Lately I have been particularly lucky when choosing debut novels to read, and The Tethered Mage was one such great find: the story is set in what looks like an alternate version of 18th Century Venice, with the city of Raverra and its canals and waterways as the playing field; my past visits to the real Venice helped me to see the city being described here, adding to the enjoyment of a well-painted background. Raverra has extended its influence over the surrounding countries, particularly the neighboring city of Ardence, whose restless nobility feels the ever-increasing need for more independence, the fires of freedom further kindled by the powerful realm of Vaskandar whose ambitions are equal only to its ruthlessness. Raverra, however, has been able to maintain its standing thanks to the strong politics of its Council and ruling Doge and to its ability to exploit the magic of gifted individuals.

And it’s indeed with the magic system that this novel forges an interesting path, because the rare and precious mages that are Raverra’s strength and deterrent are carefully screened since infancy for the tell-tale colored ring around their irises, and once discovered are corralled to the island enclave of the Mews, where their powers are harnessed through a bracelet called jess. The jess tethers each mage (or Falcon) to their handler the Falconer, in a partnership that only death can dissolve: according to a person’s point of view, such an arrangement can be seen either as slavery or symbiosis and that is one of the story’s main themes, the ethics of channeling useful or potentially dangerous abilities by effectively placing a gifted person under life-long tutelage.

Zaira is a formidable and quite unique fire mage, the most dangerous kind, and she’s been able to move under the Falconers’ radar for a long time until she’s forced to unleash her powers in self-defense: that’s when Falconer captain Verdi enrolls the help of a young woman to put a jess on Zaira, not knowing that his improvised assistant is Amalia Cornaro, heir to the most powerful woman in the Raverran council. Amalia finds herself saddled with the responsibilities of a Falconer, a duty that clashes with those imposed on her status as The Contessa’s daughter, and what’s more her Falcon deeply resents her both as a Falconer and as a representative of the pampered ruling class.

The dichotomy between these two young women, so very different in origins and character, is one of the supporting themes in The Tethered Mage and makes for a very interesting journey in which both of them have a great deal to discover by getting to know each other, overcoming diffidence and prejudices: the trope of very different people thrown together by fate and having to learn how to cooperate is one I’ve always found interesting, and in this case I appreciated it even more because it avoided the clichéd pitfall of the man/woman pairing that turns from hate to love. By linking these two girls and having them cooperate through a crisis, we learn more about the society they live in and at the same time we get to know and like them as characters – with the added bonus that the increased understanding of each other does not change who they basically are but more simply the way they perceive their counterpart.

I found Zaira to be the most fascinating of the two – not least because there is so much about her that is barely glimpsed, leaving a great deal of mystery about her past: she’s strongly independent, although the choice of keeping apart from others stems from some dark, dramatic roots, and she’s also brash and outspoken, and quite proud of that – to the point that contact with the higher strata of society fails to compel her to soften that approach, with quite amusing results. On the other hand Amalia, despite being the first-person narrator, comes across as slightly less interesting because of the shades of predictability that weigh on her character: if I liked the fact that she’s what we would nowadays call a “nerd”, due to her preference to magical and technical studies over politics or fancy parties, I felt that part of her journey was overshadowed by the required romantic entanglement and her role as the problem-solving heroine.

What makes Amalia stand out, however, is the relationship with her formidable mother: the two women are often in disagreement over Amalia’s life choices and her mother’s need to groom her as a successor, but instead of taking the path of all-out conflict they bridge their differences through mutual respect and a deep love that comes across quite strongly even if it remains mostly unexpressed. If anything, this novel is a showcase for strong female characters that know how to work with difficult situations and overcome many obstacles: as I said, Amalia is less effective in this field if compared with her mother or Zaira (or the Contessa’s right-hand helper Ciardha, a character I hope will get more narrative space in the next novels, because she’s beyond intriguing), but her willingness to put herself to the test and not give up, even in the face of unsurmountable odds, more than makes up for that.

Apart from the characters’ journey, The Tethered Mage is enriched by the fascinating power plays that constitute its backbone, a complicated dance of political expediency, back-room plotting and outright betrayals that speed up the pace in the second half of the novel and that kept me glued to the pages until I reached the resolution. And if the “bad guys” sometimes feel a little over the top (especially when they tend to explain their dastardly plot to a soon-to-be-killed-captive, as in the oldest narrative tradition), or if their identity is too easily gleaned, the story is so exciting that it’s not difficult to put the Inner Critic to sleep so that we can lay back and enjoy the adventure, one that I will be happy to follow in the next installments.

