I received an advance copy of this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first experience with Kate Elliot's work, and I'm considering checking out more of her fantasy. There were a lot of things to love about Servant Mage. First things first - this is a standalone work and a short one at that. I think fantasy readers tend to expect big, expansive series. Coming in at less than 200 pages, Servant Mage is an amuse bouche of a novella. The worldbuilding is tantalizing - glimpses of upheaval and turmoil, an interesting political environment, not to mention the magic - but ultimately leaves you wanting more. I don't see this as a problem. I got to the end of Servant Mage thinking "I'm impressed that the author told this much of a story in such a short time," and also "I would absolutely read a series set in this world, whether or not any of the characters carried over."

Fellian's character arc is the thing to pay attention to in this novel. Elliot uses Fellian's journey to explore the fantasy of liberation versus the reality of class oppression - that those who are oppressed within one regime are most likely to be oppressed in the next, regardless of the stated intentions of revolutionary leaders and the promises given in exchange for support. The end of the novella may come as a surprise to those expecting a certain kind of climax, but I found it to be satisfying in a different way than I expected. Of all my 2022 reads so far, this one has been the most pleasantly surprising.

I would recommend Servant Mage to fantasy readers who are able to appreciate a tantalizing glimpse into a fascinating world, as well as those who enjoy a little bit of social commentary with their swords and sorcery.

You want a masterclass in worldbuilding? Look no further. Kate Elliott hasn't been in the game for this long for nothing, and it's clear from this brief novella that she has only grown in power. Servant Mage combines sharp insights, swift character work, and a magnificently complex world to make a story that feels both urgent and careful, a work of real thought and consideration.

We meet Fellian, the titular Servant Mage, as she heads to clean the outhouse, an unusual setup that immediately conveys her lowly position in the household she is indentured to. Ever since the revolution, mages are rounded up, minimally trained while indoctrinated, and then shipped off to serve in whatever capacity the government sees fit to assign. The veneer of “liberation” has worn very thin for most mages, but for Fellian it was never anything but a lie. She’s already been resisting the new order by teaching others to read and write, so when Monarchist rebels arrive at her doorstep, she’s willing enough to be drawn into their schemes.

The Monarchists want to rescue rebels trapped in a mine, for which they need her skills as a Lamp, a fire mage who can create stable knots of power to provide light and heat. But on the way, they learn of a very special child, an infant who can turn the tide of the rebellion. And the captain of their little band, a gruff but noble swordsman, is determined to seek out this little royal and keep them—and their powers—away from the other side.

If that sounds like some straightforward and 90s-esque fiction, think again. There may be just enough of the “lost heir” talk and noble underdog vibes to lull you into thinking you know the score, but you don't. This isn't a battle between Good and Evil, and this isn't about a band of plucky and diverse rebels overthrowing a faceless autocracy. For better or worse, our collective conversation has moved on from that into a far less comforting grey area, and Elliott knows it. The moral high ground is just the least boggy part of the swamp.

The Monarchists are just as problematic as the Liberationists, as Fellian soon learns. Though their systems benefit her personally, and would offer her a chance to do some amount of good as well as find some amount of respite and prosperity, Fellian can’t allow herself to excuse their failings. We’re able to see others romanticizing the Monarchist and Liberationist causes, but Fellian never lets us look away from both sides’ hypocrisies, which adds to the complexity of the setting.

Elliott understands the archetypes and never lets them devolve into stereotypes. The honorable general is allowed to be both a bastion of dignity and complicit in larger systems that undermine his credibility. “A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it,” as Oscar Wilde said, and Servant Mage stands as an excellent illustration of why we all could stand to have a heathy suspicion of causes. Both sides talk a good game about fairness, but how do they treat the lowest in their society? How willing are they to accept difference and dissent?

Fellian is repeatedly asked to choose her allegiance, and repeatedly focuses on helping people instead. Instead of compromising, Elliott is telling us that we can reject false dichotomies and work either within them or outside of them to find a third way, a way that might not be so flashy or grand but that actually puts people first. This choice seems obvious as I describe it, but the novella makes sure there are always real stakes for Fellian to face, natural consequences of this highly realized world.

