First of all i would like to say thank you to the publishers and netgalley for letting me review this book.

I loved it! Loved the world, really got transfixed into the story i was gasping at parts loved the storyline i could picture the fantasy world and the characters loved the description in the book if you want a fast paced and book you can get lost into this is it.

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Mageborn’ by Jessica Thorne in exchange for an honest review. It was published on 18 February.

This is the opening novel in her ‘The Hollow King’ series. It is a dark fantasy with a complicated plot that is a bit difficult to summarise in a few sentences.

Set in the medieval-like Rathlynn, Grace Marchant, an orphan sold to the Crown and trained as a soldier, is now tasked with her fellows to hunt down the mageborn, those born with outlawed ancient magic. When captured they have the choice to submit and be handed over to the Crown or be destroyed.

Those who submit are then collared and passed over to the King’s cousin and heir, Bastien Larelwynn, Lord of Thorns. They are locked up in his shadowy workshop deep in the castle. Eep! For what dark purpose?

Grace once had magic but it was taken from her when she was a child. However, it is slowly returning. This is a bit of a problem given her position, especially when circumstances bring her into close contact with Bastien.

The king, who is dying, appoints Grace to the position of Captain and grants her a royal warrant with the sole task of keeping Bastien alive. It appears that there are others eager to inherit the crown, including the current queen and Bastien’s unstable sister, who is rather miffed that she was passed over in favour of her younger brother. So, there follows intrigues, betrayals, and various adventures.

This novel struck me as quite a standard YA fantasy with a strong emphasis upon romance. While it didn’t set my world on fire, I found it readable with a good balance between darkness and violence and of light and more positive themes.

I feel that I would have liked more world building though as it’s the opening novel in the series, Jessica Thorne may give more space to this in subsequent volumes.

Sadly this book wasn't for me, I loved the premise and thought it would be right up my street but somehow it fell flat. Perhaps I will revisit at a later date.

** 3.5 stars **
What happens when everything you remember are broken memories and all those around you whisper honeyed lies? Betrayal hides in every darken corner, every smile, every wineglass. Your magic is used against you, turned against you, and taken from you. Who do you trust?
Two different paths and two very different people. One a simple guard and the other a caged prince; both brought together by magic and murder. Their lives may be different but their pasts have broken them both in ways that will allow fate to bond their jagged pieces together. A centurys' old mystery is finally solved; but once the pieces come together can all the wrongs of the past be made right or will it be too late before power corrupts totally sand the Deep Dark awakens.
It's a darkly, beautiful, and engaging story. In all honesty, I really wasnt expecting the story I got. Don't let the blurb or the prologue fool you. Reading each, I felt I would get a book about two separate stories than what it was. It was quite misleading. While the prologue is important, think of it as a history lesson or a "mystery lesson" to think on what became of the Hollow King. I implore you not to let that confusion be what has you put the book down. It's worth finishing. I feel is an intriguingly gripping story. There is a mystery in these pages that is worth exploring. It was slow going because I was confused where the story was going. Go for mystery ride of what happened to the Hollow King. It's like Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series and Jeff Wheeler's Kingfountain series had a dark, but adventurous child. This story is the beginnings of an epic fantasy. There's madness and betrayal, love beyond the veil, loyalty and honor. I cried with the beauty of it at times and the heartbreak at others. I really can't wait for the next one.

** I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. **

I was first drawn to this book by it’s beautiful cover and the intriguing description. I always love the start of a new series and being a newbie to the fantasy genre I am totally falling in love with it.

One thing about this genre is the world building, I know it can put some people off but I love it, obviously it has to be done right and also has to involve letting us get to know the characters too and Mageborn does both. The first quarter of the book really sets the scene then boom,we’re off running.

The characters are vivid and I really enjoyed getting to know Grace and Bastien. Grace, orphaned and sent to the academy has no memory of her childhood. She knows she had magic and it was taken from her, she has the scars to prove it but her magic is slowly coming back and she’s desperately trying to hide it, she’s a soldier tasked with hunting down rogue Mageborn after all. Bastien known as Lord of the Thorns is feared by many, the rogue Mageborn are taken to him but what does he do with them? Set to become King there are many who don’t want this and fear what will happen when he does.

Told from both characters point of view I really enjoyed hearing from both of them, it felt like it added a little extra to the story.

