This was so much fun. It is so easy to do roguish charm in a way that doesn't land, but Siyon is a friend you playfully punch on the shoulder. It is easy to see why the rest of the cast cares about him. He's his own harshest critic by a mile. The way magic works in this world is really cool, incredibly well done. It's a fairly novel take on a magic system, and that absolutely works in the books' favor. Like sure, you must balance the realms to pull off cool magical spells, obviously, I can work with that. There is enough of a cliff hanger to set up a second book, and I am actively looking forward to that second book.

3.5 stars!

Davinia Evans debut novel, Notorious Sorcerer was an enjoyable read full of magic, alchemy and sword-fighting, which happen to be three of my favorite things! (at least when it comes to fantasy novels. in real life, my favorite things are more along the lines of food and blankets and fuzzy socks.)

Pick up Notorious Sorcerer to follow along with Siyon Velo as he discovers his magic and climbs the class ladder from errand boy to chosen one, all while fighting his enemies on rooftops.

My only complaint about the novel overall was the world building which was initially rather difficult for me to grasp. As a result, it took me a few chapters to really get into the world but one I did, I really enjoyed the story.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't hate this book but I have so many issues with it and questions that are still unanswered after 400 pages. I very nearly DNF'd this at 100 pages and it did get better but not enough better to say I actually enjoyed it.

First off, this book starts with a bang which initially grabbed my attention. It starts right away with action which is always a fun way to start a fantasy and I'm totally fine with not immediately getting my introduction to the characters/world in this case. The problem was that I never got that introduction. The world building is basically nonexistent, like I should know what Bravi and Flowers and Azantani are. It was so much the case that I thought maybe it was some sort of cultural reference I didn't know so started Googling but nope, that's not the case. The Q&A with the author at the end seems to point to Constantinople but again, Google didn't know it and while I'll accept the burden of not knowing a cultural reference, I draw the line with ancient ones.

So the Bravi are some sort of street gang but I'm still not sure if they're good or bad and they "dance" with their swords and run on rooftops so in my head, they are chimney sweeps from Mary Poppins. The Azantani are the rich people although also possibly a race as when someone says another person is Azantani, they don't reference jewels or clothes of wealth, they reference skin and hair color. And why are they all wearing headwraps? Flowers I did figure out pretty easily. So 1 for 3!

The city itself is never explained at all except for the various parts and the ARC did indicate there will be a map. But as to the climate, architecture, place in time, etc., I have no idea. The author Q&A mentions this being a more modern fantasy setting and some things did seem that way like having a parquet floor but this world has swords and palanquins so then I just got confused.

The magic system was likewise confusing and poorly explained. I got the planes and delving, this was fairly well done and interesting although I'm unsure why Siyon could do it and how the location he went into seemed to change. But ok, this bit was fairly interesting. The "workings" being done in the Mundane were bizarre and I don't get it at all. This is the kind of atmospheric magic a reader is just supposed to except that I hate. Combine that with random science-y words like "distillation" and I wanted to roll my eyes at this poorly thought out system.

Now let's talk about characters, they were mostly fine. I have really no strong feelings about any of them. Siyon was the typical unlikely hero in over his head. Zagiri was promising at the beginning as a young woman fighting against her role in society but she quickly lost all of her spunk. Her sister was annoying and had a useless side plot. I didn't understand Izmirlian at all. His "commission" was one of the main plots in the book and I don't understand his motivations behind it.

In addition to these main characters, the book as a very large cast of side characters. All of these characters are called by their first and last names interchangeably and all of the names were long. I could not keep them all straight for the like of me. The names were too similar and the first name/last name switches was just way too much for my brain to process. They also started calling Siyon "Velo" way before making it clear this was his last name. These things are so frustrating as a reader as I thought I was being introduced to a new character only to find out several paragraphs later that it was Siyon.

