Mageborn was an interesting take on  fantasy style novel from a publisher not really known for the style.


Let's first say that this is definitely more unique novel and one that is very confusing as well.  It has so many good points including some amazing character design.


Also what an interesting system for magic.  I really enjoyed it a lot. I like the idea that its al.ost spiritual magic instead of arcane magic.  For those who aren't really aware of the difference in terms of old school they would be clerics and not wizards.


The only item I wish there wasn't any of was the romantic parts.  Those I can do without in fantasy that I read but as they weren't an overarching plot point it doesn't really detract from the book.


Definitely a well thought out book and while I did enjoy it I wanted more as I am a much harder judge of fantasy than other styles.

Starting this one, I wasn't sure how it was going to go or if I would like it. It started a little confusing, but made sense once it got moving.

Pretty quick moving story. Lots of details. Interesting "romance"

Good story.

I thought this book was good. I thought it started out really good and fast paced, then I felt like the writing got a little over the top with lots of very detailed descriptions. I have hopes for the second one and hope the author finds her groove. Because the series definitely has promise!

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve read and enjoyed the other two books released by Jessica Thorne so I was excited to read Mageborn. I’m also a big fan of fantasy romance and Sarah J Mass. The cover for Mageborn is gorgeous and I was delighted to receive an advanced copy from Netgalley and the publisher. The story begins with a prologue that sets a lot of questions in motion. I found the writing engaging and I loved the two main characters. Grace is a strong and solid. Bastien was my favorite. I liked him from the first moment he was introduced in the story. I read the second 60% of this book in one sitting and I am looking forward to see what happens in book 2. The action scenes were great and the descriptions really helped to bring this magical world to life. There were a few questions that I would have liked to have been given the answers to, especially the pact that was made with the Hollow King. I’d also like to know how Grace’s powers came back and if this is something that will happen to all the Mageborn who had their powers drained.

There were some fantastic moments in this story, especially towards the end as things came to a head and a lot of secrets were revealed. Celeste was a great character and I expect she will feature a lot in book two. There were a few occasions where I struggled to figure out which character was speaking and I felt that dialogue tags were required in certain places.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Mageborn and will definitely be looking forward to book 2 in the series.

Thank you to Bookouture for the ARC! All opinions are mine.

Mageborn is the first book of The Hollow King series. We follow Grace and her crew who are tasked with hunting down rogue mageborn (who can control fire, water, other stuff) and subduing them for the government. We also follow Bastien, cousin to the king and trademark Dark Boi who has the ability to manipulate magic itself, a power unique to him. The two team up to investigate a string of related murders and upon doing so, discover much more darkness within in the city they call home.

Mageborn started out really well in my eyes, I was immediately hooked and loved the premise. The prologue was the best part and I proceeded to fly through the first half in only a couple sittings! It feels exactly like a fantasy-lover’s beach read, due mainly to the fact that Jessica Thorne’s writing is not overly descriptive or convoluted. When reading fantasy with complex political and magic systems, I generally appreciate that.

That being said, I can’t review this without acknowledging the comparison to Sarah J. Maas, who’s in my opinion one of the best, if not THE best writers of all time. As someone who’s read each of her books two to five times, I can say Mageborn does not compare nearly enough to warrant the statement. It’s no more like Throne of Glass or A Court of Thorns and Roses than any other book featuring a castle and elemental magic. Honestly, comparing Grace to Celaena or Feyre feels quite generous. A better comparison would be to authors like Margaret Rogerson (An Enchantment of Ravens, Sorcery of Thorns), Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me) or Morgan Rhodes (Falling Kingdoms).

The two main characters on their own are great, but force them into a relationship and things get uncomfortable. For the entirety of the book, Grace and Bastien have sex dreams about each other and are wholly attracted for no apparent reason, even before meeting. This is not at all explained and I can’t even theorize what the connection might be or why it’s there, other than that it’s just ~meant to be~

There is also a noticeable inconsistency within Bastien’s character. When we initially meet him, he’s described as dark, mysterious and insanely powerful. Your classic untouchable, cold, broody, all the adjectives dude. For the first few chapters he really exudes that. Then, for some reason, he ends up needing Grace’s protection for the rest of the book and proceeds to barely show any of his generously described power. Grace is nothing special, there’s no reason why she’s assigned to be his guardian. The king knows nothing about her, and yet entrusts his only heir’s life to some Randy the Rando lieutenant? Alright bud.