I held off on reading this one for a while, and I regret that immensely. This was a fantastic political fantasy read! Filled with magic and romance and political machinations, it kept me guessing right through to the end.

As far as debuts go, this was top notch. A very well thought out world and plot, especially in terms of the political aspect. From an empire, to independent city-states, to cities of rebellion and garrisons shielding magic, Caruso covered the whole spectrum of government rule and diplomacy. And the best part of it all? It wasn't confusing. Normally, these kind of tales you really need to pay attention with it. With the strange fantasy names and rapid-fire pace of introduction, it wasn't difficult to follow. It was very...grounded? I don't know how to explain it, but it was just so well done! That, and the plot itself was equal parts intriguing, believable and fresh. It didn't feel cliché or overdone at any point, which kept me flying through it.

The writing itself was wonderful. Easy to read and follow with several beautiful little literary surprises sprinkled throughout. Some phrases Caruso used were just fantastic, and I wish I'd written them down or saved them. The pacing was good as well. At no point was I bored or wanting to skip any parts.

The world building was fantastic as well. Each city visited was unique and easily pictured in my mind. The history that is fed to the reader throughout (although not a lot) was also interesting. The particulars of the magic aspect may have been my favourite part. I loved the different levels to it! Some people are warlocks, with crazy destructive powers, while others are artificers, people who use wires, beads and runes to weave spells. The premise of falcon and falconer in regards to the different mage marked was so cool. I really enjoyed the dynamics that came with that relationship, positive and negative. I also really liked that even people without the mage mark were learning about the magics as well, like alchemy and artifice.

As for the characters, I loved each one. Amalia (love that name) was a main character I could get behind and very much root for. Her life and dealing with problems were understandable and relatable. I liked that she was one of those well read in artifice magic. Zaira was a firecracker, holy. I had to laugh at a lot of her little quips because they were so good and so very much her. The love interest was great too. Very organic relationship with plenty of roadblocks along the way. All I will say is there haven't been too many couples where I was thinking "And KISS" every time they got together. Caruso made me wait, but it was worth it.

My only complaint was it was a little too long. But other than that, I really enjoyed this. I can't wait for the second.
4.5/5

The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso is an interesting novel filled with mystery and intrigue.

Lady Amalia Cornaro has been researching how to engineer gadgets--some that use the powers she does not possess--for years. She's a scholar, not one of the Falconers--those who control the mages that do wield those powers.

That's why she's completely unprepared when Zaira lets loose on the street. Zaira has been living on the streets most of her life, and using her frightening powers of fire to protect herself. When she loses control in front of a Falconer, the Falconer grabs the closest brave person--Amalia--and tells her to slip the jess on Zaira's wrist. Now Amalia and Zaira are linked--Amalia holding ultimate power over Zaira, and how--or if--she uses her destructive powers.

The two come from very different points of view, and both need to learn how power and politics interact in their country very quickly--if they're going to work together to prevent an imminent war.

Beginning to an interesting new series, The Tethered Mage gives us both a bit of fantasy, sorcery, and political intrigue. Entertaining and interesting, I'll be watching for the next one.

The Tethered Mage is a fascinating dive into a world of politics, intrigue, and magic. Filled with action, and mystery it's never has a problem pulling the reader along. The characters are well written and strongly developed. I can't wait for book two.

Tethered Hopes and Dreams
The moment I finished The Tethered Mage, I felt a deep sense of sadness over having to wait on the next installment in the series, and then a rush of excitement about writing the review. I have not been this excited to share my love for a new book in quite some time! I read a few chapters of this book each night, no matter how exhausted I was after a long day at work, and then stayed up to binge read the last 100 pages because I just had to find out what was going to happen. So, even if you don’t have time to read the rest of this review, do yourself a favor, and order a copy of the book right now!

