Book 1 of the Mages of the Wheel series was so much fun I forgot to update my reading progress on Goodreads, forgot to do my day job, and (almost) forgot to eat.
A brilliantly balanced political fantasy with a beautiful, heated, slow burn romance at its centre that was as tantalising as it was well-crafted. Let’s just say, Makram and Naime’s particular brand of lightshow was of great personal enjoyment to me.
I loved the worldbuilding, the political machinations, and the magic. The idea of the Wheel was simple and yet very effective. More than that, it was very plausible as a magical device/construct.
I loved Makram as a character, and the exploration of his character as a gentle man with a lethal magic held in check was handled really well. The glimpses into his trauma and backstory and how rigidly he held himself strong against them were delivered with a deft touch and great compassion. As well as the usual author’s gloating glee at getting to do terrible things to characters (unless that’s just me projecting).
Naime was also great, an astute example of a woman in power having to tread with so much poise and care because of the fragile masculinities around her who can’t conceive she might be able to do a better job than them. It made me want to cheer her on and borrow a bit of Makram’s power to show them the error of their ways all at the same time.
I found the handling of the Sultan’s dementia-like symptoms to be written with skill and care, and the gift that Makram offers him at the end was so bittersweet, it really hit me in the heart.
Lastly, I’ve got high hopes for my two favourite secondary characters, Tareck and Samira. I can see them getting up to all sorts of shenanigans together, to the general detriment of their enemies. And I wouldn’t be particularly sad if Kadir was accidentally pushed down a steep flight of stairs.
The copy editor in me couldn’t help but pick up on some instances of error in grammar and continuity, but nowhere near enough for me to consider deducting a star, or even half a star. Maximum stars, in fact. I cannot wait to read the next in the series ~ Anna
The Write Advice 