And then there’s the ending that quite literally 4-strand French braided my brain. The last 20% of the story has so many plot twists and reveals that I felt genuinely whip lashed. It might be partially due to the fact that the book up until then is relatively low-key in comparison. But it really felt like the author decided to implement every possible plot twist, which ended up dulling the impact of them all. I’m sitting here still struggling to piece together what happened and what could possibly follow in the sequel, but it’s just too all over the place.

Would I recommend Mageborn? To someone who wants some light and smutty enjoyment and wouldn’t delve too much into the details, yes.

**SPOILERS AHEAD** READ AT YOUR OWN RISK **
I received a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review via NetGalley.

This is a wonderful concept for a novel. I love the idea, the basic storyline, and the characters. But this felt more like a manuscript in need of a final edit. There were a lot of moments where repetitive description tags were over-used, and I really disliked the single quotation marks used for dialogue. However, that isn't what my main concerns for the novel were. The reasons for the two stars falls heavily on the plot.

The story itself focuses on Grace, our strong, secretly magical heroine. We follow her on her journey to the palace where we meet the brooding, misunderstood prince, Bastien. The romance in some parts felt a bit forced, particularly some of the more physical moments. Bastien, being seen by the kingdom as the evil, punisher, seemed too quick to let his guard down with Grace. I think the plot would have benefitted from a bit more romantic tension before Bastien accepted Grace, particularly since she becomes another individual to hold power/the potential to control him.

The prologue grabbed my attention right away, the Hollow King being begged to make a deal to save the land, a land that the Hollow King wanted to save as well. Save from what? Not entirely sure—by the end of the novel it seems like a hell, full of monsters but we don't really get an image of what the Hollow King was holding back. The clarity on the deal that was made was not entirely clear either. The Hollow King essentially submits to the young boy, a Larelwynn, but the pact is vague. I'm not sure if that is intentional or not, because the Hollow King, later revealed as Bastien, has been losing his memories for decades/lifetimes.

The Mageborns were really interesting. I liked the names each power was given, the Gore we meet first was vicious and really dragged me in to the story with his apprehension. But, the particular Gore that was arrested, had an odd story line. One that seemed a bit unrefined. First, this Gore was murdering people. Torturing his victims and leaving their remains behind. "He'd want to wait until she died, to feel the last connection die with her," but this was contradictory, he didn't remain around for the last murders, "Every one of them left like this. In the dark, alone, twisted, and broken. Not dead. Not yet." —so I was curious why this particular murder was different, why he would remain behind for her. We never learn that.

Kai, one of Grace's teammates and friends, drains him of his power as punishment, and to protect Grace. We then meet the Gore again later down the line during a demonstration of Mother Miranda, where she pulls power from the mageborn and essentially gives the power to non-mageborn to "play" with. I was a bit confused, because I was uncertain how he had any power left if Kai had drained him. This isn't discussed either. Even Grace, who had been drained as a child, ends up with her magic back (even before she meets Bastien) this plot point is barely a plot point because we never learn, or even ask the question, WHY/HOW did her power return? Will it return to the other mageborn who were drained? If not, why is Grace different?

There were other smaller bits of story that I thought needed fleshing out but the biggest plot flaw, in my opinion, was the moment Bastien brings Grace back to life the first time. She has been given the warrant, and had commanded him never to use magic on her, she also commanded him never to touch her without being asked to do so. But he was able to use magic on her with no problem, except for the brief moment when Bastien acknowledges that she'll be mad. Which she isn't, at all. Not until he uses his magic AGAIN to put her to sleep. The warrant is used to control Bastien but apparently the control only works when the plot needs it to,

I loved Bastien's sister Celeste, though. I wish we had more of her presence in the story. She was unpredictable, rash, childish one moment but then a scorned woman in the next. Her psychosis was well done, and her character is main reason I will pick up the next book in the series when it comes out. She was a character I'd love to dive into a lot more. Overall, I think the novel was interesting and if you're looking for a quick, action-packed fantasy novel, I'd definitely give this a go. I also loved the cover, which is why I requested the read initially. I'd suggest going in with low expectations, the novels the publisher's relate this book to are a bit of a stretch and may provide a higher expectation for the reading experience. I've subscribed to be kept informed of when the next novel comes out....hopefully with a lot of dark, angry Celeste!

