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Book Review: Magic Unleashed by Autumn M. Birt and Jesper Schmidt

Magic Unleashed by Autumn M. Birt and Jesper Schmidt

Magic Unleashed

For more than a thousand years, the arch mages have guarded the Rift…

… only, as they grew in wealth and power, some wanted more. By the use of arcane magic, the wizards of old managed to lure the Dark Goddess of Torture and Wind from the Rift and imprison her.

However, just as the Rift itself, the Goddess seemed to be growing stronger.
Should she escape, it would undoubtedly unite her most devoted worshippers: the vile and deadly Ember Dwarves.

In the wake of her bannermen, who labor tirelessly in the depths of the mountains, far below the snow-filled ground, isolated from the sun they so loathe, nothing but carnage and ruin will follow.

A damaged young man…

… who, despite having talents like no other in the arts of magic, decided to prematurely terminate his apprenticeship at the mage academy, happily settling for a life as a scholar, an existence where he can safely ignore the emotions he so fears to access when casting spells.

Raor doesn’t want to be a hero. He only cares about saving Rosaylyn from a deadly disease, but when he becomes a pawn in a game of revenge between immortals, he is forced to risk his life and take the test of magic inside the three most ancient towers: The Temple of the Arcane.

A once proud nation of elves…

… was left crippled after a distant—but hardly forgotten—devastating strife with the Ember Dwarves.

The defeat cut deep into the elven soul.

Since then, the slender-figured White Elves have kept in the shadows, watching for anyone who might shift the balance of the universe, making such individuals a target of the deadly elven Assassins Guild.

An unexpected ruler…

In a quest for prosperity, the Kingdom of Redron discovered how to extract the deadly crystal, aqualunite, from the desert and use it as fuel.

Redron has ever since been building an empire, yet when a trade with the Ember Dwarves results in the king going mad, the royal trader, Christiana, is forced to mobilize the army, while discovering that everything she thought was true about her life turns out to be the greatest lie of them all.

Authors Autumn M. Birt and Jesper Schmidt deliver an intriguing world filled with surprising twists and turns.

Magic Unleashed Review

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I was compensated with a small amount for my time and effort in reading the book and writing this review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and are based on my honest personal experience reading the book. Nor did the publisher in any way shape or form ever pressure me to give a positive review.

Magic Unleashed is situated in the world of Alpha Magenta on the continent of Vaerinor in the Ylécium universe. Archmages have protected the Rift, a persistent menace in reality, for more than a thousand years. But as the power of the archmages increases, some of them strive for more, trying to use arcane magic to trap the Dark Goddess of Torture and Wind inside the Rift.

In spite of his dislike of heroism, Raor—a young man with exceptional aptitude but emotional problems—becomes involved in an immortal game of retaliation when the story opens. Raor’s main objective is to save Rosaylyn from a fatal illness, but along the way, he must face the threats offered by the strengthening Rift as well as his own abilities. The novel weaves unexpected twists and turns against the backdrop of elf nations, ember dwarves, and an unexpected ruler in the Kingdom of Redron, providing readers with a rich and captivating experience in a world full of gods, elves, dwarves, and a reluctant hero.

Like a lot of other fantasy books, I had to get used to this one for a while before I could really get lost in the details of this distinct world. It was strange at first, what with all the different components and names feeling like hidden passwords to figure out. But as I settled into “Magic Unleashed,” the story really came to life and the journey materialized in front of me. As I read farther into the novel and progressively unwrapped the nuances that make this fantasy realm so enthralling, the initial challenge of navigating the new setting turned into a gratifying experience.

This book definitely merited a 5-star rating, breaking a long-standing streak of mine not doing so. Every facet of Roar’s persona fascinates me, including his sexual involvement with Rosalyn, the nuances of his character growth, and his crucial function in the narrative, especially his intriguing hero past that sets him apart from the others. I find that Roar has an enigmatic charm that makes me think of the Kuudere archetype.

Maybe it’s because of this similarity that I love him even more. These components, when combined with the detailed worldbuilding, helped the book achieve a well-earned 5-star rating. The story was so captivating that I found myself going back to the beginning several times, which is a credit to how finely written it was. Sometimes, I would even forget the many names and concepts that were used throughout.

At first, I was hesitant to give the book a full 5-star rating because of what I thought were pacing problems—that is, a slow start and a less-than-ideal conclusion. My tendency to assess every book in a series as a stand-alone work with a cogent plot emerged as the source of this inner turmoil. I kept thinking about the whole series structure as I debated whether or not the pacing was a true issue.

During the process of writing the review and delving deeper into my reflections, my appreciation for the book’s status as a series grew immensely. There are instances where series feel prolonged and lose their impact, but in this case, the series format significantly enhances the overall reading experience. The richness and depth of the content within the book make it clear that the narrative extends beyond Raor’s individual story.

The expansive ensemble cast, featuring characters like Dramna, Christiana, and others, adds layers of complexity and intrigue to the overarching plot. In embracing the series format, the book allows readers to explore various facets of the expansive universe it has created, enriching the narrative with diverse perspectives and storylines.

If you liked this review and want to see other book reviews like this one, check out my book reviews collection!

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About the Authors of Magic Unleashed

Autumn is a bestselling author in fantasy, epic fantasy, and war – not all on the same series though!

She is the author of the epic fantasy, adventure trilogy on elemental magic, the Rise of the Fifth Order. Games of Fire is an epic continuation of the world and characters begun in the Rise of the Fifth Order and received tremendous critical reviews and book 2, Gates of Fire & Earth, is also a Fantasia Reviews 2017 Book of Year nominee.

She is also the author of Friends of my Enemy, a military dystopian/ dark fantasy tale laced with romance. Friends of my Enemy was released in full in 2015 and is quite the story full of strong characters, tight plots, and lots of action.

New stories are already emerging. Check out the Tainted Fae to be released in 2021 and soon followed by Black Throne/Black Blood along with a whole new world written with her writing partner, Jesper Schmidt.

In her real life, Autumn has traveled across North America in an old Land Cruiser. However, she currently lives in a tiny cabin in the woods of Vermont. Along with her for all her adventures are her husband and small cairn terrier, Ayashe. Check out her Instagram feed for lots of fun travel pics!


Expect a lot of great adventures, both real and fictional, coming soon!

You can learn more about Autumn’s book online at her website www.AutumnWriting.com including her latest work-in-progress.
 
Jesper Schmidt is a bestselling fantasy author who also dabbles in non-fiction.

If you need help with writing, publishing and marketing, Jesper can be found at www.amwritingfantasy.com.

He also invites you to join the world of Ylécium, an immersive experience, full of engaging fantasy stories. Visit www.amreadingfantasy.com.

There was a time where the art of writing was something that lived a quiet life, in the back of his mind. A dormant desire and, like so many of our dreams, it was placed on a list of things to do later. That’s, luckily, all in the past.

Nowadays, Jesper write stories about underwater dragons, vampires, awesome spellcasters, and dark Gods attempting to gain a foothold in the material realm of Ylécium.

If you haven’t had enough of this bio yet, here’s more: As of this writing, Jesper is 42 years old. He lives in Denmark with his wife and two sons. Denmark is that small spot of land, just North of Germany and East of United Kingdom. It’s the place where the population refuses to believe that the few can’t leave a mark on the world. Perhaps it’s the Viking heritage, but if the Hobbits could save everyone, so can the rest of us. Denmark might be an insignificant country in the eyes of Sauron, but at Mount Doom the truth will be revealed.

Jesper loves fantasy, worldbuilding – especially maps – and storytelling.

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