Image result for female fire mage gifThe book takes place in what I would best describe as an alternate world medieval Italy. The city state of Raverra is much like Venice, and there is in an emphasis throughout the book on learning, architecture, art, and books. There are also assassins, spies, and political intrigue…interspersed with the more fantastical elements of the existence of magic, and an army of warlocks. Beyond this, I loved the themes explored by Melissa Caruso in the guise of a fiction novel. First, the book is full of strong female characters who do not cede their own power to make way for men; they even take the lead in matters of courtship! Second, by having the mage-born tethered for life to a soldier with no magic, who will govern the use of their magic, it begs the question of how we treat those who are different, or those who possess something we want. How important is personal choice in the matter of destiny? Additional questions the story brings to mind is the idea of ultimate loyalty to oneself vs. one’s country, and whether or not love is more important than doing one’s duty. Seems deep for a modern work of fantasy-based fiction, right?

Related imageThe characters in The Tethered Mage will make you fall in love with them right away, from studious Amalia, to sarcastic Zaira, and gallant Marcello. The affection I felt for them steadily deepened as they developed throughout the arc of the story, becoming more and more multidimensional as the plot thickened. I don’t think I have ever yearned to see a love story work out, the way I hope for Amalia and Marcello! And seeing Zaira bloom as she slowly accepts friendship and her place in the empire (even as she starts to change it for the better), is something I look forward to seeing more of in the next book. This book shows the power of hope and ingenuity to change the world for the better. It’s an inspiring story, and I highly recommend it to all young people who may feel a little jaded, and to adults my age who just need a breath of fresh air.

There is definitely a lot of politics going on in this book and it is unique in its approach to magical characters and how their position is set in that world. The characters are relatable and personable. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a well thought out plot with politics and a splash of fantasy to tie it all together.

Melissa Caruso’s THE TETHERED MAGE is a historical fantasy set in a city inspired by Renaissance Venice following a bookish heroine, her erratic and violent mage partner, and their straight-laced but swoon-worthy military boss. In other words, total Danya-catnip.

As the only daughter and heir to Lissandra Carnaro, also known as La Contessa, Lady Amalia Carnaro is one of the most important young women in all of Raverra. But unlike her powerful mother, Amalia prefers to read books about magic and alchemy rather than involving herself in politics, armed conflict, and intelligence gathering; unfortunately, the fates had other plans…

When Amalia unintentionally binds a young mage named Zaira, Amalia becomes her Falconer and Zaira the Falcon, a mage conscripted into service to Raverra. Understandably, the former street-urchin Zaira is less than thrilled about her position, and Amalia must work hard to convince her that they should be allies. Particularly when the pair are thrust into an international conflict that could mean death for Amalia’s friends and forced combat for Zaira. The reluctant partnership and eventual blossoming friendship between the two young women was a delight to read, and I thought Caruso did a great job portraying Zaira’s outrage and resentment about being forced into life as a Falcon.

I loved how many powerful women there are in this story: from scholars to mages, spy-masters to politicians, generals to assassins, there are strong female characters on every page. I was also very pleased to see that at least a few of them are queer! A few times while reading I was actually reminded of Tamora Pierce’s Tortall universe, which as you all know is a major compliment.

While there’s nothing particularly groundbreaking about THE TETHERED MAGE, it’s a compulsively readable story that introduces a well-drawn world and a cast of very likeable characters. I’m excited to see what Caruso has in store next!

I am both happy and sad to have read this book so many weeks after its release in October – sad because it’s an excellent book and I could have read it so much sooner and happy because the sequel is a mere 3 months away. The Tethered Mage was highly rated on every site I checked out, whether it was Goodreads or an individual’s blog and if I hadn’t been so darn busy in October I would have read this on time! As it were, I ended up getting the audio version just so I could squeeze it in before the end of the year. Obviously this review is showing up a bit later than that.
Mages are rare and dangerous and Zaira is the most dangerous of all – an untethered fire mage – and when she first encounters Amalia Cornaro she’s about to burn down the city. Amalia Cornaro is heiress to one of the Raverran council seats, making her one of the more important, influential people in the city and when she meets Zaira, she’s been tracking down a rare book in a lower quarter of the city. At the end of the encounter, Zaira ends up shackled to Amalia for the rest of her life much to the chagrin of both. The Tethered Mage is a wonderful exploration of how the characters deal with this unwanted situation, larger political crises, and a great deal of personal drama. One of the most notable aspects of this book is how Amalia’s mother – a powerful council member and mistress of intelligence – actually loves her daughter, cares about her fate, and is grooming her to one day take her seat. This was a pleasant surprise and defied the usual antagonistic familial relationship trope that pops up all too frequently, especially when the parent is in a powerful position.
The story overall is pretty great, with vague flavors of The Lies of Locke Lamora and a fantastic cast of secondary characters. The worldbuilding, politicking, and action are all very well done, from small to large scale. My only real peeve here is that Zaira was a rather frustrating character, though I did sympathize with her situation and can totally understand why she lashes out and insists on being stubborn and difficult. She has redeeming qualities and I’m looking forward to see how she continues to develop in the next two books. There were a few fantastic plot twists in The Tethered Mage where I was left somewhat stunned. I always love when that happens!
I think The Tethered Mage was a solid, captivating debut that has left me wanting the sequel as soon as possible. I’m looking forward to where Melissa Caruso takes the next book and believe she can only improve from here!

