This book is a true gem, offering a beautiful and intriguing reading experience.

The narrative is crafted with such care and attention to detail that it draws you in completely.
Even though a few parts weren’t exactly my style, the overall story was too engaging to let that matter much.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys being absorbed in a well-told tale that leaves you thinking long after you’ve turned the last page.

Thank you for the ARC!

I don't mind a good fantasy read but I must say I didn't really get into this one unfortunately. I liked the idea of it and thought it would make a good read but I just found I struggled to get it read. I found it didn't flow as well as I would have hoped and the writing was a bit disjointed. It is a book that could be good with a little more work.

Thank you NetGalley and Kim Bock Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Last Mage was story was one that was functionally hard to read. The character development of Lysandra, Aerin, and Feyla I think really could have been expanded upon a bit more, but wholly, their banter with each other was fun to read. While reading this, I felt there were times where the writing seemed rushed to push past the scenes just to move the characters to the next act in the story. I also felt that with constant mention of how the sword was etched with magic runes and the supposed other magically enhanced characters, like Lysandra's mentor, seems to detract from the encompassing title of Lysandra being the quintessential "Last Mage." I get that she is likely from a powerful line of mages, akin to how Merlin was a progenitor of a line of wizards and witches in some Arthurian tales; the claim the title holds as Lysandra being "The Last Mage" just isn't believable as you dive more into the story.

What I do find is that this story does have lots of action, intrigue, does draw in the reader to believe that magic is possible. I think that Kim Bock has great makings to make subsequent books more polished. There have been series I have read before where the first book was not as good as books 2,3,4, etc. after it and the anthology turned out great, and I feel this may turn into something similar.

I tried desperately to read this book. I requested this ARC because the premise sounded interesting, the characters seemed engaging and I love high fantasy. But I could not finish this. I got to page 30 and after reading about the MCs sea-green eyes for the one millionth time I had to stop.
The author spends a lot of time describing nothing, or describing the same thing with the same set of words over and over, but fails to tell the reader where anything is happening, or what is happening, and when they do it’s chopped and changed. In chapter one the MC ends up in a tavern/inn, is offered a room, is in the room and upset by the drunks below, but no wait she’s in the common room eyeballing the rowdy drunks and apparently scaring them off and is now a hero… what!?! But, MC needs to be on the road at first light, cos she’s on the run, cool no problem, but then chapter two she wakes up rather chipper and is looking at the jobs board!?! So she goes to the woods, battles the thieves, retrieves the artefact, no wait, battles thieves again, meets the girl, has the weirdest Shakespearean dialogue while standing still… no they’re walking through the woods… no sorry through alleys.. no wait they’re looking at the horizon, but there are stacked buildings with holes for moonlight to shine through, no sorry they’re in the woods agreeing to work together for the 3rd? 4th? time… and the sky is red, so not nighttime, and then they go back to “their” camp…. WHAT!?! And chapter three is not much better, she’s saving a child from a fire, it’s a building but no idea what kind, she’s used her magic to make it out, cool, she makes it to the street… I think… and is confronted by the hunter. At this point her AND the child she has just rescued start running away from said hunter, but she is perpetually dodging flames and debris from the fire, she’s down an alleyway, the child still with her, ok now she’s on the roof… where’s the child? ok shes back on the ground but still dodging… running through the labyrinth of the city, is the whole city on fire? Oh no it’s a large hall, so she must be running in circles, no, there’s a market place, she’s jumping a chasm… is she back on the roof? Oh no now she’s cornered… and what’s with this dialogue?
I got halfway through the first page of chapter four and I was done. The phrases “sea green eyes”, “silver blond hair” and “rune etched sword” were used so many times the author should copy right them, I have no idea what colour the wolf was, it was described as black and as gray, and 100% the author is worried you will forget that destiny awaits the MC and the fate of the land depends on her, now idea what destiny or fate is being referred to because in 3 chapters there is ZERO world building.
It very much feels like the author has made notes on ways to say things and written paragraphs in drafts, pieced it together and neglected to do a continuity check. I know this book has already been published to my feedback will make no difference to the authors editing, but I would love to see her revisit this story with a rewrite to fix continuity errors and spend more time on world building and less time on telling me eye or hair colour.

A story drenched in fantasy, but sadly not the story for me.

I really loved the cover and the concept of this book. It sounded so good, but the writing felt slightly childlike. Very repetitive and the characters were very defensive when talking to one another. The writing style made it very slow to read because I wasn't enjoying that.

However, there are some redeeming qualities. Lysandra is an incredible character and I loved her wolf companion, Shadow. The story itself was great, lots of adventure, secrets and dark forces - things I love in fantasy - There were a few shocking truths about Lysandra's identity which I did not see coming and rather enjoyed reading about.

The Last Mage is a great story, let down by a writing style that I personally did not gel with.

I would highly recommend this fantasy book. The writing was very good and the book was very well thought out.

I just have to say that I struggled to finish this book. First of all, who talks like that? Maybe the author wanted the characters to be sort of wise and to speak in a mystic kind of way, but it just came out as weird or fake. Second of all, repeating the same description over and over again. How many time do I have to read that her sword was etched with runes? Or how her hair looks like? Or repeating how the bond was growing and it was undeniable and yet I felt no chemistry between them. And if she's the last mage, why are there other magic wielders? Maybe it's my fault here for not really understanding (and yes, I know that it may be because of her lineage) but it didn't make a lot of sense for me.

