A engaging book. that's really hard to classify. I'd just call it a new take on fantasy and leave it at that. Initially I found it a hard to get into, but then once I was invested, it was really enjoyable. Siyon is a very likeable character to follow Lots of heart in the book. It just throws stuff that you don't really expect. An intriguing ride for sure. recommended!

At its heart, this book is about finding your way when you don't fit into circumscribed societal roles.

The author creates a wonderful world with a new take on magical systems. It is fresh and vivid and filled with wonderful characters.

Can't wait for book two!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. This is my honest review.

I had high hopes for Notorious Sorcerer, but I ended up being indifferent about the book as a whole. The characters were flat, and the plot and magic system were average at best. Definitely had potential though!

thank you to netgalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Notorious sorcerer was just what i needed for the fall season. A fun little fantasy book that is fast paced and entertaining is just what i needed with this weather. The worlbuilding isn’t as intense as you would expect from a fantasy book but it gets the point across without making you think too hard or making you confused for half the book. I thoroughly enjoyed and definitely recommend!

It’s been ages since I’ve felt sucked into a literary world where you can’t help but want to read more about the world. From the characters to the setting, the Notorious Sorcerer is enjoyable from start to finish. I'm glad readers can expect a follow up to learn where I wonderful rag tag group of characters end up and I'm hopeful for a reunion for my favorite pairing.

The only thing I think would have made this a better book would have been a bit more backstory on the Sundering because of it's ever looming presence throughout the book. While I'm looking forward to the sequel I would love to get a prequel to explore the world of Bezim pre-Sundering and to learn how events led to that.

I received a copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I struggled with a 3 or a 4 for this rating, and I think I land solidly at a 3.5.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, but the pacing felt very slow and at times, the switching of POVs felt jarring and it took me longer than it should have to figure out who I was reading about. The alchemy (magic, sorcery) system wasn’t ever fully explained or at least not enough that I ever felt I understood it, and the distinct planes felt important but also undefined. There was some character development but not enough that I really felt like I knew the characters or understood them, and I struggled to love or care about them the way I want to in a book.

The story was interesting but it felt like too many plot lines trying to happen at once - that’s I think my biggest complaint, is that the plots and characters all felt like they lacked focus. I think that contributed to the slow pacing as well.

All in all, it’s a promising start to a series I will absolutely continue, but it’s not a top read for me this year. Definitely recommend for avid fantasy lovers, but not for someone new to the genre.

This was very enjoyable and entertaining. Siyon is a sorcerer, but he's from the lowest class and doesn't have access to training, and his sorcery is considered illegal. He tries to make connections and gain access to education, and is pretty successful. A few chance events lead him and his connections to realize that he's actually very powerful, and when the son of the political ruler disappears, it's possible he might be the one who can rescue him. And maybe fix the problem that has been troubling all sorcerers while he's at it. The world, the magic system, and all the main characters are well developed and interesting, with a lot of non-typical representations. There could be more to tell of Siyon's tale, but the book stands alone nicely.

2✰ // Notorious Sorcerer had a lot in its synopsis that caught my interest and i was very excited for the lgbtq+ rep in a fantasy setting, but for me, it fell short in several ways. the world building and set-up were severely lacking for me; it felt as though, from the very start, you were thrown into the middle of a story and it constantly felt like different facets of the world/story were just being dropped in at random, without having any clear context or relevance to the plot. also, while i usually love multiple povs, the way they were presented in Notorious Sorcerer felt abrupt and circuitous at times. overall, i think this book had a lot of potential but would have greatly benefitted from having a more concrete structure and tenacious flow in its storyline.
thank you so much to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a pretty good fantasy book! I found the characters intriguing, the plot interesting, and the world-building done very well! The writing style was spot on for a fantasy book and the way that the ending was written made the book great. I really liked seeing the character development of Siyon and seeing the LGBTQIA+ Community being shown in the story (Siyon is also part of the community) added to its overall charm. In my opinion, the world-building done here was one of the best factors of the book and the author did very well. Kudos to Davinia Evans!

This took a bit of getting-into for me, but once I did, I found it to be a strong story with compelling characters.

