Book Review; The Mage’s Daughter by Amelia Sides

The Mage’s Daughter by Amelia Sides

Self Published

Publication Date: September 9, 2013

3.5 of 5 stars

A brutal attack left a young girl without parents and without a name and any time she tries to speak her name or tell the details of her attack, the spell cast about her immediately causes it to slip from the minds of any listener. Going simply by “Mage,” the skilled young magician ends up in the negligent care of an uncle who uses her for her abilities. Fortunately, she is rescued by the king’s decree that all mages receive instruction.

As Sides’ first published story, I’m impressed with her character building as Mage travels to the kingdom, gains a new master and learns the fundamentals that she missed during the time with her uncle. Mage’s journey is reminiscent of A Wizard of Earthsea’s main character, though the dark secret Mage carries is perhaps not as imposing as Duny’s ominous and ever-present shadow. Similar to Duny, Mage also forms strong bonds of friendship along the way, however, her friends are mainly animals.

Another strong point is the magic. There are so many ways to present magic in a fantasy setting. Sides has chosen to focus on the use of runes and stones. I loved the descriptions of the processes, especially the opening sequence where Mage carefully and artfully wards a village.

This is a slow, steady story that might be too slow for some, however the book is fairly short and ends with a major event in Mage’s life that will have repercussions in the sequel.