Lastly, let's talk about the actual writing. This is a debut and I read an ARC so I expected some bumpiness and that's just what I got. Most of the issues were a lack of flow which I chalked up to the debut/ARC. Things like losing track of where these characters are. For example, at one point Siyon walks in somewhere and then randomly he is described as getting up from a windowsill. I didn't know he sat down and it just said "he" so I got confused for a minute. This stuff I accept. However, the clunkiness in the multiple POVs was just too much to blindly accept. There's a reason that so many authors label chapters with the narrator and while the starting the chapter and within a sentence or two making it clear who the current narrator is can work, it just didn't here. Especially with trying to switch mid-chapter which was denoted with a little image (most of the time, I swear a few times the author forgot who the narrator was and it switched without warning). The voices were not distinct and the POV really only gave you a little insight into thoughts so it was really confusing when all of the characters were together to figure out who we were following.

In addition to these issues, there were also some bizarre turns of phrase that I don't know if the author meant as normal writing or was trying to be playful or maybe this is how they talk in this world but they took me totally out of the story. What is "whimsical modern furniture"? This is the only way the furniture in one room is described and this description is used multiple times. Who says "farewelled my family"? That's just weird. And then there were the really wordy things like "looked nothing like pleased to see him". Can we just say "looked unhappy to see him" or another normal phrasing of that sentiment? I stopped writing these down after a while but you get it, the wording was odd and without the world building, I had no idea why.

So I didn't enjoy this one. It wasn't terrible and people who are into the more atmospheric reads and can overlook some major holes in world building might like this. But as you can already see in the reviews, I think this one will get a lot of DNF's due to how confusing the first 100 pages are.

*I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes once you start a book, you realize pretty quickly that the writing style and you aren't meant to be. I don't have any criticisms to offer, all I can say is I failed to be engaged by the fast-pace and the reticent world/character-building. I don't know if this ends up being a point in the book's overall favor, but it did make it hard for me to invest my attention and time to the beginning where these things were egregious. But I'm sure many others will enjoy this.

Siyon Velo comes from the slums of Bezim and was never meant to be delving the planes for magical items in a city where sorcery is illegal and alchemical activity is highly regulated. When he finds a highly alchemical item from another plane and trades it for protection and influence from the city’s inquisitors, his world is turned upside down. As more and more unusual events unfold, Siyon realizes that he may be the one responsible for saving Bezim, its people, and the Mundane plane from certain destruction.

Likes: Notorious Sorcerer is full of fantasy, romance, magic, and friendship. There are several LGBTQIA+ characters and diversity in socio-economic backgrounds as well. Evans did a great job of incorporating those components of an individual character with the plot and what’s happening in this fictitious society. The second half of the book flew by. There was so much action that it kept the pages turning, and by the time I got to the end, I really wanted more! I believe there’s a book two in the works, so here’s to another series!

Thanks to the publishers & NetGalley for providing this ARC for me.

i wanted to like this. no, i wanted to LOVE this so badly. but in the end, we weren't meant to be.

my quibbles with this book ran long, too long. from my high hopes for a whimsical, magical world building with delicious sprinkles of political intrigues being crushed entirely to the erratic pacing to "turbaned cork" to underwhelming characters and their forced dynamics (pls stop forcing the siyon and zagiri found family on me thanks - they barely know each other).

this book is stubbornly plot-driven and it shows. let's be real, every character in this book exists just to serve as a convenient plot device and nothing more; they're not allowed to be characters. because of this, their motives to the reader are muddled at best and contradicting at worst, i couldn't get behind any of them. the pattern for their character development is literally spending one chapter making a terrible mistake and another two chapters feeling awfully guilty about it only to end up in the same cycle, again. i don't care if the point is that adults can make mistakes too, i'm running out of patience. please grow up.

still, there are a lot of appeals and i can see readers loving it; notorious sorcerer just isn't a book for me.

This book was fine. I liked the characters but felt like they all lost in all the explanations of alchemy and the magic in the world. It was far too descriptive for me and I found myself skimming just to get to the actual story. Worldbuilding and character development are excellent.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Orbit Books for an advanced copy of this fantasy novel.

