In a world with increasing tensions between mages and hollows, one person feeling it the most is the Hollow Mage, Naila, a young woman who tests positive for magic but can't seem to access it. She's been trapped in purgatory at the academy, unable to leave until she masters her magic, unable to access her magic, and preparing to be exiled for these failings. When things take a more dramatic turn, the most powerful wizard in the city, Haelius Akana, who is embroiled in his own political/social problems. He stakes his entire reputation on being able to teach her, and in the process, introduces her to his messy, messy world.
Interesting world-building, slightly slow plot. It was heavy on the political intrigue. Naila was an interesting enough character, and a great focal point for a story about the clash of magic users and hollows.

Holy cow this was amazing!

Everything about this book is perfection. The characters? So well written. The magic system? Complex and fascinating. The plot? Driving and suspenseful. This book had me hooked from the first page.

I also think this book is really applicable to today, as it deals with ideas such as caste systems, corrupt governments, and how tradition can be deadly.

Can't wait for book 2.

Thanks Orbit books for the ARC!

The worldbuilding in this is absolutely fantastic. It’s masterfully done. Naila is such a great character, and you really feel for her as she stumbles along, alone. Her character arc is a thing of beauty.

There are heartwarming themes of found family and learning how to love and trust others. There’s war and classism between mages and those who don’t have magic. Amoria is a city on the edge of collapse, and tensions are sky-high.

Enter Naila, who possesses magic and yet can’t harness it—causing her to not fit in anywhere. Add in her unusual features, and you’ve got someone who cannot go unnoticed.

I’m completely invested. I can’t wait for the sequel! I can’t recommend this enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback. I devoured this book. Orbit knows a great story when they see it.

The Outcast Mage by Annabel Campbell shares with us the intense political climate of the mage city of Amoria, a glass domed city with an ancient history. We follow a few characters all with stakes in the intense political climate on the verge of collapse between mages and non mages, as well as our main character Naila who’s magic ability has yet to manifest and is running out of time to control her dormant powers.

This book hit so many of my favorite tropes, magical academy, political tension, a mystery needing to be solved, and a calling to find ones own power in a world that wants to push you down. I really enjoyed each character and the POVs really had a place and didn’t take away from the plot or the pacing.

My only issue with this book is that this felt more like an introduction to the plot and I felt the pacing could’ve been upped slightly. This is a first book in a series, I’m not sure how long it’ll be either, but my only hope is that it’s longer than two books because if it was a duology, then the pacing is pretty slow.

Overall, if you’re looking for a fantasy story with a fresh take on magic, political tension, an oppressive government on the rise, and a war on the brink, this is a great one to check out!

Thank you to Orbit for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a creative book!! It was a very interesting and unique world and I really appreciated the main character and her struggles. I want to give it a reread because I think I’ll be able to express my thoughts better, but overall I definitely loved the time I spent reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was really excited to start The Outcast Mage, but as the reading experience went on, my attention started to wane. I loved the characters. I was even interested in the plot. However, the world building was a mess. What kind of world are we in? Why is there bigotry toward non-mages? Who's in charge? What does this Senate do? How does this government work? Is there a religion? There are priests from I assume another country coming in. Why are they bad? How do all these characters know each other???? It was just so confused through a lot of my reading and the more confused I became, the less I wanted to read this book because I couldn't shut my brain off. Naila can't save this mess. Haelius can't save this mess.

Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the arc for review purposes.

This book is found family at it finest. It's rare to find a fantasy book with romance that doesn't make romance a central point - the romances in this book mattered to the plot, but make no mistake, this is a fantasy novel and not a romance novel. There was far more attention given to types of love you don't often seen glorified in fiction: parent & child (both blood and found), mentor & mentee, platonic friends.

A fantasy book like this is exactly what my younger self would have loved to read and I am so glad my current self was able to do so. I eagerly await the second volume.

I just can’t get into this. The world building is slow to come together and the characters are flat.

If it was the first magical book I’d ever read it might pull me in but as is there nothing about this that engaged me as a reader.

From the first page, The Outcast Mage flings you into a world divided by magic and a kingdom maimed by fear and bigotry. In a twist, non-magic users—known demeaningly as hollows—are the minority. Protagonist Naila is balanced at the precipice of these worlds, a young woman with the potential for magic use but no demonstrable aptitude for it.

Sometimes I enjoy being thrown into a high-octane, high fantasy situation with little explanation, so long as worldbuilding trickles in at a steady pace, but I struggled with the delivery in The Outcast Mage. The animosity between mages and non-mages required no explanation, but I found the finer hierarchies in their society confusing. I understand why Naila was the subject of ridicule, but I guess I never grasped why she posed a greater threat.

