In the story we follow Naila, a young student at a magical academy. She is trying to successfully use magic, but even though she can feel it, she was never able to access it.

The Outcast Mage feels like a classic tale, but it wasn't a drawback, as it felt comforting to me. The magic system was pretty interesting, but what really shone in the story is the characters. I loved each one of them, and the found family aspect was lovely. Even though some of the characters have troubles, it's well explained as to what caused them to be as they are.

It is book 1 in a series, and it feels a bit like a prologue, but it already has a lot of action- it just feels as if it sets up a much bigger story.

It felt immersive and kept my attention the whole way through, and I've finished the last fourth of the book in one sitting, and that happens to me very rarely when it comes to physical reading!

If you're looking for a coming of age story that has a diverse cast of characters, found family, magical secrets, political intrigue and banter sprinkled in, this might be a book for you. 💜

4,5 rounded to 5 ✨

An entertaining fantasy debut.

A slightly slow start as the world building is gradual and expands as the book develops.
We start in a city protected by a magical dome. Its inhabitants are either those with magical powers or those with none (“Hollows”). Naila is a young girl who has magic but can’t bring it to the fore. The most powerful mage in the city takes on her training, but this is interrupted by city politics, hidden agendas and secrets.
Just as Naila starts to discover she has a different type of magic she is forced to flee the city and finds there is more to her world and her power than she ever suspected.

This packs in quite a lot, maybe “slightly” too much, but it is engaging and a good start to a series. Enjoyed this.

This is a good book. However, I don't think it will impress fantasy readers significantly. Some of the new stuff, such as the dome on top of the magic city, is not developed yet, as if left for the second book in the series. Other than that, the book has a good pace, is well written and has a good ending, but lacks of anything that makes it remark above most of the fantasy books our there. Overall rate will vary depending on how the story evolves in following books.

3.5 stars.

The premise of this book is really interesting, one that I was sure will make a high fantasy lover like me gushing after reading. The fmc, Nalia, is a mage training in the Academy of Amoria, but she is branded as a hollow mage. She can't perform magic, even the simplest forms. Nalia is the typical fantasy, and I really looked forward to her rise as a powerful mage. I crave for that rising point of the story, where the seemingly incompetent character level up. The 3 stars I gave this book are all for Nalia. I feel like her arc is worth to follow, and that's why I'm very much interested in reading the next books. The idea of a hollow mage is too interesting to pass.

Well, despite some of things that I think could've been better.

First, for a high fantasy, this is not as "high" as I expected. Also, high fantasy is know for the complex and intricate plot and world, and yes this one has those, however, I have an issue with the exposition. It was almost like there's no exposition in the beginning of the story; it felt like I was thrown in a story that I was supposed to already know the world and everything in it, but of course I didn't yet because this is first in the series. I really thought the book needs more exposition in the first quarter of the book. But aside from the lack of exposition in the beginning, the fictional world is actually amazing. I did love the dark academia vibe.

As for the characters (except Nalia), honestly, I didn't feel them enough. It's like they're not distinct enough as characters individually so I didn't connect with any of them. But who knows what book would bring.

Pacing-wise, it was fine. This is not a bad book at all even though I rated it only 3 stars.

3.25 stars!

Going into The Outcast Mage I expected to dive into a world and tale of much grander scale. Instead it turned out to be a story (or beginning of one) that was more contained and on the simpler side, which took some adjusting. Still, the story hooked me enough early on to keep me interested and get me through the slower start.

The plot was very much front and center here, but the pace at which it moved forward dragged at times, and there was a lot of tell, particularly in the beginning, with the way information was introduced. I usually prefer to experience the world with and through the characters, the connection I have to them tends to have the biggest impact on how I absorb a story. And while I liked some of the characters and even started to feel a little bit invested, especially in Haelius, there was still some sort of detachment towards most of them. I love tropes like found family and stories with mentor/mentee type relationships, and I could see the building blocks here, however, the execution didn't fully land for me. Another quibble I had was that some character choices and plot points felt somewhat inconsistent or not developed enough beforehand, which led to some frustration.

