Kate Elliott writes long fantasy and space opera series that are densely packed with world-building. Servant Mage is the first installment in a new YA series. In Elliott terms, the YA part means there's only one viewpoint character and the plot develops more quickly. This novel also gestures toward a love triangle involving the heroine Fellian and two nobles of very different backgrounds, though my sense is that the series will reconfigure the YA love-triangle trope rather than leaning into it.

As Servant Mage opens, Fellian is illegally teaching a friend to read. A few decades before that lesson, a rebellion overthrew an oppressive monarchy. Because mages once served the monarchy, the new government oppresses them in turn, binding children with mage talents into service and refusing to teach them the details of their craft. A secretive group of mage Loyalists recruits Fellian because her talent completes their team: together, they make a full hand of earth, air, water, fire, and aether mages. By combining their skills, they can locate a baby who might become the next monarch--but the government's August Protector is ahead of them.

In another fantasy novel, the baby's right to rule would be unquestioned. But Kate Elliott is more interested in exploring the way inherited power shapes character than she is in justifying it. We see the damage that the Protector's government causes, but Elliott slowly shows us the other kinds of damage that the Loyalists take for granted. Fellian's loyalties lie somewhere else. By the end of the book, she's talking to her own friends and kin about what self-determination looks like. I'm very interested in seeing how this develops across the course of the series!

Servant Mage is Kate Elliott at her best. It’s only a novella (sadly), but it’s the kind of novella that perfectly balances introducing you to the world, a story that’s enough to tell in so few pages but also enough to keep you wanting more, and characters you love immediately and want to know more about.

Really, the only issue here is that it is only a novella.

I think it’s no secret that I’ve loved every one of Kate Elliott’s books that I’ve read (and that I think it a travesty that Black Wolves never got its sequel), so it was probably unsurprising that I enjoyed this one too. What was best about this one was the way in which she created such a vivid world in so short a time. It feels like the kind of world you can envisage developing into an entire series (I’m not above begging!). A novella is a great taster, but it’s not enough.

A lot of that is helped by the fact that you have these characters you can love right away. I don’t know how Kate Elliott does it, in mere lines as well, but by the end of the first chapter, I was fully invested in the characters and their quest. They’re another reason too that I desperately want more of this world—they had the best kind of potential found family vibe going on.

In the end, then, I’d say Servant Mage is a book for those of you who’ve been a little intimidated by the length(s) of Kate Elliott’s books/series. It’s a good place to start, and from there, the world is yours.

Servant Mage tells the story of an indentured fire mage who lives under the opressive rule of the Liberationists who now lead her country after they deposed the Monarchists several years ago. Fellian, the fire mage, is recruited by a group of Monarchists to use her skills as a fire mage to help rescue some people trapped in an old mine, but she ends up having to do a little more than she bargained for...

Sadly I did not enjoy this novella in the slightest. Based on the description I was expecting some gaslamp fantasy with slice-of-life elements and pretty low stakes but in fact, this novella is an epic fantasy story that Elliott has tried to cram into a 176 page novella. I'm not saying I would have enjoyed this more if it was longer, I don't think I would have enjoyed it either way, but this form was much too short for Elliott to cram in her world-building, character work and plot without all of them suffering significantly. The world-building is certainly the strongest element and the one most heavily focused on I would say, but even that suffers and while it has some unique elements and nuance to begin with, that gets muddied by the end.

I also took issue with the writing itself. Elliott often uses pronouns to refer to characters when it's not clear who she's referring to. One example of this that stuck out the most to me was when Elliott spent a whole paragraph referring to Fellian (a female character) and then started the next paragraph with "He sighed..." without ever clarifying who it was who sighed. Perhaps this was just a typo in my ARC copy, but it was only the most egregious example of a frequent issue. Elliott also included some info-dumps in the novella, which I always find frustrating. Again I'll give a standout example, Fellian starts daydreaming or something along those lines and then we get a full paragraph written as her thoughts which just explains who one part of the world works. I much prefer the "show don't tell" approach when it comes to worldbuilding.

The characters themselves are also lackluster. Fellian is pretty whiny and I found her difficult to like, but she's the only character who really gets fleshed out more than "here's their name, this is the kind of mage they are, maybe they have a secret". The merry band of mages doesn't have any kind of compelling group dynamic and I never came to care for them, the antagonist or any of the other characters.

Actual Rating = 4.25

This was truly awesome and my biggest complaint is that I need more!

Servant Mage is actually my first experience with Kate Elliott and you can bet your ass I'll be picking up more because this was masterful. This novella follows our MC, Fellion, who's a Lamplighter, meaning she's basically a fire elemental. She's an indentured servant in a Liberationist society (think communist dictatorship/oligarchy) which fairly recently overthrew a monarchy. Fellion is from a rural area of this land and seems to be mixed race - this wasn't super clear but there was mention of one of her fathers being an assimilated member of a group of exiles and there are a few references to Fellion looking different from those around her. So I'm going to stick with "mixed race" as a descriptor. The magic system is basically elemental with the addition of "aether" magic, people who can manipulate a demon realm.