I also felt like there was one too many POVs. Naila’s felt the weakest, though she was supposed to be the central character; a lot seemed to happen to or around her, but other than repeatedly demonstrating her lack of control, she herself didn’t do much. Haelius’ history intrigued me more, though I wish it had been shown more than told. Considering the parallels between his path and Naila’s, I think there could have been deeper exploration of his upbringing and ascensions to power, if not respect.

Altogether I think there was too much going on in what is still a relatively long novel. I wanted more time at the Academy of Amoria, more political machinations involving Larinne, and more insight into Entonin’s position as a Seeker. That said, I greatly appreciated Naila and Haelius’ mentor/mentee relationship. At first, I thought it would develop into a romance (which would have been … iffy), but Haelius proved a fatherly, encouraging role model instead (albeit one just as capable of making hare-brained decisions as Naila).

A simple start to a new fantasy series that will appeal to readers transitioning from young adult to adult literature.

Naila is the only mage in the academy without any magic. She has been held behind for years and earned the moniker 'the hollow mage.' It is a dangerous time to be a hollow- a person without magic in Amoria. Justice Oriven has deepened the schism between those with magic and without, dividing the glass city in two. Naila finds that her classmates, her teachers, even those she considered her found family are against her. So she cannot believe it when Wizard Akana, the most powerful mage in the city, not only takes an interest in her, but vows to teach her to use her magic. But Justice Oriven has given a them a deadline to prove her magic, a deadline that looms ever closer as the conflict between the mages and the hollows worsens, as crops fail and the glass dome itself begins to crack.
The Outcast Mage is an exciting new fantasy full of magic, politics, and intrigue, that reminded me of Tamara Pierce's Circle of Magic series.

Richly created and imaginative world of magic, politics, biases, and twists at every turn. Hidden magic, a fun trope, done well weaves through the multiple personalities and emotions. Fun for all fantasy fans.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Outcast Mage by Annabel Campbell is a third person multi-POV epic fantasy with worldbuilding inspired by SWANA and South Asian cultures and biomes. Naila is a mage who has no magic, a hollow mage, and is mistreated at the academy for mages because of it. When the hollows start to push back against the mages and one of the most powerful mages in their land, Haelius Akana, swears to teach Naila, it adds more fuel to an already tumultuous situation.

Of all the POVs, my favorite was Naila’s. She’s an outsider among mages but because she is technically a mage, she’s an outsider among non-magical folks as well. Her life is comfortable enough that she never needs to ask anyone for help but she’s certainly not rich nor is she really being protected by the adults around her, as even her own teachers are frustrated with her for her inability to perform magic. She’s reasonably cautious around Haelius at first, but eventually warms up to him because of his positive relationship with her best friend’s family.

The magic system is firmer than others, but it’s not overly complicated. There’s a handful of terms used in new ways (phonemes and anima) but everything is shown through both examples and reasonably detailed explanations of the combination system. I’m particularly interested in the phoneme aspect and would like to learn more about the combination system in the next books. Anima seems to be related more to the elements and is a different system than the phoneme one, but it’s a system that Naila was fairly unaware of, indicating some sort of separation of the two systems at some point.

The romance here is fairly minimal, though it does feel obvious who has romantic feelings for who fairly early on. The main romance is built on a life-long friendship and is more of a slowburn. Because of how long it takes for the romance to truly reveal itself, I wouldn’t even call it a romantic subplot but more of a romantic thread that could be a subplot in the next books. The political, academic, and epic worldbuilding take more precedent.

I would recommend this to fans of political and epic fantasy, readers looking for a multi-POV fantasy with romantic threads, and those looking for an epic fantasy with a harder magic system

4 🌟
1 🌶️

I struggled with the beginning of this book. So much information came at me from many directions, and I didn't know how these events or characters fit together. But as it came together, there was political intrigue; there was the subjugation of a class of people based on how much or little magic they had and the struggles of Naila, who believed she had no magic to try to find her place. That is barely scratching the surface of what ended up being a wild ride in a country that is fracturing like the glass dome covering their city--the takeover by an elitist force of justices and the cast of characters who find themselves in this complex web of a story. All of this is still centering on Naila, who we find out has more power than anyone ever thought, but we still don't know what kind of power. If the remaining books in this trilogy are as exciting as this one, we are in for a great fantasy tale. This is a complex world of magic versus nonmagic beings, but somewhere along the way, something happened, and those artifacts from that time are telling a tale now, manifesting in Naila. Wizard Akana (the most powerful wizard anyone can remember) is trying to help her, but that help is just beyond his knowledge. You can't help but root for the wizard; I hope he gets a break in the next book. There are many other characters you love and hate, and like a good fantasy telling, the author hooks you well enough that you can't wait for the next book. Such is the case with the Outcast Mage. It's a bit rough initially, but it is worth reading.

Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit Books, for the eArc. These opinions are mine.

eARC Review: The Outcast Mage by Anabelle Campbell 🏜️

This was an interesting magic focused plot-driven fantasy that reminded me of The West Passage, The Dollmakers, and The Palace in the Wind in how odd the world was. I had a great time being thrown in with no warning and wish there were more books out there like this because I enjoy floundering in my books because the end just makes it feel so worth the confusion. 🤣

The story follows multiple POVs, but the three main ones are that of Naila, Haelius, Entonin, and Larinne. All three characters are flawed in their own ways, but their self-preservation is what really made me enjoy them the most as the story went on. 😊

Larinne was probably my favorite of the bunch simply because I loved the political intrigue her story holds. She’s a high ranking senator in the city of Amoria and while outwardly cold for show and her job, I liked how she could turn it on and off to be around those that she loves and cares for. While rather reckless here and there, she’s not as crazy as Haelius; I just wish we could’ve gotten a deeper dive into their relationship because I feel like there’s a lot of hidden history between these two and why they are continuously orbiting each other but never making that first move. 😥

Entonin was interesting because he is a foreign priest and provides the reader with a good idea of what the city is like through someone not from there. He’s sly and charismatic, but I loved his banter with Karameth, his hired guard. These two I thought provided a much needed comedic relief in what could have been a heavy political fantasy. 🤭

Haelius is a bit of a mixed bag for me. While I liked how the world has different views of him compared to the version that his loved ones know, I found his arrogance and clear lack of common sense here and there quite annoying. Like, I get that smart people can be pretty stupid at times (I for one, have had this lovingly thrown in my face when I do something incredibly stupid), but man, this man just takes it to a whole new level. I also felt like his ending felt like it just abruptly ended, but I guess that is done to get the reader hyped for the second book. 🫢

Naila . . . Oofta, she was a piece to work through. I sympathize with her need to hide and not draw attention to herself because of her standing at the academy, but man she was so quick to anger and act that I was constantly frustrated that she didn’t get a good talking to (there were a few cases, but I think they needed to do more to get past her stubbornness). I liked that she grew as a character, but I feel like it could’ve been a bit more because her self deprecation was just too much here and there for me. 🙁

I would really like to know whether or not the book had any kind of Arabian influence because the desert world and its people just felt like something out of that area of the real world, but couldn’t really find any clarifications as to whether or not this was the case. 💭

Either way, I still had a great time reading this, and definitely needed it after the book that came before it. A big thank you goes out to my besties Orbit Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest review. And a thank you goes out to the author, Campbell for writing such an interesting magic filled fantasy! Can’t wait to see what these smart idiots get up to in the next book! ❤️

Publication date: January 28!

Overall: 4/5 ⭐️

Thank you to Annabel Campbell, Orbit Books, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of The Outcast Mage in exchange for my honest review.

This book is both outstanding and a slight let down, but I am not even sure how to put it into words. From reading the summary of this book, I was hooked. The idea that Naila desperatley needs to get control over her seemingly non-existent powers or risk both the lives of her and the most powerful mage sounded like something I would love, and in some ways I did. However, you do get quickly thrown into the world and there is very little time to learn the magic system, the politics, the characters, or even what the overall stakes are. Instead, you slowly figure it out as the story progresses. For example, it takes awhile to learn that there are locations outside of where the characters live, and contrary to this city, magic is not the most important thing in other areas. I just wish there had been more orienting because it would have taken away some of the confusion that I still have. I will say that I loved watching Naila throughout the book and seeing her grow into herself and her powers, even with the doubt looming over her head. I liked watching her interact with her friend, her friends family, and Haelius. I will say that I would love to know how such a powerful family as her friend's came to respect Naila because it seems everyone else judges her. How did that happen? I just have unanswered questions that I wished we were given for clarity sake.

One thing that I can say for sure is that I am beyond excited for book two. With where this book ended, I believe we are going to see a lot more of that worldbuilding, political intrigue, magical development, and get answers to a lot of those questions that this book at. I think that there is a lot of potential for the rest of the series because there is so much room for growth. For a debut this is outstanding and I think as the author grows as a writer so to will the storytelling. When I go to reread this before book two I might try listening to as an audiobook because I wonder if that will enhance my enjoyment at all and make me feel less thrown in and confused. Something about audiobooks makes stories make sense sometimes. We will see. Either way this is a book that most fantasy lovers will love and a fabulous debut.

