The Innocent Mage (Kingmaker, Kingbreaker, #1)

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The Innocent Mage (Kingmaker, Kingbreaker #1)

3.61 of 5 stars 3.61 · rating details · 7,780 ratings · 430 reviews

Enter the kingdom of Lur, where to use magic unlawfully means death. The Doranen have ruled Lur with magic since arriving as refugees centuries ago. Theirs was a desperate flight to escape the wrath of a powerful mage who started a bitter war in their homeland. To keep Lur safe, the native Olken inhabitants agreed to abandon their own magic. Magic is now forbidden them, an...more

Mass Market Paperback, 642 pages

Published September 2007 by Orbit (first published January 1st 2005)

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Mar 08, 2008 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, 2008, cover-love

The first book of a two-book series, Canadian-Australian author Miller is a refreshing new voice in the genre. Set in the kingdom of Lur, the two races, Doranen and Olken, live alongside each other with a precarious balance: the Doranen, who came down through the mountains fleeing the evil mage Morg over six centuries ago, are born with magic and use it to control the weather and give smaller benefits to society, while the Olken, the original inhabitants of the land, occupy lower-class positions...more The first book of a two-book series, Canadian-Australian author Miller is a refreshing new voice in the genre. Set in the kingdom of Lur, the two races, Doranen and Olken, live alongside each other with a precarious balance: the Doranen, who came down through the mountains fleeing the evil mage Morg over six centuries ago, are born with magic and use it to control the weather and give smaller benefits to society, while the Olken, the original inhabitants of the land, occupy lower-class positions of farmers and merchants and servants, protected by the Doranen but at the same time repressed by them. Even so, they all revere Barl, the powerful magician who saved her people when she constructed the Wall that seals Lur off from Morg's poisoned, demonic reach.

Amongst a select group of Olken who still, surreptitiously, practice the Olken earth magic, Jervale's Heir, Dathne, sees the coming of the Innocent Mage, the one spoken of in the prophecy that the group has lived long centuries by. With his coming to the capital city of Dorana, she knows the Final Days are upon them, but not when they will start or how the Innocent Mage, an uncouth fisherman's son called Asher, will save them.

Asher has come to Dorana for a year, to earn enough money to buy his father a fishing boat. A chance meeting with the magickless prince, Gar, leads to monetary success and friendship. Asher is a great character, filling the generic fantasy role of "the ignorant peasant upon whose shoulders rests the fate of the world", but refreshingly different. It's not that he doesn't have a strong accent, that he doesn't want responsibility etc., but he's strong-willed, opinionated, unfawning (if that's a word), forthright, frank, honest, scathing and funny.

That's something else I really enjoyed about this book: the cheeky sense of humour. I also appreciated that Miller, who has worked with horses, knows the correct way to ride one - there's none of that annoying "guiding with the thighs" nonesense that I come across in so many books, especially fantasy. You don't use your thighs at all, you use your calves. It's just that when you get an inaccuracy like that it can be very distracting.

If you're in the need of some new fantasy, and you're getting tired of typical quest journeys, I recommend this one. It's not big on female characters, but the ones that are here are strong-willed and independent. It also has a good power balance, in that it's not an inherently patriarchal society. It deals with relations between ethnic groups, invaders and their conquered, and prejudice. The dialogue is fresh, the characters relatively original or at least drawn in a diverting way (such as the uptight, beureaucratic Darran), and the plot driven at a steady pace. Not bogged down in unnecessary detail or description, or following the usual path of fantasy (the constant travelling, for one), Miller has managed to do new things with an old formula, and leave it at a slight cliff-hanger. Thankfully, the second and final book, The Awakened Mage, is already out.(less)

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Dec 27, 2012 Margot rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, 2009

Asher, the backwater fisherman, travels to the big capital city, Dorana, to find his fortune. Little does he know, he is the center of a little-known prophecy that will either save or destroy the kingdom of Lur.

