Spellslinger

LoveReading Says

May 2017 NewGen Book of the Month.

In a Nutshell: Witty fantasy anti-hero forges his own path

There’s trickery, traps, and action aplenty in this vividly conjured magical fantasy – the first in a series - about finding your place and discovering who you really are.

Soon-to-be-sixteen, Kellen is one of the Jan’Tep (the ‘People of True Magic’) and about to undergo a series of trials to prove he has the “calibre of magic worthy of earning my mage name”. The pressure is immense, and failure “inconceivable”, for failure means living in servitude as a Sha’Tep.

But there’s a problem... Despite being the son of a highly esteemed mage, Kellen has zero aptitude for magic, and so the arrival of straight-talking Ferius Pafax comes as a godsend. She saves Kellen’s life, and then her mysterious decks of cards leads him to question everything…

What follows is a spectacularly cinematic experience that fizzes with action and jaw-dropping revelations. Oh, and a talking squirrel cat sidekick. This is fresh, funny fantasy made all the more appealing by Kellen’s wit and outcast status.  ~ Joanne Owen

Reviewed by Joanne Owen
Joanne Owen’s lifelong love of reading and writing began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, and very much wished that witches (and Mrs Pepperpot) were real.
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