I highly recommend the audiobook for this one. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing life not only to the characters but to the world! It was the perfect book to listen to for long car rides to visit family or back-and-forth to work and home.

'Notorious Sorcerer' was one of my most anticipated reads of the year - and it did not disappoint. I'll admit, I was rather slow reading it, especially the first 35%. I was confused as the reader is thrown into this world, these characters, and the magic system with little explanation given. The reader has to catch up and while I didn't mind it, it did make it more difficult for me to understand or to care at first (again, highly recommend the audiobook as it felt so much easier!). But after that initial 35%? I. Loved. It. Honestly, I was worried this was going to be a standalone until I reached the ending (and my heart is currently BROKEN because of that ending) so I'm happy to hear there will be more from this world & characters.

I ordered a physical copy for my shelf. Orbit just doesn't miss this year with the books they're publishing. I cannot wait for the sequel!

This one started out great and then sort of petered off for me. The first couple of chapters absolutely hooked me – the world of Bezim was charming and warm, and Siyon’s foray into an alternate plane in the first chapter was broadly imaginative and deftly written. Things kind of took a turn after that – the book was slow through the middle, with multiple story lines plodding along. While I appreciate fantasy books that don’t dedicate pages to world building and instead weave it in throughout the story, I thought this book could use a bit more world building. I’m still not entirely sure what the Bravi are, besides general mischief makers with sundry weaponry, nor were any of the other countries (at least, I think they’re countries?) every fully explained, even though some of them sounded truly intriguing. The premise of the story itself is original, and I did like the characters, even if I don’t feel truly invested in either of them. Maybe a four-star read for me, but because I don’t think I’ll be seeking out the next series in this series, that makes me consider more of a three-star read.

Thank you to Net Galley for provide an eARC of this book!

While reading Notorious Sorcerer I fell in love with the magic and I've never fallen out of love. I've been looking all over the place for a good alchemy book and Notorious Sorcerer fits the bill. Even more so, this book combines alchemy and high society with multiple planes of the universe. Every new advance thrilled me. I need to read the next book in the series to just uncover even more about the world. This multiple POV novel - in the sense that we see many characters throughout the book - has so much to offer.

Whether it be characters who are just searching for their purpose, or ones who are struggling against the cages of expectations, or even ones who desire to break free from everything they've ever known. Notorious Sorcerer is a book that will deliver a magic and adventure story which will thrill you. But even more so, I loved the high society class system. The very clear divides in class, name, backgrounds, and how it manifests in protection and ambition. The ways in which the governement cracks down on alchemy, while also having hidden cards up their sleeves.

Unfortunately this one wasn't for me. I had a hard time understanding what was going on and felt I was missing some underlying explanation of this world so when events galloped forward I was just so lost.

Siyon Velo dreams of being an alchemist. But ever since the Sundering (a magical earthquake) almost tore the world apart, alchemy is forbidden to all but the rich and elite. All Siyon can do is save money and convince someone to give him lessons. He does odd jobs for the rich like retrieve items from other planes they need for their alchemy.
His plans are put on hold when the alchemists realize that the planes are unstable. Something needs to be done to fix them because they don't think anyone would survive another Sundering.

I loved this! I would've given it 5 stars but I was confused by the alchemical magic system at times. Other than that, I thought it was fantastic. I feel like this is more character than plot driven. That being said, I loved every character. I would love more from this author.

Well that was fresh! I have recently been on the look out for books featuring well-thought magic systems—not SCIENTIFIC systems, just ones that make sense—and this books definitely delivers. Think of it as a mix of A Darker Shade of Magic and Rhythmatist. The story itself is also gripping, but the magic is what's doing all the heavy-lifting here.

Loved it and can't wait for the next one. 5 Stars

I didn't know what to expect going into this book but I was pleasantly surprised. We are following a young man named Siyon who desperately wants to be an alchemist but unfortunately he doesn't have the money or prestige to get the training required. Besides, alchemy is tightly controlled anyway, only tolerated when practiced by the upper echelons of society who have their wealth and status to protect them. Instead he contents himself with delving the planes collecting rare ingredients that the city's wealthy alchemists need to perform their magic. But Siyon may be more than meets the eye because one day he saves his friend using what could only be considered magic and sets off a chain of events that will change the course of his life, and his city forever.