I cannot express my excitement at getting my hands on another book by Jessica Thorne! The Queen’s Wing was amazing and Mageborn did not disappoint! I couldn’t go to 5 stars because I feel like there wasn’t enough world building and explaining of the mageborn, divinity, and Maegen. However, I can go a solid four stars for the solid story and intriguing world that was offered. I would have liked to see more character development as well because there wasn’t enough background for me to completely fall for the Grace/Bastien pairing. I look forward to further development!

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mageborn was an enjoyable read.
The worldbuilding was great and I loved the mythology and magic system. The characters were wonderfully written, though it was hard at times getting through Grace's and Bastien's mysteries. Also, their romance was too fast for my taste, but that's just me, I enjoy well written slow burn more.
Overall, the legend of the Hollow King was a great idea and the different manifestations of magic were amazing. I just couldn't get really into it.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

I am going to give this novel a 2/5. I think that starting off a book by comparing it to another one Cand set you up to fail. I started this novel with a lot of expectations since it was for fans of Sarah j. Mass and Graceling. The book did other meet these expectations.

The book starts off with what should be world building but is really written as if you already now all of the information. Bastien is supposed to be a 'bad boy' (think the darkling without the abuse) but turns just into a fluff ball the second he sees Grace (the main character)

Another problem is with the romance. I like fast romances, slow burns bore me, but this is just a world record. Grace meets Bastien (mind you, at this point she believes he killed her friend) and that same night she has a wet dreamy about him......EH??

There were some nice things too. For one, this would be a light read. The story has a lot of potential and we'll written antagonist. There is talk about heavy topics like rape which brings attention to the fact that males do get raped by females. Personally, I believe the antagonist were more developed than the protagonist and that's a bit of an issue. Either way, 2/5


Thank you Netgalley

There's a hint of danger in hyping up a new book by putting it in the same category as other books with a big fan base. I understand why it's done, but you build up so much of it for the reader before they've even begun, that if the book does not match expectations—and often it does not—it's a swift disappointment.

I won't say that Mageborn disappointed me—and that's in part because I refused to let myself believe it would be anything like Sarah J. Maas' stories—but there were moments of misses, and a few hits.

The characters in this story are not fleshed out fully, and there were times when I did not feel like the author had a full grasp on them and their personality. Yes, it is okay, normal, welcomed even for a brooding character like Bastien to display a facade to the outside world out of necessity and yet be someone else—his real self, even—behind closed doors. What's a bit more difficult to believe is that as someone who has had to portray himself as a dangerous and even evil being for years so that he may gain and hold respect, suddenly drops every single barrier because the love interest in the story appears in his life.

Romance is not only welcomed for me in a novel, but it is delightful as a bonus. And that's how it began in Mageborn. I was on board, I was enjoying the tension-filled attraction that Grace and Bastien felt for one another... And then I started to notice that that plot was being sacrificed for the romance. This happened to such a degree, that there were moments when either Grace or Bastien seemed to be trying to move the story along after an action sequence, but the other would interrupt this to either flirt or initiate a sexual encounter.

It is distracting to force a romantic interaction between characters. This is something that should happen organically.

The writing itself was underdeveloped in sections. It failed to describe things too clearly and made me have to go back and re-read certain scenes. And now and again I would come across a run-in sentence that would read clumsily:

“Grace punched the bag again, imagining it was him, imagining it bore his superior, snide look, his too bloody handsome face, that perfect nose which she was breaking, his freakish black eyes which she was turning into actual black eyes.”

Yet, was I entertained despite these setbacks? Absolutely. Was it worth a read? I believe so.

This is a fun book overall.

