In a society where magical power is everything, Kellen approaches his 16th birthday knowing his magical power is all but gone. While Kellen decides to fool people into believing he can perform magic, the sudden arrival of a mysterious Argosi changes Kellen’s path.
What I liked ✅ THERE IS A SQUIRREL CAT ✅ de Castell's usual upbeat, humorous writing style ✅ in a genre full of powerful, "chosen one" protagonists, Kellen is a breath of fresh air ✅ overall, it is an enjoyable, light read
What I didn't like ✖ here's the main problem with the book: Kellen is fighting to save the Jan’Tep society, however, we're never given a reason as to why we should care for the Jan’Tep — not even the characters care for the society of ruthless, racist mages ✖ Ferius Parfax had so much promise but was just reduced to a useless sidekick ✖ it didn't fully commit to any genre — not quite a con book, nor a western, nor a fantasy, not a coming-of-age tale ✖ lack of worldbuilding and explanation on the rules of the magic made the universe just seem like a generic magic story ✖ it's basically the backstory you didn't need to the novel which you really want to read ✖ the plot lacks a cohesive thread — is it about Kellen's mages trials? Or the Dowager Mage's quest? Or Ferius' arrival? Wait... now they're battling evil mages? Oh, now the plot is about a servant uprising? Squirrel uprising? Huh? ✖ because of the lack of a cohesive plot, nothing was adequately set-up or built-up to Rating 2.5/5 🌟 Genre: fantasy Verdict: Read de Castell's Greycoats series instead... QOTD: In all good fantasy books, the hero has a wise sage to guide them. Who would yours be?