Mageborn is the first in the Hollow King series by Jessica Thorne, Very intricate world and an interesting concept. I did not finish. I found the book a little to wordy which meant I never got pulled in. There were too many words to describe things which got confusing when I did want a better description. I may have given up too early but I am okay with that. I did skim the book to a point and I want to know how the overall arcing story/ world ends but I have no desire to actually read the book. 2 stars for an interesting concept that makes me want to check on other books but I did not finish this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC. This is an honest review.

This is my first book by Jessica Throne (also the first in the Hollow King Series) and I will freely admit I don’t really read that much fantasy romance stories but I was intrigued by the blurb so I thought I’d give it a try!

Mageborn is a romantic fantasy, stuffed full of magic with a dash of adventure which was a delight to read.

I liked both of the main characters, particularly Grace. She’s a strong and fierce warrior but can be prickly and often holds people at a distance (this is understandable once you get to know her). She’s also hiding a secret, her powers, which she thought were gone, are beginning to return. Then we have Prince Bastien, someone who is feared and disliked by most. At first I thought Bastien was your typical brooding anti hero but it turned out he had a lot more to him than meets the eye.

I found the world building, in particular the magical elements very intriguing. There are mageborn, each with a different type of power, for instance a flint can control fire and is not harmed by it or leeches who can suck magic from others.

The romance was nicely done throughout, even with a few steamy bits just to add a bit of heat to the story.

I will say the first half of the book was a little slow burn, with a fair bit of world building and introducing the characters but the second half really picks up the pace.

Mageborn is a vividly written magical tale to dive into and escape from reality for a few hours!

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the arc!

I am going to have to give Mageborn a 3/5. I think it was good, but it did nothing to exceed my expectations.

So here are some things that I liked about Mageborn:

-the cover art
-the plot overall was really intriguing. It had simple elements and a simple formula but it was still enjoyable.
-the romance was pretty steamy

Now some stuff I didn't really like:

-character development was minimal, which is a shame because I really did like Grace and Bastien. It just felt like it wasn't fully sketched out.
-while I did love the romance it felt too intense at times, which overshadowed other important elements
-the writing wasn't as developed as it should have been

But like I said. It was good. Nothing to write home about but I'm sure there are some out there who will truly enjoy this one.

I just couldn't get into this story. It couldn't keep my attention. I might try it again but I have the feeling this book just isn't for me.

Mageborn is fantastic, and I’m glad to know it is the beginning of a series. The tone in this is similar to Charlie N Holmberg’s Numina series, but more adult; likewise it is a more interpersonal and less politically motivated (but similar) series to NK Jemisin’s outstanding Hundred Thousand Kingdom series. The closest comparison, in my opinion, is Michelle Sagara’s Chronicles of Elantra, although this book moved far faster than that; the Chronicles of Elantra currently being fifteen books long with no sign of ending. As far as a single book goes, Jasmine Silvera’s Death’s Dancer is fairly close.
Mageborn is a great beginning to what promises to be a fast moving, rich urban fantasy series. There are a huge amount of twists, expected and otherwise, that add suspense right up until the last moment of the book. I loved that the stakes grew increasingly higher without ever seeming contrived, and the world was set up to create tension beautifully. Social commentary is at the core of most fantasy and science fiction, and Mageborn is no different. The world-building and character history was well crafted to allow for natural parallels to be drawn to a variety of real-world topics—most obviously substance abuse, consent, bigotry and classism. For that reason, however, some readers may find Mageborn uncomfortable.
The two main characters in this book (Grace and Bastien) are given a rich background, which brings them to life well and adds a lot of personality to their interactions with each other, and other characters. Grace is not a typical heroine, and I appreciated that she was irritable and bad at communicating at times, rather than being a neverending fount of compassion and emotional intelligence. Bastien and Grace are complex people, with motivations not always clear in the moment even to themselves: in short, they’re believable human beings.
I thought the villains of the piece were also well written, and only wish that some supporting characters (Grace’s fellow guards and Kurt, most noticeably) were fleshed out more. I fully expect this to happen in future novels, however, and look forward to reading them. Kurt in particular allows for a richly detailed underworld like that found in the Serpentwar Saga from Raymond E Feist’s Midkemia Cycle, and that was one of the first series to truly enthral me. I also feel the need to mention the (much appreciated) casual representation of sexual minorities in this world.
There are a few clunky moments in this book—plot points that have already been discovered being hammered home again, reveals that aren’t as surprising as I assume they should be—but these are minor things in the whole experience of Mageborn. I thoroughly enjoyed this book (if you hadn’t guessed from the comparisons to half a dozen of my favourite high fantasy series), and think many other people will as well. I’d recommend this book (and series) to anyone who enjoyed the series I listed earlier; fans of Lisa Shearin’s Raine Benares series, Terry Pratchett’s Sam Vines books, or Robin Hobb’s Assassin series will also find plenty to enjoy in Mageborn.

