Welcome back to Back Shelf Saturdays, where I review backlist titles I didn’t get a chance to read when they were first published. I do this every week to ensure I’m reading more than just newly released and forthcoming titles.
This is my FIRST Back Shelf Review of 2024, and I am thrilled to get back into the swing of things. This week’s title is Servant Mage by Kate Elliott, which was nominated for the 2023 Locus Award for Novella. Servant Mage also made it on the Fantasy subreddit’s 2023 top novella list.
| Title: Servant Mage | Author: Kate Elliot |
| Genre: Fantasy | Publisher: Tordotcom |
| Release Date: January 18, 2022 | Page Count: 164 |
Synopsis
Fellian is a Lamplighter, able to provide illumination through magic. A group of rebel Monarchists free her from indentured servitude and take her on a journey to rescue trapped compatriots from an underground complex of mines.
Along the way they get caught up in a conspiracy to kill the latest royal child and wipe out the Monarchist movement for good.
But Fellian has more than just her Lamplighting skills up her sleeve…
In Kate Elliott’s Servant Mage, a lowly fire mage finds herself entangled in an empire-spanning conspiracy on her way to discovering her true power.
Review:
Have you ever realized that a book is taking you much longer to finish than it should? That it’s not you, but it’s the book? That it’s the story just not jiving with you? That was my internal struggle with Servant Mage.
I really wanted to love this book. I had high hopes for the story, with its fantasy setting, elemental powers, and themes of rebellion. However, the story wasn’t what I hoped. Kate Elliot’s writing was lyrical, and perfectly captured the tone and feeling of the fantastical setting. However, the plot was slow to develop, and most of the story takes place in the middle of the book – where not much actually happens. I did love the ending of this novella, and would almost reread Servant Mage just to experience the last few pages all over again. While most of the book is slow to develop, the shocking and concise ending is perfection.
There are a lot of characters – so many that it became nearly impossible for me to keep up with them all. However, I enjoyed getting to know the core characters in the story. Fellian is a fascinating main character with much to offer, and I wish her lamplighter abilities were explored a bit more.
Final Thoughts:
While the ending of Servant Mage was excellent and served as a perfect conclusion to the novella, the middle of the story felt jumbled at times. I will give Kate Elliot’s writing another shot in the future, as I enjoyed the satisfying conclusion.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
I read this novella through my local library, but it’s also available through Kindle Unlimited at the time of writing.
Challenges:
Backlist Challenge
Year of the Novella
#LibraryLoveChallenge
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