I gave this book a good 200 pages to get good, to no avail. I found Asher, the protagonist, very unlikeable, and I felt like Miller often tried to use his contrariness to bandaid her general lack of tension. I also felt that she played her cards too soon by revealing the prophecy stuff ve...more

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Feb 08, 2008 Eli rated it 2 of 5 stars

The story has some interesting ideas sprinkled here and there throughout, and the writing is certainly passable from a technical standpoint. However, the end result is that the overall telling of the story resulted in mediocrity when in places it offered a tease of potential to be so much more. Ultimately, I finished the book out of sheer stubborness, rather than due to much interest in what was actually going on in the story. In the author's defense, I believe this is her first novel. With furt...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I looked at this book several times. I passed it by on all those occasions. I suppose I always thought I'd maybe pick it up at some point but really, it's not the type book I usually get involved in (or at least didn't seem to be). The synopsis led me to believe that at best I'd find it mildly interesting.

I have been pleasantly surprised. This is an excellent read. It's an interesting, well plotted, well characterized novel. This book drew me in from the word go and held my interest throughout....more

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Apr 19, 2009 Maria M. Elmvang rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, 4-stars, arc, fantasy, e-book, owned

Asher is a refreshing change to the common fantasy hero - he's neither a long-long son of some king somewhere, nor a diamond in the rough. He's merely rough. The unpolished fisherman who travels to the great city to work for a year, in order to earn money for his old dad. He says what he means and means what he says - and doesn't stop to think that perhaps he should occasionally phrase his comments more politely, in order not to ruffle any fancy feathers.

I really enjoyed the book. The relationsh...more

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May 07, 2012 Jacob Proffitt rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I haven't been able to pick this back up for two weeks, so it is time to admit the truth: I don't really care to finish this book. The writing is okay and I'm interested in the world, but there's just enough drag from the characters that I'm simply not willing to continue.

I knew that I was in trouble when I found myself unable to like Asher. I think we're supposed to, but at heart, he's kind of an arrogant jerk. How Prince Gar didn't just dump him in the nearest midden is a mystery to me. Sorry,...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Aaron Rauschhuber rated it 3 of 5 stars

I like the book. Karen Miller's Innocent Mage now has a special little place on my shelf. The reason is very simple. It was fantasy just the way I like it. Innocent Mage was realistic, practical, and charming. The characters were human, whether Olken or Doranen, each had human struggles. Despite the title, magic played a small role compared to the conflicting emotions of the characters. Magic seemed to be just oil on the gears, keeping the background plot growing and growing building up for the...more I like the book. Karen Miller's Innocent Mage now has a special little place on my shelf. The reason is very simple. It was fantasy just the way I like it. Innocent Mage was realistic, practical, and charming. The characters were human, whether Olken or Doranen, each had human struggles. Despite the title, magic played a small role compared to the conflicting emotions of the characters. Magic seemed to be just oil on the gears, keeping the background plot growing and growing building up for the sequel. Promises occupied the role of the main theme, in my opinion.
Innocent Mage centers on the character Asher. Asher was a fisherman, among a large family, seeking riches in the capitol city. He had made a promise to his father and intended to keep it. Poor judgment led to dire consequences, but he gained many friends who helped drag him out of all the trouble his pride got him into. Asher was honest. That is what I enjoyed most about his character, and even the qualities that his friends admired. He told the truth, every blunt word of it. By a curious chance of fate, Asher befriends the prince of the kingdom, Gar. Gar and Asher had their struggles, but were friends through thick and thin. The fantasy genre did not really make that much of a difference, thought I suspect it will come to play heavily in the sequel Awakened Mage.
Now, usually there are a few bad points to any book. Pacing, action, character depth, plot depth, and various other little things make or break a good book. The dialogue could be a little tiresome; I would skim some of the unimportant gab in order to get to the exciting conversations. These were usually Asher making fools of the fancy people of the capitol. The plots started off fairly simple, throw in a bit of prophecy, and add some arcane secrets to the mix and you have the makings of a fairly decent Fantasy. The characters made the book. The book did not have high and lofty language as fantasies normally do, but just plain old speech that ringed with meaning and truth. People acted like people. Honestly, I could not find any other bugbear besides the occasional pacing of trite conversations. It was a good read; I recommend it to anyone looking for a solid story and solid characters.

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Sep 21, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I first started reading the Innocent Mage, I thought "Oh dear, this does not look so good." A fisherman? With an accent like this? But the book was a present from my sister, so I had to at least try. And I am quite glad I did.

