In many ways, Casey Wolfe’s “A Mage’s Power” was exactly what I was expecting — and that’s not a bad thing at all. It tells the story Rowan, Caleb and Shaw, various magical creatures, or “magicae”, who live in a fictional city called Everstrand. There are two main strands of the story: one which primarily concerns Rowan, and one which mainly has to do with Shaw, which they have to work through as their relationship develops.

I was a little surprised that these two problems ended up being largely unrelated, but overall the plot was largely coherent, if not suspenseful. But that was part of what I liked about this book, it wasn’t something that took acres of energy to read. Wolfe’s writing was straightforward and direct, and the worldbuilding easy to fall into. I’m anticipating a sequel that focuses more on the side characters, which I’m actually really looking forward to.

In some ways there’s not much I can say about this book, it’s a fun, light-hearted urban fantasy book with primarily LGBT characters, that I enjoyed for as long as I was reading it. However, if I had to level a few critiques — and I’m going to — I’d focus first on the lack of characters of colour. I don’t know what it is about so many LGBT books, and also so many fantasy books, but creating worlds where everyone is white has been exposed as boring and unrealistic by far more intelligent and eloquent people than I. Consider Ashley Nkadi’s article on “Why Is Society Intent on Erasing Black People in Fantasy and Sci-fi’s Imaginary Worlds?”

If there are non-white characters in Everstrand — which you’d hope there would be,  considering that it’s portrayed as a metropolitan hotspot — Wolfe doesn’t do a particularly good job of making it clear who they are, and I was especially on the lookout for any such descriptions. While the lack of racial diversity was disappointing, I couldn’t say that I was particularly surprised as it’s been a consistent failing of both LGBT books, fantasy books, and New Adult fiction. Hence, why I’m not being too hard on Wolfe for failing to incorporate some people of colour into her world, though I hope this changes in the next book.

Another issue I had with the book, is another issue particularly common to LGBT books where the main romance is one between gay males, and fantasy books, is the lack of prominent female characters. In the same way pointing out that there are no female characters in The Lord of the Rings, seems creepy, it’s also unsettling to note that there are only three of four women with speaking parts in the book. Why this is an issue, I don’t imagine I have to go into detail about, and it’s something else I’d like to see change in upcoming books — though this may prove a little more difficult considering how the sequel seems to have been set up with pre-existing, predominantly male, characters.

That said, as I stated earlier, I did enjoy this book. It isn’t among my favourite fantasy books of all time, but the urban setting is solid, the characters are interesting, and the plot successfully carried the book. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re interested in a relatively quick and definitely fun read.

3.8⭐

In Everstrand, magical races of all sorts live out in the open with humans in peace. Rowan, a mage, is something of a prodigy; he is the youngest ever mage to receive two masters, and he is on his way to become grandmaster - a mage who has obtained masters in all five Schools of Magic - when he receives news that a dark mage is committing animalistic murders. The dark mage needs to be stopped before the human Inquisition finds out and the peace between humans and magicae is disrupted forever. Shaw is the newly appointed Inquisitor, brimming with secrets of his own, he is responsible for policing the magical races, but with powerful magicae all over Everstrand going missing, Shaw must risk his life to discover what is really conspiring in the Inquisition organisation. When Shaw meets Rowan, however, they become enthralled with each other, and the scope of their upcoming pursuits looms larger than ever.

A Mage's Power is the first book in the Inquisition trilogy and I can honestly say it was a truly gratifying start. Rowan and Shaw are a sincerely sweet couple, and the bond between them, and Rowan's best friend, Caleb, is relayed realistically throughout the story, allowing the characters a new depth that can sometimes be overlooked in fantasy novels in favour of world building or the plot. I believe that Casey Wolfe did a fantastic job on the characters, bringing them to life in a way that contributes to not only the flow of the story, but to the ease in which the readers can read the book. I found myself flying through the pages, as fast as my Kindle app would allow, consuming the witty dialogue, the peaks and the equilibriums, and the profound bonds held by the characters.

