This book follows the story of Grace and Bastien who live in a world where magic is taken away from children and controlled in adults. The concept is so interesting, but the execution lacked a little. What started as an fascinating look into censorship and power, turned into a love story that was lacklustre.

Author #Jessica Thorne has a wonderful new novel out. It’s called :’#’Mageborn:(The Hollow King Book
1) and the cover to start is just striking it’s just outrageous beautiful! It alone would make a beautiful picture.
A dark and addictive fantasy read.The life of And orphan soldier becomes entwined with that of that
Of the mysterious heir to the throne.And the rest you will have to read and enjoy.
Thank you ,
#Netgalley, #Jessica Thorne And # Bookouture

Interesting characters. Intriguing plot. Dynamic prose. My attention was held the entire time. I enjoyed my time reading this one. I’d suggest this story to everyone who likes a more contemporary stuff.

I hadn’t heard anything about Mageborn before I read it but I’m so glad I gave it a chance. I love fantasy books but the genre has been flooded with some not so great books lately. This one is such a well written book, full of great characters and a fantastic plot! I could not put it down! I can’t wait for book 2!

**Thank you Netgalley and publisher for giving me an electronic ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

This book was so fantastic! I couldn't put it down. I can’t wait to read book two! The world building is beautiful and the magic system seems realistic.

Regular readers of my blog will know just from reading the blurb that this book couldn’t have been more up my street if it had been written specifically with me in mind. It is full of all my favourite things, and to cap it all, it’s the first book in what promises to be an excellent series.

I know there is a lot of debate about prologues, but I love them, and the one in this book positively drips with sinister images and intrigue. I was hooked from page one and couldn’t put it down!

There are so many wonderful characters in this book who, despite the fantastical setting, remain deeply human and relatable, each flawed in their own way. Jessica Thorne’s skill at creating these characters meant that my heart broke for one character despite only having known them for a few pages. Bastien is a character that led to many conflicting emotions that I obsessed over like a teenage fangirl even when I wasn’t reading. I fell for him at first sight, and desperately wanted to discover that he was not the feared Lord of Thorns, but was in fact misunderstood, but I have been hurt by literary characters before who turned out to not be what they seemed after I fell for them, and I was scared that Bastien was going to turn out the same way. Whether he did or not, I will leave for you to find out for yourself.

I could honestly gush about this book for days. I loved the premise of magic being outlawed for the masses, but stolen and treated as a game by the nobility. I loved all the twists and turns, and non-stop action.

I was so excited to discover as I wrote this review that Nightborn, book two in The Hollow King series has just been released a couple of days ago, and couldn’t resist a quick dash to Amazon to download my copy!

I couldn't get into this book I tried twice I found it's really slow. I really wanted to get into it's has I love her other books.
I got this book from Netgallery in exchange for a honest review.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. This was a bit of an intense read when the limits of how one feels when doing something they believe might be just, but when someone they care about comes to the top of the list how those feelings might just change. Then she has to confront Bastien and look into his eyes to see what truly happen to the Mageborn that are sent to him collar. He guards his secret very close. Grace has a lot to figure out as she goes through out this story and this is only the first book in the series. I want more of this series. I need to know what happens next.

If you enjoy a fantastical plot, filled with romance and adventure, then you will like this book. I was honestly surprised as I hadn’t heard much about it and had no expectations.

The book is introduces as a perfect read for Sarah J. Maas fans and I think that’s what has left some readers disappointed. Comparing this to a SJM book just isn’t accurate but it doesn’t mean this one didn’t have its own strengths

. The romance is wonderful but the author did sacrifice some plot to enforce it. The writing wasn’t as impressive as it could have been and the plot is a little slow to develop.

But all in all, I enjoyed reading this.

Loved this one!! A super easy read and who doesn't love a bit of fantasy now and again. I'll be reading more from this author :)

I started reading Mageborn not knowing what to expect and now, after I finished it, it blew my mind. This is the perfect book for those who are a fan of fantasy, romance, a great world-building, an intricate magic system, and plot twists that will shake you to the core!

I loved everything about Mageborn. Aside from the alluring cover, the plot amazed me and I surely didn't see that one particular shocking twist coming. Though there were moments that got me confused, it didn't take long before I got the hang of the story. I was totally addicted, I couldn't put it down until the sun was about to come up!

The characters were as intriguing as the storyline. Grace, as the FMC, is everything I hope for in every fantasy book. She's strong, smart, and determined. While Bastien, our Lord of Thorns, though mysterious and powerful, he is kind, charming, and a fun person to be around. Other characters were interesting as well and I wish I'd see their great development in the sequel.