Melissa Caruso's debut, Tethered Mage, reads YA, IMO.

What I liked as a reader: her re-imagining of Florence as an empire with flawed, yet unique military weapon: wielders of magic. The politics, the structuring of the society, the day-t0-day life, all excellent.

Several of the characters were standouts: the protagonist's mother, her henchwoman and Zaria, the mage of the title. Whenever Zaria was on the page, I knew we were in for humor or trouble.

I loved the way the author kept me guessing, is this a good or bad guy? And when bad, they were very bad indeed.

As a writer, there were times I was begging for a period in the sentence structure. (I read the book out loud to my partner while traveling.) Some of the names, try as I might, I could not pronounce. The predictability of many of the plot twists amidst such lovely world building disappointed. I found the romance between the protagonist and Marcello inexplicable and contrived. Nor did I buy into him being in line to command the Mews where mages live.

I would continue the series, in hopes the author will take Amalia's character beyond the blind privilege she evidences toward the poor and inconsequential for whom she seems to have little concern in this book. With all the intricacies of politics and entitlement set up in this book, were Melissa to turn this basically smug aristocracy on it's privileged ear, showing them how the rest of the world lives and suffers at the hands of the upper class, that would be something indeed.

Thank you #NetGallery for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to review this book.

The Tethered Mage tells the story of Amalia Cornaro, a privileged young aristocrat, interested in reading her books about alchemy more than politics, despite being the heir to her mother's powerful government position in the Empire. While out on an errand, Amalia stumbles into a situation in which a young Fire Mage's powers are out of control and threatening to destroy a town. To save the city, Amalia she uses a jess, a bracelet with the power to bind a mage's power to one person's control through alchemy, to stop the fire. By using the jess, Amalia binds the young mage, Zaira, to herself in a permanent bond. Zaira is now a "Falcon," a mage whose person and powers are in the service of the Empire, and Amalia is now her "Falconer," a person bound to a single Falcon who can lock and unlock the Falcon's powers at will.

In my opinion, The Tethered Mage is the story not of a mage at all, but of Amalia, her handler, which I found unfortunate because I think if Zaira had been the central character instead, that I wouldn't have struggled so much to make it through the first half of this book. Amalia was so sheltered and hesitant and confused about what was going on around her that I was as frustrated as Zaira about this naive, privileged girl. The story also has political intrigue that was fun, but my feelings about the main character really influenced my overall perception of this book.

We open with Amalia flouting her mother's rules to go to an unsavory part of the city to buy a rare book dressed inappropriately for her rank, and while she is out doing so, she risks her life to place the jess on Zaira to stop her from destroying an entire town. I was really optimistic from this opening for a strong protagonist (who loves books!), someone who would stand up to her mother, to the king, to expectations for her life! But immediately following this scene is half a book of spinelessness from our heroine. It's not even that Amalia is rebellious - that would have been better, I think! From the start of the book, Amalia's mother is painted as a ruthless political figure, seen as overbearing by her daughter, but in their scenes together, it seems like her mother is actually trying to draw Amalia's interest into a political world she will one day have to be a leader in. I was frustrated that Amalia is so unhappy with her mother's expectations, but does nothing to prevent or change them.