There were some things in the text that made me wince from time to time, mostly redundancy, and repetition of phrases or ideas. Many things became "worse for wear" and every other character was sick at some point of the story. I also felt that the story could have been...more

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Nov 23, 2008 Jamie rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one, don't read it, you will die of boredom

Recommended to Jamie by: picked off the shelf because the book was falsely presented as i

Shelves: fantasy

Don't judge a book by its cover. Seriously. This book very much disappointed me, in every way. The idea was interesting and very promising, but the execution was terrible.
Honestly, I don't know why I kept reading it. Somehow, the book had a way of making me keep reading, just to see if anything interesting happened, which in retropect is a terrible reason to keep reading a book.
After 500 pages, I thought back and realized that nothing important or interesting even happened. Basically, the mai...more

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Apr 13, 2008 Kathryn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

An enjoyable read, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. Classic fantasy, complete with an ancient prophecy, an unwitting hero, magic, romance, intrigue, all the usual fantasy bells and whistles. Nothing's wrong with that, of course. It just fell a bit short for me.

**spoiler alert**

I had several "hold on..." moments where my belief was jarred. Such as when Asher steps up to save Prince Gar's horse. What in the world is a fisherman doing trying to calm down a horse? I don't know jack a...more

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Nov 17, 2008 Denni rated it 1 of 5 stars

Covers are the best part of this duology. Expected a great story, it wasn't. The writing style is very good and easy to read.

*****spoilers**********

Two books of bad stuff happening, sadness, and suffering...I kept waiting for some resolution, or even one good thing to happen. I guess the good guys finally win...kinda, maybe. Almost everybody dies; abundance of pain, suffering, betrayal, and death of main characters. Upon finishing, I just felt confused, let down, and possibly in need of Prozac...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Leif rated it 1 of 5 stars

The main character is horribly unlikable. As far as I can tell, he is supposed to be charming in his bullheaded disregard for authority, but he just insults everyone he meets and, in response, they offer him money and jobs. The supposedly sympathetic prince comes off as soft and not particularly bright. The carefully guarded conspiracy seems incompetent and its members constantly telegraph their involvement. The villain might as well be a cartoon for all the subtlety with which he is written....more

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Mar 08, 2013 Smcleish rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally published on my blog here in October 2008.

When Asher heads for the city of Dorana to make his fortune, he is apparently like many others. But there the Circle is waiting for him, as they and their ancestors have been for centuries. For their prophets tell them that Asher is the Innocent Mage of the magic-less Olken race, herald of the Final Days. They cannot inform Asher of his destiny before the right moment, or even tell him that he can work magic (hence "Innocent"), so they need to...more Originally published on my blog here in October 2008.

When Asher heads for the city of Dorana to make his fortune, he is apparently like many others. But there the Circle is waiting for him, as they and their ancestors have been for centuries. For their prophets tell them that Asher is the Innocent Mage of the magic-less Olken race, herald of the Final Days. They cannot inform Asher of his destiny before the right moment, or even tell him that he can work magic (hence "Innocent"), so they need to manipulate his life into the path they want him to follow. Asher's own talents and their work mean that he is appointed to the royal stables on his first day in Dorana, and soon afterwards he is asked by Prince Gar to act as his advisor on Olken matters.

The Innocent Mage, as the summary probably suggests, is not groundbreaking, innovative fantasy. The plot elements - young man marked out by prophecy especially - can be seen in many works of the genre, from the well loved (David Eddings' Belgariad) to the unbearable (the truly awful recent TV series Merlin). Here, Miller's take on the standard ideas of the genre works well, partly because of the character of Asher. Asher comes from a fisher family, one of the very small section of the population who go ouut beyond the weather magic controlled by the royal family that covers the land. This means that his background is tough, something which is reinforced by the northern English dialect he speaks, a useful trick from Miller, using a familiar stereotype from the real world to help the reader understand her fictional one. His usefulness to Prince Gar is that Asher has a straightforward attitude, and refuses to be another royal today. This is not always welcome to the prince, and the abrasiveness of their relationship is the backbone of the novel, and provides a great deal of humour. And it means that the characters are well enough drawn and familiar to the reader for them to be cared about when things get darker towards the end of The Innocent Mage (and then draw the reader on to the concluding The Awakened Mage).

