I have elected not to read and review this book due to time constraints. Thank you for the opportunity.

I went into this book with high hopes. I loved the premise, the synopsis had me hooked and it just.. fell flat.
There was so much potential within the book, but I couldn't even bring myself to finish it.
The writing is vague and it was hard to keep one character straight from another.
I wish that I had been able to make it through this one.


(Thank you NetGalley for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review. )

I will be honest, I only read about 40% of this book and it became too much of a chore. I just wasn't invested in the plot or the characters. Even after I decided enough was enough I couldn't even tell you what I had just read because it just didn't stick.

Thanks for the ARC Netgalley

I found the synopsis to The Gossamer mage to be quite interesting and I did like it, the world and magic system the author creates is unique and I found the reason behind the Gossamers to be interesting and the explanation to their existence actually made sense and in all honesty the best part of the book. The dual POV’s were okay but I think the books strong point id the worldbuilding and the magic system she created. The plot at times was hard to get through and besides the dual POV’s of our main characters there are a lot of other characters to remember which can take you out of the enjoyment of reading. Overall, the Gossamer mage has a unique take on the tried and true magic system but falls a little short in the plot.

While this novel had a synopsis that had me interested, it was hard to stay that way while reading. There was a lot going on and I found the world and characters to be confusing . I thought things were glosses over that needed more information. So much so that I thought maybe this was the second in a series. I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn’t get into it or care about the characters .

I was unable to get through more than 30% of this book. I was confused almost the entire time. The writing style is dense, with tons of details to the point where it bogged down the story. The switching from characters is clear but the characters themselves are confusing. In the middle of a death scene I had no clue who had died, it took me re-reading it and then just moving on with the story for it to be made apparent, I am unsure if we supposed to believe the characters to be mysterious or what but I was firmly confused by their lack of clear motive and what their role is in the story. Overall, I had to give up as between the confusing characters and overload of details I was not happy reading.

To create magic through the use of the written word is the job of the mage. Many are employed, some teach and one seeks to destroy the Deathless Goddess who gives them their power. When evil makes it's way into the lives of the hold who can stand up to it and can it be destroyed? A bit of a challenge to get into the story but worth the read if you persevere. The beginning is a bit abstract but once the characters and story comes through it provides a delightful read.

I felt so drawn in by the synopsis and the cover. I mean, everything sounded great and there were a lot of magic stuff going on that were right up my alley.
Reading the book I realised it gives everything it promised but it's so overwhelmingly confusing. It's so hard to keep focused on the story and I had to reread several parts because I was getting pretty much nothing. On the other hand, I think I expected more of this book and more on the adventure/action-packed kind of book rather than a character-development type of book.

The concept for the magic system in The Gossamer Mage is quite curious and how the use of a forbidden language and its intention behind can create "gossamers". All this system relying on will and intention makes it feel much more real and complex.
However the worldbuilding, myths and cities are rather weak. There are short interludes that give some glimpses of the general lore but they're so vague that they add almost nothing to the actual story.

I think this title will be a hit or miss situation, where the reader will either love it or hate it because of its writing style and its issue with the rythm. But I get the author has such a vivid imagination I'm curious to see what else Julie E. Czerneda can bring to the table in future books.

I need to cogitate over this one for a while so I'll update with a fuller review. In short however, I really liked this. It's heavy in tone and the style is initially on the difficult side, which may put some readers off. I found that once I gave it a few chapters, that the mindboggling minutiae of the world building had completely sucked me in and held me captive. And the world building is truly impressive. In some ways this felt like reading an original body of myth - the Mabinogion or the Prose Edda - in other ways it was a deep meditation on cost and responsibility, sacrifice and intent. I definitely need to revisit it. One to savour and take your time with!

After a long, successful run in science fiction, Julie E. Czerneda has turned her talents to fantasy as well in recent years including The Gossamer Mage, a story of a land steeped in magic now threatened by an evil force that threatens to consume it. The mage Maleonarial, living as a hermit, is forced to confront his own role in the growing peril and try to stop it, but in this world every use of magic bears a high cost to the vitality and lifespan of the mage. Especially when your ultimate goal is the overthrow of the Goddess herself.
As always, Czerneda’s worldbuilding is creative, rich, and detailed. The language and writing are beautiful. This is a book to sink into, enjoy its textures, and recall with pleasure like a favourite myth.