Amalia is also indecisive to the point of complete foolishness at times. Zaira makes no secret of her distrust and dislike of Amalia for basically conscripting her into servive for the Empire. However, when Zaira wants to bring a dagger to a party full of political drama just because Amalia gets one, Amalia says is that she doesn't see any harm in that, and gives her one. What?! Zaira grew up fighting for her survival, and feels no loyalty to you whatsoever, and she sees herself as a prisoner and your enemy! But Amalia thinks it's fine to give her a weapon to wear to a fancy party where Amalia repeatedly says she herself is worried about because one misstep at the party could start a war...WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?! It was just unbelievable that this and other choices were the actions of a smart, strong person. The emperor also asks of Zaira is ready to go to war, and Amalia is afraid to say no despite having made NO progress in winning Zaira’s trust so they could work together, but doesn’t say so because it would be uncomfortable. You know what else would be uncomfortable? Being burned alive by a Fire Mage because you unleashed her powers before any trust is built between you.

Call it character development because Amalia’s character does evolve over the book, but how has she survived growing into a young woman with her mother as a teacher and not understood that giving weapons to people who want to kill you in precarious political situations is a bad idea? Beyond that, how has she survived multiple assassination attempts?!

The Tethered Mage has some potential as a series, and I think it could be stronger in the sequels, particularly regarding Amalia. But while I don’t regret reading this book, its characters and predictability leave me thinking that overall, it was just okay.

The Tethered Mage starts out really strong, but once it got into the more political intrigue part of the plot I started to lose a little interest. That's all on me, because I'm not a big fan of stories driven by political games. That being said, the characters did keep me interested enough to keep reading. The ending picks the pacing and the action back up, though, and I am glad knowing this is part of a trilogy so there will be more.

I did find Amalia a little more naive than I would expect someone born into her world to be. She's sheltered in a way I would think the heir to the most powerful/most conniving political force wouldn't be? But part of the fun

The minor characters were okay (Marcello is kinda dull to me but the other Falcons are fun), the possible-future-big-baddy Ruven is creepy and fantastic but I think my favorite part was the shifting antagonizing-to-friend-ship between Zaira and Amalia. If the sequel features more of these two doing things together and having more adventures then it will be worth the read.

The Tethered Mage is the first book in the Swords and Fire series, by Melissa Caruso, from Orbit Books.

I really enjoyed the heck out of this book. The world building is fascinating and detailed, the magic system is internally cohesive and believable and the political machinations for power (very loosely based on the great dynasties of renaissance Italy and environs) are well wrought and complex.

This is a substantial book, 438 pages, but tautly plotted and it never dragged. There are several plotlines, well interwoven into an epic story arc. I was very surprised that this is a debut novel; the author has a very strong voice and a gift with dialogue.

Other reviewers have done a very good job of describing the plot and characters. I really enjoyed the lushness of the setting (which reminded me a lot of Venice) and the way that the fire mage Zaira was not easily won over. Her unwilling partnership with a 'handler' of a different class and background was organic and well written, it wasn't just a few paragraphs of whining and then besties forever.

There were several mystery subplots which were deftly handled and the denoument was exciting and perfectly paced. I'm really looking forward to the next installments.

I would not precisely classify this as YA. It would be appropriate for older YA readers, but also fine for any epic fantasy fans, whatever their age.

Four and a half stars, looking forward to what comes next!

The Tethered Mage is the first book in the Sword and Fire series. Amalia is heir to her mother's place on the Raverran Council of Nine, but right now she's more interested in Alchemy than politics. The Mage Marked are normally taken into the Mews. as children. They are called falcons and the people who "jess" them are called the falconeers. The Falcons are used powerful weapons to deter other empires from attacking Raverra. Zaira, a fire mage, has escaped being caught until now. Unfortunately, it's Amalia who jesses her. Her destiny is changed from that day forward.

The tethered mage was a well-written book. Its pace is pretty steady but does fall a little slow in the middle. I enjoyed the world creation. There are some twists and turns that were surprising. I am looking forward to the next book.

Magic is such a rare trait in the kingdom of Revarra that practitioners are usually found as children and conscripted right away into military uses for the state. Zaira did manage to escape their attention by hiding in the slums, but it doesn't help keep her out of trouble. In the middle of an outpouring of Zaira's fire magic, she is caught by Amalia Cornaro, heir to The Countess. Amalia was supposed to be a scholar and part of the Council of Nine when old enough to succeed her mother, not a Falconer in charge of a mage. Once the jess was in place, however, there was no escaping the fact that she had to help control Zaira's power, even if she desperately wanted to evade that control. In addition, international tensions are brewing, and Amalia is involved due to her birth and her friendships.

