...I enjoyed The Mage Sister and recommend it for readers 14 and up. The novel leaves enough room for a sequel, but it will easily stand alone as a complete tale. Like many fantasy novels, the themes of learning to trust, leaving childhood behind and joining together for a common cause are strongly presented. Check it out for yourself or for your favorite stubborn, self-determined teen.
...‘The Mage Sister’ is a refreshing read in the genre of fantasy thriller with a female protagonist which deserves to be a perfect addition to any fantasy readers collection. For a plot well thought and narrative so intriguing, this book is a sure recommendation.
... Jeanne Bradford, in her amazing fantasy novel, The Mage Sister, manages to put together all that you want in a book. The characters are strong, the plot is enchanting, and once the reader is lured into the book, there is absolutely no way out. The Mage Sister will take you to a whole new world.
...The story of Arinda and Jahx has all elements to it. We have intrigue, danger, and the growth of love and respect of each one for each other. We see them work together and learn about the other over time.
This is an intriguing story that has romance and danger, love and honor combined in one book and addictive yet entertaining book where the characters endear you to them and have you hoping the good guys win.
5.0 out of 5 stars Adventure with a mysterious soul - amazing!
I finally had time to fully enjoy this extremely well written gem! Underneath the love story, there are interesting characters that develop along the way, Our main character has a past with struggles along her way but she grows into her destiny. She develops strong bonds with those she was unsure she could trust but finds they truly care about her and protect her, although she faces trouble throughout! I love the way this author brings out the soul of each character and although you think you may anticipate how the next chapter will go, there is something new avenue at every turn. Very descriptive, kept me guessing what was going to happen next....I'm looking forward to her next book and hopefully more to come!
This was the best book I've read in a very long time. I couldn't put it down! I can't wait for the next book to come out!
Very nice reading - and althoug it can stand on its own, I hope there will be a sequel to it !!
Liked the story and the characters. A good read, couldn't put it down.
Excellent story full review to be found at night owl reviews.
The Mage Sister was an excellent book. It was an excellent read from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down. Can't wait for the next one!
I LOVED The Mage Sister. The characters are well formed and the story is spell binding. I received this on Saturday and had it read by Sunday. It was difficult to put down. The reader may be familiar with some of the character names as they have appeared in similar novels in the past few years, but after the first realization of familiarity you are so caught up in that particular character's story you it doesn't jump out at you any longer.
If you are a fan of Twilight and similar novels you will love the Mage Sister. From some of the writing in the book it seems as if there may be at least one more book about Arinda (the lead character) and the Circle of Mages. I surely hope so as I will probably devour it as quickly as this novel.
I received this book free from Good Reads First Reads.
Like Ebony in Marianne Curley’s Hidden, The Mage Sister’s protagonist, Arinda, has grown up with her true nature concealed to protect her from her own kind, in this case the mages, a deeply patriarchal society who, on finding a rare female, want her merely for mating. Actually ‘want’ seems quite a mild way of describing the vampiric lusts a female magicker engenders and from the start we can only hope that a new order will evolve so that Arinda can be accepted as an equal and not just a vessel for her kinsmen’s prevailing urges.
The provenance of Arinda’s world is well thought out and the characters clearly visible: feisty Nanny, whom we could all do with having on our side (in fact I would have liked to see a little more of her), troubled Jahx and Arinda’s more compassionate mentor, Nathan, are all well defined, as are the council of mages as they shuffle their hands to see how they may deal with this magical anomaly.
Arinda herself is a little difficult to like to begin with, her early character veering between petulant and passive with little substance in between. But it is, after all, the story of a girl who grew up hiding a big secret growing into her powers - who wouldn’t be irritable when everything they tried to hide from the world is suddenly thrust out in glorious Technicolor? Thankfully the second half of the story sees Arinda demonstrate the wisdom that comes with harnessing her powers and, by the time I finished reading, I loved how smart and certain she became without just waking up battle-axe gutsy.
If I were to criticise anything it would be that the story is quite dialogue-heavy, particularly in the early chapters when Arinda’s powers are just being revealed, and I may have liked some of the conversation to have been woven into the text of the story, to hear more of Arinda’s voice and feel everything come to life from the background rather than through speech. Yet it’s a lovely glimpse into a different world with hopeful parallels to our own. Arinda develops and, with her, the mages; I enjoyed seeing that come to life. In fact I’d genuinely like to read more.
This is a good read, and Ms. Bradford has a real talent for pulling the reader along in one direction, and just when you think you know what will happen, the wheel turns, and you’re off on another adventure. Battles are fought against overwhelming odds, and everyone is in danger. It keeps the story fresh and exciting! The end of this book was a real shock for me, and I’m looking forward to more from this author.
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. When I picked this book up, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I've always been intrigued by magic and otherworldly events...this book didn't disappoint! It was a coming together of mayhem, intrigue, suspense and comedy. I found myself laughing out loud often. My favorite characters were Arinda and Jahx. That trick at the end though, with Sebastian? What a genius move! I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Since, I had not read the first book in this fantasy series, it took me some time to figure out the characters and to get up to speed on the situation. However, I did understand what was happening and really began to enjoy this story. The action was plentiful and varied. The characters were well defined and seemed authentic. There was also a fair amount of humor sprinkled throughout the book.
The ending was just right ... it ended this story and left several questions to be answered in the next.
All-in-all, an enjoyable fast read that I would recommend.
'The Children of Fi' by author Jeanne Bradford does not lose anything by being the second in the series giving thoughtfully woven bits of introductions of our protagonist Arinda and the other characters from the 1st book and continues strongly as a sequel yet remaining original in concept and delightful in style.
Arinda is married to Jahx Rife from Rowan Grace Academy, bound by magic together and decides to begin a program for magicker girls at Vespith Academy so that they can over come their fear for 'mages'. Arinda's school for female magicker's gains success, further leading King Nathan and Arinda on their thrilling quest of discernment where they will learn to beat the odds of life and destiny.
Author Jeanne Bradford artistically creates an engaging tale which both teens and young adults will find entertaining and filled with values of happiness, friendship and individuality pulling and whisking them into a fast paced, highly well imagined plot. Though it is preferable that one should read the first book 'The Mage Sister' to enjoy their enthralling ride through fantasy series, 'The Children of Fi' is solid enough to stand on its own and definitely deserves recommendation. It's a must read!
Just wanted to let you know that I have read both of your books. They were an excellent read, the characters were very believable. I would recommend these to anyone who wanted a good read. I am only sorry that I have now finished them. Will there be any more? ~ P.R.
The Children of Fi is an engaging read and is sure to appeal to the readers of fantasy fiction; highly recommended, especially for young adults. The story very interestingly amalgamates the reality of convincing people to do something against their long held customs. A story of unexpected challenges and deceptive characters, The Children of Fi is a truly absorbing read.