This book as the first installment in the series has a lot of potentials and it definitely lived up to each of my expectations and more. It sucked me right from the beginning and the action never slowed down. There were jaw-dropping secrets and sickening betrayals. Plus, the romance was not something to be missed. The sequel, Nightborn, sounds promising and I can't wait to dive back into Grace's and Bastien's story!

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Mageborn. A gripping fantasy tale with a burning romance, unique magic system, loveable characters, great world-building, beautiful writing, and a pace that will keep you sitting on the edge of your seat. If you're looking for a next worthy read, search no more. I recommend adding this book to your TBR list!

I chose this book purely for the cover, because, well just look at it, it’s beautiful. The story itself however is sadly less to be desired. Whilst there was a good plot to the story, I felt a lot of the book was a bit lacking. The prologue was just confusing when it’s the first thing you read but clearly an important part of the history of all that is mageborn that you couldn’t get your head around until later on, then just became a constant reminder every few pages for no reason.
The kingdom is split between two beings; humans, and mageborn with powers that weren’t welcome in society because they could become hollow – unstable and dangerous. The kingdom itself is ruled by one family, the Larelwynns, two important members being the king’s cousin, Bastien, also known as The Lord of Thorns, who was cursed into looking after the mageborn throughout the kingdom, never being anything more than a dark unwanted prince feared by everyone in the kingdom, and the king himself, Marius, a kind ruler who holds the key to keeping the power of the mageborn from being corrupted whilst being the only person who could see Bastien for who he truly was. It was a nice friendship between the two which I did like, however brief. The king was dying from an unknown force which couldn’t be cured, which we were never able to figure out how or why, which was even more frustrating when we discover that Bastien has the power to literally bring the dead back to life further down the line. Go figure.
*SPOILERS* What annoyed me most in the story was how Bastien just ran away from everything, even after he discovered who he truly was and able to stand up and overpower the two most powerful adversaries in the story, and he still ran away. There was just so much of the story that had the potential to be something more.

The story itself was told through two points of view, Grace and Bastien which did help bring everything together through their own perspectives. I have to say though, the main characters were disappointing, they continually frustrated me throughout the book. None of them were really relatable and the build up was missing at the best of times.
Grace was portrayed as a bad ass strong officer with a secret she kept from the world, but there were so many instances where she just appeared weak that I felt she didn’t fit the role of a protector to the heir of the crown at all. I wanted to see the powerful captain worthy to earn the title, but instead the majority of the time she either didn’t know what she was doing and tended to wing it, or she was being saved by the people around her. Her feelings for Bastien, subconscious or otherwise, tended to overrule a lot of her decision making and when she wasn’t thinking about him and his dark eyes, she was concerned with her own hidden past and secret power.
Bastien was just as infuriating, he was portrayed as this cursed dangerous mageborn surrounded by darkness, not to mention a prince who was the next heir to the throne who had more Maegen power in him than anyone, yet, he was easily overthrown at the best of times and needed to rely on the red haired captain that he couldn’t stop staring at. Yeah she was one of the first to stand up to him without backing down, but there wasn’t much more than that worthy of interest and sacrificing everything for. The romance wasn’t captivating enough, it felt rushed and flat, I didn’t feel it other than the times he crossed the barrier into the other world to save her from death assuring himself that he couldn’t go on without her, even though he barely knew her. He’s a prince for god’s sake.

The plot becomes more exciting half way through when Grace is assigned to take Bastien a way from the kingdom. We see a lot more action and the story takes a dark turn which makes you wonder how they’ll make it out. The setting really starts to come to life when they are running through the underground tunnels, jumping rooftop whilst making their way to the slum of the city near the docks. You get to understand a bit more of the backstory and uncover the truth to the past that haunts both Grace and Bastien as well as throwing the reader into the world surrounding Celeste which is a thrill in itself. Celeste is power hungry, wonderfully insane and down right creepy. You get the sense that she holds the same disturbing characteristics as the Little Goddess in the prologue which hasn’t become clear in who she is or her role through out the story. She’s a mystery in itself that you want to unfold, but at the same time, destroy.

‘Celeste laughed, that high, giddy laugh which he knew meant she was on the edge, that any moment now she would tip over.
“I’m in the arms of the Little Goddess, in the little house, in the little room where I have been for longer than there has been a kingdom of Larelwynn. But we were gods once. We danced with the stars, we danced in the sun, in the pool of light. And in the darkness too. The deep darkness. They make you forget and forget and forget, but I remember. I remember everything. It sings to me. I want to dance again but it isn’t time yet.”‘

Based on all of this, I am curious to read some of Jessica Thorne’s other works, she’s been on my radar for a while now and I’ve heard good things about her. It would be interesting to see how the second book of the Hollow King series plays out too.