4.5⭐️

I will be honest when I tell you that I thought about DNFing this early on. The beginning was incredibly confusing, with multi POV and very little explanation as to what was going on and how the POVs connected. There was even mention of the POV person in one of the other POVs but by a different name so you couldn’t make that connection until their first or last name was revealed.

However, I persevered and I’m glad that I did. Once I figured out what the heck was happening and who everyone was, the story fell into place. This ended up being a high fantasy with some romance sub plots (and GAY LOVE!!! I am so here for it). There was so much mystery and twists and turns. The magic system (or systems, I should say) were really fun. I am so intrigued by our FMC Naila (or one of our FMCs, I should say, given the multi POV, however she is THE outcast mage as the title alludes to) and her secret history and powers.

I am very excited for book 2 to continue this story!

Thank you so much to Orbit for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I loved every moment spent with Naila on her journey of self discovery. She was a character who instantly attached herself to my heart, as she feels so out of place and lost to her place in the world. My heart ached for her over and over again. I also enjoyed that so many of the characters could have fit easily into certain boxes but were always developed enough to feel like genuine people rather than structured tropes. My favourite type of books are the ones where the characters feel truly human and this was a great example.

I also love a politically relevant read, and this was a great exploration of a manipulative government turning its people against one another. Some books just hit at the right time, and I think this is the perfect read for a book community that is often so divided on being "too political".

Overall I deeply enjoyed this read, and I'm eager for the next instalment!

The Outcast Mage
by Annabel Campbell
The Shattered Lands #1
Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Jan 28, 2025
Orbit Books
Ages: 16+

Naila is called a Hollow Mage by her classmates and some teachers because while she has magic she can't use it, and after years of attending classes at the academy it is time for her to prove she can control her powers or be exiled if her powers don't consume her first.

When some of her classmates, full mages, take their bullying too far, Naila tries to protect herself, only to be saved by Haelius Akana, the most powerful mage, but, for the opposite reason, he too has many enemies, and they would love to have him fail and lose his position.

But when a strange magic begins to threaten the city, Haelius and Naila find that some would spread strife, using fear and threats, between the Mages and non-mages in order to take control of the city.


Naila is the MC in this story but there are three(?) additional central characters with close to equal amount of the spotlight. One other who is important to the story has fewer chapters, and two others at the end add to the cliffhanger. There was some confusion with the characters and the minor characters because' nicknames' were used along with proper names. I can get shortening for a nickname, but too many names including a formal one without a proper amount of explanation or similarity can make it confusing.

I do wish there was more history on the world and a few of the characters, even Haelius' past is lacking. There was one whom I really think needs more history about his 'religion', but I do have the feeling there will be more on it in the next book. More about the world as a whole (is it just one continent or is there more) and its 'legends' would expand how the reader sees this world and its people. Sure there is this city and that city, but their relationships or relation on a map to each other, I don't feel were really explained.

This book is influenced by discrimination/hate: Mages vs Non-Mages, using politics, fear, and 'we are better/more important than them' to fan it.

It was a little slow in parts and sometimes rambled. I hope the next book will have more history of the world as a whole.

Even though this book just missed the next star, I will be looking for the next in the series.

3 Stars

DNF 30%

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this upcoming fantasy series!

The beginning is a bit slow. I kept looking at the page numbers wondering when things would pick up a bit. You are quite literally dropped into this world, with very little explained to you. Some people really love this in their fantasy worlds, but I personally need a bit more explained. The characters were very hard to differentiate and I found a few things were not jelling together.

<spoiler> The bullying part made me roll my eyes? When Marcus asked why she touched him and then immediately touched her face right after? Are the non-mages disgusting or not? The main character is 17, so this book has some very YA tropes. i.e. coming of age. Also, confused where these friends came from that are letting Naila stay with them? I thought she was all alone and had no family? Confused because I don't think I missed anything.</spoiler>

Around 30%, the FMC finally begins her training with the Wizard, and I’m just too bored and confused to continue. There's a lot of telling not showing for me. So, I’m putting this down. I think this story could be really good, as the interludes were interesting and added a sinister element to the story but I don't know if I want to read chapters and chapters to find out how it all comes together.

Much as I wanted to believe the marketing that this was the next big fantasy thing, it ended up being fairly typical of what you might get from a "fantasy lite" story: minimal world-building and an overreliance on Big Emotions created from "shocking" events and melodramatic interactions that belied the actual emotional investment I had in the characters or story so far because a) I had no idea what was going on, and b) it was only the first 2% of the book!