I enjoyed this when I read it a bit ago, but honestly a lot of the details have since faded from my memory. I would probably pick something else up from this author. A pretty decent fantasy that I wouldn't not recommend.

This was a pretty unique fantasy read. I liked the magic system a lot, and the world seemed so interesting: I'm excited to learn more about it in the next book. I liked Naila, and more than that, I appreciated that the romantic elements of the book didn't take the usual course. For such a large book, I felt it was easy to follow and I never got bored.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Good story, would say 3.5/4, but rounding up given Goodreads' system. Would recommend

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with a copy of this title.

In The Outcast Mage, Annabel Campbell mixes dark academia and epic fantasy to create a world and characters that pique interest from the very start. Campbell has provided readers with an incredibly promising debut novel that isn't to be missed.

I found the pacing of the story to be absolutely spot-on considering this story is going to continue in additional volumes. We were introduced to the characters and learned enough about them to become invested and also got a good feel for the world building style.

An author’s use of multiple POV’s can often feel like it’s getting in the way of a story progressing or simply be confusing, that is certainly not the case here. Campbell manages to utilize this approach in a way that allows us to see the characters without feeling like you’re skipping around all over the place while reading.

Not only do we see the city of Amoria and get to know that setting, but we also know that there is much more on the other side of the glass that we will experience next. If the world building of these additional locations is as good as that of Amoria, readers are in for some epic settings still to come.

Political intrigue, magic, growing relationships (thankfully with minimal romance), and manipulative villains all meld seamlessly to weave a tale that you don’t want to put down. I can’t wait to see what comes next!

this was one that really exceeded my expectations. i was a little leary going into this as some of the reviews said that this story just feels like being thrown in with very little information, and i found that to be true for the first third. when we start, Naila's world is very small and the information provided to the reader reflects that. as she learns more, so do we. and these characters grew so much on me! i loved Naila and Haelius' initial prickly mentorship that became a genuine love for each other and wanting to protect them. i had questions about many things in this book, but nothing that made me mad or that i couldn't wrap my head around why we would be withheld the information. i'm excited for the next book in this series!

Annabel Campbell does it again. The queen of fantasy is back. This book did not disappoint, you need to pick it up!

This is a very interesting world. You have a city of glass (complete with a bubble top) in the middle of a desert, people divided by whether they can do magic or not, a girl with unknown powers, a wizard with immense powers willing to teach the girl, and someone trying to bring it all down and destroy everything. It sucked me right in and I really liked Naila and Haelius who are both struggling with power and finding their place and side in this time of unrest. The other character I liked was Larinne who is in a precarious position herself being a mage but also sympathetic to the "hollows" also living in the city and their needs.

This book seemed to mostly building up for a strong second book but I enjoyed it and the slow reveals with how magic works, who Naila really is and what she is capable of. It was nicely intriguing and I can't wait for the next book to see if the city will survive, or even the world!

This was so creative and felt incredibly fresh. I immediately was drawn to the character work that was done in by Campbell. This wasn’t just fun but it also had me on the edge of my seat. I look forward to reading more of her work.

This was a really refreshing take on fantasy - and I loved it!

It took me a while to get into, and I enjoyed it much more once I had the audiobook and copy to read since some of the names were hard for me to get at first. Once I understood all of the world building, it was MAGIC! For some reason the political intrigue reminded me a bit of the Star Wars prequels - in a good way. It was also a race for her to develop her magic... and it felt like a metaphor for things that we all experience in life! I loved the writing and can't wait for book 2!

I didn't like the writing style or the characters in this book at all. Was not a great experience for me!

3.5 stars.
The desert setting and the frankly absurd but also incredible feat of creating a city totally out of glass immediately set the scene for me: I was immediately thinking of epic stories with a north African feel. The secondary world author Annabel Campbell sets her story in primarily in is the city of Amoria, created by mages from glass, who escaped the Ellath Empire, which has different branches of its priesthood devoted to the finding and killing of mages.