Having said that, there was also something about the story that made it very intriguing and a breeze to get through. The magic system felt familiar, yet different, and I liked a lot of the ideas the author had. I guess, my biggest criticism is that there just wasn't enough - enough world building, background, character depth & development. But I am hopeful that all these elements will be explored further and expanded upon in the next installment, and I'm certainly looking forward to finding out!

As I have mentioned before, I don't like epic fantasy. Why did I request a review copy of this book then, you ask? Sometimes you need to try the things you don't usually like and you find out you actually like it this one time - doesn't work with everything though, trust me, I am still trying to get my son(19y/o) to eat his greens.

Why did I like this book? Bear with me, I'm trying to make sense of it, but I might be rambling.
First of all, the story has a refreshingly modern feel to it. A lot of the story is set in a glass domed city that is in the middle of the desert. That alone made me interested in the story, how do they manage this; apart from the obvious answer: magic.
Then there is the protagonist Naila, a seventeen year old mage with no magical abilities. Let's not beat about the bush, she is a chosen one, but she's not the kind who suddenly can do all the things, suddenly knows what she does is for a good cause, yada yada. No, she is full of doubt and makes stupid yet very understandable decisions and mistakes. I felt for her and with her, and might have done the same in her situation. She's a very believable teenager. Ms Campbell, well done, you have no idea how often I normally get a sprained eye muscle from rolling my eyes so much.
Third, the disaster mage. Loved this character. Like Naila, Haelius is grounded in real life. He is the most powerful mage of the city, but he makes mistakes too and doesn't have all the answers. He doesn't sit in an ivory tower, he doesn't wear pristine robes, he likes to get his hands dirty, he likes to investigate what goes on in the city and that means visiting the non-mage parts of the city too.
Fourth, plot, world-building and character development move along at a good pace, there is no info-dumping and I got to know the characters due to the multiple-POV narration. Here's where you can see that the author of the book is an avid board and video game player and has a background in sciences. It's obvious that Ms Campbell thought about how she wanted to build the world and the magic system, she organised her thoughts and ideas and brought them to paper in an orderly fashion; and no, I do not mean bullet points, but information stacked on instead of information all over the place and looping back to the beginning and leaving out important parts.


In short, give this book a try if you want to read a fantasy novel with a fresh twist.

The Outcast Mage is my first book by Annabel Campbell and its a high fantasy story will found family and a cast of loveable characters. This makes the traditional professor-student training to a new light. It's a fast paced action mixed with a slow academia book. I feel like the setting of this world is unique and i felt like it had some inspirations of the South West Asia and North African cultures.

The pacing was good but a bit slow at some points, however, the world building was well done and it's an amazing book about magic schools and quests. I would have enjoyed for a bit more detail on some aspects of the book, such as the training between Naila and Haelius. It takes place at Amoria and we watch as the city dissolves into division due to political play's and unknown powers.

I felt like a lot of the events of this book were an introduction to some of the plot of the next instalment of this series and i'm looking forward to it. I think this was an enjoyable new read and i recommend it to fans of the genre.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eArc!

The Outcast Mage is a fun read. If you like high fantasy with found family, flawed-yet-loveable characters, and just the tiniest hint of maybe dragons, there's a good chance you'll like this.

While in many ways it feels like a classic or conventional high fantasy, it subverts a number of expectations. The plot was genuinely surprising start to finish, but not in a chaotic way. Campbell has done a great job writing, building, and pacing the sense of threat hanging over the story. She also turns a troubling character stereotype on its head quite early on, which was wonderful to see.

There are a few things I didn't love, but none were dealbreakers. At the start of the book, I felt like some scenes doubled up on giving character information or explaining the world. For example, of the first three scenes, I personally think only two were needed. However, this drops off quickly once the world has been introduced. So many characters have so much plot armour, which at times makes the stakes feel lower than intended; but at the same time, I really liked the characters so I also liked knowing I'd get more of their stories. And finally, the book's pacing makes it super clear early on that this isn't a standalone. I'm ambivalent about this: I like that it's telegraphed early to manage expectations (no surprise cliffhangers!), but it does feel like a really slow-burning plot as a result.