Although I genuinely loved Rowan and Shaw as a couple, I did find that their demeanours were definitely border lining on cheesy, but with a story that almost revolves around the romance of the two, it did subsidise to the relationship as a whole; I got used to the cheesy bits and began to enjoy them rather than slightly cringing at the clear sudden devotion written between the two. I did think that Rowan and Shaw became too familiar with each too quickly, and there was no appropriate building up to the budding romance, there was no effort or detail dedicated to what could have been a really immersive developing fascination with each other - at the beginning of the story anyway - although, from around Chapter Ten onwards, I found that that was rectified.

The other issue that I had was the lack of detail on the Inquisition side. There is character interaction with a knight only once until the story peaked and suddenly, there were knights everywhere. For an organisation that is suppose to police the magical species, there seems to be nobody around doing that. I would have liked more of the story to be dedicated describing how the knights keep the peace, rather than being told that that is what they do and having to take that at face value. 

All in all, I genuinely enjoyed this story. And I would one hundred percent read the next instalment.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book!

Book: A Mage's Power
Published: 16/07/18
Rating: 3.5 stars
Author: Casey Wolfe 

Plot: Duel perspective following Rowan and Shaw, this is a fantasy romance novel set in a world not dissimilar from our own. Rowan is a mage who is studying for a Masters and Shaw is an Inquisitor with a hidden agenda. When the two meet they instantly feel a pull towards one another and start a relationship. 

I loved the last 20%, so action-packed and gripping, however, I felt like the rest of the story was a little boring, with not enough suspense or action to hold my attention. The relationship between Shaw and Rowan was good if a little rushed, but I didn't feel that spark between them. 

The world building was really good and I loved all the magical elements, I also really loved all the side characters.  

I will definitely be reading the next book if it involves Caleb and Marcus, I was so intrigued by those characters and I want to know more!

My review will be posted on my blog by the end of the month.

A very good MM paranormal. The amount or paranormal was good and interesting. There is no sex in this one. The romance is smooth. 
The bedroom antics are left to you to imagine.
That is the only reason it does not get 5 stars from me.
The chemistry would have made the bonding in this story more believable. Other than that, I really liked it. Well thought out book.
There will be more hopefully, the ending leaves a perfect set-up for that. 
Would not mind if this book would have been a few more pages too.
Just a wee bit more to give ya a good taste.
The characters are good and lots of magic and action. Entertaining.
Will be looking for book 2.
(Given a copy for an honest review) (Thanks) (NetGalley)

Huge thank you NineStar Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book!

It’s taken me a few days to write this review because I honestly didn’t know what to say, in a good way. This is why I always have trouble writing reviews about books that I really enjoy, I have a hard time thinking of anything to say other than just “I LOVED IT!” so these kinds of reviews always end up being very short and probably not helpful to anyone at all lol 

Full (spoiler-y) review here: http://wmsreads.tumblr.com/post/176023247507/

A Mage's Power is the fantasy book I never knew I needed in my life, it is a perfect blend of fantasy world and modern technology featuring the sweetest M/M romance.

The world building is amazing as the magical world seamlessly blends with the modern world, the reader can visualize perfectly what this world looks like and even how it would feel to be in the world.

Rowan is such an easy to love realistic character who has flaws despite being the best young made around and he accepts this. When Shaw comes in the sweet side came out in Rowan and this is one of the best relationships out there, they support each other even if they do not agree with each others actions.

The friendship between Rowan and Caleb is so strong that they can make it through anything from drinking in the bar to risking their lives. It is a relationship that many partners would be jealous of but the way Shaw reacts to this is sweet.

The magic system is easy to understand and it is great to see all the elements of the plot from the different perspectives woven together by the end.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a magical fantasy with a sweet M/M romance .

*ARC received from publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

A mage and an empath both with their own issue. This one felt light hearted, fast paced and highly enjoyable. Both Ro and Shaw are powerhouses in their own rights. I liked Caleb best so hope he has a story of his own. Would’ve liked to see the whole gang meet. Who knows maybe it’s all to come.

I was given an ARC copy by Netgalley and Ninestar Press. Thank you so much!

First off, let me say I gave this 5 stars on my Goodreads! I’ll try not to gush so much but this book was amazing from start to finish! The fantasy, action and love was just enough to captivate me and make me fall in love.