I really want more of this world, and specifically of Fellian's home. We get glimpses, but it's enough to know that there could be just as much complexity and energy in just this one area as there is in the whole empire. I hope we get another novella about Fellian's further adventures, but for now I'm just glad we have this lovely, complicated little knot of a book.

Definitely enjoyed this! It was a fun and interesting fantasy world and I liked the main character and her non-traditional choices. I could have stood with it being a little longer with a little more worldbuilding, but as a quick read to easy me back into reading books after a month or so off, I couldn't have asked for a nicer one.

I was left wanting more, as is often the case with novellas. I wanted to know what different abilities the types of mages have, what kind of training and instruction is possible, what life actually looked like under the Monarchists. I think Elliott takes a clever approach to the lack of depth necessitated by a novella, by making Fellian confused and angry and brainwashed with limited exposure to the greater world.

However, all the characters make a very dramatic change all at once and I was left unmoored as we coasted through the denoument.

I will say, though, this is the first time I've read a book which includes a character with no pronouns, and that was definitely awesome to see. We also get casual queerness including a character with attraction to at least men and women as well as socially acceptable polyamory.

"We have hope to light a Lamp for a better future."

I received an e-ARC copy of this book from Tor via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Servant Mage comes out in January 18, 2022.

This is my first time encountering a book written by the author, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It definitely held on to something, but I just craved a bit more from it.

Servant Mage is a short yet very complex novella that has a lot of interesting characters, expansive world-building, and full of fantastical elements embedded on it. While a novella is often a great introduction to a potential story, I feel like Servant Mage had too much information that it wanted to convey to the readers that doesn't suit a novella format. There just wasn't enough time to get invested in the characters, and understand and grasp the intricacy of the world's situation and politics. There was just really a lot of things going on that made me not get attached to the story.

I still really enjoyed the magic system laid out, and all the thematic issues of power, class divisions, and polyamory that it had. However, I just really feel like this would have been better off as a full-length standalone novel than just mere 170 pages of goodness.

I would still keep my eye on this author and her other works!

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Review copy provided by the publisher.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>I often say that the failure mode of a novella is to have the exposition of a novel and the payoff of a short story. I was concerned about <em>Servant Mage</em> because so much of Kate Elliott's work is so epic. How would she adjust to the novella format?</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Well, I find the results interestingly mixed. <em>Servant Mage</em> reads to me like the beginning of a longer work rather than a truncated stand-alone. There's a <em>lot</em> of exposition going on here--five types of mages and several political factions with characters attached to each, which is exactly my jam. The ending is not so much anticlimactic as it is an opening of possibilities. Our heroine Fellian remains inquisitive despite her difficult circumstances, an ideal character for exploring a large and varied world. Which is what we're getting here, I think; we're getting the beginning of a world with a lot going on. But this is only the beginning. It's Kate Elliott, and it's Tor.com. We can feel confident that there <em>will</em> be more.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a bit of a disappointment.

It was not a particularly pleasant or enjoyable read.

Why is it a stand-alone novella? That's its main problem.

Elliot is a master world builder, but too much information about a complex world, history and magic system is packed too quickly into too few pages. This makes the book a harder read, and for so little reward.

There is much (disagreeable) action, which the reader has to try and follow while trying to make sense of the (disagreeable) world. We do not connect with the (disagreeable- for good reason) main character let alone get a sense of the other (disagreeable) characters. Noone is particularly likable or memorable.

The author has a point she wishes to make. I like her point, and it's important. It would be best made via an entertaining story. This was not it.

Don't waste your time.

4.75 stars. Fellian, an indentured fire mage, is recruited by enemy Monarchists in exchange for her eventual freedom. Her beliefs are jolted as they press her into the rescue of their compatriots and a dragonborn child.

SERVANT MAGE was a very fast , absorbing read with the potential to be the lead into a substantial series. There were a few jarring elements, including shifts in power dynamics and Fellian's teetering between discretion and blunt demands to know other people's secrets; those moments felt like set-ups for a much longer story. My years of reading fantasy novels left me unprepared for the path Fellian ultimately chose, and I'm left with mixed feelings about the novella's conclusion.

I was given the opportunity to review an e-ARC of SERVANT MAGE by Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley.