Mageborn really is an exciting start to a new series, it builds up the tension and with many twists and turns it keeps you on your toes. I found myself so invested in the story I devoured it in one sitting and was left feeling bereft when it ended. I really, really hope we don’t have too long to wait for book two, I don’t think I can cope. I NEED to know what happens next.

Mageborn is definitely a book you need to add to your tbr list if you’re a fantasy fan, I’ll definitely be recommending it.

It’s never a great sign when you’re about to start a book and you receive an email from the publisher explaining that the author has taken reviewers’ feedback into consideration and will be reworking the story. Sometimes I feel like people are way harsher than they should be with the content they consume. Or maybe I’m optimistic, open-minded or… just really easily entertained. Yeah. I might just be easily entertained. Either way, I really enjoyed Mageborn. Was it perfect? Nah. Could some improvements be made? Sure. Am I hoping somebody has already drawn some Bastien fanart? Oh yeah.

Mageborn takes place in a world where some people are born with magic and others are not. Mageborn (citizens born with magic) are required to submit to and serve the crown.

It took me awhile to get through the first few chapters, but once the plot began to unfold and the characters began to fully develop, it sped up quite a bit. There were a lot of twisty character arcs. Several times I thought I had a character’s personality pegged and then a couple chapters later they would do something completely out of character, which would add another intricate layer to their personality. It made those characters deep and helped develop closer bonds to them. That being said, there were also some characters that weren’t explored nearly as deeply, so it kind of felt a little unbalanced. But maybe Thorne will dive deeper into the other characters as the series continues. That's the beauty of knowing there's more to write.

One thing I really loved was how all the Mageborns had a different focus. There were people with fire magic, wind magic, music magic… which would be an amazing magic to have!! It was a cool concept and I can't wait to see how many more elements of magic are introduced. I definitely got the feeling that we haven’t seen them all yet.

Mageborn won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, but I enjoyed the mixture of magic and detective work. Romance can be hard to add into stories like Mageborn, but I thought it was done well. It wasn't perfect and there was a little bit of cliche, but it also didn't become too much or annoying. Honestly, I'm really excited to read more of the series!

"Ripples and waves of light danced on the roof of the cave, the churning maelstrom of the glowing pool beneath reflected on the centuries-old rock worn smooth by the passage of time and water. The boy with the sword stopped in the entrance.."

Lately, I've become fascinated with the opening lines authors choose to use in their stories. After all, the cover is like a first glance at someone, the synopsis.. more like the ritual of approach, but those openers.. they're the greeting. They're the first impression and as they say, you only get one. Just as you might meet a new person, a lot can be gleaned from these first words. You get to see how they hold themselves.. are they confident or unsure.. reserved or aggressive.. how do they see the world around them?

From those first words, I bonded with this story and with this author. She was eloquently descriptive, but she didn't use the most complex language she had available just for the sake of the pretention of artistry. That's not to say her words lacked imagination or intelligence. Rather, she seemed to feel with her words. I could believe she had witnessed what she was describing.. and like the male lead, what she saw was stunningly beautiful and not just in the most obvious ways.

'Mageborn (The Hollow King Book 1),' is the story of a cynical, orphaned solder, Grace Marchant, who is charged with capturing dangerous magic wielders called the mageborn that have often gone rogue and begun harming people. There are others of course, but the magic that is born into them is outlawed, and if they don't volunteer to be enslaved to the crown, soldiers like Grace are sent to retrieve them. After an incident in the field, she becomes caught up with the heir to the throne.. a prince called the Lord of Thorns.. Bastien Larelwynn. A man that the entire city is terrified of, all is not as it seems with him or nearly anyone amongst those connected with the palace.

"She could read the pain, written all over his expression like letters on parchment. It hurt him. It was agony. Like drinking poison and trying to transmute it into something else through sheer force of will alone."

Jessica Thorne, the author, wasted no time breaking my heart. Before the story even really gets rolling, she sunk a character deep into my heart with his pain and left me feeling blindsided, wondering what exactly had just occurred as I stared down at the page questioning everything.

In addition to the descriptive passages, Thorne does an excellent job at managing deep backstories.. both known and unknown to the characters and a relatively creative approach to the magic system which has elemental aspects, but also much more. The mageborn wield many different kinds of abilities and learning new ones as I read was almost as interesting as the plot itself.