In all honesty, I was expecting this to be basic as heck. I mean, a fantasy story about elemental magic and a group of rebels trying to overthrow the government? I've only read that story about 10,000 times.

Boy was I wrong.

The way Elliott handled this story was perfect. Following Fellion, you see that both sides, despite all their inspirational rhetoric and stated goals, are basically mirror images of each other. Most importantly, neither side gives a crap about people like Fellion, who amount to cannon fodder for either group. This is an unusually balanced way of handling this theme and I almost want it to be required reading in our increasingly fractured society.

Last but not least, allow me to gush about our girl Fellion. Not only is she a total baddie who isn't afraid to make her thoughts and questions known regardless of the status of those around her, she also doesn't get roped into pretty faces of either gender who seek to derail her own goals. I can't give away the goals without entirely spoiling the plot, but mad respect to a girl who knew exactly what she wanted and stuck to it.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tordotcom, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Servant Mage!

Servant Mage is a delightful and fantastical novella that follows a lowly lamplighter named Fellian. In the world of Servant Mage, children with magical abilities are taken from their families, taught basic levels of their innate magical ability, and forced into indentured servitude that will fit their magical gifts. Fellian, born with a fire wraith, has the ability to control fire, and becomes a lamplighter and household servant. But everything changes when a group of people shows up at her place of work and takes her on a journey to save the world.

“There are all manner of demons in the world, Fellian. Some are entirely human.”

I was immediately intrigued by this dystopian magical system in Servant Mage. I think in a lot of fantasy novels, magic is a positive thing, and usually has a good effect on its users and their social standing. But in Servant Mage, the world is based on a corrupt system that teaches its mages to fear their magic as demonic, and to only use basic skills. What’s worse is that these mages live in horrible conditions, with virtually no hope of ever purchasing their freedom. In fact, Fellian is charged days more of servitude if she even wants to bathe herself once a month.

“You’re kept ignorant on purpose so you’ll be content with servitude.”

But thankfully, Fellian is caught up in the Monarchist movement and stolen from her household. I was even more interested in the Monarchist movement, which seeks to save babies born with the souls of the Monarchy from being murdered by the Liberationists. I am sure you can imagine how thrilled I was when I found out these Monarchs were actual dragons. I am all about dragons as rulers, and literally cannot get enough of that storyline. So I was pretty darn invested in Fellian and the rest of the Monarch’s movement to rescue this dragon baby and to raise it in secret until it can overthrow the awful Liberationists, who killed and toppled the Monarchs.

“The aether realm exists whatever the August Protector says. It will not go away even if she murders every five-souled baby. Or if every mage like you and me is indentured or killed.”

So basically, not only does this world have a really unique magical system, but it also has dragon royalty and world leaders, political intrigue and insurrection, and a pretty despicable main female villain known as the August Protector. Killing dragon babies makes you enemy #1 in my book. On top of that, I am always a sucker for resistance movements, and one with dragons just really tickled my fancy. And what’s more, is that the world also has a different, demonic realm, so to speak, that is super eerie and haunting and that I really want to read more of. I also was very intrigued by the Five-Arrow Quiver, which means that mages of the five different elements, so to speak, are granted more powers when together.

The only reason I didn’t give this delightful novella five stars was that I found that I didn’t like Fellian very much. Though she seems to be a capable and brave young woman, even risking treason to teach others to read in secret, she asks many rude and abrasive questions to the point that others even refer to her as “rude girl.” And she makes a decision at the end of Servant Mage that I just couldn’t get behind. I also couldn’t really figure out what was going on between her and another member of the Monarchists, Shey, whom she admits to finding attractive, but also seems to dislike. Regardless, I hope that Fellian will step up to the plate more if there are ever more works in this universe, which I ardently hope that there are.

I was really interested in the dark and interesting world that Servant Mage takes place in and lamented that this work was only a novella. I would happily read an entire series based on Servant Mage and can only hope that author Kate Elliot revisits this world in the future. In the meantime, I’ll definitely be looking into reading more of her novels. If they have half as interesting world-building as Servant Mage, I will be happy indeed.

SERVANT MAGE - Kate Elliott
Tordotcom
ASIN: B0927DQ7Q4
ISBN-10: 1-25076-905-1
ISBN-13: 978-1-25076-905-3
January 18, 2022
Fantasy

Fellian is a mage, a person with a soul wraith, but some call it a demon wraith. Mages come in six forms: those with the ability to use air, land, fire, water, or ether, and the rare person who has all five. Only monarchs have the last ability, but since the Monarchists and Liberationists war most with five abilities are usually murdered. The Monarchy ended when the Liberationists killed the last monarch. The Liberationist August Protector now seeks out children with the five gifts, or those who could become a monarch, and kills them. Most mages are forced to be indentured servants whose duties keep them on a difficult and strict schedule. Fellian was taken from the government's mage asylum in the Alabaster City to work for a city innkeeper. This was after she was forced to watch both of her parents hanged.