Yes, it takes some time for the plot to take hold, but once that happens, it's a good time all around. The secondary characters are a nice addition—Ellyn, Daniel, Asher, even the queen. The antagonists are, interestingly, even more expanded than the leads. Celeste... I wish that we would have had more scenes of Celeste, because she is creepy, wonderfully insane, unpredictable. She has the potential to drive this story in the second book with her dark personality, and these types of roles are oftentimes the ones that grow the overall potential of the novel. At least or me.

The mythology of the Hollow King and the reveal at the end that Bastien discovers in himself was enjoyable and shocking. I was not expecting it, and mostly I think that's because I was focused on the story so strongly that I didn't have time to guess what was about to happen. That's great. Mageborn does hold your interest regardless of setbacks, it sucks you right in, and I devoured the words as fast as I could.

There was action, and plenty of it from the opening sequence. The moments devoted to these scenes were exciting and the way that the magic is used—as well as the way that the source of this magic is described—was very nicely done.

Despite room for growth, the first novel in The Hollow King series brings forth a gratifying read for fantasy-lovers.

DNF @ 40%
This was poorly marketed as being very similar to the works of Sarah J Maas which is setting the reader expectations extremely high! I struggled to read as much as I did and only continued as I feel compelled to read review copies and ARC’s all the way through. The story is one that we have seen many times before within YA fantasy and for a book to succeed within this genre it needs to be very new and innovative in its ideas and/or the writing needs to be of a high quality. Sadly in the case of Mageborn the story is very similar and the writing not brilliant. The author has some good ideas but the book needs much more in the way of editing and revising. I was confused and disinterested from the beginning and I felt disconnected from the characters. There was lots of information and more telling than showing and I was forcing myself to read. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book.

50 bajillion stars ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯ 5 clearly is not enough.

So I was intrigued though by the whole premise. I was excited to read a dark epic fantasy with some romance! The cover also helped me get sucked into reading this book.

I loved this book so much for so many reasons. It broke my heart into a million pieces and put it all back together again. I laughed, smiled, and gasped in surprise at every step of the way. This book was my spirit animal. It sounds so extra, but I am EXTRA . I hate a lot of books, feel indifferent, but rarely do I love a book to the point where I am like PLEASE READ THIS NOW. I honestly think this is one of my favorite books and hopefully I feel the same way about the rest of the books in the series!

I love the tension between Grace Merchant and Bastien Larelwynn. If I really had to describe or compare, think of Rhysand from A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. He is the dark broody misunderstood man. However I think Bastien is different. Tall dark and handsome yes, but he is a character I felt a refreshing change from the Alpha males in fantasy romances. BUT GRACE IS NOT FEYRE. Nope. I never liked Feyre.... Grace is strong-willed. She knows what she wants and what is good for her.

I personally felt like I was sucked into a universe where I just needed to know more. I was constantly at the edge of my bed, seat, any possible surface I was reading on.

I loved the world of Rathlynn. I fell in love with Bastien and his dark personality and dangerous past. I understood Grace and her need for order in the middle of chaos and her quick thinking. The whole premise of the world Jessica Thorne was building was amazing.

I would definitely recommend this book! Need a dark fantasy with a tension filled romance and a mystery in a world full of magic and danger thennnnnnnnn READ IT!

Mageborn: (The Hollow King Book 1) by Jessica Thorne, an intriguing book. Starts off really well, felt a tad scattered thru the middle and then it concludes solidly.

Really does pack a punch... I loved every minute of it... filled with action, adventure, and romance and it will have you at the edge of your seat so many times. There were things I never saw coming and I held my breath on numerous occasions... This book has everything a fantasy reader will love... If I could give more than five stars I would. I absolutely loved it..
Thank you so much!!

<I>*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review *</i > 
<b>3 stars </b> 

Grace, an orphan, is part of an elite corps of soldiers, fights corrupt or hollow Mageborn..Bastien is seneschal to the Mageborn, as well as the King's cousin, monitors Mageborn, punishes those who will not submit to the crown.

Overall, this was an alright read. It's engaging, slowly introducing the world initially. But overall, the plot (or lack thereof to fuel the romance aspect) leaves a bit to be desired, and comes off quite cliché . The language is very odd at times, and absolutely full of overwrought metaphors. There definitely could have been more world-building though, and I feel like none of the characters really got to shine much other than Grace and Bastien.