With that said, the book does deliver a complete story and an ending that feels satisfying, for now at least. I loved how the ending was handled, as it wrapped the initial story up well, while also hunting at exciting stuff to be explored in the next book. I'll definitely be reading the next books.

Dnf at 53%

I have never felt more disconnected from a cast of characters. It took me half the book to realise I didn't care about what happened with them or where the story lead.

The worldbuilding could have been interesting, but instead it's just vaguely gestured at then abandoned in favor of dry character interactions.

Part one of however many, this is the episode where all the pieces are put on the board and we're shown that Something is Wrong. Next episode, Finding Out; episode after that, Doing Something. Characters annoyingly don't talk to one another and more revelations could have been shoved further forward. I'll read the next one because I'm interested now but getting there was a slog.

4.5⭐️s

What an incredible fantastical world! I absolutely ATE this book up. The world and the characters are a familiar structure but simultaneously like absolutely nothing else I have ever read before.

The Outcast Mage takes your traditional professor-student training plot and twists it around and shakes it all about. It’s fast paced action meets slow and steady academia and it all blends together flawlessly.

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the character of haelius. Beautifully humble with silent confidence and power that you can feel off the page. His complex relationships with Naila and Larinne especially are what make this book; watching them all interact with their own quirks was fantastic. Naila is a great FMC, readers really sympathise with her and I felt myself really rooting for her from the literal get go (which is so incredibly hard to do at the beginning of a fantasy book!!!). I loved the characters of entonin and kara and their ever evolving relationship. The side characters are loveable and well flushed out and I quickly found myself very very attached.

One of my unexpected favourite parts were the creepy underlying tone that followed the story - even in happy monents in Amoria, I could feel dread in the back of my mind reminding me that all was not as it seemed - this was HUGELY supported by the interlude chapters. Wonderful!

The pacing was overall good but sometimes we skipped alot of time and I would have liked to see what happened there e.g. I would have loved more detail on the training that Naila and Haelius do.

Overall, a wonderful book that is a love letter to quests, magic schools and fables that may just turn out to be true. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eArc!

3.5 stars

A very promising book that will appeal to fans of Trudi Canavan (how awesome it is that Trudi Canavan herself has blurbed the book) - It is kind of comfortingly traditional and tropish but the author distinguishes this from the others by packing in so much stuff. The book flows brilliantly pretty much all the way but I think the last 15-20% kind of took me out of the magic of the book a fair bit. The book went too big too quickly introducing the bigger world and that shifted the stakes of the book from what it was from a character perspective....

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book to review.

The Outcast Mage is the start of a new fantasy series set in a mystical world. Taking place primarily in the mage city of Amoria, we follow a cast of characters as the city dissolves into division, political play, and unknown powers changing what they know of magic. Our titular character, Naila, is a student at the mage academy in this city but has shown no magical talent despite being noted as a mage. While she struggles to learn magic, she gains the aid of a wizard, one of the most powerful mages in the world, and together they try to unlock the secrets of her power while trying to stop the city from collapsing into a war between the mages and the “hollows,” the non-mages.

The setting of this world is unique, and takes on inspiration from multiple cultures of our world, notably some South West Asian and North African culture which makes this fantasy world feel separate from many other fantasy series’ of the like. Amoria itself is a city made of glass, making for some spectacular imagery as you read through the story. While most of the story takes place in the city, we gain a little insight into the rest of the world and the political relationships between the rest of the regions, which feel like an introduction to possible plot points in future instalments into this series. Between gods and religions, a unique magic system, and even ancient dragon lore, this story brings a lot to build a world you just want to know more about.

Despite all of this, I did feel like the world building wasn’t explained the best in the story. I would have liked a little more understanding for the history behind the regions. I was trying to decipher where our mages came from, who was allied with who. Some of this was explained but I feel like the author was a little too afraid of exposition to give us a full understanding of the history she probably knows herself.