The story opens with Naila, who is studying at the mage academy. She is miserable, bullied by fellow students, and waiting to be kicked out. She is an orphan, looks different from others with her deep black hair and almost black eyes, comes from a human family (humans are seen as less than by mages, and called hollows), and has had no success in casting even the simplest bit of magic.

After bumping into the most powerful mage, Haelius Akana, at a mage rally where a human is targeted (and later killed), Naila's life radically changes. Akana is intrigued by and feels a kinship with her because he, too, came from a poor human family. Unlike Naila, however, Haelius not only had magic, but is probably one of the most powerful mages in recent history.

At the same time, a priest, Entonin, from the Ellath Empire is in town, staying in the human quarter, and is waiting to meet with both the mage and human councils. He's been stymied, and with his bodyguard Karameth, spends his time living in and drinking in the pub run by Naila's adopted parents.

We also meet sister senators (and mages); one, Larinne, is trying to resolve numerous political and economic problems, while the other, Dailem, is also, but does so by joining up with a powerful mage, Oriven, who is gathering power, and employing an increasing number of essentially security, who have broad powers to arbitrarily arrest and detain anyone they feel is breaking laws. Oriven loathes humans, and in particular, Akana.

Dailem's daughter Ko’ani is Naila's one friend, and Naila begins spending more time in Dailem's home when Akana, seemingly out of the blue, decides to begin tutoring Naila after an incident at the academy. He not only teaches her, but also stakes his increasingly precarious position amongst mages, declaring he'll get her using magic successfully.

Larinne is fond of Akana, often forgiving him his lapses in judgment, till it becomes too difficult to ignore. There is a blight affecting crops within the self-contained city, and Akana is breaking all sorts of rules and restrictions trying to figure out what is going on.

The human council is increasingly frustrated by the highhandedness and privilege of the mages and their council, and is looking for something, whether new alliances or different arrangements, to prevent mages from completely ignoring the humans who live and work in the city.

So, there are a number of frustrations brewing in the city. Bigotry against humans is rising rapidly, with attacks, and each new bad thing that happens, whether the crop blight or something else, is twisted to appear that either humans are responsible, or increasingly, Akana. Who is his own worst enemy, as he takes things without asking from the archives, conducts his own experiments, teaches Naila, and basically keeps falling into situations that place him in a poor light, essentially playing into Oriven's hands.

Then, Naila, after touching a black rock Akana took from the Archives without permission, suddenly is able to wield magic, particularly water, and this attracts all the wrong attention, and sends her running, straight into Entonin.

And there is a pair of individuals following something deadly and deranged, far from Amoria, that leaves death and destruction behind it. All three are heading towards Amoria.

This is the start of a larger story, and definitely felt like that. This was slow to take off, as there is a lot of worldbuilding to convey, and laying out of stakes as we meet the characters and come to understand their situations.

Naila is so alone and struggling at the book's opening. She has no allies, is loathed by fellow students for her appearance and inability to do magic (what is with the cruel superiority of her fellow stupid mages??) The bigotry is awful, as well as the tacit approval amongst mages of all ages and professions to abuse and threaten Naila.

Akana is such a disaster. Oh my goodness. The man has good intentions, but can't seem to think himself around the political situation that is growing around him, and doesn't listen when Larinne urges caution. She's in a difficult situation, particularly as her sister is rising in Oriven's estimation, and Larine is finding her own ability to do things curtailed by Oriven and his increasingly repressive directives.

We know from the book's opening that things are going to explode eventually. There are too many hatreds, too much power concentrated amongst the mages, and too little concern for their abuses of power. And as soon as Naila appears to be a danger because she can access the magic within her, things start to move quickly and rapidly downhill.