There are distinctive class differences at play, between the royals and other well-bred citizens, and the gritty underbelly deeper inside the city, where the soldiers come from. The sense of entitlement and disdain.. regarding those outside the poorer parts of town is palpable. There is a bit of pantheon building here as well, just a glimpse of their gods, which I'm hoping we'll see developed more widely in future releases for the series.

"His eyes flickered open. He didn't even seem to see her, or know where he was. He stared up at her through the light of the pool, helpless and confused. The misery in his voice was a spear in her chest."

The characters are complex. Some of them have had horrible experiences in their earlier years.. and their behaviors often reflect that. They hide things, not just from each other, but from us.. even from themselves at times. The deceit is heavily layered, especially in the court, but it doesn't stop there either. They're all richly formed, for better or worse. Even the villains in this story are great.

That being said, Grace is a little to quick to flip back and forth on what she should know sometimes. Not a writing flaw, more of an individual character flaw. I couldn't decide if I wanted to cheer her.. or shake her until she saw reason.. but she's inherently good and means to do what's right. Her love interest is a beauty though.. inside and out.. a lovely character I spent the entire novel just wanting to protect. The absolute horrors wrought upon him and through him opened up a hole in my chest as I read. At times he made me laugh because he could be such a brat, but I adored him all the same. Perhaps even more due to those parts of his personality. In fact, there's a comment about an omelette that made me laugh so much, I nearly had to explain myself to the other people in my house.

"'Grace,' he whispered. 'I know. You're fine. Where does it hurt?' He laughed, a short and bitter laugh. He couldn't help himself. 'Everywhere?'"

My only complaints are small ones. Periodically, more so toward the end, the author seemed to rely on repetition to draw out a dramatic scene. Something literally might be said in one paragraph.. and restated in the very next.. and it felt unnecessary. The pacing of the novel is great and those scenes would have been just fine without repeating anything. And occasionally, feelings flipped entirely too fast. 'Never' is forgotten very quickly.

Really though, that's the worst thing I can say about this book and it's so insignificant. So minor, it's barely worth mentioning. I genuinely loved this story, the characters, the world, the way it's written.. everything about it.. and would recommend it to anyone looking for a great new fantasy series that is only just beginning..

I’m going to put it out there right from the get go. I loved this book. It was everything I love in a fantasy novel.

The story follows Grace, a Solider tasked with keeping the Mageborn in check. Through one of her investigations she comes into contact with The Lord of Thornes himself. The man with the power to control the Mageborn. Literal sparks begin to fly.

Mageborn
The magic system is totally unique – people born with powers are called Mageborn. They are made to serve and have their powers kept in check, as their powers can run wild and cause them to lose themselves to the magic. However, it becomes clear that these powers have the ability to destroy, not only other people but the Mageborn themselves.

The Characters
The characters in this book are all brilliantly written. To the point where you are actually not sure who is pulling who’s strings. I do love complicated characters. Grace’s character is excellently handled, she has clear purpose, fiercely loyal and her questioning of what is going on felt like something she would do. Not just done for the plot’s sake.

Bastien, well now, that is a man you want to get to know better. Outwardly very confident but scratch under the surface and you find so much more. As the story evolves, I was completely drawn in to his story. Feeling frustrated with him and sympathetic in equal measure.

I loved the romance in this book. I thought at first, we were going to have a straight enemy to lovers, but it was so much more complicated than that. There is a little bit of crossed wires, not so much that you start to get frustrated. The whole thing evolved very naturally and I found myself very invested in it.

Also, it is worth noting the great representation in this book. There are lots of different world areas and no one seems bothered who is from where. Except if you are Mageborn. Two major side characters are gay, no explanations needed, no one questions it, it just is. I loved that.

Final Thoughts
If you love World building fantasy then this may not be for you, having said that I don’t think it was needed. Everything that happens takes place in Rathlynn and you discover the city alongside the investigation. There is certainly enough political intrigue to keep you totally involved with Rathlynn itself.

The final part of this book had me reeling, so many revelations made, so many twists and turns. It got its hooks into me and I devoured that last section. The way the book wrapped up worked well, I for one have joined Jessica’s mailing list because I need to find out what happens next, as soon as possible. I am fully invested.