I also found the characters to be mostly unlikeable. While I feel like this is probably just my personal preference, our four point-of-view characters felt almost indistinguishable from each other. While some had a unique personality trait, each one felt like they slipped into anger far too easily and almost all the time. While this would have been fine in one or even two of these characters, it felt repetitive to have this happen with every character in every chapter. I also felt like these characters were trying to be too many things. The wizard Haelius Akana was hot headed with political leaders, quick to act and egotistical in his own power, but would become soft and a gentle teacher with Naila. Naila herself was timid and shy, living in a city that didn’t like her and left her without a place, but would quickly become sarcastic and witty when snapping at her teacher. While later in the story she does grow as a character, this early characterisation made it hard to understand who she is as a person. While some of these characterisations have a place within the story, the back and forth between these multiple personalities were jarring.

I also found the political storyline a little too ham-fisted. While the plot point of the oppressed versus the oppressor is not new, it didn’t feel earned within this story. We watched as leadership within the city stepped aside to allow our antagonist to gain all the power within the city, mostly in ways that felt too convenient to him and with little to no fight from anyone outwith our POV characters. It was frustrating to read through, especially in today’s current political climate. While there is a real need for exploring politics within stories, this book’s attempt just felt too hopeless and uninspiring, which I personally do not think is necessary combined with our own politics. I am sure most of this will be answered within future instalments as well, especially as some of my critiques felt like they were close to being answered within the epilogue of this book, but it did not lead to a fun reading experience for this first book.

While there are some fantasy elements that are fun within this story, I am looking forward to the next instalment as I hope It can deliver more where this book lacked for my personal tastes. For anyone who is interested in any of the plot points mentioned throughout my review, I think this is a good read for the experience of them, and perhaps they are executed more to your tastes than they are to my own.

Wow! What a start to a new fantasy series. I was hooked from the start. The Outcast Mage is set in a city of Mages, trapped within a huge dome that keeps them safe. When a political leader starts to whip up hatred against the non magical people, mages have to decide what part they'll play in the coming days. This book was everything I want in my fantasy. A unique magical system set in a fascinating world that's complex yet easy enough to follow and understand. The cast of characters are brought to life brilliantly. There are multiple POV's in the book and I enjoyed each and everyone. Naila and Haelius are my favourites. The pacing is perfect and I'm chomping at the bit for the next book in the series.
This is a real must for anyone who loves fantasy. Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an e arc in return for an honest review.

One of the most frequently used characterisations in fantasy is that of the outcast or outsider. In fact, I would say that for many fantasy readers this idea of not belonging is one of the genre's key attractions. How many readers do you know that have been seen as outsiders for just wanting to read, for example? Such differences create division, and many fantasy novels use this idea to great effect.

I was reminded of this when reading The Outcast Mage, a debut novel that uses the divisions created by those seen as outsiders and outcasts for plot purposes. As the title suggests, this is a story about outcasts and magic, and the people affected by it - those with, and those without it.

The book is filled with elements that are divided in some way or another. To emphasise the fantasy element, he city of Amoria is a crystal city set under a glass dome held up by magic.  Whilst magicians live a pretty well-off life in Amoria, in a type of gated community for the elite rich, with the most of the poorer, un-magic-ed populace outside.

Even within the city there is division - within the city those enhanced with magic have a tiered social system, with Lieno at the top of the pile, and Mita (trainee mages) at the bottom. The magicless people in Amoria are of even lower standing, often derisorily called ‘hollow’.

Into this situation we are introduced to a variety of different viewpoints. The main focus is on Naila, a trainee mage. Taken from her family after being tested for magic at a young age, she finds herself at wizard training university (The Academy of Amoria) and is doing badly. Unlike her counterpoint classmates, most of whom are younger than her, she does not seem to be able to perform magic.

By contrast, Larinne Tallace is an Lieno Senator, one of the middle-rank of magic users. Her role in the book is mainly to show the political aspect of the world, but the situation is complicated by the fact that  she has a close relationship with Haelins Akana, who is widely regarded as the greatest magician of their age, despite being ‘hollow-born’.

It is also for that reason that Haelins feels a responsibility to mentor Naila.