All magic is outlawed since the Last Great War. Yet people are still born with this ancient power, the mageborn. The people fear magic and the mageborn because before the Last Great War the magic could consume the mageborn. Taking over and destruct everything in its path.

A mageborn has to submit to the Crown and when they do they are collared to subdue them. After their surrender, mageborn are handed over to the Lord of Thorns. The one that will make sure the mageborn will no longer have the possibility to harm and destruct.

Grace Marchant is the protagonist in this story. As an elite soldier for the Crown she has to track down the mageborn. When they don’t surrender their power to the Crown she has to destroy them. But there is this little voice inside of her that makes Grace wonder if what she’s doing is wrong.

Bastien Larelwynn is the current Lord of Thorns. He is also the King’s cousin and heir to the throne. No one knows what happens to the mageborn once they are in Bastien’s hands. And no one wants to get close enough to find out.

That is until Grace’s closest friend is on the Lord of Thorns’ list. Grace has to figure out her loyalties. Will she protect her friend at all cost, or will she show her loyalty to the Crown she works for, and in that extend Bastien Larelwynn?


What’s worse is, when she’s tested to the limit she feels herself change. After meeting with the Lord of Thorns a void inside of her seems to be filled with what she fears most, the ancient wild magic. The very same that those she hunts possess.

Bastien can save her, but can she trust him? And if she does will he help her? Will she find the bravery to confront those who make the laws against magic, even if it might cost her her life? Or will Grace continue to uphold the law and hide her magical secret? Either way she will betray some part of herself and the people she loves.

As a first time reader of any of Jessica Thorne’s books I was excited for this one. I ‘m a sucker for books that contain magic and a bad-ass female protagonist. I wanted to dive right in and live in the magical world she created for a little while.

Unfortunately for me all I felt at first was a little confusion. I didn’t really “get” how the Hollow King came to be and how the title of Lord of Thorns was created. But maybe that just was my over enthusiastic mind as I re-read that part since and I understood it fine then.

The story evoked an emotion from me as soon as we jumped to Grace Marchant and her comrades. I love a good strong female lead, yet at the same time it made me a little mad that she’s killing people who were different. I guess I like to embrace the differences in the people around me rather than destroy them so that’s probably where that feeling came from. With that said, when a book can go to my emotions from the start that’s a good thing. In my opinion books need to make you feel. Whether good or bad, when they do they’ve struck a chord with the reader.

The storyline itself was good. I really liked the way it wasn’t your run of the mill magic book with a witchy lady doing witchy things. There were some nice plot twists and some unexpected turn of events and connections with people I didn’t see coming.

I think I would have enjoyed reading more background story about some of the characters and some more description of places to make it a bit more visual for me. I like to land in a story and see it as a film in my head and I sometimes had a difficult time imaging some things.

The storyline between Bastien and Grace is not completely unexpected and although it adds a layer to the book it sometimes took over from the bigger picture a little bit too much for me.

If you like magic, strong female leads and a different take on a magical story this book is for you. And I shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, but how gorgeous is this one?

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

I received an ARC of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a breath of fresh air after some of the books I’ve been reading lately. I’ve read this authors previous books and always loved them but this one seemed a bit more adult and mature, in a good way. The world building and the characters were fantastic and it was so easy to lose myself in the story. There’s so much action, magic, intrigue, darkness, romance, and some crazy plot twists. I’m very fortunate in that I have the second book to read right now and I’ve already started. I can’t wait to see where this story goes!

I like the concept of this book but it drags out a bit. I think the author was too focused on the world-building.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I was really interested in the blurb of this book and I have to say it did not disappoint! A new magic system, enemies to lovers, a slow burn romance and of course plenty of bad guys! I loved the world building and the plot twists that I never saw coming! It had me guessing till the end!
A great book and I will definitely be reading the next one!

Let me preface this review with a disclaimer. I read the ARC of this book. Apparently Throne has rewritten a good chunk of the book and is about 100 pages shorter, so while to book seemed to drag on for me, it may no longer be the case. I'm going to assume all the major key points are there and hasn't changed, because otherwise, it would be an entirely different book. You are more than welcome to check out current reviews of Mageborn on Goodreads.

Grace Marchant, a solider of the Academy tracks down Mageborns who have gone rogue, bringing them back to swear their loyalties to the Crown or be imprisoned by the Lord of Thorns, Bastien Larelwynn. King Marius over the years has become gravely ill and decides to leave Bastien in the care and protection of Grace, commanding her to not let any harm fall upon him. Grace must protect the heir to the throne and uncover the secrets of her long-forgotten past all while falling for the Lord of Thorns.

