Voice of Power by Melanie Cellier
Fantasy. 314 Pages. 4 Stars
Synopsis:
In Elena’s world words have power over life and death–but none more so than hers.
As the daughter of shopkeepers, Elena has always known that the mysteries of reading and writing were closed to her. Only the mageborn can risk harnessing the power unleashed from putting pen to paper. Until Elena discovers an impossible new ability and joins the elite ranks of the mages.
But with the kingdom at war, the authorities can’t agree if Elena is an asset, or a threat they need to eliminate. Thrust into the unknown world of the Royal Academy without friends or experience, Elena will need all of her wits, strength, and new power to carve a place for herself.
Except as the attacks become more personal, wits and strength won’t be enough. Elena will have to turn to new friends and an enigmatic prince to unlock the mysterious potential of her words and survive her first year as a trainee mage.
If you enjoy strong heroines, fantasy worlds, adventure, intrigue, and romance, then try the Spoken Mage series now!
My Review:
Ahh! I forgot to review Book 1 and now I’m ready to dive into Book 2 and I’m sure there are things I’ve forgotten at this point XD But…
I’ve been following Cellier for years. Her books are always the ones I go to when I want something uplifting and still engaging. She adds a little depth to her stories and worlds and characters that satisfies the deeper itch I have for good stories, but she also doesn’t dive so deeply that I need to come up for air afterwards XD (There’s a time and a place for the deep dive and I love those too! No judgement here!) She strikes a nice balance which is refreshing when you’re in the mood for lighthearted with a touch of depth.
I’ve read her fairytales almost since the beginning. And when she started putting these books out, they went on my to-read list, but the life came in and I never got to them. Well now the whole series is out and I’m finally circling back to them. And, hey, what do you know! One of the characters has my name!! I’ve only ever seen my name in a book once and it was cause I participated in a contest and Fichter put it there <3 But it was really bizarre to have a main/secondary character with my name. It took a little getting used to.
Speaking of characters, I enjoyed following Elena, Coralie, Lucas, and their friends. Elena’s care for her family and her struggle with finding her place in this strange new world was so relatable. The magic school trope is a fun one. I’m only a little partial as a former school teacher myself XD But I’m looking forward to finishing the series to see how each of the characters grow and how the choices they make impact their world. I liked watching Elena and her friends learn, the social dynamics, the impending political choices I’m sure will come as the world and plot expand beyond the walls of the school itself.
Elena’s magic is intriguing. The whole world’s magic is intriguing, honestly. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to read this series. The idea of a society that cannot read or write for fear of the uncontrollable magic is unique. And Elena’s particular spin on magic clearly introduces a new element the citizens and professors and classmates and government aren’t ready for. I look forward to seeing how the kingdom approaches Elena’s gift and Cellier does a good job building tension around that unknown throughout the story. There were a few twists that I don’t think we’ve entirely unpacked the weight of yet, but I’m curious to see what else the story unfolds in future books.
It’s a clean book with no swearing, hints of a clean romance to be further developed later on, and some mild fantasy violence. I’d feel fine giving the book to a preteen.
More:
Book 2 in the Spoken Mage series is Voice of Command (4 Stars)
Book 3 is Voice of Dominion (4 Stars)
Book 4 is Voice of Life (5 Stars)
Book 5 is Power of Pen and Voice
Follow the links to find more info on Goodreads. The quartet should be read in order. The 5th book is a companion book. I haven’t read it yet, but from my understanding, it should be read after the quartet.
On GraceBought
Stay tuned next week to see my thoughts on Voice of Command!