There are other relatively minor characters that will no doubt become more important later. For example, Entonin is a priest from the neighbouring country of Ellathia. He is secretly visiting Amoria, which is unusual as the two places have been at war for decades. With Karameth, his mercenary and taciturn sidekick, Entonin gives the reader an alternative, more objective observation of what is going on in Amoria, because as a priest of Ardulath, he has been brought up to despise the use of magic.

The key note of concern is that there is not only the ongoing and rising unrest between Amoria and Ellathia. The main focus of this unrest is Oriven, a magician who is stirring up unrest between the different factions in the city, whilst denying all responsibility. I thought of him perhaps deliberately as a Trump or Farage figure, charming and engaging with the masses, but who is covertly manoeuvring a power-grab by becoming the Allyn (High Consul) of the Senate and Council. He begins the book by creating a riot at a mass rally and uses this to enforce the use of his Justice police force.  Dailem, Larinne’s sister, becomes a Justice, causing division in her family group, particularly between her, Larinne and her daughter, Naila’s friend, Ko’ani (Ko.)

As you can see from this, Annabel manages to spin a lot of plates at once here. As the first book in a series, there’s a lot of setting up to do here - places, characters, settings are all brought to the table before being put in peril. The book also touches on the now-contemporary themes of race, refugees and religion that seem to underpin many of our current global unrest.

Although there is inevitably a lot of information-dumping as the world and its characters are introduced, I did not find it too taxing. The characters are easily identifiable, so that even though the book has different chapters from different points of view, I found them easy enough to follow. The characterisation is one of the strengths of this novel, as the characters are engaging enough to keep you reading.

Whilst there are admittedly moments that seem a little familiar – there are touches of Hogwarts whilst in the Academy and possibly even Dune, with its Middle Eastern desert scenes, in terms of setting, for example, the situations are unusual enough and the characters are engaging enough to win the reader over.

I did feel that the book was a nod back to more classic fantasy. Trudi Canavan has been quoted in the publicity and I can see why. The Outcast Mage has the feel of an older-style fantasy novel, whilst also adding contemporary elements to its charm - slow-burn romances, with the often-used tropes of ‘found family’ and ‘friends to enemies’, all give a sense of familiarity to the novel that readers will appreciate.

Although there is some pay-off by the end of the novel, the ending is rather open, obviously leading to the idea that the next book will lead to bigger things. Whilst The Outcast Mage is clearly just the first part of a lengthier story, I was not disappointed by the end. In similar situations, if the book leaves you wanting to know what happens next, I count that as a success. This one does.

In summary, The Outcast Mage is a great start to a new fantasy series that was very readable and quite engaging.

The Outcast Mage is a spectacular debut that promises to be the start of an unforgettable epic fantasy series. Set in the enchanting glass city of Amoria, magic is both a privilege and a dangerous force. Naila, a young mage, struggles to control her volatile powers, and if she fails, the consequences are dire: exile or a terrifying fate at the mercy of her own magic. As the tension between Naila’s magical potential and the deadly politics of the city heightens, she finds herself embroiled in a deadly scheme that could shatter the fragile balance of power in Amoria.

The heart of The Outcast Mage lies in its strong, multifaceted characters. Naila is a compelling protagonist, a relatable underdog whose self-doubt and courage make her journey feel both personal and epic. The mentorship she receives from Haelius Akana, the most powerful mage alive, adds layers to her growth while highlighting the frailty of even the mightiest figures. Campbell’s exploration of mentorship, political intrigue, and personal sacrifice creates a rich, engaging narrative that keeps the reader hooked from page one.

The city of Amoria, with its shimmering glass towers and hidden dangers, feels like a character in itself, and Campbell’s world-building is a triumph. The magic system is intricate and well-crafted, with a tantalizing sense of mystery surrounding Naila’s powers. The stakes are high, and the reader is never far from the looming shadow of disaster—whether from within the academy, the power-hungry elite, or the larger forces at work beyond the city’s walls.

The Outcast Mage is a tale of magic, politics, and survival in a world where nothing is as it seems. It’s a perfect read for fans of authors like Trudi Canavan and Garth Nix, with a cast of complex characters, intricate political maneuvering, and a touch of dragonfire. Annabel Campbell has crafted a debut that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in the Shattered Lands series.

