The Innocent Mage: Kingmaker, Kingbreaker - Book One

I kept waiting for the main plot of the story to happen but it never did. Though don't get me wrong! It was a good book! The characters lives and how they interacted with each other was entering and made me want to keep reading, but the book wasn't what I thought it would be based off the description.

Admittedly, I only usually read really popular books or those I find in the teen section of Barnes and Noble, BUT, I recognize good literature when I see it. I haven't read anything this good in quite a long time, since discovering Harry Potter, and its actually slightly better-written in some areas. WORD TO THE WISE if you're about to buy this book; get the second one as well, because the ending of the first will leave you hanging. Recommend these books to anyone 12 and older.

Both this book and its sequel had me enthralled from the start. The world that Ms. Miller has created is very well thought out and complex. The scope of the story, the history tidbits that drive the modern action, and the depth of the characters all combined for a very satisfying read. The kingdom of Lur is hidden behind a magical wall separating it from the howling evil to the north, an evil unleashed by the mage wars six centuries before. Those wars drove the surviving Doranen into Lur where they met the native people, the Olken. By the laws set down at the time, the fair Doranen rule and maintain the wall with their powerful magics and weather-working, ensuring a paradice for all under the schedualed sky. The apparently magicless Olken live apart from their rulers, but in contentment. Enter Asher, a fisherman from the south who travels to the capital city to make his fortune so he can buy his own boat, returning home in triumph to keep his father employed and not divide the heritage of his six brothers any further. His plans go awry, of course. And he soon finds himself moving among the Doranen as well as Olken, and not having a good time. Throw in a secret society of Olken magicians, a cardinal crime punishable by death, and Asher's life will be anything but clam sailing. While I wish more was said about the nature of magic in this world, that was the only issue I had with this very well thought out and written series.

Do not read this book under the impression that it is about the fantasy. No, this story is about the people, the characters, and their lives. And it's an amazing story. The main character's strange manner of speaking takes a little getting used to, and the actual plot involving magic and a Dark Lord is ALWAYS lingering in the background. You will be very disappointed if you spend the whole book waiting for him to go out of some quest, or fight some evil overlord. But that shouldn't hold you back from reading it, because the characters are expertly written- you either love 'em or love to hate 'em. I found the main character choice a bit rough- I think Gar would have made a FAR better main character, and I'd love Asher no less for it. Gar is just the more likeable of the two. And honestly, after a while I began to wonder of that wasn't the point. The fantasy part of the story just drags and drags until finally it sinks in that the fantasy part isn't actually the focus, but rather the backdrop unlike most other fantasy novels, and that's what sets this one apart. That is why this book is so good. The only bad thing I can think of about it is the ending. It was very sudden and very...disappointing. I'm not really sure how else to say it. It's like everything is moving onward and upward, when someone pulls the rug out from under your feet and you fall backwards. Somewhat predictable but more disappointing than anything. Still, overall this book was amazing.

From the first page the story took off and turned out to be a very good read. sort of a cliff hanger at the end, but picks right back up in part 2

At first I wasn't sure I'd like this one because the main character's dialect distracted me. That faded within a few pages. Better written than most fantasies, especially from new (?) authors. I appreciated, too, that there is an element of romance, as opposed to erotica, as well as numerous splashes of humor, and characters you love to hate. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series, The Awakened Mage (Kingmaker, Kingbreaker), which is coming out mercifully soon! This title could be recommended to YAs as well.