While she is cleaning the elitists' privies, someone she identifies as an elitist enters her cleaning area with three Liberationistist soldiers. They offer her a lot of money and freedom to leave with them. During the frightening escape from the city, she learns those with her are all mages. Shey is an air mage, Haolu (or Lulu) is an earth mage, Invi is a water mage, and the captain is an aether mage. They need Fellion to complete a five quiver of mages (one of each type of mage) for a Monarchist mission. They want her to help them free some people trapped in a mine. Before that can happen though, the captain discerns there is a five-gifted baby they must save before the August Protector finds it.

Through all the danger and problems Fellian faces, she does whatever is asked of her, but no one realizes she has another gift, plus a strong desire to return to her home village. It is an engaging story with a strong view on politics and how each side views things differently, redefining facts to help their cause. If you enjoy fantasy novels, SERVANT MAGE holds a compelling story.

After the unique, hard-charging "Court of Fives" series, I had to check this out. To be clear, this is a novella.

Just like in CoF, Elliott has created a world with a rich history that the main character is only beginning to unfold, and an unusual magic system.

Fellian is a mage bound to servitude by one political faction, then kidnapped by the opposing faction which needs her magic for a dangerous mission. The most interesting part to me was unraveling the worldbuilding, and also the moral complexity. Hard decisions made in shades of gray will be familiar from CoF as well, and it was interesting to see a political struggle most authors would have written as good vs. bad shown in a more complicated way.

It felt real, if uncomfortable, and I was glad Fellian followed her own chosen path.

This is a great read if you're looking for a very quick fantasy read and don't want the long slog of world building that a lot of fantasy books have. It puts you into the action right from the start.

The story is about the oppression of those with demon wraiths that provide them with magical abilities. Whilst I found the premise interesting I must admit I wanted more world building and I wanted more back story. I am an avid fantasy reader and have therefore consumed a lot of the genre. This was the quickest fantasy story that I've read (that I can remember) and unfortunately it felt lacking.

I think this would be a great book for someone who wants to dip their toe into the fantasy genre for the first time.

Servant Mage is a fantasy novella by Kate Elliott that packs a ton of story into a short package. With complex characters and a whirlwind adventure, Servant Mage touches on deep and complex issues like power, colonialism, oppression and class. It has such an intricate world it's a shame I can't spend more time there.

I was surprised by how well it was developped for a fantasy novella, I'm always hooked when it involves elements magic (earth air fire water and aether) It was really interesting how even if characters had the same elements they still had unique abilities on thier own.
For the character development, I really liked how Fellian had to go through understand they were made into servitude and to the point where there's a hint of revolution.
I really wish it was a full book it had the enough lenght for what was said but i would love to know more about this universe, the characters and the lore

Overly descriptive of mundane things such as the "flagstone pavement" as if this is something most people would notice. It feels like the author is trying to use any university-level vocabulary they possibly can just to make them sound smarter, but it's far overused.

This was a super interesting novella, set in a rich world with a fantastic main character!

This is my first Kate Elliott, and I'm very impressed with the worldbuilding. The world was rich, with clearly defined factions and a history that made me want to read more. The magic system was also fantastic - a sort of mix between Avatar the Last Airbender and Rage of Dragons. Cows also play a very important role in regards to this, which I found so charming! The themes were also great, and discussed how different sides of a conflict are not that different if they're both led by nobility - as this leads to the lower classes being ignored anyway. A great revolution is no revolution if it only benefits the nobles that are revolting, after all.

There were some things I did not like as much though. First of, I think this should have been a novel instead of a novella. It is not short for a novella, but the amount of worldbuilding, characters and action that took place made it confusing and way too rushed at times. It would have served the story well to let it breathe more, and not just rush though what would otherwise have been touching character moments. This is mostly an issue in the first two thirds of the novella though, but it did make it harder to get a grip on all of the different characters. What I grasped about them was super interesting, and I would have loved to see the story develop the characters more!
Really hoping this is the start of a new series!

Thank you for the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an arc!

Fellian is an indentured slave-mage, forced to serve under the Liberationists, the very government that hanged her parents. When an opportunity arises for Fellian to escape her servitude, she ends up helping the Monarchists in their fight against the Liberationists. But neither side is entirely black or white, and Fellian will need to decide where she will stand.