This was a very fast read for me. I really enjoyed the pace and the characters. The story moves along quickly and is a fun enjoyable read. There are some interesting twists and reveals and I enjoyed the classic conquered people trying to reclaim their country from an oppressive government trope. The magic system was interesting and the aspects of controlling magic users by the government to benefit themselves and control the education and put limits on these people was very well done.

Having read a number of Tor novellas in the past couple of years I was very much looking forward to digging in to this 2022 release just a little bit early - couldn't bring myself to wait until the end of the year. On paper this book had an awful lot going for it: there was a dragon on the cover, a female main character, revolution, elemental magic - all things I enjoy! While I did have a good time reading this I think there were a few aspects of the story that felt a little flat to me - but I would welcome more stories in this world.
I will say to those also tempted by that glorious dragon - there aren't actually many *actual* dragons in this story. Not a dealbreaker for me but something I always like to mention as it can be very disappointing for us dragon-fanatics.
I did think that the magic system in this world was very cool and I very much enjoyed the description of Fellian's magic in particular, and that is something I would love to be explored more in a further novella or a full length novel.
Because this did feel just a little bit on the short side - even for a novella. The overwhelming feeling I got was that this felt like a prequel or a character origin story for something that would take place some years later - now I would *absolutely* read that book but without that extra detail this does feel both incredibly short and a little incomplete. It would have been nice to get a little bit more into the characters and the history of the setting as well as being able to spend more time exploring the potential for the magic system.
As I say, I did have a good time reading this, and there were a lot of positives to take away from the book as a whole, but I'll be very interested to see if this was a one off or if there is the potential for more in the future.

I received a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Servant Mage is a brilliant take on the politics of revolution set in a vivid world of magic.

4.5 Stars
Fellion is a Servant Mage, indentured because she can use magic to create lamplight. Her parents were executed by the Liberationists when she was a child and she was sent to an asylum to learn how to wield her fire magic, but only enough to be useful to her future boss. When a group of Monarchist rebels offer her a chance to escape, she accepts their offer and embarks with them on a mission to save a royal child.

As with all of Kate Elliott’s works, the world building in this book is impeccable, which is especially impressive given the short length. The elemental magic system and the complex political landscape create an immersive experience to rival any epic fantasy. I particularly liked the politics being flipped from what is normally explored in fantasy, with the Monarchists as the rebels and the Liberationists as the evil overlords, it gives new meaning to the expression, careful what you wish for.

The one thing that I did not like about this book was the ending, but it wasn’t what happened that bothered me, just that I wanted more!!! I wanted about a third more book! I really hope that there will be a sequel because I loved Fellion and her world and the possibilities that were hinted at in the last few pages are so intriguing.

This book is for people who love elegantly written fantasy that features strong women who aren’t afraid to question and challenge the status quo despite constantly being repressed by the systems and people around them.

Thanks to NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars.

I don’t think this worked as a novella. There was a great deal of worldbuilding, and while I feel the world being built was very interesting, novellas really work best in settings that don’t try to explain themselves so much. The result was a glut of exposition that was very clumsily inserted into the narration.

The story itself was also uncomfortably compressed. Relationships between the characters change over the course of the story in a way that would be very satisfying if it occurred over weeks or months—not two days.

Our main character, Fellion, I really wanted to like. Cynical and practical, she gets to examine two warring systems of ideology and feels like neither properly represents her, and the way the story leaves her is honestly satisfying. However, again I think because of the compression of the story into a novella, her character was inconsistent, and not all of her actions felt properly motivated. The other characters were more or less one-note.

I think I’m mainly just left a little disappointed, because there’s great potential for a wonderful series here set it a great world with truly interesting factions and characters, but this novella does not feel like a worthy entry into such a series. It feels more like a roughly-sketched pilot episode, to be re-done more smoothly and with less of the ‘concept’ crammed into one time slot once funding for the series is secured. Maybe that’s exactly what it is.

One day I will read a novella and be fully satisfied with it as a novella (ok, this has happened occasionally, but it’s very rare). It’s a tricky length to get right, and while I enjoyed aspects of Servant Mage, ultimately Elliott falls into the trap that seems to catch many a novella writer – that of trying to do far too much in too few pages. The result is a novella that’s fun but ultimately under-baked.