Rowan and Shaw and even Caleb were such in depth and emotionally perfect characters. You really got the feel of their bond and love for each other. Even Shaw, the newcommer, got accepted into Caleb’s pack.

Rowan, of Rowan, I wish I had a best friend like him. The love he has for Caleb is undeniable. Best friends forever truly means these two.

Now let’s get to the other part of the story. Action! I thought Wolfe did an excellent job creating a story that involved Magicae and Mundane’s. A little bit predictable, but that aside, amazing. She really got into the feelings of all these creatures and expressed love for them. 

I was a little hesitant with Shaw and his intentions with Rowan. That is until we find out he’s a witch! Once all of that unfolded, my love for him and Rowan grew even more.

The ending with Caleb and Marcus completely took me by surprise! I guess you kind of hinted at it a few chapters before, but still it was a nice little ending for Caleb.

Now for some parts I didn’t understand/liked. I really wish Wolfe could have shown Rowan getting arrested. Would have giving us some more insight with the Inquisitors. I would have also liked seeing more of the secondary characters; Tate, Ieus,Frey, Quail and Jorah. These people were the ones to help Rowan gain his Masters in Magic.

Overall, I indeed loved this book and feel blessed to be able to review and read such an amazing book. I do hope there will be a second book! Fingers crossed!

A Mage’s Power will be available July 16th 2018

Interesting start to a new series!

The setting took a little adjusting for me because, when something isn't set in our world, and includes magic, my brains tends to peg it straight into fantasy aka the characters don't do things like email each other. 

Wolfe's creation, however, has a blend of modern amenities along with magical skills. A Mage's Power takes place in the modern world, yet it's not set in OUR world. Rowan, a mage, may prefer to draft his latest charms and spells through parchment and quills, but he also texts his friends. The world-building is intriguing and unique- we're seeing/hearing about some familiar paranormal beings like mages, werewolves, vampires, but Wolfe has put a personal spin on the way they all function and group together in society. This was a huge plus for me because I read a lot of urban fantasy/fantasy, and a distinctive world isn't always easy to find. 

Two of the big groups to think about, for this first book, are the mages and the Inquisitors. Mages are biologically able to manifest/control different schools of magic, and they are able to specialize, or master, in different types. They have their own leaders and board who help make decisions for the mages in their region. The Inquisitors and knights are a group that has formed as a separate entity (though commonly government-sanctioned) to police the magical beings in a given community. 

There's a lot more to learn, and the corruption and dark discoveries of book one leave off for a promisingly adventurous and engaging follow-up. 

Rowan, Shaw, and Caleb are really our leading men, and I have to admit that I honestly enjoyed all three of them. Rowan is best friends with Caleb, a werewolf, and the two of them have such a close, sweet bond. I liked that there weren't a bunch of taboo boundaries between them, and we could easily see how Caleb's species (for lack of a better word) influences the way that he forms relationships. They've got an easy chemistry, and I like the way they care about each other. 

We don't get to dig too far into the intricacies of Caleb's personality, but we do get enough glimpses into Rowan and Shaw that they feel a bit more well-rounded, and they bring a bit of a balance to each other that helps make their relationship believable. Like the worldbuilding, I'm hoping to learn more in future books. 

Overall, there were only two small issues that I had- first, I thought the dark mage plotline was a little neglected/rushed, and there was some mate business at the end that felt a liiiiiiittle too convenient. Honestly, neither was a big enough deal that I felt like it detracted from the book as a whole, and I highly recommend others check it out for something fun and new.

I received this book thanks to Net Galley and Nine Star Press! 
A Mage's power was a Wonderfully Fun, fast-paced, a Heartfelt adventure that I just fell in absolute love with from the start! This story was so many wonderful things in one story! Part a grown-up version of Harry Potter, part Rambo, part spy thriller I just loved it all! And to have so many fantastical beings in one story was so much fun! there where Mages, Witches, elves, Were-creatures, Merpeople, nymphs and more! I Loved every second of this story and can't wait  for more in this wonderful world that Casey Wolfe has Created!  More Please ASAP!! 
thank you once again Nine Star Press!