The Outcast Mage by Annabel Campbell is a masterpiece! I rated it 5 stars because I couldn't give it more stars. So so good. This author is a genious!

Naila is a student at the Amoria mage Academy and has never passed a basic class, despite being old enough to graduate. The wizards agree she has magic inside her - she is able to sense the magic of the world around her, and the anima in all living things, but she has never been able to produce any magic. Wizard Haelius Akana, on the other hand, is the most powerful mage in the entire city. Amidst political instability, the fracturing of grace between mages and non-mages, Naila’s inability to learn control risks her place at the Academy and she faces the (supposed) magic within her being burnt away, until Haelius steps in to bet his career that he can teach her to use magic. Fortunately or unfortunately for Naila, Haelius’ meddling in the political unrest leads to her discovering a magical artefact that unleashes her very unique power, and thrusts her into the spotlight of the warring factions.

I put off reading this ARC for a long time… I shouldn’t have. It is a wonderful read. I have far too many notes I’ve taken about this book and I’m struggling to condense them into a simple and coherent review (future Joanna note - I did not, this is basically an essay).

The story begins with Naila’s time at the academy, including a very obvious and tropey collision of bodies with books scattering on the floor, leading to a mix up of belongings between two people. I was worried that this was going to be yet another book about a magical girl at a school, clumsy and silly yet somehow ending up saving the world. I was wrong, it is so much more. Note for anyone curious - if you’re looking for a magical school story, turn the other way, because barely any time is spent inside the walls of the academy (both in plot time and page count), which is a net positive to me. The beginning of the book is very slow, and a little confusing with so many characters who are referred to by multiple names/titles, but keep going, it’s worth it. From about 30% onwards I was entirely consumed and could not put the book down except for a break to sleep.

The shining stars of this book are the characters, and the depth of their emotions. I’m entirely obsessed with Haelius. He’s an insanely talented, powerful, smart man, who is inside simmering with fury and self-hatred. He’s born of contradictions, son of a leader of the non-magical assembly, yet somehow the most powerful of all the mages. He is headstrong and single-minded, but keeps either fumbling or getting set up at every turn. Every moment with Haelius is full of such intense emotion that it’s hard not to feel every grief that he does.

Naila really shines when she’s with her friend, Ko’ani, or working with Haelius. She is such a lost girl, and so lonely, but she’s also very determined. Her bond with Haelius is beautiful. Their similarities and contradictions leave them with an inescapable pull, an attraction in their magics and their stories. I’ll be honest, it reads more like a romance to me than Haelius’ actual romance ever did, so it did surprise me every time they referred to being like family, or like father and daughter.

Entonin, on the opposite end of the magical spectrum, is a priest from a nation who hates mages, sent to try to arrange a peace with them, accompanied only by his Dahrani bodyguard, Karameth. I can’t even go into their story, it has to be experienced for itself. The only POV character I didn’t care for was Larinne. She has no distinct personality traits except for seemingly wanting to chastise Haelius at any given moment. I really wanted to feel more of their bond from their younger days, and I really wanted to root for their romance, but it was just boring and surface level. I adored the complexity of her sister, Dailem, much more. Perhaps Larinne is set up for some character development later in the series.

In terms of worldbuilding, the political plot wasn’t particularly deep, but it didn’t need to be as it felt very close to home (“us vs them”, politicians stoking unrest for their own gain), and the introduction of Lieno Oriven in the first chapter had a shiver running down my spine. Similarly, the magic system isn’t detailed in any depth, but has an interesting mystery running through the book (and further) that is exciting to follow.

This book is for people who love epic fantasy, with its politics, religion, and wide overarching magical mysteries that will (presumably) take an entire series to resolve. It’s not a quick book to jump into and out of - it’s not particularly complex, but there are definitely a lot of hints and intrigue that can be missed if you’re not paying attention. Also, let me be clear as I’ve somehow not mentioned yet in this review, here be dragons!

