Agatha Bird

What a great novella! I love it when characters really learn something in a story, and boy, Connor has a lot to learn. As they say, “pride goes before a fall” and that is what happens here. Once Connor has been removed from his opinionated and egocentric pedestal, so to speak, help comes from the most unexpected direction and someone Connor wouldn’t ever have considered worth his time. Yes, Connor is that sort of a teenager before the Oracle interferes and puts him in a situation where he will either learn to be himself or sink into obscurity (as Connor would put it).

Connor, in his mind, has already won everyone’s praises before he has even passed his Senior Trial. He is selfish, believes he has a right to be adored, and has his life mapped out for himself. If he were an adult, I wouldn’t bet on him being able to change, but he is a teenager and there is hope. The Oracle gives him a task worthy of a coming-of-age challenge, and for quite a while, it looks as if Connor might fail. I loved watching the slow steps he takes as he sulks his way through self-pity, then anger, then finally understands what he is supposed to learn. Yes, he is a pretty nasty bastard in the beginning, but with a father like his? I’d expect him to have some issues.

Landyn is, in many ways, Connor’s opposite. He is a water mage to Connor’s fire talents, he is quiet where Connor is loud and in-your-face, and he is lonely where Connor is surrounded by friends—at least until Connor falls from grace and ends up a pariah. But Landyn is also a great mage, much more advanced than many of his peers. I suspect most of that is due to him having no social life and spending all his time studying. Landyn is also a very warm and loving boy, and someone who is loyal once he’s made a friend. Someone Connor can rely on to have his back—once he lets go of his preconceived ideas about what a great mage is really like.

If you like stories about young men finding their way in life, if enemies-to-lovers in a world full of magic is an idea that appeals to you, and if you’re looking for a read that is passionate, funny, and full of youthful enthusiasm, then you will probably like this novella. I think it’s very creative and I loved the way the Senior Trial turns out – including Connor and Landyn’s unexpected, but very cleverly designed presentation of their talents.


NOTE: This book was provided by Harmony Ink Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (más)