The Outcast Mage is a thoughtful, engaging story about the legacy of prejudice and bigotry on both a grand political and personal level. What happens to a culture generations after they are persecuted and banished? What happens to people who are constantly othered and excluded? And what if those same people wield an unmatchable power?
The city of Amoria exists under a magical glass dome in a desert wasteland, established by mages exiled from their former home many years ago. The political landscape is febrile, with one leading mage, Oriven, intent on driving further wedges between those with and without magic.
Naila is a young mage who can’t use her powers and lives with shame, being caught between two worlds in conflict.
Haelius is a powerful wizard, who came from humble beginnings and bears the literal scars of trying to prove himself.
When Haelius attempts to help Naila learn to use her magic, they discover something neither of them expected, which puts both of their lives in danger.
The story unravels as the two try to find a foothold in a city on the brink of civil war, where every step might see them jailed, exiled or dead.
Annabel Campbell has written a charming personal story of aspiration and hardship set within a broad tapestry of generational trauma and the pernicious danger of fear. I loved spending time with these characters and that ending (!) has me desperate for the next book in the series. Get it on your 2025 wishlist. ~Justin
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