ALSO, the blurb compares it to SJM, which definitely is not a good thing. While this was somewhat entertaining in its own right, it's nothing like her writing, especially in terms of character depth, and comparing the two makes Mageborn look far worse than it is.

I love a lengthy book, but in this case it was too much. This story needs to be put together, take out the excessive descriptions, move along the pace.

“When you chased monsters they tended to notice. They chased you back.”

Mageborn was a pretty good read. My very first from this author. It’s fantasy read set in a magical medieval feeling world. There’s an ailing king, some magical mythology, and sort of a corrupt royal agenda.

I enjoyed the main plot of the story. And I liked most of the characters. These people who sort of edge the line between good and evil. Honestly most of the characters in this book do bad things, but they also have somewhat good intentions, or they are only doing what they believe is the right thing. I mean there are truly bad characters in this story, but it’s difficult at times to weed them out. I enjoyed the heroine, Grace. She’s loyal to the crown and the Academy she fights for, even if she doesn’t always agree with her jobs. She also has secrets and an unexplainable connection with the Lord of Thorns. Bastien is said Lord of Thorns, a mageborn, who is also the heir to the crown as the ailing king has no children. Anyway. I don’t want to give the entire story away, so I’ll just give a few opinions. I think the bones of this story are good. There is so much potential for a GREAT story. Unfortunately, for me, there was just something missing. The writing feels a bit choppy at some points. It feels like you’re expected to know history/background that were never mentioned, and the story moves very slowly until around 50% percent. I’d chalk that up to world building, but it didn’t feel like that was the issue. Anyway. As I said, I did mostly enjoy this story. I’ll most likely pick up the next one, because I am invested in the characters, but I’m hoping that it gets a little heavier of a content edit. I think that would have done wonders for this first book, and could have gained it a higher rating from me.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

Grace Marchant is a soldier, trained to track down wild Mageborn, those who possess dangerous magic, who refused to submit to the Crown. In a world where Mageborn are forced to obey to the Crown, collared and used by It, Grace struggles to keep her secret magic hidden. Helped by her team, Ellyn, Daniel and Kai, Grace fights for the Crown, trying not to question her loyalty, but when Kai's magic turns itself on him and his fate is decided by the Lord of Thorns, the heir of the crown Bastien Larelwynn, Grace finds herself conflicted. And when the dying king tasks her to protect him, Bastien and Grace are forced to work together, trying to discover the fate of murdered Mageborn in the city. But the plot is more complex that Grace would have thought and while she fights against her feelings for Bastien and tries to understand how to protect him and discover the truth, Bastien struggles with the same thoughts and emotions. In the meantime, forces rally to try to control Bastien's powers, to use him, to force him and the sake of all the mageborn of the kingdom is at stake.

Mageborn is the first book of The Hollow king saga and it's a complex tale of magic, love, adventure, intrigue and power. While the beginning is slow and, at first, the story couldn't get my full attention, the story then becomes more interesting and fast paced.
Told by two POVs, Grace's and Bastien's, the story follows the main characters, while they trying to uncover a convoluted scheme. Both Grace and Bastien are interesting characters, both of them struggles with their memories and emotions for each other and they are strong and loyal to their people and family.
Grace is a loyal soldier, but she's able to think with her own head, to trust her instinct, magic or other, and to make the right decision. Burdened by her own missing memories and by her power, Grace is stubborn, smart and sarcastic.
Bastien, like Grace, is burdened by his own missing memories and powers, fighting to right the wrongs in his city and kingdom, fighting to protect the mageborn by others' clutches. He's witty, powerful and tormented. Unlike Grace, who found her family in the Academy with her team, Bastien's loneliness and being out of place is acutely written and clear.
Right away Bastien and Grace are attracted to each other, trusting one other in a fight for freedom and survival.
Their relationship is a complicated one, maybe fueled by the magic inside them, bringing them together, binding them. I liked reading their interactions, because they are witty, sarcastic and able to see and understand their own vulnerabilities, while learning to know and love each other.
Interesting are the side characters and the villains in the story. Ellyn is the trusted friend and soldier, Daniel is, maybe, the naive and in love guy, ready to do anything for the people he cared about. I really wished the author would have developed more Ellyn's and Daniel's characters, because I really liked them and I hope the next one will do, because I need to know more about Daniel's family, Misha and Kurt and Ellyn's.
I won't write about the villains, because I don't want to spoiler anyone, but they are interesting, power hungry and dangerous. Seeing Bastien used and manipulated was hard to read and it was interesting the dynamics between Bastien and his cousin Marius and the story about the Hollow King.