Rating: ★★★★
My Review: This was an interesting story that I enjoyed. I do think that it felt like a debut as some things weren't as fleshed out as they could have been. But, overall the story and chapters were a great start. I will be checking out the next book when it comes out.

I will say that to start with this one I was a little lost. However, once I really got reading it became clear that this book was going to be epic. I really hope that the author goes all out for the next title.

Theres action, romance, and the author even took what we thought and went through another edit of the title. So thats even better!!

Thank you to Bookouture for letting me take part in this tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley. I love a good fantasy novel so I jumped at the chance to join in with this tour.

This is the first book I have read by this author but I do have her previous books on my TBR pile. This is one of the things that drew me to the book and of course the absolutely gorgeous cover and intriguing blurb.

Our main character is Grace Marchant. Grace is an officer of the Academy. The Academy hunt down rogue Mageborn that are essentially hurting others. I really liked Grace. While she clearly has a troubled past she has a good sense of right and wrong and will stick to her morals even in some of the most perilous circumstances.

This book took quite a while for me to really get into it. I think I spent a good few days just getting to 30%. Once I got past that I really raced through it but the beginning was slow going. It took a while to work out who was who and what was going on. I think the world-building could be improved here to help with this. It was all so confusing for a while. Once I did work it all out it was a very addictive read.

The story is full of action, twist and turns along with a sprinkle of magic. Everything you need for a good fantasy tale. I can't wait to see where Jessica takes this series next.

Wow, wow, wow!

The Mageborn (those born with magic) are in danger. The Lord of Thornes demands they pay their day of homage and some have never disappeared.

Grace is tasked with the mission of locating the Mageborn gone rogue and to find out about the recent spike of killed Mageborns with mysteriously burned marks on their hands, when she comes across the infamous Lord of the Thornes, Bastien. Bastien's magic is the strongest of them all and heir to the throne even though laws forbid a Mageborn to be crowned.

She wants to hate the man who finished off her ailing friend, rather than try to help him, but Grace finds herself drawn to Bastien and how he is able to unfurl her magic that she thought was long gone.

A showstopping book that was hard to put down. Just as the story's characters were drawn to the temptation of magic, this story kept compelling me to continue reading it. An addicting adventure you will not want to miss out on.

I can't wait for the second book in the Hollow King series!

Quite a fun read it with two main characters who were initially antagonists until they found a common foe who was taking advantage of the magical situation.

Grace Marchant had had her magic drained off in her childhood, and all she remembered was being left on the doorstep of the Academy from where she trained to become a great commander who would hunt down Mageborn, people having magic so that magic could be leeched or made to bow down.

Bastien was the cousin to the king who drained the Mageborn of their magic and conducted experiments to help them, or so he thought. The main leads had their duties cut out until someone began killing the Mageborns, and both were forced to work together to find out the truth. Secrets, plotting of an insane mind, and need for more power were all exposed down the line.

Having read a few books by author Jessica Thorne, I was quite excited by the beginning of this story. Rules of magic were clear. The attraction between the main characters was kept subtle. I loved how the two joined forces and worked not only against the power hungry people of the Kingdom but also the deep coil of dark power inside Bastien that was destroying him one cell at a time.

The story went through its adventure, and the wicked minds of folks kept me hooked to the story. The action scenes and the political treachery moved the story forward. The mid section slowed down, and the prose could have been more interesting. Luckily, the last few chapters more than made up for it. The ending was a shocker which had me reveling in joy at the sheer power that was unleashed. It was quite a secret that was kept hidden in the entire book.

Overall, quite an interesting read over tea and biscuits.

This was exactly what I needed. Sometimes you rummage through your reading list and nothing is exactly right. Mageborn satisfied all my reading needs (for 2 days, what am I to do now?).

We have a strong heroine and a broody, mysterious hero.

Grace is a magehunter. She is working for the so called Academy which is tasked to hunt down wayward mages who went off the grid.

Mages in this world are highly regulated. They have to wear a collar to be controlled if needed. Grace sympathizes with the mageborn, cause she herself used to be mageborn until something violent rid her of all her magic.

On one mission, things go wrong and her mageborn friend get’s overloaded with magic. He has to be brought to the mysterious Bastien, who serves as some kind of keeper of the mageborn and who is extremly powerful.

