Istria, 1679 A.D.
Sired by magick and violence, sixteen-year-old Liara is found guilty of witchcraft and banished from her tiny village by the very priest who raised, then betrayed her. However, a mysterious mage steps forward to assume custody of her: Nagarath, the Wizard of Parentino, whose secret spellwork has long protected both Liara and Dvigrad from the ravages of war.
Despite Liara’s best hopes, Nagarath refuses to apprentice her to his craft but tasks her instead with the restoration of his neglected library.
Liara gleans magickal knowledge on the sly, but her stolen spells renew an evil wizard’s interest in the people of the Limska Draga valley.
Only by tapping Liara’s inherent magick and joining it with his own can Nagarath protect Parentino from suffering a horrible fate.
However, her discovery of his secrets destroys their fragile trust and ignites the darker tendencies of her gift. Now, he must rescue her from the influence of his mortal enemy before their powerful new alliance destroys them all.
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Review:
The Bookminder by M.K Wiseman is the first in this historical fantasy series. I absolutely love the combination of historical fiction and fantasy, so when The Bookminder was available to review, I took the opportunity. And I’m glad I did!
M.K. Wiseman‘s character development is awesome. Connecting with these characters was easy. Their interactions felt realistic. I think Liara is my favorite, but picking favorites is hard in this story because they are all so great.
I love the writing. My favorite part of fantasy is often the world building and M.K. Wiseman‘s writing brings you right into the world. It was easy to get lost in this story, and it had me hooked from beginning to end. The only gripe I have here, and it’s minimal, is that because the characters spend much of their time isolated in the tower, there isn’t much world building outside of learning about magic. I hope we get to see the historical setting more in future installments.
The Bookminder is fantastic. I really enjoyed it and I recommend giving it a read!
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the review copy and the opportunity to honestly review this book on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
Rating:
4/5☆
France, 1680 A.D.
Liara’s defense of the Wizard Nagarath has rendered Anisthe incantate—bereft of all magick—but even this has failed to guarantee Liara’s safety. The death of the war mage would seal Liara’s own fate, and so the wizard and his bookminder must keep him in their sites and yet as far away from themselves as possible.
With nothing but a storybook and a hunch, Anisthe has set off on a journey across Europe, aided by his half-fey manservant, in search of a legendary mirror that contains the most powerful magick ever known. Although the stuff of fairytales, the merest possibility of its truth embarks Nagarath and Liara on a race to discover the mirror before it falls into the hands of Nagarath’s lifelong foe. Both know should he lay claim to that power, Liara would be at the mercy of her father-in-magick and his lust for power, and not even Nagarath could save her.
Thus, the pair find themselves at the court of the Sun King, a world hostile to magick users, hopelessly surrounded by agents whose sole purpose is destroy them. Uncertain whom is friend or foe, with Anisthe nipping at their heels, they must unearth the mirror before its evil is released, or worse, lays claim to Liara’s magick as well and brings doom upon them all.
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Review:
The Kithseeker by M.K. Wiseman is the second book in The Bookminder Series. This story picks up right after book one, so I highly recommend reading these books in order.
I love when the second book is just as good, or better than, the first book. The Kithseeker builds on the characters and events of book one, and there is more action and excitement in this story. This story makes use of the historical setting in this installment, which I was obsessed with. I love the setting of 1680 Parisan mixed with magical elements. It made for a unique story.
M.K. Wiseman‘s writing is excellent and has gotten better since the first book. It really draws you into the story and anchors you to the historical setting.
Nagarath has become my favorite character in this novel. I love his quirkiness, humor, and kindness. Liara has definitely grown since book one, as well. I think this author knows how to show character growth from book one to two.
I really enjoyed The Kithseeker. I recommend giving it a read if you love this genre, but make sure you start with book 1!
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the review copy and the opportunity to honestly review this book on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
Rating:
4.5/5☆ (rounded to 5 for Amazon & Goodreads)
England, 1680 A. D.
Liara and Nagarath’s enemy has unexpectedly come to their aid, surrendering to the magick-suppressing forces of the king of France so as to buy time for their escape. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Anisthe is on their side. Vrsar’s war mage, Liara’s father-in-magick, has never been a man do to things for others.
And he has always has plans within plans.
In fleeing to England with his apprentice, the Wizard Nagarath realizes that Liara’s power is no longer her own to command. With the shattering of Khariton’s magick mirror in the Palace of Versailles, the young woman has become trapped in an alliance with the ancient and evil mage. What is more, at eighteen-years-old, her life remains tied to Anisthe’s for another two years per the Laws of Magick. Anisthe, who is now imprisoned for having helped them evade the king’s spellpiercers.
Forced to revisit his own past, Nagarath is finally learning that there are some histories you cannot outrun. As for Liara, the darkness within her heart is greater than she ever could have imagined. This after Dvigrad’s orphaned magpie having finally learned to love. For, in the words of Khariton himself, “In magick you can never have friends. Only rivals.”
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Review:
I LOVE THIS SERIES!
Please read book one and two before you jump into The Fatewrecker by M.K. Wiseman. I promise you won’t be disappointed. These books just keep getting better, and The Fatewrecker is definitely my favorite.
This story kept me on the edge my seat. The characters I have grown to love are going through their toughest points thus far, and I couldn’t stop reading to find out what would happen. I always start reading books too late into the night, and end up staying up way too late. Worth it though!
The world is just so intriguing, I was sucked right into the book. If you’re looking for an escapist read, this is one to try. I feel connected to these characters and this story. I can go on and on about how much I love this book and this series overall.
Read these books in order and you’ll fall in love, just like I did. I highly recommend The Fatewrecker!!
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the review copy and the opportunity to honestly review this book on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
Rating:
5/5☆
M. K. Wiseman has degrees in Interarts & Technology and Library & Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her office, therefore, is a curious mix of storyboards and reference materials. Both help immensely in the writing of historical novels. She currently resides in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.
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Jessica Belmont 