It took me a while to get invested in this story, but by the halfway point I was there. I liked Naila's friendship with Ko, and her relationship with Akana. There are lots of dangers, and I cared enough about the characters to want to know what happens next. This was an interesting story with all these great elements: a wizard-hating Empire next door, stratified society within a mostly closed city, rampant bigotry, a fragile romance, a powerful young woman coming into her magic, and a messy, powerful mage. And dragons. It looks like a fantastic library is coming up in book two, so, I am looking forward to it.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

My main issue with this book is that it doesn't have anything new to offer. It's a fine book that I've read a lot before and I wanted something more from it. We have a "chosen one" that in the beginning doesn't really understand her powers and finds a mentor that understands her because he sympathyzes with the oppressed people due to his personal life. We have a government that is transforming into a authoritarian government. The beats are very similar to other stories and sometimes that can be done well and uniquely by having an interesting world and worldbuilding and compelling characters.

However, the worldbuilding was mainly done by info dumps in internal monologues or in classes. The world is generic and I didn't feel compelled t learn more about it. Nalia could've been an interesting and engaging character specially through her training with Haelius but I just didn't care about any of them.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

The Outcast Mage was an excellent debut! Dealing with themes of xenophobia and classism, it sets up many threads for the next entries in the series.

We follow a student named Naila. Although she has been identified as having magical potential, she has been unable to access her magic. Left behind several times, she now has classmates who are years younger than she is. This novel is about the mystery of Naila's magic, but it's just as much about the unequal society she lives in. Mages in her society enjoy a higher status than those who are without magic.

I found the themes in this book to be enjoyable, and I anticipate learning more about them in book 2. Some of the characters felt slightly young to me, but in general this was a great debut and I really enjoyed it. Thanks so Orbit for providing an advanced reader copy through Netgalley.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for allowing me to read this ARC.

As the first book of a new epic fantasy series, it did alright. If you are not a "in medias res" type of person when it comes to lore in fantasy, this would not be your kind of story. The reader is thrown into a magical city where there are mages and non-mages and follows multiple characters with our main protagonist being Naila. I won't go and summarize the book since I feel like most of the experience is trying to figure out what is going on in real time with the characters. I will say that I wish that there were less POVs within this book, or that they were more intentional. Naila is a really cool and promising protagonist, yet I wish that there was a lot more focus on Haelius, the most powerful mage/wizard. If there were only POVs of Naila and Haelius for at least the first half of the book, it would have improved this story for me. The development of the plot would have been a lot stronger and the character development would've been a lot richer if we did not bounce around from all directions while trying to set up the world, lore, and politics. The Outcast Mage is very much a first book in a series, meaning there is a lot of groundwork being laid and you will not get through this book if you want a lot of answers about the world or characters.

All things considered, I found myself having a difficult time putting the book down. I rather enjoyed this book and would recommend it to people that I know are familiar with high fantasy novels. There is a lot of potential in this series and I would continue to read the next book.

Annabel Campbell starts a tale of a city of glass built by powerful mages. Crisis has come to Amoria as mages and non-mages are in conflict, Naila can see magic, but can’t connect to it, trapping her in the Academy where fellow mages think her as hollow as non-mages. Haelius Akana, the most powerful mage, makes it his business to help her, but access to her huge powers requires a special stone Haelius stole from city archives. Naila becomes The Outcast Mage (paper from Orbit) as she flees from the city and across the desert surrounding the city. Unfortunately there are things like dragons the Academy never taught her and she has to master not only her powers, but also come to understand her purpose. I look forward to continuing the tale.

Well at least we don't have faceless enforcers roaming the city looking for people who don't have something due to a chance at birth...wait a minute. Sadly magic won't solve real life issues, but in Annabel Campbell's "The Outcast Mage" it can. Or make it worse.

Amoria is a city of magic, the more you have the higher you can climb. Naila has an issue, technically she has magic, can see it, just can't utilize it. Which is a problem for the laws of the city, she should be exiled or dealt with since she could lose control, but it is a novel problem. Haelius has the opposite issue, be is the strongest wizard in Amoria, and that makes him a obstacle for those with designs. When the magicians feel threatened by something they can't understand they start pointing fingers at the top of the pyramid and those at the bottom.

