Hi Cara,
Today is my stop on The Angel Mage Blog tour
Angel Mage is the new book for author Garth Nix.
Below is a list of other books from Garth Nix.
Publication Order of Old Kingdom Books
Sabriel (1996)
Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr (2001)
Abhorsen (2003)
The Creature in the Case (2005)
Clairel: The Lost Abhorsen (2014)
Goldenhand (2016)
Order of Have Sword, Will Travel Books
Have Sword, Will Travel (2017)
Let Sleeping Dragons Lie (2018)
Order of X-Files Books
The Calusari (1997)
Seventh Tower Books
The Fall (2000)
Castle (2000)
Aenir (2000)
Above the Veil (2001)
Into Battle (2001)
The Violet Keystone (2001)
Aussie Bites Books
Serena and the Sea Serpent (2000)
Order of Keys To The Kingdom Books
Mister Monday (2003)
Grim Tuesday (2003)
Drowned Wednesday (2004)
Sir Thursday (2006)
Lady Friday (2007)
Superior Saturday (2008)
Lord Sunday (2010)
Troubletwisters Books
The Magic (2011)
The Monster (2012)
The Mystery (2013)
The Missing (2014)
Spirit Animals Books
Blood Ties (2014)
Standalone Novels
The Ragwitch (1991)
Shade’s Children (1997)
A Confusion of Princes (2012)
Newt’s Emerald (2014)
Frogkisser! (2017
Angel Mage (2019)
Short Stories
Fire Above, Fire Below (2013)
Warchild Collections
Kids’ Night In (2003)
Midnight Feast (2011)
Short Story Collections
Across the Wall: Tales of the Old Kingdom and Beyond (2005)
One Beastly Beast: Two Aliens, Three Inventors, Four Fantastic Tales (2007)
Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz (2011)
To Hold the Bridge (2015)
About Garth Nix (information from Garth Nix Website)
Garth 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.
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 neighbouring 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 fulfil her destiny and be united with the love of her life. No matter the cost to everyone else.
(Synopsis from Goodreads.com)
Angel Mage is compelling fantasy fiction, with magic, power and unlikely friendship at the heart of the story.
The history and magic system really intrigued me. The Idea that Angels are the magic of this world and summoned via icons. I liked the fact that there is a cost to the magic-user. The more powerful the Angel called the more time of your life you lose. Also what fascinated me is that people are ok with losing minutes, days, months and even years for the help of Angel intervention.
Magic and history have a direct impact on the class system in Angel mage. This is interesting as it is seen in a couple of different groups.
The main class divide is between the Refuser and everyone else. The Refusers are seen as less than, due to their inability to touch angelic magic without serve consequences. (hmmm 2nd class system due to abilities/ belief …..fantasy showing up real life.)
The other class system is between the different ‘Army’ diversion, but this is mainly impacted by if you are in a regiment believing you’re better than the others. Which is perfectly seen with Angenez belief that the Queen’s musketeers are the best. Its class system is seen in The Refuser group, your wealth, power, family connection. If you use Angels or not.
The interaction between the different groups are entertaining, it brings conflict, humour and action to the story.
Although I believe Lilath is up to no good. I have to admire her strength and resolve to see her plan come true. The introduction to Liliath is one of my favourites. I love how normal she makes waking up after 100 years.
My favourite out of the four is Dorotea she smart book worm, who is nice and a bit weird. Which I like in a character. My least favourite is Henri, he did grow on me throughout the book. But as his motives are more about himself and money he wasn’t a character I gravity too.
As the book progress, I was still unsure what Liliath plan was and how it involves the magic foursome. This didn’t really matter as I was submerged in the world, that I was happy for any and ll nuggets of information.
Also big thumbs up to how no-one bats an eye to same-sex relationships.
I want to start a petition to change the saying from curiosity killed the cat to “curiosity killed the lion keeper.” It makes curiosity sound much more dangerous.
My rating for Angel Mage is 4.5 out of 5.
Thank you to Gollancz for providing a copy of Angel Mage for the Blog tour and for a fair and honest review.
Angel Mage is now out in the world, so you can pick up your copy.
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Thanks for reading,