The meeting leaves an impression on both and they are soon entangeld in more than they bargained for.

I really liked, that both characters are allowed to have flaws and weaknesses. They make mistakes, they learn from it. Also drama is not dragged out and resolved in a grown up way.

The romance is little bit insta love, but it was well executed and really sweet and steamy (nothing explicit).

In the end the plot thickens and we have some major twists and turns. I am really interested in how all this will play into the next Novel.

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next one *_*.

Title: Mageborn (The Hollow King #1)
Author: Jessica Thorne
Pub. Date: February 18, 2020
Rating: 4.5

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this book to review, and thanks for bringing it to my attention! Otherwise I might have missed it completely.

Have you ever just picked up a book, and almost immediately know you’re going to absolutely love it, and be absolute trash for it?
Yes?
Then you know exactly the feeling I’m talking about.
I was pretty much sold on this book, from this line alone:

A dark and addictive fantasy read for fans of Graceling and Sarah J. Maas.

But, honestly, I think a better comparison is to Elise Kova’s Air Awakens Series. I got major Vhalla and Aldrik vibes from Grace and Bastien.
Ugh, Grace and Bastien.
I love them.
Basically, if you’re a fan of Aelin + Rowan, Vhalla + Aldrik and Lou + Reid, you’ll really love Grace and Bastien. They all share very similar dynamics, but definitely the most comparable is Vhalla and Aldrik. Which, I’m totally okay with, because those books are some of my favorite fantasy books.
Anyways…god, I always digress in reviews. Back to Mageborn, the book you’re actually here to read about.
This was such a good, upper YA, borderline NA fantasy read. It should be on everyone’s radar.
I mean, the cover alone should make you want to buy it, because look at it – it’s stunning!

From the start of this book, we’re taken on Grace’s journey as she tries to ignore the blankness of her past, and the ever-growing power inside of her. We follow her as she does her job, dutifully upholding the laws. Her job causes her to come in contact with Bastien, the Lord of Thorns, a supposed ‘monster’ and there’s instant attraction, because tall, dark and handsome is everyone’s type. Let’s be real.
Things get a little chaotic, a kingdom is on the line, and everything they do, could lead to the end of everything. Overall, it’s a very, very good read, easy to sink into and get lost in.

I think my favorite thing about these less popular fantasy books – though, this one needs all of the hype, I’ll be screaming about it for days, be ready – is that they don’t feel tired. They feel fresh and easy to fall into. Like, I don’t know what I’m getting into when I open the book.
I didn’t see the reveal coming at the end of this book. Not at all. I would not have pegged this book for doing that.

I need book 2. I desperately need it! I need to know what happens next.
Slipping back to my statement about the end of the book, can someone who has read this book message me, because THOSE LAST FEW CHAPTERS?? Jfc, I thought I was going to die. I was so nervous and terrified and quite honestly upset with how those last few chapters went down.
I mean, they were SO GOOD, I just didn’t want it to [REDACTED FOR SPOILERS]. Sigh.
So, yeah, I need book 2.

Absolutely loved this book, and I highly recommend it to everyone!

**I received an E-ARC of the book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions listed herein are my own**

I thought this was a fun, easy, and entertaining read! The world and the magic system was interesting, and I love how strong-willed the main character is. I especially love how she did not allow her self to become the stereotypical damsel-in-distress when there were times that the story could have easily fallen into that plot-device. I honestly did not see the plot twist until more than half-way through the book, but once I did, I thought: ok this is kinda neat, I dig it.

My only complaint is that the writing (both dialogue and action) was a bit confusing at times (example: at one instance, a character moved to do something and then another character was suddenly falling supposedly at the hands of this other character but, this was not clearly described and it took me out of the story for a moment. this happened a small handful of times) There was more telling than showing, specifically with regard to the characters' feelings/reactions. (Example the author flat out telling us a character is nervous rather than describing them in such a way that we can infer that they are nervous) Tighter editing of these minor errors would have made the story stronger.

I also recall reading a review in which the reader complained that this fantasy had too much romance to which I reply that this is marketed as a FANTASY ROMANCE. The author's afterword even states that she was asked to write a fantasy romance series and this is the result of that endeavor. This is very much a romance that takes place in a fantasy setting so if that if not your thing, be forewarned.

And to those who say the world-building could be stronger, I agree; but I have also come to learn that fantasy romances, however compelling and creative the world may seem, are never developed in-depth. I wish it would have been because there is something here.

Regardless: I, for one, look forward to the next installment!

<i>e-ARC provided by the publisher Bookotoure via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

Lord, what did I just put myself through...