Introducing readers to a world that is drawn from the imaginings and pencil sketches of a thousand coffee stained napkins can be difficult. Humans are loath to try new things, just look at all the remakes on streaming services or in the theaters. Some writers use a lot of verbiage, not a bad thing and works in many ways for a lot of writers. Others, the skilled ones, the more gifted, the more alchemical of writers, sometimes throw readers right into the deep end and let the story, history and the way things are unfold for the characters and those enjoying their plights. Davinia Evans has that skill and Notorious Sorcerer is one of those books, a big adventure full of ideas, characters worlds and words, and a fascinating look at how magic could work, one of the best that I have seen in quite awhile.

Siyon Velo is a small time operator from the other side of the docks, living in the great city of Bezim, a city of might, magic and the fantastic. Siyon makes his way in the world collecting spell compounds from the four planes of reality for larger licensed alchemists who have a status and place in society he only dreams about, when not hungover while collecting said magical components. While trying to help a friend, Siyon very publicly, and quite by surprise commits a feat of magic, impossible magic that suddenly gives all the attention he ever wanted. Which is not a good thing, for all things have a price and when things start to go wrong in the city and all eyes good, bad and indifferent turn to him either for rescue or to blame.

The book begins with a magical exploration of the four planes of reality complete with a running commentary and a hangover from our lead, and never lets off. There are no info dumps, or really even classes where an another character teaches the lead about something, thereby filling us in, more ok, I think I got this let's go. The world is interesting and well thought out, and has enough for several books just on the idea of the city alone. Davinia Evans is very good at balancing plot and keeping the reader engaged and entertained, letting the story unfold as the character learns more. The supporting cast are well developed, and all have comfortable quirks and failings that make sense, none seemed shoe horned in but seem very natural. The magic system, and the setup of the planes of reality is intriguing, and I hope to see some game systems based off the ideas in the book.

I enjoyed this book, far more than I expected. I admit it took a few pages to find the flow, but once I did I found myself just taken along, giving things like cooking and watering plants a few more pages until I took care of them. Not just a good fantasy story but a great book period, and lots of fun. I look forward to more books set in this world, and more by this author.

A fantasy book that felt similar to V. E. Schwab's 'Shades of Magic' series, and I mean that comparison in the most positive way. I hope that this author continues to release books in the series, but even if it remains a standalone, it is one worth checking out.

This book is really fast paced0--I almost wished it was a little bit slower, which is not a common ask from me, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the story. I do wish we got to see a bit more of the backstory/worldbuilding, which was lost in how fast the story was, but I did think that the magic and the characters were well fleshed out! 3.5 rounded up to 4!

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read.

Well my brain hurts at how fast this book is paced. I did not finished this, because I was so thoroughly lost. I couldn't keep up with the world, the characters. This seemed to be the author frantically getting thier thoughts out, but to the reader we need more backstory. I made it about 35% before abandoning.
Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the chance to review

f you're interested in a new adult fantasy series with a creative, detailed world, characters with complex motivations, and a plot with some real twists and turns, then Notorious Sorcerer, the debut novel from Davinia Evans releasing on 13 September 2022, might be just the thing for you!

In short, Notorious Sorcerer is a fantastic read.

The worldbuilding in this book is excellent. Bezim is a fascinating city filled with complicated social structures, people from all over the world, a history of political revolution and magical disaster, and the opportunity to fall into other planes of existence. The setting feels at times like a little bit of Pratchett's Discworld, Schwab's Londons of the Darker Shade of Magic trilogy, and Chakraborty's Daevabad but definitely has a character all its own. As more of the world is revealed, it becomes clear that it is interconnected in deep and profound ways that most of its inhabitants don't understand.

The reader is thrown into the deep end from the outset and I spent the first 20 pages or so wishing I had a glossary and wondering if I'd missed a subtle explanation about some of the terms I was reading. The fine writing and attention to detail means that most of this understanding clears up quickly in context. I found the experience of being dropped into what felt like a living city to be like watching a flower bloom on a time lapse photo, slowly revealing its petals, or rather like visiting another country for the first time. I was a foreigner, learning the local customs and practices and having a great time doing it.

