The Nothing Mage

The Saga of the Nothing Mage, Book 1

By: J. P. Valentine

Narrated by: Spencer Dillehay

Beware, oh friend, the Nothing Mage,

The man himself a blight,

With magic cursed and spells unseen,

That none can stand and fight.

Beware, oh King, the Nothing Mage,

A force that pierces all,

The tolling bell that sings of death,

‘Till lords and empires fall.

Beware, oh love, the Nothing Mage,

A vengeful man is he,

So if you dare to draw his wrath,

Then nothing ye shall be.

"There’s nothing there." The words may as well have been a death sentence to young Declan. Without mana, there could be no studying at the sky-piercing Pinnacle Towers, there could be no great monster hunts, and there could be no following in his father’s legendary footsteps.

He’d be a cripple.

But when a terrible accident forces him to flee, Declan learns the true nature of his mana. Just because it doesn’t resonate at any known frequency doesn’t mean it isn’t magic. Just because he can’t cast the same spells as everyone else doesn’t mean he isn’t a mage. And just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

©2020 John Valentine (P)2020 John Valentine

Cancer Mage - basically, Hashtag Radiation

it's a just 'OK' the story and writing are pretty good the narrator leave a bit to be desired. I'm reviewing mostly though most of the book.

it's like a 5.5 out of 10, if that help.

Great book!

Great book and the narrator did a great job. The only thing I didn't like was the pronunciation of a few words like inexorable. Every time it was used I had to take a couple seconds to understand what they said.

Pushes Fantasy and GameLit in the Right Direction

After I finished listening, I read over some more of the reviews here and thought it would be good to leave my thoughts. In short, this is a high-quality fantasy/GameLit novel. If you enjoy 'hard' magic systems and like (or don't mind) lgbtq+ themes, you'll probably like this book.

I'm queer myself and felt the representation and thoughts of the lgbtq+ characters were well done. Some of the other reviews that address this subject may not be used to these types of characters, as it is clear to me how the characters view each other while maintaining satisfying tension. That said, this is a fantasy novel first and foremost, and I am glad for that.

Themes and ideas are well explored. The way the characters explore the world is satisfying, and I'm never left wondering why they didn't do something else instead. I was captivated and wanted to continue listening. Some of the moments where repeated days or weeks pass feel a little off-rhythm, but they're serviceable. The scenes themselves never dragged out longer than needed, and as such, the pacing felt very comfortable. The few times the pacing is brought out of chronological order is refreshing and feeds the reader with ideas of what is yet to come.

The magic system itself is well thought out. It is precise enough to have an impact on the reader, making them feel like they're able to make decisions about the actions chosen, but leaves enough room to wonder what else might be possible. A lot of time was undoubtedly spent on ensuring fundamental magical consistency, and I think it repeatedly pays off.

The characters themselves are interesting and varied, and seeing how they interact with the world keeps the world feeling like it has depth. Characters who are not the main character have their own lives and are more than props which keep the story moving forward.

Overall, I hope the other two books in the series are brought to Audible, though I'll likely pick up the Kindle or paperback versions before that happens.

Fantasy is a genre that has a history of alienating groups of people. Gaming (and by extension, GameLit) is also guilty of this. They're also genres that have seen rapid growth over the past 30 years. All too often, I read stories that have inclusivity but poor writing. Sometimes there is a great magic system, but the pacing is all over the place.

I commend this book as one that is both well written and inclusive.

I recommend it for adults and young adults as a medium-light-sized fantasy book or those interested in GameLit as a genre. Writers would do well to pick this up as well.

4.8/5

Decent

Really interesting magic system. Lots of swearing. There isn’t a lot of gore or sex, but the swearing is over the top to me.

Complex Magic

I was drawn to this book because of the title. I like the title a lot and the blurb was intriguing. The author has written a story with a very complex magic system and I appreciate and like the way that magic was addressed in this story. It was creative and different; however, I just never connected with the main protagonist. Originally, I thought the story was for children, but then coarse language is utilized and I realized it was for a more mature audience. The protagonist named Declan, goes through a lot of events in his life, but he reacts pretty much the same way each time, so there is little character growth in spite of his trials and tribulations. Spencer Dillehay's narration is great. I requested this audiobook from Audiobooks Unleashed and I have voluntarily left this review.

Entertaining and easily digested.

I'm of the opinion not all books need to be ground breaking masterpieces that change your life, this is a good book that kept me entertained the whole time I listened , though like some other readers have said the narration can be a bit distracting at times.

No ending - have to purchase book 2

Elementary plot. Superficial character development. Story drags on and provides no conclusion in book one. Seems a ploy to get you to purchase book 2. Not interesting enough to use another credit.

Surprisingly Well Written

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of writing in this story.

The magic system is well thought out enough to explore how such a system interacts with the physical world in ways similar to other natural phenomena.

I also enjoyed that the relationships between characters managed to always be genuine. Character interaction was in service to character development, not just plot development.

I look forward to the next installment of the series.

Wonderful Start to Intriguing Book Series

This was a lovely start to this series. It had notes of Rothfuss' Name of the Wind with its school setting and awesome main character. The magic system is probably the most unique and mathematics that I've read in a while, but still pretty easy to grasp. Spencer Dillehay was also a wonderful narrator and I can't wait to hear more from him - his voice sometimes reminded me of Nick Podhel who is my favorite narrator and an instant buy from me!

very good

Loved it !! this story. the narrator is so fantastic it's like your really there!! good overall