The Tethered Mage is a fascinating read, and I love the concept of magic as it is introduced here. It is dangerous if uncontrolled, especially the powerful and rare kinds. Those that can create magical artifacts aren't considered as dangerous as Zaira, but the applications of their work could be. This is all introduced in a fluid and natural manner; by introducing Amalia into the Falconers, the reader learns about the politics involved in finding those with the mage sign, as well as the implications to "regular" politics now that Amalia has a mage in her control. Whether Amalia actually does or not is irrelevant, it's the perception of it, which clearly mirrors the politics in every era and fantasy realm.

The vague rumblings of war and discontent within the empire are revealed a bit at a time, and Zaira provides a lot of color commentary to Amalia's general and somewhat willful naivete regarding the politics she is expected to navigate. They actually wind up working together after a point, and Amalia is able to use the information she learns from Zaira well.

Amalia's romance of sorts with the lieutenant is at once in character and out of place. She wants to be her own person and not subject to her mother's planning or the responsibilities of her rank, and she is still a teenager. At the same time, I don't get a sense of what really draws her to the lieutenant in a romantic sense. It seems more a basis for friendship than romance as it starts, as well as her own fascination with his history and rank within the Falconers. The character development is excellent, and I love the world created here. I am looking forward to reading the sequel to this when it comes out in April 2018!

Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: I fall into the trap of pretty covers all the time and this one got me hook line and sinker. Although the book wasn't one I loved it was ok.

Check out author's other books or related books? Maybe, I am kind of torn between wanting to read the rest of this series once it comes out.

Recommend this book? If you don't mind political fantasy check it out

Notes and Opinions: This one should be under Adult Political Fantasy. That is how it made me feel. I was torn between this being young adult to adult. So it kind of falls between which would have it more of a New Adult. This one started off well I fell in love with that cover first off and the story wasn't too bad. I think that it could have been a little better as I felt like it didn't know what age group it wanted to fall under. For the story, I wish it would have focused more on the magic aspect.
I also wish that the side characters would have been better formed as it felt like they were just kind there. This one could have been so much better with a few tweeks. For me I think this is another one that people will either love or hate. For me I kind fall in the middle of that where I kinda want to hate it but I dont. I think that I might even check out book two when it comes out.

Go Into This One Knowing: Political Fantasy


*This book was reviewed by: Lauren

This arc was provided to me for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
3 Stars. I had it at 2.5 but I realized I actually enjoyed one character, so she bumped it up.
I find the cover to be absolutely gorgeous and it is what piqued my interest at first. The synopsis seemed like this would be my type of book. I am certain this book could find its audience, but I didn’t find it to be for me.
In this world, those who wield magic are used as essentially soldiers or known in this world falcons and they are tethered to another person known as falconers with the use of a jess (bracelet). The falcons are essentially slaves as they don’t really have a choice in the matter. This book revolves around Amalia, the heir to a powerful house and she accidentally bonds to a falcon, Zaira. A falcon who doesn’t want to serve the city and wants to free. Even though those in power cannot wield a falcon as they control the power of the falcon. As the book continues its lots of politics and lots of people trying to kill other people. I don’t want to give away the ending, so I will say there were a lot of choices made in the end and I still have a lot of questions.
The thing that bothered me the most about the book was the obvious rich girl enslaves a poor girl. Amalia didn’t understand why it was so wrong and I found that to be very annoying. I also have a very hard time understanding how Amalia didn’t know what the jest would do when she tethered herself to Zaira. It seemed like a pretty common thing that everyone knew. Perhaps there is an actual answer and I didn’t catch it, but it doesn’t make any sense to me.
The book definitely had moments where it caught my attention, but I couldn’t get over the whole forced to live in the mews and never allowed to leave unless they were with their falconer. I tried really hard to like this book, but I just didn’t find it to be for me.

My Review: I really haven't seen much about this book but was drawn in by the cover and found the synopsis intriguing enough to give it a shot. I am so glad that I did! While this book has a lot of magic in it, there is also a lot of political intrigue, behind closed door dealings and a lot of puzzles to figure out, my favorite combinations in a book. The characters are so widely varied from political powerhouses and super spies to loyal military members to reluctant/cynical citizens trapped in the system. I thoroughly loved all the thought that went into reading this book, there were a lot of twists and turns to figure out. They were so carefully done you could figure them out but not so easy that you saw it coming a mile away (at least for me). The magic system is really unique, it blends outright power with a little bit of artistry and a touch of steampunk like devices. Then of course you have the element of Falcons and Falconers for an added element of connection and tension throughout the book. This is one that I highly recommend and cannot wait until the next book!