The characters in Notorious Sorcerer are a varied bunch, all with something to offer. Some of the characters are thoroughly unlikable, but that's their personalities and not Evans's writing. The point-of-view in the storytelling moves between four different characters over the story. This is used to good effect, giving us insight into the different characters' motivations, fears, ambitions, and hopes without derailing the overall plot. Several of the characters have motivations that are rather more complex and philosophical than I generally anticipate from fantasy novels and this was an enjoyable surprise.

The major arc of the plot begins slowly and I wondered at first if the book was going to move at a pace slower than I'd enjoy. What I soon realized was that instead of a truly slow pace, this was simply the roller coaster ticking up that initial climb. Once Notorious Sorcerer crested the hill and began its descent, I was treated to all manner of loops and whirls and a roaring ride through Bezim, other planes, social classes, family drama, romance, and magic.

I was delighted to read more than one LGBTQ+ character in the story. These are full characters with stories, agency, motivations, and lives all their own. They are not simply excuses to see "unconventional" couples kissing, but representation of full characters doing so much more than marking off a diversity checkbox. There's even a little bit of flirting with extraplanar beings, taking the possibilities of human sexuality in Bezim to places we on Earth can't venture!

I had a great time reading Notorious Sorcerer and would encourage anyone who's interested in a trip to a new world to pick it up and give it a read when it is released next month. Engaging characters, a beautiful world with a clever magic system, a great story with a satisfying conclusion and enough loose threads to leave you looking for the next one. This book's a winner for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eARC of this book which will be released on 9/13/22!

I went into this with the synopsis expecting a fun little adventure and what I got was so much more than that! I was so happy to discover that this had some elements that reminded me of the Shades of Magic trilogy and so much fun banter between such amazing characters. I already know this is going to be one of my favorite reads of the year.

Evans completely drops you into the city of Bezim with very little explanation of the world, which was confusing at first, but I loved the way the edges were peeled back and just getting to see this world unfold. The alchemical elements were so fascinating, and combined with the social structure I was hooked pretty quickly and wanted to be fully immersed in the world. I loved getting to know the different parts of Bezim and seeing the characters relearn their own city and reshape some of their own views on the way it functions.

I so loved each and every character in this book. Getting the POVs of Siyon, Zagiri, Izmirlian, and Anahid was really interesting and I loved all their different perspectives on the events of the book. It was such a delight getting to know all of these characters and seeing them start to find their own way was so beautiful, even if a little heartbreaking. I am already so desperate to see where their individual stories go in the next installment, because I need to know if my faves will be reunited!!

Getting dropped into the world was delightful, and at first I was curious to see where the plot would go and I loved the way the different strings all came together to reveal the bigger plot of balancing the planes. It was such a cool story and I found myself not knowing which direction things were going to go. I laughed, I cried, and I really loved every minute of this story. It was complex, funny, and I was rooting for the love story the whole time. It’s definitely a 5⭐️ read for me. Every detail, even the smallest things, felt so important and I just wanted to fully be in this world.

Originally Posted on Library Journal. Thanks LJ and NetGalley for an advanced copy!

VERDICT Evans’s debut is a high fantasy full of excellent worldbuilding, with an enjoyable magic system and strong characters.

Thank you netgalley for an early copy!

This was a good book about different worlds, alchemy, and forbidden magic on top of a fantastic plot. Only issue I had with this book was how quickly the plot progressed without a whole lot of time to understand unless you re-read a few parts multiple times.