Mageborn is a fantasy that gives you twists, action, and a whole lot of romance. Bastien and Grace are a couple you can’t help but hope have a much needed happy ending. They’ve both been through a lot and their past hurts seem to cement a deeper bond between them. They are both people who want to protect those they love but need to learn to rely on others, instead of taking everything on themselves. I loved their character growth In this story. The plot moved along quickly and there were quite a few surprises along the way. I’d love to read the second book in this series to find out what happens next.

Grace Marchant is an orphan who was sold to the crown to be trained as an elite soldier to track down and arrest criminal Mageborn (those born with forbidden magical abilities) and deliver them to the crown to face punishment. The Mageborn who submit to the crown are collared and handed over to the King’s cousin, Bastien Larelwynn, the infamous Prince of Thorns.

Grace has never questioned her loyalty to the crown until a member of her team (Kai) has his fate decided by Bastien after Kai’s magic engulfs him while trying to pursue a criminal Mageborn. Grace wants nothing to do with Bastien, but when the dying king asks her to protect him, she is forced to work side by side with the Prince of Thorns.

Mageborn starts off with a bang when we are thrown into a scene where Grace and Kai are trying to apprehend a criminal Mageborn who ends up being much more powerful than either had anticipated. It is clear from the beginning that Grace also possess magical abilities even though it has been assumed her powers were removed. This sets up an internal struggle within her that I appreciated.

The worldbuilding in Mageborn was fascinating, but I felt that it didn’t go quite as in depth as I would’ve wanted. I definitely felt like the worldbuilding was a mash up of Cassandra Clare’s shadowhunters sprinkled with Underworld’s imprisoned lycans, which immediately grabbed my attention.

While this book is touted as a dark fantasy, I would classify is more as a romance first with the magical elements taking a backseat to the plot. I think true fantasy fans will want more magic versus the rushed romance angle, but I did end up enjoying both Grace and Bastien by the end.

Overall, I think this is a good start to the Hollow King series, and I am interested to see how the adventure continues.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the eARC. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

I recieved this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Just WOOOOOW THIS IS MY BOOK STYLE!

Mageborn is one of this books with dark fantasy and no regrets to kill a character, and ok I know it's bad to kill a person but we need books with reality about wars and bad/mad people... no beautiful fantasy.

This is a story about people who born mageborn and for the kingdom, it's was a curse...

All the mageborns are collared and submit for the kingdom to take control of them. Some many years ago they have a very huge war: "Last Great War" where so many mageborns were dead and the Larelwynns take control of the kingdom.

Grace is a captain who don't remember anything about her past, she only know she had parents, her house was in flames and she was a mageborn, nothing else. Grace is going to be one on my favorite female characters!! I like her very much and I be very anxious to see her growing up in the next books. And Bastien or "The Lord of Thorns"... we need to know him better...

Even it's a bit slow at the beginning it's an enjoyable and entertaining read that will keep you hooked.
The interesting world building, the well thought cast of characters and the engrossing plot made me love it.
It's the first work I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This was very slow to start and I struggled to get into it, however if you persevere it really is worth it, it really starts picking up about a third in and it gets really good, there is action, romance and adventure and I look forward to the next book now, I think If it wasn’t for the slow start I would give it more stars but I did struggle, but next books hopefully won’t have this issue

The first 25% of the story was slow and tedious. After that things started to happen fast and hard and the story turned to be very entertaining. I'm sure there will be a follow up story and am looking forward to what happens next to the main characters.

Mageborn is the first in the Hollow King series by Jessica Thorne, Very intricate world and an interesting concept. I did not finish. I found the book a little to wordy which meant I never got pulled in. There were too many words to describe things which got confusing when I did want a better description. I may have given up too early but I am okay with that. I did skim the book to a point and I want to know how the overall arcing story/ world ends but I have no desire to actually read the book. 2 stars for an interesting concept that makes me want to check on other books but I did not finish this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC. This is an honest review.

This is my first book by Jessica Throne (also the first in the Hollow King Series) and I will freely admit I don’t really read that much fantasy romance stories but I was intrigued by the blurb so I thought I’d give it a try!

Mageborn is a romantic fantasy, stuffed full of magic with a dash of adventure which was a delight to read.

I liked both of the main characters, particularly Grace. She’s a strong and fierce warrior but can be prickly and often holds people at a distance (this is understandable once you get to know her). She’s also hiding a secret, her powers, which she thought were gone, are beginning to return. Then we have Prince Bastien, someone who is feared and disliked by most. At first I thought Bastien was your typical brooding anti hero but it turned out he had a lot more to him than meets the eye.

