Welcome to the blog tour for Angel Mage by Garth Nix. This is one that I was very much looking forward to and it did not disappoint! Thank you to the Fantastic Flying Book Club for hosting this tour!
About the Book
Title: Angel Mage
Author: Garth Nix
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: October 1, 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy
Find It: GoodReads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound
Blurb: More than a century has passed since Liliath crept into the empty sarcophagus of Saint Marguerite, fleeing the Fall of Ystara. But she emerges from her magical sleep still beautiful, looking no more than nineteen, and once again renews her single-minded quest to be united with her lover, Palleniel, the archangel of Ystara.
A seemingly impossible quest, but Liliath is one of the greatest practitioners of angelic magic to have ever lived, summoning angels and forcing them to do her bidding.
Liliath knew that most of the inhabitants of Ystara died from the Ash Blood plague or were transformed into beastlings, and she herself led the survivors who fled into neighboring Sarance. Now she learns that angels shun the Ystaran’s descendants. If they are touched by angelic magic, their blood will turn to ash. They are known as Refusers, and can only live the most lowly lives.
But Liliath cares nothing for the descendants of her people, save how they can serve her. It is four young Sarancians who hold her interest: Simeon, a studious doctor-in-training; Henri, a dedicated fortune hunter; Agnez, an adventurous musketeer cadet; and Dorotea, an icon-maker and scholar of angelic magic. They are the key to her quest.
The four feel a strange kinship from the moment they meet, but do not know why, or suspect their importance. All become pawns in Liliath’s grand scheme to fulfill her destiny and be united with the love of her life. No matter the cost to everyone else. . .
Review: Oh boy, I’ve been waiting for this one, and it did not disappoint! I have been a fan of Garth Nix’s writing ever since I read Sabriel back in 2013. When I saw this new book coming out, I couldn’t wait to get to read it.
One thing I love about Nix is that he creates these beautiful, intricate story worlds, and Angel Mage is no exception. There is a rich culture here that was so interesting to learn about and inhabit. I also really loved the magic system involving angels and the symbols and icons used to summon them. What was nice about this was that using magic wasn’t something to be done willy nilly – there was a physical cost to it that literally took time off of the mage’s life span. That makes using this magic a much more important decision – there’s more at stake than just casting a simple spell.
Now let’s talk characters. This is the rare book where we meet our antagonist first and spend a good amount of time with her. Liliath is complicated and definitely not all evil, but certainly selfish and looking out for herself first. Everyone else around her is a tool to be used and discarded at a whim. Our four protagonists – Agnez, Simeon, Dorotea and Henri – are four people drawn to each other by a strange feeling of affinity and then a strong bond of friendship. They are very, very different from one another, but their friendship and support of each other through a very strange and trying time is a beautiful thing.
I’m not going to go deep into the story itself, as it is a complex and intricate story that I would not want to spoil in any way. I will say that it is an excellent fantasy that any fan of the genre would enjoy. The characters were great, the adventures rewarding, and the ending thoroughly satisfying.
GoodReads rating: 5 stars. Fantasy at its finest.
About the Author
Nix has been a full-time writer since 2001, but has also worked as a literary agent, marketing consultant, book editor, book publicist, book sales representative, bookseller, and as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve.
Garth’s books include the Old Kingdom fantasy series, comprising Sabriel, Lirael; Abhorsen; Clariel and Goldenhand; SF novels Shade’s Children and A Confusion of Princes; and a Regency romance with magic, Newt’s Emerald. His novels for children include The Ragwitch; the six books of The Seventh Tower sequence; The Keys to the Kingdom series and others. He has co-written several books with Sean Williams, including the Troubletwisters series; Spirit Animals Book Three: Blood Ties; Have Sword, Will Travel; and the forthcoming sequel Let Sleeping Dragons Lie. A contributor to many anthologies and magazines, Garth’s selected short fiction has been collected in Across the Wall and To Hold the Bridge.
More than five million copies of his books have been sold around the world, they have appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, Publishers Weekly and USA Today and his work has been translated into 42 languages. His most recent book is Frogkisser! now being developed as a film by Twentieth Century Fox/Blue Sky Animation.
Giveaway Time!
Enter now to win a copy of Angel Mage! This giveaway is only for the U.S. There are two copies available, so be sure to enter by October 31st in order to win. You can enter via this Rafflecopter link. Good luck!
Follow the Tour!
Be sure to check out the other stops on this tour for more information and fun reveals! The full tour schedule is here. Thanks again to the Fantastic Flying Book Club for hosting this tour and for letting me be a part of it! You guys rock!
Categories: Blog Tours, Books I've Read
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