Overall, good

Alas, a wonderous tale of magical ingenuity has graced the pages of this novel. A tale of one young mans journey for knowledge, which comes at his expense for social status. Evans gives us the tale of Siyon, The Notorious Sorcerer.
Evans novel circulates mostly around the beautiful characters she has imagined.
Her main character Siyon is the most endearing and focal, is an amateur Alchemist with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge in the pursuit of learning alchemy. Siyon a petty alchemist; has left Dockside and joined the Bracken Bravi Tribe in the city of Bezim in order to try to make more money to learn alchemy. However, the art of “real” magic has been outlawed to only the “rich” to use and learn. Siyon is neither. Unfortunately, he can only do their bidding as an errand boy, by traveling to the different planes to retrieve items for the elite. By doing this he is trying to make enough money so that he can earn enough to take lessons to qualify to be a “Skilled Alchemist”
One day while performing a trick out in public (it was not actually a trick; he was trying to save one of his friends in the Bravi Tribe Zagiri) he ends up doing an impossible feat of magic. Next thing you know, Siyon is actually thrusted headfirst into the life that he only ever dares dreamed of. But now he actually is seeking refuge, living with the towns most skilled alchemist Jeddani and his wife Anahid.
Siyon’s character is a spunky, yet arrogant in his way type of character. Meaning that because no matter what, he still performs his magic tricks even though magic is essentially outlawed. His character still wants to, in a sense fight for what is unfair in his society, as far as academia for the poor. However, if he had not been arrogant in his ways, he would never have truly noticed the injustice of the caste system and never met his love interest Izmirlian.
Izmirlian and Siyon just happen to be locked in the same jail cell together when they notice each other. Izmirlian, an upper-class noble, of course is immediately set free, while Siyon gets to stay behind bars. Why? Because he is poor, and he is of the lower caste. But as fate would have it, Izmirlian and Siyon become friends and their friendship turns into something more than that. Izmirlian is one such that he is always curious and adventurous, never one to let the caste systems stand in his way. The mere fact that one is traditionally taught and one untraditionally taught alchemy, makes their bond together all the more special.
Izmirilian never treats Siyon as if he does not belong. He and the rest of Siyon’s friends always encourage him. Many times, although Siyon is arrogant, he is sometimes doubtful of his own self. However, he has wonderful friends that encourage him and provide that extra encouragement.
Notorious Sorcerer is filled with witty humor and sometimes emotional passages. There are hair pin turns on this roller coaster ride of fantastical escape. The imagery portrayed is blindly vivid in imagination, almost cinematic quality as far as your minds eye can take you.
This novel takes the quote “Sky’s the limit” to a whole new meaning.
The word building in this novel is stellar quality, her characters are likeable and beyond loveable. Even characters such as Jeddani who you really want to strangle, you find you really cannot.
Evans has done such a wonderful job on this book; I just cannot express it enough.
I am sure I could go on and on into more detail, but her characters were so enthralling to me I chose to write about them instead.

This is one that should most definitely be read, Evans has outdone herself!

Kudos for the Notorious Sorcerer!

Splendid!

Absolutely Splendid!

Thank you NetGalley/Davinia Evans/Orbit Books.Orbit/ For this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Orbit books always has winners.

I am giving this book a 3/5 rating.
Welcome to your new Alchemy/Magic System and world. This book has very interesting magical systems that the characters quickly find themselves diving head-first into. The overall plot is simple, but it took me a while to get into it. I found myself left behind as I was reading this book as the characters and world were moving on without me. This book is extremely fast-paced and the world building and character development suffered for it. In my opinion, if Notorious Sorcerer had spent more time developing this very interesting world and its characters within, I would have definitely loved it. There were a few very close similarities to one of my all-time favorite books and although I did try to separate them in my mind, it's definitely worth mentioning.
The magic system and the world in general are very intriguing and although we get thrown in with the characters, I really wanted to know more about the history of the world, and why the characters did what they did, how they were feeling, etc. I asked a lot of "wait what.." and "but why" questions that had me backtracking within the pages.
Overall, I think that it is an enjoyable read and I hope that in the coming books we get to learn much more about the world and get some answers to all the "why" questions.
Thank you so much to Orbit and Davinia Evans for the eARC of this book!

Thanks to Orbit and NetGalley for this ARC.

I loved this book. We have a chaotic queer alchemist who just wants to learn. Siyon is like the best version of Belle and Aladdin. I could honestly rant and rave about this character for days. I thought the system of magic/alchemy along with the different planes were so interesting. This story was so satisfying and bittersweet. I wish I could write more about this book but I'm worried I would spoil it. Serisouly read this book. I cannot wait for the second.

I adored this book and everything it has to offer being so unique to separate it from other books. It's a rarity to find such a treasure as this. I wish I could reread it again for the first time.