Logically, this should be 3 or 4 stars - there’s definitely some room for improvement. Unfortunately for any coherence in my rating system, I just loved it. I was absolutely along for the ride, and my heart hurt so utterly for Haelius at every moment that I cannot give it anything less than 5 stars. I cried real life tears at a particular parting around the 60% mark. I am a sucker for a desert-based fantasy story, and I’m a sucker for some LGBTQ+ representation. I also really, really need to know what happens next, so Annabel Campbell please get writing!

DNF AT 60%

Sadly, this is my first DNF of the year, and it was mostly because this was the wrong book at the wrong time. It's not that this book is bad bad, mind me, but I wasn't in the right mood for all the unfairness and the dumb politics going on.
I think that this was my main problem, I just wasn't really into this part, and it's pretty heavy on politics (and on the one hand, it is a tad too close to home for comfort, in this period; while, on the other hand, the things here are collapsing, and it is baffling how the decisions of the people who are taking the power are just dumb, and yes, I know, again too close to home).
And the characters weren't really working for me, either. I really liked Wizard Akana. He is a good character but all the others weren't as good, I didn't really care for them, and they all go around doing things and screaming and complaining and doing the worst things possible between their possible choices for things to do, but they don't seriously talk to each other. So yeah, I wasn't really a fan of that either.

I am really sorry to let this one go, in part because I was excited for it, in part because it is an ARC and it's always a tad harder to don't finish one of those, and in part because I was already after the halfway mark but every time I put it down I wasn't so keen on picking it up again, so I just decided to let it go and be done with it.

En una de las últimas entrevistas que hice para Tryperion, concretamente a Ian Green, nos recomendó encarecidamente la lectura de The Outcast Mage, la primera novela de Annabel Campbell. Así que, ni corta ni perezosa me puse a leerla en cuanto tuve oportunidad.


Lo primero que te encuentras cuando empiezas a leer es que no hay explicaciones (es cierto que el libro trae un glosario al final pero… ¿quién se lee el glosario ANTES que el libro?) y en el que cuesta un poquito aterrizar, pues tiene varios puntos de vista variados. Soslayando este escollo que puede descolocar un poco, nos encontramos con una fantasía bastante tradicional, con una de las protagonistas siguiendo el camino del héroe campbelliano (pero el de Joseph), otro siendo el mago más poderoso de su generación pero sumido en dudas sobre el uso de su poder, un monje enviado desde un reino lejano que no comulga con la cultura del lugar y en general, personajes bastante arquetípicos. ¿Qué se puede destacar entonces del libro? Pues que lo que hace, lo hace bastante bien.

Hay un corriente subyacente de racismo en la ciudad de Amoria, el único lugar donde conviven magos y no magos en un equilibrio bastante tenso, que amenaza con quebrarse desde el interior y esta tensión interna está reflejada de una manera clara y concisa. Si bien es cierto que las intrigas políticas no son de lo más sutil que nos hayamos podido encontrar en la fantasía, no es menos verdad que hay unos cuantos giros en la trama muy bien traídos y el sistema mágico que en principio parece bastante nebuloso se empieza a aclarar conforme avanza la lectura, sin llegar a ser perceptiblemente nítidamente porque algo habrá que guardarse para los siguientes volúmenes, digo yo.

Es bastante original que la propia ciudad de Amoria esté totalmente cubierta por cristal. Es un detalle que puede parecer que no tiene relevancia, pero se especula bastante sobre los orígenes mágicos de la propia urbe y es una manera indirecta de indicarnos que se ha perdido mucho conocimiento sobre la magia antigua, lo cual da pie a Annabel Campbell para introducir poco a poco los conceptos de la magia y el ánima, inextricablemente unidos.

No se trata de un libro corto y no le hubiera venido mal algo de tijera en la parte de dark academy del principio, que me parece bastante circunstancial y que no aporta demasiado a la obra, pero es cierto que en el último tercio del libro, cuando se acelera la narración, es difícil dejar de leer, pues empiezan las revelaciones, las batallas y la magia corre a raudales. Me parece un muy buen libro para ser una primera novela y un gran comienzo de trilogía, saga o lo que sea menester. Le seguiré los pasos a Annabel Campbell.