SERVANT MAGE - Kate Elliott
Tordotcom
ASIN: B0927DQ7Q4
ISBN-10: 1-25076-905-1
ISBN-13: 978-1-25076-905-3
January 18, 2022
Fantasy
Fellian is a mage, a person with a soul wraith, but some call it a demon wraith. Mages come in six forms: those with the ability to use air, land, fire, water, or ether, and the rare person who has all five. Only monarchs have the last ability, but since the Monarchists and Liberationists war most with five abilities are usually murdered. The Monarchy ended when the Liberationists killed the last monarch. The Liberationist August Protector now seeks out children with the five gifts, or those who could become a monarch, and kills them. Most mages are forced to be indentured servants whose duties keep them on a difficult and strict schedule. Fellian was taken from the government's mage asylum in the Alabaster City to work for a city innkeeper. This was after she was forced to watch both of her parents hanged.
While she is cleaning the elitists' privies, someone she identifies as an elitist enters her cleaning area with three Liberationistist soldiers. They offer her a lot of money and freedom to leave with them. During the frightening escape from the city, she learns those with her are all mages. Shey is an air mage, Haolu (or Lulu) is an earth mage, Invi is a water mage, and the captain is an aether mage. They need Fellion to complete a five quiver of mages (one of each type of mage) for a Monarchist mission. They want her to help them free some people trapped in a mine. Before that can happen though, the captain discerns there is a five-gifted baby they must save before the August Protector finds it.
Through all the danger and problems Fellian faces, she does whatever is asked of her, but no one realizes she has another gift, plus a strong desire to return to her home village. It is an engaging story with a strong view on politics and how each side views things differently, redefining facts to help their cause. If you enjoy fantasy novels, SERVANT MAGE holds a compelling story.
Robin Lee