This book was a quick and easy read. It introduced a lot of different cultural concepts in a short time frame. I liked how the story contrasted a communistic type of governance to a monarchistic society, showing how neither side was entirely good or evil. The storyline didn't follow all the tropes I expected, which was a pleasant surprise.

Fellian is a fire mage. Her job is to make magical lamps every night to light the city streets. Like her fiery magic, Fellian has an accompanying fierce nature that didn't keep her down as a slave, and certainly won't stop her from determining her own future and questioning the actions of those she follows.

There were a lot of characters and plot crammed into this single book. I know I've complained before that so many books these days are long drawn out sagas, but I'm going to complain about the opposite here. This book could've gained by spening more time on each of the characters Fellian ran away with. Yes, they did get their own personalities and backstories, but the book felt too rushed to me at times. I think the author was aiming towards a YA audience, and didn't want to scare potential readers away with a thick tome. Taking that into account, I'd say the author did a fantastic job. Yes, there was a lot of story packed into some hundred pages instead of double that amount, but the story flowed nicely, the pacing was great, and even though the book was on the short side, it still managed to present a unique world filled with magic, politics, revolutions, and strong characters.

Servant Mage is a fantasy novella that follows the story of Fellian, a mage who must join forces with a group of rebels to escape her servitude. This was a quick read, with lots of word-building in a very short space of time. Having said that, I did not feel lost in the world, and while there was not as much development as I usually like in a fantasy novel, I still enjoyed this story. I particularly loved Fellian as the main character, and well as the magic system.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC!

I am a fan of Kate Elliott, but this didn’t feel like a novel. A very complicated world was described in under 200 pages and the book stopped abruptly. It felt like the first part of a much longer book. Unusually for Kate Elliotts books it felt as if I could predict lots of plot twists.

Servant Mage by Kate Elliott is a fantasy novella about magic, mages, and dragons.

The story centers around the main character Fellian ─ a lamplighter. Like the other mages, she is an indentured servant under the council of liberationists; they can't escape or use their power at their own will. But Fellian may have a chance to escape her servitude, but in exchange, she has to help a group of rebel mages on a journey to rescue compatriots trapped in a mine.

It is a well-structured novella plotted with politics, rebellion, magic, and ancient history. It is a short novel, but the author hasn't skipped the crucial details that may help the readers to understand the magic system better.

I loved the world-building and all the magical elements in it ─ magical portal, demon realm, and soul-wraiths. The magic system intrigued me the most─ how each mage has a different kind of power(Water, Fire, Air, Earth, and Aether) and the idea of Dragon lineage.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read for me. It was fast-paced and engaging, and I could not stop reading it. Highly recommend it!

This is a great, breezy read. Complex characters in a well-developed world. Some interesting stuff about revolution and colonialism here. Loved the main character! Really hope Elliott returns to this world.

Fantastic. Probably the best fantasy title I have ever read from Kate Elliott. It is short, compelling, clever, witty, page-turner and in a few dozen pages it presents a vast and complex world, The worldbuildin is great, yes, specially the politics, but it is with the characters were Servant Mage shines. A masterpiece.

3.5 STARS

SERVANT MAGE is a complex and fascinating story that captures the reader's attention right away. We are thrown into the magical world and into a fast-paced story of adventure, political intrigue, and power. While this book is not to my personal taste, I would recommend it to lovers of high fantasy adventures.

SERVANT MAGE is an adult high fantasy novella. The main character, Fellion, is a Lamplighter who can supply light through her magic. When a group of rebels help her escape from her indentured servitude as a servant mage, she is thrust into their world of danger and conspiracy.

I think the main reason I wasn't the biggest fan of this book was because it was a novella—which was 100% my fault for not realizing. It was still an enjoyable read, but I felt that it lacked the development that I typically want in a high fantasy book. I liked the characters in this book, but the standout is definitely Fellion. The rest I don't feel as connected with. There wasn't enough growth for me in terms of character development. I really enjoyed the worldbuilding of SERVANT MAGE. The magic system was unique and well thought out, and the concepts behind them were stunning to read. The plot was fast-paced and kept me on my toes, and there were multiple underlying messages that were well conveyed through the writing. Overall, this book would definitely appeal to a large audience. Although it wasn't for me, I would still highly recommend it and I commend Kate Elliot for the beautiful writing in SERVANT MAGE.

In a world where the fallen monarchists still fight for power against the reigning liberators, this book’s main character Fellian is a servant mage who teaches people to read, the same action that got her family executed five years prior.

My favourite aspect of the story is that you learn more about the world with Fellian; it almost feels like a rollercoaster ride of emotions as she comes to difficult realisations after living in naivety for so long.

To fit such a complex and political plot with small rebellions in such a short story was very impressive. The author didn’t tell you how to feel about either party but allowed the reader to make those decisions as they found out more about them.

Side note: I enjoyed reading this story but the cover is still my favourite part. It’s absolutely beautiful.