I have no idea how to review this book, not only because it was just a mess of a plot (which I will get into later), but also because apparently the author did a rewrite before publication. According to the email the NetGalley reviewers got from the publisher, the author listened to early reviews and rewrote <i>Mageborn</i> to make it more streamlined and have the plot flow smoother. I think this is great, considering my biggest critique of this arc was that it needed a major rewrite.

However, now I'm torn on how to proceed with the review. I'll just say be warned that a lot of what I say in this review might have been changed in the rewrite. For the sake of this book, I certainly hope that is the case. This review will probably be a mess because I don't want to critique things that might not be in the final product. My brain is also mush after finishing this overly long book so there's that...

I cannot give a synopsis on what this book is about. Not for reasons you may think but because the plot is just one giant mess. I'm sorry, that's a really harsh thing to say, but there is no better way to describe how convuluted the plot is. The magic system was pitifully underdeveloped, all of the characters were one dimensional, the political system was nonexistant, and the world building was all over the place. I'm <i>still</i> confused on what was going on in the book and I just finished it. Reading the synopsis Goodreads provides is probably your best bet on figuring out what this book is about.

It's not that a book can't be good if it is confusing--I have read and loved books by William Faulkner before and his works require a lot of brain power. I just would like to understand the reason behind why things are happening. Everything is so underdeveloped in this book that nothing made sense to me. I kept waiting and waiting for the plot to become cohesive but it does not even come close until the very end.

<i>Mageborn</i> is also unecessarily repetitive. Characters would have a conversation about something and then have the exact same conversation a few pages later, acting like the first conversation never happened. For example, the story of the Hollow King and why Bastien could never be king came up at least a dozen times. Each time the characters would act like it's some new revelation that people don't want a mageborn king, but I was like "we just went over this twenty pages ago?!". The repetition made me more angry the more it happened.

I have more I could rant about, but it seems kind of pointless after learning the author rewrote the book. I think she changed quite a bit, considering the length seems to have gone down by 100 pages. Just read some of the other lackluster reviews and know I agree with everything they say. I wish I had read the final version, because I have so much confidence that it's better than the arc. The bones of the story are good; this book was just in desperate need of another round of edits.

I will say that i think the first third and the last 20ish percent were interesting, though. I was interested enough that if the sequel goes up for review on NetGalley or if I find it for free I will more than likely pick it up.

Grace Marchant is a soldier whose job it is to find and arrest corrupt Mageborn (people born with magical powers) and deliver them to the crown for justice. When Grace's job ends up in her losing a valued member of the team, it puts her in contact with Bastien, the Lord of Thorns - a member of the Royal Family with his own powers, and also the heir to the throne. As a murder investigation spirals out of control, Grace ends up having to team up with Bastien, and also protect him from danger all around while they both figure out how to try and save their city from terrible forces of evil.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is the age of the characters - who all seem to be in the early to mid-twenties. It was really refreshing to read a book with relatable characters who weren't also dealing with teen acne and hormones but also strong in their own right, with relative life experience already behind them and no hovering parental figures in the way (not to mention healthy sexual appetites and relations).

The city this story is set in was also built up very well by the author and it had all the things you would normally see in a typical fantasy - the palace itself, the highborn area, an armoury/soldiers' quarters and then the market place, plus taverns of varying repute and the slums. And also a lot of secret passageways.

There was a decent amount of chemistry between Bastien and Grace which I enjoyed, though personally I would have preferred more of a slow burn as when the story really began to get going with the mageborn murder investigation, the romance seemed to very suddenly take control. While I liked the interactions between Grace and Bastien, I also wanted a juicy murder mystery and I feel like this element of the story was lost completely which was disappointing.

Bastien, as a character - while a delicious mix between The Darkling and Prince Cardan of Elfhame, seemed to be a confusing juxtaposition of many different things. While he was thought to be strong and dangerous, and extremely powerful, we kept seeing him in moments where he seemed very weak and Grace is charged with protecting him - yet at times, it's proven he has crazy magic powers and really adept fighting ability. I couldn't figure it out, and I disliked feeling like he was a bit pathetic at times because what I was seeing was different than what we had been told. But also on the flip side of that, I liked the gender swap that was the female character being the main protector.

The magic system is quite intricate in this book, and when it's combined with the history of the gods, it can get a little bit confusing and I'm hoping the second book will make me feel more comfortable with the lore and provide me a true understanding of the gods and all their relations with each other, and how some of the reveals in Mageborn actually work.

This book is a really good stepping stone for people who may read mostly romance or contemporary, and who want to start reading more fantasy without diving head deep into a super long tome.

