story full of adventure. I also appreciated the main character's meditations on how people can be swept up in groupthink and do or even just allow things they are not proud of. It asks the reader to consider that adults are human too, and make mistakes, and even so, those mistakes can have consequences.

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