I found the world building, in particular the magical elements very intriguing. There are mageborn, each with a different type of power, for instance a flint can control fire and is not harmed by it or leeches who can suck magic from others.

The romance was nicely done throughout, even with a few steamy bits just to add a bit of heat to the story.

I will say the first half of the book was a little slow burn, with a fair bit of world building and introducing the characters but the second half really picks up the pace.

Mageborn is a vividly written magical tale to dive into and escape from reality for a few hours!

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the arc!

I am going to have to give Mageborn a 3/5. I think it was good, but it did nothing to exceed my expectations.

So here are some things that I liked about Mageborn:

-the cover art
-the plot overall was really intriguing. It had simple elements and a simple formula but it was still enjoyable.
-the romance was pretty steamy

Now some stuff I didn't really like:

-character development was minimal, which is a shame because I really did like Grace and Bastien. It just felt like it wasn't fully sketched out.
-while I did love the romance it felt too intense at times, which overshadowed other important elements
-the writing wasn't as developed as it should have been

But like I said. It was good. Nothing to write home about but I'm sure there are some out there who will truly enjoy this one.

I just couldn't get into this story. It couldn't keep my attention. I might try it again but I have the feeling this book just isn't for me.

Mageborn is fantastic, and I’m glad to know it is the beginning of a series. The tone in this is similar to Charlie N Holmberg’s Numina series, but more adult; likewise it is a more interpersonal and less politically motivated (but similar) series to NK Jemisin’s outstanding Hundred Thousand Kingdom series. The closest comparison, in my opinion, is Michelle Sagara’s Chronicles of Elantra, although this book moved far faster than that; the Chronicles of Elantra currently being fifteen books long with no sign of ending. As far as a single book goes, Jasmine Silvera’s Death’s Dancer is fairly close.
Mageborn is a great beginning to what promises to be a fast moving, rich urban fantasy series. There are a huge amount of twists, expected and otherwise, that add suspense right up until the last moment of the book. I loved that the stakes grew increasingly higher without ever seeming contrived, and the world was set up to create tension beautifully. Social commentary is at the core of most fantasy and science fiction, and Mageborn is no different. The world-building and character history was well crafted to allow for natural parallels to be drawn to a variety of real-world topics—most obviously substance abuse, consent, bigotry and classism. For that reason, however, some readers may find Mageborn uncomfortable.
The two main characters in this book (Grace and Bastien) are given a rich background, which brings them to life well and adds a lot of personality to their interactions with each other, and other characters. Grace is not a typical heroine, and I appreciated that she was irritable and bad at communicating at times, rather than being a neverending fount of compassion and emotional intelligence. Bastien and Grace are complex people, with motivations not always clear in the moment even to themselves: in short, they’re believable human beings.
I thought the villains of the piece were also well written, and only wish that some supporting characters (Grace’s fellow guards and Kurt, most noticeably) were fleshed out more. I fully expect this to happen in future novels, however, and look forward to reading them. Kurt in particular allows for a richly detailed underworld like that found in the Serpentwar Saga from Raymond E Feist’s Midkemia Cycle, and that was one of the first series to truly enthral me. I also feel the need to mention the (much appreciated) casual representation of sexual minorities in this world.
There are a few clunky moments in this book—plot points that have already been discovered being hammered home again, reveals that aren’t as surprising as I assume they should be—but these are minor things in the whole experience of Mageborn. I thoroughly enjoyed this book (if you hadn’t guessed from the comparisons to half a dozen of my favourite high fantasy series), and think many other people will as well. I’d recommend this book (and series) to anyone who enjoyed the series I listed earlier; fans of Lisa Shearin’s Raine Benares series, Terry Pratchett’s Sam Vines books, or Robin Hobb’s Assassin series will also find plenty to enjoy in Mageborn.

Rating: ★★★★
My Review: This was an interesting story that I enjoyed. I do think that it felt like a debut as some things weren't as fleshed out as they could have been. But, overall the story and chapters were a great start. I will be checking out the next book when it comes out.

I will say that to start with this one I was a little lost. However, once I really got reading it became clear that this book was going to be epic. I really hope that the author goes all out for the next title.

Theres action, romance, and the author even took what we thought and went through another edit of the title. So thats even better!!