This was pretty great. The actions of this were just as well paced as the first book, and so just as frustrating at times, but in a good way.

One thing I liked was that the magic was more obvious in this book, and the Upper Class society people were using it more freely, which I'd wanted to see in the previous book.

Overall it was pretty great. I liked how well everything flowed. The betrayals and misunderstandings were played a little too much maybe, but I think they were still pretty good given everything that happened.

I'm probably going to read the next book, the Prodigal Mage, but I have some other books to get to before that one.

So the first book went at a slow pace...but I it had potential to be a great bash of events...but the story just plotters along and nothing really happens. Then when it does happen...its over in a handful of pages. She seems to be quite good at setting writing and character detail...
This would however, I believe, make a great TV series.

I listened to the audiobook formats of both this book and the Innocent Mage. In both cases, I rate them as just "ok." The pacing was slow, and the characters spent far too much time with unnecessary bickering and arguing that got very annoying in both books. I listened to these audiobooks while driving solo across the country, moving from Arizona to Ohio for a new job. The story was interesting enough for this kind of a trek, as I was a somewhat captive audience with many hours and miles to fill. The pacing was slow enough that if I zoned out a little, which sometimes happens when I listen to audiobooks, I really didn't miss anything. If I had been reading these in print, I probably would have given up half-way through the first book.

Ultimately, I found this series to be unsatisfying. Like many other reviewers, I found Asher and Dathne to be annoying and unlikable. I also wanted to know why Asher was the mage, but that doesn't seem to ever be explained, he just is. I wanted a better reason for why this obnoxious idiot was the key to saving the kingdom.

I enjoyed this book overall. The first half was a great pace and exciting, couldn't put it down. The second half was good too, and I felt it was a satisfying ending!

kein muss,
gelungene Fortsetzung von Königsmacher

I never do this but this time I have to start making notes beginning with chapter 1; I really feel there are going to be that many. I have NEVER been as frustrated in the first chapter as I was in this book. NEVER. I'm listening because I made it through the entire first book which ended on a literal cliff hanger and I could just stop there, could I?

So here are my thoughts, nearly live-blogged.

Chapter 1

The entire royal family and the master mage (5 of the most powerful mages in the entire kingdom) when for a picnic and haven't returned, already missing meetings, and it is getting late in the day. Asher and Matt go looking for them and find the prince lying in the road hurt. So neither of them being mages or doctors (pothers) they do the prudent thing and immediately ride back for help (one of them at least). Right? Because no matter what happened or where the rest of the family is they must all be in at least as bad shape as the prince or they would have helped him or called for help, right? And there is nothing either of the characters could do for anyone alone. So that is totally what happened. Wrong! They ride on and find another person lying in the road - the master mage - in even worse shape but still alive. OK, so NOW one of them rides back, right? Nope, they keep going forward until they see evidence that the carriage went over a cliff. Then they stand around arguing about who is going over the cliff to look for survivors and who is going to ride back. For a REALLY long time. Then Matt agrees to go back only to stand around reminding Asher to 'be careful' for a bit then they argue about what to say to the coachman's wife if she shows up wondering where her husband is... seriously. WTF!

In the previous book, the author tends to be rather wordy and the conversations do tend to drag on at times but this one is the absolute worst yet. I can fathom anyone not saying IMMEDIATELY upon finding the prince - go get help now! I'll stay with the prince. Or something like that.

This book was such a pleasant surprise. It has been on my book shelf for a while - it had been on sale at the bookstore a few months ago so I picked it up. I love the characters and really care about what happens to them. The world the author has built is interesting and the good vs. evil theme is illustrated well by the wall separating the two. Great read.