Jessica Thorne created a world where the magic is seen as a tool to be used in order to control it, to protect other people, a world where mageborn are captured and collared and where only few protest for their rights to be free. It was interesting reading about all kinds of mageborn exist and how they use their power, like the Flint, Zephyr, Leech and so on.
Written skillfully, Mageborn is a book full of adventure, romance, action and intrigue and I can't wait to know more about Grace's and Bastien's adventure and what will happen to Rathlynn.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy of Mageborn by Jessica Thorne. This book had all of the tropes I typically look for in a YA fantasy. I really enjoyed the aspect of the mysterious but good inside bad boy, and the strong and resilient female MC. This book was a bit darker, somewhat reminding me of the Infernal Devices in regards to hunting down outlawed magics.

However, I do think that this book may need a little bit of editing. There were a lot of things going on all at once, and I had a hard time trying to find connections as to why these things were happening. For example, right in the beginning we have the opening hook where the boy goes to see the Hollow King, I loved that mystery. But then we are introduced to the Lord of Thorns and really not told much about him or his motives for A LONG time! I felt so confused. By Chapter 10 I still had no idea what was going on with him. I found myself skimming a lot.

I think the premise of the book is good, I loved the romance aspect, but it just needs polishing. So much is going on but also not a lot is going on all at once... I think I'll read the finished copy and see if there are any changes.

This book is a crime to fantasy fiction.

I read the summary and I was wary. When people compare a book to another book, it not only seems a bit desperate but gives a bit of false advertisement because you're expecting something with the same gravitas.

This book not only failed to live up to the expectations of 'Graceling' and 'Sarah J. Maas' but needs an editor, a plot, and by god a lack of a love interest.

An editor:

This book had too many strange metaphors and or odd repetitive phrases. If I had to read the word 'Lord of Thorns' , 'he was no longer a boy, he was the Lord of Thorns', 'he became the Lord of Thorns again', ... ALL RIGHT. I get it. He is on a different plane of existence than every one in the book. I heard you the first time, I heard you the second time. This book tells you countless times that the 'Lord of Thorns' is not like everyone else and that he is misunderstood. Unfortunately you get little showing just a lot of telling about him.

400 pages also with nothing really going on? What? Yes. It's true.

Plot:

I very hazily understand this plot, but even still it makes not a lick of sense. Nor does the fantasy aspect. You have this 'Academy' but nobody learns anything and it's just for 'show' to house the characters when they have nothing to do or to give them a title to throw at people.

There is a King and for some strange reason he is in bed/invalid/sick/dying? He has an evil wife that .... nobody seems to care that she is doing openly evil things while she is alive? You have a girl who is apparently this captain of the guard and talks cocky but when faced with danger and or something outside her scope she whines and or complains. She has a group of friends (?) or team-mates she leads who aren't really either friends or team-mates, they just kind of dress the plot to give us reason for the Lord of Thorns and her to hook up.

This book was written just for the sake of getting them together. Honestly. I thought that the first time they met it would be a slow burn but you have her instantly fighting in her head and verbally to get with him - physically, mentally. I had to sit through countless pages of ham-fisted 'will they, won't they' to know that they obviously had a connection with one another because it was spelled out on every single page.

Which brings us to the romance:

This book would have been better with a slow burn. The 'story' and point of the world building was thrown aside just to have them constantly be in the center of each page or each bit of action. The book is told through both their point of views and that was a big fault in my opinion because you have an author who is sacrificing relationship over story and that's not how a book should be written. It should be plot first!

All in all, this book was a very painful read for me and the reviews are a bit shocking. I came into this book without bias, just to read a fantasy that sounded interesting but came away finding something that resembled a B- creative writing story.

I do not recommend this book.