Our main character Fellion is a fire-mage in a world where mages – those who can control aether to various ends – are routinely imprisoned and forced into indentured servitude. Fellion is freed from her servant’s position by a group of rebel mages, who need her fire-mage abilities to rescue their compatriots from a collapsed mine. There is also a broader story playing out, as our rebel mages find themselves caught up in the conflict between the current liberationist government and the previously overthrown monarchists, who have caught wind of a newborn child with royal lineage who could be a catalyst for their return.

The magic system and the broader world are unique and vibrant – I loved learning about all the various classes of mages. Those who have read Elliott’s other books will also recognise her ‘kitchen sink’ approach to world-building; even in this relatively small novella, we have magical portals, demons and soul-wraiths (and somehow a plot about cattle acting as protecters against demons), people inheriting their mage powers from dragons, and much more. It’s all a bit bonkers but a lot of fun.

That said, it’s a lot, generally, for 176 pages, which is where my dissatisfaction with the rest of the novella comes in. There’s simply not enough room for the characters to develop. Fellion is the most fleshed-out character, and I still feel like I barely knew her by the end – she’s not necessarily dragged along kicking and screaming by the plot, but she definitely bobs on its tide, and things happen to her because they’re necessary for the plot to unfold, rather than because of her active decisions. She ostensibly agrees to help the rebels in exchange for being able to find the family she lost when she was captured and indentured, but it doesn’t really feel like much of a meaningful character motivation because we are told almost nothing about the family she left behind.

The ensemble cast fares even worse. Servant Mage quite clearly wants to be an ensemble novella with some hints towards the possibility of a found family, but I would struggle to tell you any more than the characters’ names and their respective mage powers. Some of them hold secrets, but against these are dropped in service of the plot, and there’s never any understanding of why such things are secrets or what it means for the characters to hold them/reveal them. There’s also not enough space to examine the mixed relationships with the former monarchy each character has – though we are told they have them – so a lot of the anti-monarchial critique falls flat. I am primarily a character/relationship driven-reader and, putting all this together, I found the entire story a little underwhelming as a result.

Hence, I am left with the same feeling I experience all too often when I read a novella: I would have loved this if it was a novel.

More of a 3.5.

I haven’t read any Kate Elliot books before but I definitely have heard of some of them, especially the science fiction. But it’s no surprise that I decided to try a fantasy novella first.

I’m not 100% sure what to make of this little story. It has a lot going on - the ruling Liberationists who want to keep all the mages in control through intense propaganda and brainwashing, Monarchists who are in rebellion trying to protect their people and form an army, indentured mages who are forced to serve with no choices of their own and who can never be sure which side might actually be good for them - along with a little action and quite a bit of history and lore. And for the most part, it was written well, is very fast paced, has interesting characters whose motivations you can’t be sure of but you want to like them, and quite an unexpected ending. So, while I quite enjoyed it, it almost felt like setup for a bigger story or a prequel for a new series; hence, I feel a little dissatisfied. But I’m definitely intrigued by the author’s writing and would probably checkout her previous release, Unconquerable Sun.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the arc!

So this happens to be my introduction to Kate Elliot as an author. I actually intend to read her CoS series now, and im really looking forward to it.

Okay first of all- this isn't a bad book. It's actually quite good. The magic system Kate uses in Servant Mage is really interesting, and I actually quite liked our main chartacter Fellion. I'm not usually one for poltics and rebellions in books but this was well done I feel.

It just wasnt ENOUGH. It almost felt like watching a movie trailer, or if someone edited out parts of a movie. I just think this could have been a full fledged novel.

3.3/5

Sé que Kate Elliott es una autora reconocida con una gran trayectoria a sus espaldas, pero yo solo la he descubierto recientemente con la estupenda Unconquerable Sun, así que ver que había una publicación relativamente corta para seguir catando su obra hizo que Servant Mage subiera puestos en la lista de lectura. No obstante, he de decir que en esta ocasión la escasa longitud de la obra juega un poco en contra de ella cuando la leemos.