I adore this book. The city of Bezim comes to life on the page, and I want to be friends with all the characters. I loved the friendships, and the refusal of characters to accept the boxes that their society would put them in. I loved the way that alchemy and magic coexisted in an intriguing way. I loved the visits to the other planes. And most of all I loved Siyon. His bravado and his bad decisions made this book a wild ride, but I wanted to be dragged through the streets by him on one hair brained adventure or another.

This is definitely a plot driven book, but it also deals really well with themes about class divisions, and the problems with the patriarchy and has incredible and unique worldbuilding.

This is definitely one of my favorite books of the year and I will be pre-ordering the sequel for sure.

This book is for those who love a fun, fast paced fantasy set in a city filled with nobles and thieves, where the protagonists are regularly chased by law enforcement and are really good at fucking things up and then having to find a solution. Definitely for people who loved Lies of Locke Lamora.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a free eARC in exchange for my honest review*

The lack of world building killed it for me. You're just thrown into it with no explanation, growth of background or anything.

I love the premise of the book but it just didn't live up to what I wanted it to be.

I can’t say enough wonderful things about this charming and delightful book! I’ve never encountered a magical realm as new and exciting as this one, with its roots in alchemy and classism and the paying of dues to reach magical prowess. The main character, Siyon, is an endearingly reckless bisexual rogue, and I loved being exposed to the viewpoints of the story’s other widely divergent main characters as well. The author does a fantastic job building a dynamic and compelling world while also building three-dimensional characters with wildly different motivations, social backgrounds, goals and characters. I loved following the adventures of Siyon and his motley crew of allies and enemies as he sought to develop his own magic and safely return the planes of his world to balance in the face of mysterious and deadly challenges to this world’s entire system of being. I couldn’t put it down!

Note: Amazon review submitted

**Plot:** I wish some of this had been stretched out to a second book. There was simply too much here

**Characters**: Interesting characters in the moment, but little to no background is given to anyone ultimately making them feel very shallow.

**Setting**: The setting is truly what drives this. It's alive, literally falling to pieces and our main character must try to fix it.

**Magic**: Vague at best. It's 'alchemy' and maybe feelings?

Confused and intrigued are the best ways to describe starting in on Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans. The book throws the reader directly into the story with little or no explanation. It takes a lot to confuse me, I’ve been reading fantasy for nearly 30 years but this one tested me. The story follows a cast of characters, our primary one Siyon is a lowborn man who is an alchemist in all but name. Those who practice Alchemy must follow a path to become ‘Alchemist’ in title, otherwise the practice of the art is illegal.

The setting of this is complex. The city of Bezim and people are divided up into ranks and tiers. Some bleed into others with cross over and others cannot be entered with rules being followed. Siyon is an example of this. Born in the docks and ‘slum’ areas of the city he is striving to become an Alchemist and rise in rank. The rest of the cast are those that he draws to him in various ways. Several women of the high society, a teacher of sorts with the rank in Alchemy, and a young man who wants the impossible.

If you’re looking for a complex, very politically stratified world - I’d maybe give this one a shot. But for me it was a bit much. To begin with it does not explain itself, almost ever. So the reader is left to puzzle through ranks - what does this word mean and why is the woman not quite that rank but going to be but also one of these? It seems, on reflection, that this was meant to make a statement about these sort of systems but little was ever shown of those outside those high ranks. We hear about the punishments some lower ranking people endured, but besides that there was little else.

That is on top of the multitude of plot lines in this book that, though they come together in the end, seem just to be a bit much. At 70% I thought I was done, everything reached a good natural ending but the book kept going, another quarter later and honestly I was exhausted by the need of the author to knit things together with every single line she’d created. For me the story of this one book could have worked and flowed so much better in two.

There was little to no catharsis within this book. For each good thing that happens, an equally if not more exhausting, terrible thing happens. The small moments of joy and happiness I felt for the characters were squashed by the threat of another or a force beyond their control. This one was not a winner for me. The bones were good but weighed down by the weight of too much everything else. 2.5 stars.