Reasons to read:
-Decent person getting into trouble because they can't fathom doing deplorable actions
-Interesting city design choices
-The complex leadership of the theocracy the images fled from
-Freezing your bullies in ice

Cons:
-Weirdly uncomfortable timing for this one

Naila is a mage at the academy in Amoria. She is also an outcast. Everyone in Amoria is tested for magic at a young age. If they have magic, they are automatically sent to the academy.

Naila has magic, but the other students call her "hollow mage" because she can't use her magic. She can feel magic in and around her, but she is unable to do anything with it.

She would love to just give up, but that's not allowed. If you have magic, you have to stay at the academy until you can control it. She doesn't know what to do.
It looks like she will get help from a very surprising source.

I thought this was a solid debut. Great pacing and characters. Lots of politics going on. I need the next one because I have so many questions that I need answered.

⭐️: 4.5/5

This book is a great epic fantasy debut. The magic system, the world building, and the characters are all well developed. Plus the plot is layered together in a way that had me say “Just one more chapter,” more than once. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Naila and Haelius, one the chosen one and the other the outcast. Both are trying to fit into a political and social landscape that will always see them as other.

I really enjoyed the various POV’s in this book, particularly because the POV characters have drastically different motives and world views. I’m hoping we’ll get more of Ko’ani’s POV in the next book. I’d also love to read from Karameth’s POV, I think he might have some interesting perspectives that we don’t always get because he’s such a quiet character.

If you liked Blood Over Bright Haven or just enjoy epic fantasy with lots of politics and world building, the you should check this book out.

🙏 Thank you to Orbit Books and Annabel Campbell for this ARC.

✨TL;DR: This is a politically charged fantasy that will spark your imagination and challenge your perspective.

🌟 What did you love the most?
The standout element of “The Outcast Mage” was how it masterfully tackled themes of fear, mistrust, and the divisive "us vs. them" mentality. While set in a fantasy world, these ideas hit close to home, mirroring today's political climate. Watching these dynamics unfold was utterly fascinating.

Another highlight was the approachable magic system—easy to understand without drowning readers in overly complex details, making it accessible even for fantasy newcomers.

🔥 What to Expect:
✨ Fantasy with minimal romance
🧙‍♂️ Mentor-mentee dynamics
💥 Class wars
🏛️ Political intrigue
⚖️ Morally grey decisions

⏱️ How Was the Pace?
Steady, with rising tension as the story became more volatile. However, I found the worldbuilding a bit light—it left me craving more depth. Still, I understand this choice helped maintain pacing. I’m hopeful future books will flesh out the characters and their backstories further.

👍 Do You Recommend This Book?
Absolutely. If you're a fan of thought-provoking fantasy that explores class struggles and the political power of perception, this one’s a must-read. Campbell skillfully delivers a narrative that feels both timeless and timely. While the worldbuilding could use more layers, the gripping themes and strong mentor-mentee relationship more than make up for it.

The Outcast Mage was an exciting fantasy debut that hit many themes relevant to current readers. The very prevalent theme of extremist politics and usage of "Us" vs "Them" mentality to attempt to control a populous were handled very well and with the right level of fear. I enjoyed the magic system of this world as well - the usage of magical words to cast spells feels so basic and yet here it heightened the confusion with one of our narrators with her own struggles with magic. I really enjoyed the middle portion of this book where Naila and Haelius developed their bond - I liked the more parent and child relationship as that seemed to be something both of them needed.

Where this book fell short is the number of narrators and the variety of plot lines. I enjoyed them but at times it was hard to understand everyone's motives and what they were bringing to the overall narrative. The priest in particular either shined or his chapters were the weakest of the bunch but then Naila who I enjoyed the most in the first two parts I found weaker in the last part. Her storyline also confused me a lot more at the end and I hope that the sequel book will delve more into that because it kind of felt out of left field.

This was a very promising start to a series and hopefully as it continues some of these get solved.