First of all, this cover is beautiful. I just wanted to throw that out there. This book was a nice and entertaining read. The world-building was done really well and the character introductions were great. The magical elements were interesting and I liked the romance aspects of the book. The biggest problems for me were that it was extremely wordy and the flow was off. It didn't feel effortless and because of that, it was hard to get into and stay into the story. Before reading this book, I did get an email from the author through Netgalley stating that the author has taken some of the reviews into consideration and will be reworking certain elements to make it more streamlined and faster-paced. I think that this will help the book tremendously and I would definitely be interested in reading with the new revisions.

Grace lost her family when she was just a child. Abandoned and from a past she can’t remember, Grace builds a family around her team at the Academy. Grace and her team track the uncollared Mageborn – those that do not serve the King and commit crimes with their magical powers. Unexpectedly named by the King himself to protect Bastien - his cousin and heir to the crown, Grace’s duty brings her face to face with the most dangerous and powerful magic in the kingdom. But as her mystifying desire for Bastien grows, so does the need of her buried past, burn to expose itself.

Bastien, more brother than a cousin to the King, is known as the Lord of Thorns. Powerful, handsome, secretive, Bastien governs all Mageborn and is the King’s named heir. As the King’s imminent death draws ever nearer, Bastien’s life is in danger from enemies who want the throne for themselves and wish him dead. When Grace is put in charge of safeguarding his life, Bastien is far from pleased but finds himself slowly trusting her as their circumstances grow more treacherous.

Jessica Thorne is an adept artist in world-building. Exciting and imaginative, the reader is easily fascinated by her Mageborn realm of magic. I was vividly visualizing this uniquely inventive world. The ending is open to going further on and easily leaves you wanting more.

I can’t wait to see what awaits. Very much recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for Jessica Thorne’s read of, Mageborn: (The Hollow King Book 1 ).

Opinions expressed in my reviews are my own.

This was a solid read. It has an interesting magic system and some fun characters, however it all felt very familiar to me. It seems to be a typical YA fantasy, which is not a bad thing, especially if you're new to the fantasy genre. I think you could easily fall for this book. The characters are entertaining and the plot is quite compelling, particularly for those who enjoy a good romance. As a long time fantasy reader, this book didn't do a lot for me, but I think for others it has the potential to be very enjoyable.

Mageborn had a unique storyline. It captured a fresh perspective of magic in the land of fantasy. I think what kept me reading was learning more about the world of the characters. Both Grace and Bastien were strong characters - and it was interesting to learn about how their history shaped their lives. Learning about how magic worked in this world was intriguing- I think it ultimately sets this fantasy world apart from others. I would rate this a three out of five! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #NetGalley

Thanks Netgalley for letting me read this and give an honest review.

I love how this book started out. The way the magic worked was pretty unique and I love how it was outlined. The friendships were pretty great. The memory loss helped to not need a whole lot of backstory upfront. The sexual tension between Grace and Bastien was fun.... until they were forced together and all of a sudden he was an open book. I felt like that was pretty rushed. It also felt like it was all that was holding the story together at the end.

All in all, I enjoyed the story.

"Mageborn" by Jessica Thorne starts with the key event the plot hinges on centuries later before introducing us to Grace and her team of officers.
From the beginning, "Mageborn" is dynamic. The opening was intriguing, and the story was unpredictable. There was a lot going on from the beginning, and the intrigue took off early on as well, but it was written in such a way that I had no trouble keeping up with what was happening.
The world of "Mageborn" is also very rich. Between the different kingdoms and political tension, the magic system, and the folklore, Jessica Thorne made it come alive in a way that captivated me all my attention. I can’t wait to learn more about it and how it’ll play into the sequel. I did, however, find that I had trouble connecting the type of wizard to the magic, because they weren’t always explained and there was no glossary at the end.

The strongest point of the novel was the characters and particularly the relationships they build. Grace is incredible. She’s incredibly layered, with a fierce protective streak when it comes to her friends whom she considers family. This bond between them is at the forefront of everything and it’s all I’ve ever wanted out of the found family trope. As for Bastien, he’s even more complicated. His reputation doesn’t quite match up with his personality, so seeing through Grace’s POV and then getting to know him through his own chapters was great. I really enjoyed how their relationship develops, even though it went a little fast for my taste.
My only real issue with this book comes from the side characters. There are a couple women that were one dimensional. Their only characteristic was how power hungry they were, which didn’t lend any complexity especially when contrasted with the third such woman and the lackeys who formed a great evil team.

"Mageborn" by Jessica Thorne was an incredible start to a new fantasy series and I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book.