Elliott ha creado un mundo bastante interesante, se ve que hay bastante labor de worldbuilding detrás de esta novela corta, pero resulta muy difícil hacerse a la idea de todo lo que sucede entre bambalinas en la historia precisamente por la escasa longitud de Servant Mage. Nos habla de un mundo en el que la monarquía fue derrocada por una rebelión que tampoco parece que haya servido para mejorar las condiciones del pueblo. De hecho, los magos que tiene ciertos poderes ahora se encuentran prácticamente esclavizados para que usen sus habilidades, normalmente escasas, al servicio del poder. Esta es la historia de Fellian, que vio morir a su padres ahorcados por “oponerse” al régimen, ya que estaban enseñando a leer a los siervos. Su condición de maga de fuego solo le sirve para que su trabajo sea doble, por la mañana como limpiadora y por la noche como creadora de Lámparas, artilugios mágicos de luz. Sin embargo, sus capacidades no pasarán desapercibidas y se verá envuelta en un complot para derrocar el poder.

Esto, que puede parecer interesante como premisa, se desarrolla de una forma un tanto embarullada y liosa, quizá apremiada por contar la historia y explicar el trasfondo en pocas páginas. Se nos habla de los distintos tipos de magia e incluso hay explicaciones sobre cuál es la causa de la magia, pero todo de forma muy atropellada. La relación entre Fellian y los demás miembros de la conspiración resulta un tanto artificial, y las revelaciones sobre la Verdadera Identidad TM del líder del grupo tampoco nos sorprenden demasiado. Me parece en el fondo una historia un tanto forzada para cumplir unas premisas de longitud que se queda a medio camino entre resultar interesante o perderse en el maremágnum de novedades fantásticas.

I usually don’t read novellas, but I’ll make an exemption for anything that Elliott writes. Set in a world where mages are indentured servants, Fellion is a lamplighter mage and just tries to survive while holding on to some freedoms like teaching others to read. But when a group of rebel Monarchists sweep her into their scheme, she sees more of the world and there might be more choices than just Monarchists or Liberationists. Since it is relatively short, the worldbuilding and plot is pretty shallow. This easily could of been a full length novel, and been better for it. Fellion is an interesting character, but she wasn’t as well rounded as she could of been. The other characters are pretty flat. This is still enjoyable, but I was hoping for a bit more.

I enjoyed this, although I have enjoyed some of Kate Elliots other works. I wish it had been longer, allowing more time to expand on the world she developed, as it was interesting. Hopefully she writes a sequel or something else in the same world, as I would like to explore it some more.

What started strong with a unique take on magic blended with political and societal intrigue faded in the later half of the novella - I didn't get any strong feeling towards any of the characters or factions, so as the action unfolded, I found myself uncaring as to their endings, and then the expansion into more depth/explanation of the dragons just lost me. Wasn't poorly written, just not my cup of tea.

Servant Mage is a political thriller epic fantasy novella that accomplishes most of what it sets out to do.

Somehow, Elliott gives us a depth of worldbuilding rarely found outside of novel-length works. I think the plot suffers a tad from this, and it also results in Fellion, our main character, being far-and-away the best defined character in the novella. That's not to say the plot and characters are bad.

The plot really functions as an extension of the worldbuilding. Things happen, important things really, but there are parts of it that made me feel like we were pretty unattached from the narrative. Fellion did things, yes, and it's not like she was just a stand-in for things to happen to, but every action felt more like it was setting up the world-state and less like it was something the characters were in the process of doing. It's a strange thing to try to explain, and I think the difference between the two is often subtle; I do think it was more apparent due to the (lack of) length of the work.

Character-wise, we really only dig into Fellion. Of course, we touch on a bit of the side characters. I want to say this felt more like an ensemble story rather than one just following Fellion, but we really didn't get enough of the side characters to justify such a statement. The story wanted to be an ensemble piece, though.

That really sums up my experience with Servant Mage. While I thoroughly enjoyed the novella, it all felt a bit off. Either it's too short without enough space for the plot and characters to breathe, leaving me feeling like the whole novella exists to describe a world-state (as in, a snapshot of the world), or it should be ever-so-slightly altered to function as a prologue to a new series.

On a side note, I really think the politics of this book needed room to breathe. Overall, they're handled fairly well, especially once the book is over, but up to near the end of the book, the way the governmental systems are presented was a bit touch-and-go, in my opinion. It's not far outside the fantasy standard, but it felt, again, a little off. Elliott had resolved that off-ness for me by the end, but I think a little more page time would have greatly benefited the governmental systems' layouts.

Overall, this was a solid novella that made me yearn for either a sequel series or, at the very least, a much longer book.