Okay, so my summary really isn't great, but coming up with a summary for this book is asking a lot to be honest. I don't even think the Goodreads description fits it very well. This book is a convoluted mess of too many stories strung into one. You can have good subplots, but <strong>Mageborn</strong> is just subplot on subplot on subplot. I don't even really know what the main plot is. Is it the romance between Grace and Bastien? Is it Grace's forgotten past? Is it the Queen trying to seduce Bastien to secure her position of power if her husband dies? Is it protecting the Mageborns? I really don't know. And there's another handful of subplots I don't even mention here. What is the point of this book?

The characters are interesting and boring at the same time. I don't know how that's achieved. I cared at first about these characters and their backstories, but as the story progressed, it was less and less about the characters and more and more about Grace and Bastien love hating each other. Well, Grace was the one doing the love hating. Bastien's just horny on main. There's Grace's team as well. She thinks so highly of her team, believing they are like her siblings, but also their captain. And of course, there's the token gay character. There's nothing much to him aside from he's close with Grace and gay.

This book is a fantasy romance. Let me just make a statement here: I do not mind romance or sex scenes. They can be fun and enjoyable. This book was neither. The summary on Goodreads doesn't say that, but this book is a romance. Forced, cringy romance, but romance nonetheless. Extremely forced romance. You can literally see that it's coming from a mile off. It's a subplot that could easily be cut or cut back. Grace is dealing with the feelings of hating Bastien but also wanting to suck face with Bastien. If the romance had been a slow burn, there's a possibility it would've been more enjoyable to read, but it wasn't. The romance starts quick and finishes up the book with sex.

The magic system, or mageborns, still make no sense to me. There's something about mages being repressed and powers taken but how and why and what? Bastien is the Lord of Thorns, the guy who oversees all these mages, but what's the point besides non-mages being racists... magists? I don't really know. Grace has some fire powers, but I don't really know what anyone else really does or where it comes from or why. It's just magic to make the book a fantasy.

Mageborn gets a 1 Star from me. Pick a plot. Dear god, pick a single plot to focus on. Subplots can be great and really grow a story, but if there's no main plot other than let's get the two characters to screw each other, what is the point? Sure, there are romance books where that is literally the whole point, but don't classify this book as mainly fantasy. There are fantasy elements, sure. A magic system that I still don't understand at all even after reading the entire book. But it doesn't really matter, as long as the book ends with the penis going in. Excuse me while I puke.

I was intrigued by the synopsis for this book and I was pleasantly surprised by how engrossed I got in this story, as I had never read anything by this author before. I love the main characters and the slow burn, enemies to lovers romance. There were some good side characters too, but the bad guys were pretty obvious. The magical system is cool, but also gets quite dark and gritty at times, unlike a lot of historical fantasies I’ve read. The plot starts out as a murder mystery but it turns into so much more and I did not see it coming.

About a third of the way through the book I went: Hang on a minute. There’s a prince, he’s been referred to as cursed, people think he’s a monster - Oh wait! It’s Beauty and the Beast! The cover makes sense now. Well played, I like my fairy tale adaptations to be subtle. The main character Grace is pretty different from the fairy tale, as she is a fighter, strong and independent as well as hiding her own growing magical powers. I also liked the equality portrayed in this book, women hold positions of power, and there’s also a gay couple and it’s all totally normal.

I said the magical system is gritty, because our first real introduction to it is with a Gore, one who can control others’ bodies, who also happens to be a serial killer. The next Mageborn we meet is a Leech, one who can steal others' magic. There is always the risk that when a mageborn loses control, they go hollow, the magic burning them away to an empty shell. Normal people in the book hate and fear the mageborn, and I can see why as the magic in the book gets quite scary and complex. I like that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.

I really like the main characters; Grace is strong and capable and does her duty, though she is shadowed by a childhood she can’t quite remember. Bastien, the prince and keeper of the mageborn, is the most powerful mageborn in the kingdom, but he is also lonely, vulnerable and at times naive. This is definitely a case of beauty saving the beast, and I loved that about this book. We get to see the points of view of both Grace and Bastien, which I think works really well, and I couldn’t get enough of their slow burn, and slightly magical romance.

I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

I liked this book. It was a fun read with characters I enjoyed and a nice plot, and it wasn't hard to enjoy. However, there were parts that needed to be...developed more. I just found certain areas lacking where others were great. However, overall, I did enjoy this book. Would I put it on the same level as Sarah J Mass? No. But it was still a good read!