My Rating: This was so much more than I expected! I love that it didn't get bogged down with romance and that there was so much use of mental abilities as opposed to just fighting and magic. If you liked The Winner's Curse definitely check this one out! I give it a rating of Four Paws!

I'll start by saying that this book definitely has potential. As a writer, Melissa Caruso knows how to properly string words together in a way that makes for a compelling narrative. The world building also shows a lot of promise, as does the premise (pre-execution). This book has received a lot of great reviews, and I would definitely give this author another try. Unfortunately, I won't be continuing on with this particular series - it was not for me.

My main problem with this book involves its casual treatment of what seems to be a political system built entirely upon slavery. The fantasy world Caruso has built is one in which mages are bound to soldiers called falconers, and the falconers control when and how they use their powers (along with a number of other facets of their lives). This idea is an interesting one, but the problem is with the protagonist of our story. In this novel, we're reading solely from the perspective of a privileged falconer (and an ignorant one at that). While Caruso definitely tries to address the "tethered mage's" unhappiness with the situation she's in, we don't ever get to see this world from her eyes. Instead, we must listen endlessly to a character constantly justifying and defending this oppressive system. And while I'm sure there's some big "revelation" at the end, I couldn't get there. Reading this from our narrator's eyes made me uncomfortable and infuriated. Even up to halfway through the book, I didn't see any indication that we were ever going to receive the mage's POV - and I'm not about to read an entire book from the lens of the oppressor (even if she's a nice one - cue eye rolling).

Lia Cooper has a review on her Youtube channel that articulates these thoughts much more eloquently than I have. You can watch that review here.

On top of my moral gripe with this book, the beginning also contains a lot of info-dumping (clearly, Caruso needs a reminder in "show, don't tell"). I tried so hard to push through this, but at some point I needed to stop and ask myself why I was bothering. There are tons of other books on my TBR, and DNFing is feedback enough. Especially since I so rarely do so.

Since I didn't actually finish The Tethered Mage, I will not be giving it a rating on Goodreads. I would never tell you guys not to read a book - you should always form your own opinions. Many people have enjoyed this Caruso's debut, but it just isn't my jam.

Now this is what I call fantasy. I need more people to be excited about The Tethered Mage so I can fangirl with them.

First, can we talk about this magic system?! Now I have a love-hate relationship with magic users being second class in a world because sometimes it just isn't executed well and they become the "magic sidekick" in the story. In Caruso's world, that's not the case. You see it through that lens at first based on how the world is introduced but learn about the intricacies of magic as well as the system in place. It was fabulous and I cannot wait for the sequel because I need more magic and mages and POWER. 

The story itself is just as interesting, composed of a web of character dynamics and politics that create so many questions and curiosities for a reader such as myself that you just have to devour the whole thing. The Tethered Mage focuses on Amalia, the only direct heir to a strong family, who gets mixed up in the "capture" of a rogue mage, Zaira. They become paired through a turn of events and Amalia becomes the other woman's Falconer. The bond provided a lot of conflict between the two young women that totally worked to the book's advantage. These are flawed characters in the best way, both strong but both very different both in personality and upbringing. 

Those differences worked in their favor as the book tackles a multitude of political scheming. Trying to keep track of everything was a bit all over the place for me. So much was happening and with so many names tossed out, it took a while for me to really immerse myself into the world where those connections came quicker. 

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed this book, but I had a bit of an issue with the pacing. I ended up reading more for the interesting world (especially at the beginning) and less for the writing itself. And after a while it felt like the story was dragging in general. It ended up falling into the tendencies of epic fantasies which I've come to expect to be long winded. But I wouldn't necessarily consider The Tethered Mage to be an epic fantasy? It's on the fence, I'd say.

Now that this review has started becoming long winded too, in short: read this book. The world-building is fantastic and the characters are both interesting and well-developed. If you're a fan of political fantasies then this will definitely be right up your alley. All in all, a great first book and I'm really excited to see where it goes in the sequel!