The Bookwyrm's Review of Dragon Mage by ML Spencer

Author: ML Spencer

Length: 828 Pages

Publisher: Stoneguard Publications

Release Date: December 19, 2020

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 Stars

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Any time an author with a highly regard series branches out into a new series, its always chancy how it will be received. Is it as good as the previous series? Are the characters as engaging? Is it derivative? Dragon Mage is a book that may be the best thing this author has written to date, and that's no small thing.

PLOT SUMMARY

Aram Raythe has the power to challenge the gods. He just doesn't know it yet.

Aram thinks he's nothing but a misfit from a small fishing village in a dark corner of the world. As far as Aram knows, he has nothing, with hardly a possession to his name other than a desire to make friends and be accepted by those around him, which is something he's never known. But Aram is more.

Much, much more.

Unknown to him, Aram bears within him a gift so old and rare that many people would kill him for it, and there are others who would twist him to use for their own sinister purposes. These magics are so potent that Aram earns a place at an academy for warrior mages training to earn for themselves the greatest place of honor among the armies of men: dragon riders.

Aram will have to fight for respect by becoming not just a dragon rider, but a Champion, the caliber of mage that hasn't existed in the world for hundreds of years. And the land needs a Champion. Because when a dark god out of ancient myth arises to threaten the world of magic, it is Aram the world will turn to in its hour of need.

FURTHER THOUGHTS

Dragon Mage takes a very different path than the author's previous Rhenwar series. While it has dark elements, it's not grimdark. There is actual good and evil that are pretty starkly delineated as the story unfolds, with some excellent twists and turns to reveal those elements. The world building is top notch, as I have come to expect from this author. While the idea of a kind of sundered world is nothing new, the way this one is presented is definitely a new take on the idea. The fact that the world is separated into a "world above" with vanilla non-magic humans and the last vestiges of the magical Auld race bloodlines and a "world below" which still has magic to an extent due to the fact it is infused with Essence, the source of magic, and the people are mostly of the Auld race, really differentiates the two. Creatures such as dragons and elysium, a magical horse breed, still exist in the world below as well, and partner with the Auld in peace and war time. These two worlds are split by the Void, an unseen land of undeath and monsters that separates the dimensions, that occasionally ruptures and spills Essence seeking creatures into the worlds. This is the rich tapestry this story is set in.

The characters are so well written, which is not surprising with this author. The author took a chance in how she wrote Aram Raythe, who is not the average farm boy who takes the hero's journey. Rather, he is an outsider from the beginning in his village, a boy on the spectrum that just can't seem to relate to other people, and one who is bullied mercilessly. His life spirals out of control as his uniqueness is recognized for what it is, namely Auld magic,  and he has to go on the run. Aram is forced into situations that will test his very sanity over the coming years, as his unique magic makes him stand out in both worlds. Journeying with him is his friend Markus, who has the opposite of magic, since he is totally impervious to it. He is forced to make almost as many critical decisions as Aram in this book, and his journey is just as difficult as Aram's in many respects. They will both be forced past the limits of human endurance if their world has any chance of survival.

The secondary characters are integral to the story in a way most authors just can't manage. They are lovingly created, given their own agency and add the kind of flavor any good book needs. Definitely not the two dimensional cutouts of so many other books. Then we come to the villains. Such a diverse collection of villains, from a basic bully from Aram and Markus's training to a near deity level ancient evil Archon, and several in between. No overt mustache twirling types here, but real evil that deludes itself it has a rationale for their actions. These have to be some of the best spine chilling villains you are likely to come across in fantasy today. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

This book could have easily veered into YA territory in the hands of a lesser author. Instead, it takes some fairly basic fantasy tropes and turns them on their head, adding darkness and uncertainty to many of the scenarios throughout. There's a ton of Dragon rider books out there, many of them derivative of Pern or Eragon. Rest assured, while you can see a little Pern influence, Dragon Mage takes its own path to a satisfying end, and will appeal to a wide range of fantasy fans.