However, I think the main plot idea has potential, it was just really unrefined

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange of my honest review

interesting and gorgeous fantasty book that'swell written. thanks so much for the ARC Kim Bock Books! Would recommend

I love the characters (main and side), the world-building is fascinating, and the interaction between characters is interesting. This book had my laughing out loud a few times, and I read it in one day. Okay, I’m actually hooked!

Get ready to be spellbound by The Last Mage, a wonderful YA fantasy that seamlessly weaves together magic, courage, and a quest for balance. Lysandra, our resilient heroine, embarks on a perilous journey through the mystical realms of Erenor, armed with her runic sword, loyal wolf companion Shadow, and the enigmatic dragon Harrow. The story unfolds in a vivid tapestry of adventure, ancient secrets, and dark forces as Lysandra confronts oppressive regimes, malevolent creatures, and the shadows of her own lineage. From the oppressive streets of Tyrannis to the celestial fracture threatening Erenor, every page is packed with excitement and wonder. Just when you think the battle is won, a new and greater evil emerges, revealing a shocking truth about Lysandra's own identity. The Last Mage is a thrilling ride that kept me eagerly turning the pages, craving more of this enchanting world and its courageous heroine.

This is a fun concept that was not executed well. There are major issues with pacing; at times things move too quickly, and at others, too slowly. The majority of the story is told via dialogue--while written grammatically correct--that is stilted and cliché. Although the dialogue is the major driving force of story and plot, the characters do not have their own voice within the dialogue. The plot at times felt disjointed; scenes lacked connection. There is too much ';telling' that is not backed up in the 'showing.'

I think the author has promise!

Hold onto your enchanted hats, folks, because The Last Mage is the fantasy rollercoaster you've been waiting for! Picture this: Lysandra, a total badass with a runic sword, a wolf sidekick named Shadow, and a dragon buddy named Harrow. Together, they're out to save the mystical land of Erenor from all sorts of dark and twisty forces. I mean, we're talking oppressive kings, corrupted dragons, and a never-ending quest for balance in a world gone bonkers. Just when you think they've triumphed, bam! A new baddie shows up, and Lysandra's got a whole identity crisis to deal with. But hey, it's not a fantasy epic without a bit of self-discovery, right? If you're into epic battles, mythical creatures, and a kick-butt heroine, The Last Mage is your golden ticket to a world where magic reigns supreme. So, grab your swords, summon your inner dragon, and dive into this fantastical adventure that'll leave you craving more!

I appreciate a strong female main character, which Lysandra is. She is compassionate and fights for her beliefs. My preference tends to be more for dialogue that shows rather than tells. The action also moved a little too quickly for my preference. It was nice to see women and girls supporting each other.

Author Kim Bock has published two novels. The Last Mage was published a few days ago and is the first book in her Chronicles of Erenor series. It is the 10th book I started reading in 2024.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as PG.

Lysandra is a mercenary adept with her rune-etched sword. She has also been trying to develop her magical abilities. Deep in her ancestry is the first Mage of Erenor. Master Elarion has been training her, helping her to develop her magical abilities.

Lysandra meets the young woman inventor Feyla. With Lysandra’s faithful wolf, Shadow, the two young women set out to restore magic to Erenor. At first, they are pursued by the hunter Aerin. King Draven wants to eliminate magic and has sent Aerin to find Lysandra.

The girls elude Aerin for a time, but then he has a change of heart. Surprisingly, he joins the small party in its quest to restore balance. Along their path, they encounter many deadly opponents. Every weapon they have must be used to simply survive.

I invested 4.5+ hours reading this 401-page young adult fantasy, finishing just over half of the novel. At that point, I called a Rule of 50 and put it down. I should have made this call hours before. To me, the story was very disjointed and unorganized. There are several instances of unnecessarily repetitive dialog. The terms ‘sea-green eyes’ and ‘rune-etched sword’ were used over and over. I do like the chosen cover art. I give what I read of this novel a rating of 2.8 (rounded to 3) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

First of all , I love the cover .

This sounded like it would be and I think it would have been if it weren’t for the fact I found this book confusing storyline I probably would have liked this book .

I don’t really recommend it

YA fantasy
Magical quest
Magic & runes
Power & balance
Animal companion
Mythical Creatures
Destiny
Magic lessons

The Last Mage is a first book of The Chronicles of Erenor series. This book was published a few weeks ago, 12th of January and the next book of the series, Erenor's Dawn is going to be published at the end of March.

The book follows the FMC Lysandra, her wolf companion Shadow, Feyla the inventor and Aerin the hunter.

The character interactions and dialogue were choppy at times. Some of the characters were not that well introduced and I would have liked to read some more backstory to understand them better.

The storyline and timeline of the book were a bit confusing. At some points I wasn’t sure whether the things were happening in the past or present and what was going on.

I liked Lysandra as a character. She seemed strong and intelligent. Her backstory / history seemed interesting and I would have liked to learn more about her.

Overall I liked the idea of the book, but both the confusing storyline and choppy dialogue made the book quite hard / heavy to read.

I’m not sure whether I’ll continue reading the series.


Also left a review on Amazon.de but it hasn’t been published yet.