Fantasy as a genre is still generally filled with characters from the nobility, one of the traits derived from medieval literature via the novels of William Morris. Even where peasants and other lower class characters appear, of minor importance or there with humorous intent, particularly when they use dialect, or all three (David Eddings' embarrassing yokels being a case in point). (The reality of medieval Europe, with limited travel, would have been that local dialects and accents would have been strong and verging on the mutually incomprehensible.) Asher isn't like this; he is a much more rounded character, important to the plot, and the humour comes from his relationship with the prince not from making fun of a yokel accent.

In terms of marketing, there is something extremely unusual about The Innocent Mage: this edition is completely free of endorsements and review quotations. Any fantasy novel, no matter how poor, seems to be able to find some writer willing to imply it is the most important work in the genre since The Lord of the Rings; I suspect that few readers pay much attention to them any more. So this could hardly be because the publishers could find no one to write something nice about the novel (it is better written than many that are covered in endorsements), and must be a deliberate marketing ploy. I can't quite see where it's trying to go, though.

The Innocent Mage is not a classic, not innovative, but better-than-most genre fantasy.(less)

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Jan 19, 2013 Arietta rated it 3 of 5 stars

I picked this book up on a whim and I enjoyed it. It's main merits for me were the world-building and the interesting take on magic.

Like others said. It gets very long. VERY repetitive. With sentences broken up. In really awkward ways. That made. Reading it a chore.

The story could have been told with far fewer words and not have lost anything at all. Maybe even put both books together?

Also, I really felt that Asher and Prince Gar had SO much more romantic chemistry than the actual love interes...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Kyle Edgecomb rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Any Fantasy lovers

Recommended to Kyle by: I passed it in the shops and was given to me as a gift for xmas

BRILLIANT!! Enjoyable, full of adventure and drama, and has a lot of fantasy in it. A perfect read for fantasy lovers.

*WARNING* *SPOILERS BELOW*

The book starts off in the coast of the Kingdom of Lur where a young man named Asher leaves his home, hoping to find work in the capital city of Dorana to support his family.

While in the city, he becomes Prince Gar's, the magickless heir, Assistant in being the Olken Administator.

Yet, Asher is also being targeted by this group called The Circle who beli...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Harry Douthwaite rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Thorough medieval fantasy fans

The story was quite slow paced and drawn out. There is a lot of meaningful dialogue going on here, which I wasn't expecting- I didn't assume it was that kind of story -but that is where the bulk of what's good about this book is situated.

Throughout the book, a lot of tension gets pent up. You want to know answers to questions, and there is enough incentive to keep reading, but toward the end is where it all goes wrong. The accumulated questions and overall light sense of dread that gets built up...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Elaine rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a hard book to review - there are good points and bad. This is a character driven book - the plot line is sooo slow as to be almost non-existent but the characters (some of them) did engage, Prince Gar is the stand out character he is well drawn - but other characters are hardly fleshed out at all and seem to have no point in the story - such as the royal princess and Conroyd whatshisface. Karen Miller seems to make a habit of writing about unlikeable heroes which i quite like and Asher...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Lisa Hall rated it 3 of 5 stars

I listened to this on audiobook, so I maybe need a new shelf. I thought the story started slow. The book is character driven and you get to know the Prince and his sidekick Asher very well. As it is a fantasy book, I probably should have realized it was part of a series, the next being The Awakened Mage.

The Prince of a magical realm is born without magic, a cripple to his people. His royal parents petition to have a second child, multiple births being discouraged to keep fights for the throne an...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Beth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Okay, I didn't finish (but it is possible I might give it another try down the road). Here is what I got out of the book so far:
Asher runs away to find his fortune in the Capitol. Asher sees the prince riding through town. "Man, that guy is an idiot." Prince seems to recognize Asher. Prince: "Hey what are you doing here?" Asher, "None of your business." Prince, "I like you, want to work in my stables although obviously you can't handle a horse and you are impertinent?" Asher, "Why would I want t...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Ms Miller weaves a delightful tale, bringing a distinct style, flare and sense of drama to her first fantasy novel.

In the Kingdom of Lur the Doranen, an elegant, magic-wielding race have brought an age of peace and harmony to the native inhabitants, the Olken. But while they use their gifts and more advanced society to rule for the benefit of both the simpler Olken and themselves, the Doranen hide in their history a dark secret. The kingdom they left behind was devastated by a war of black magic...more Ms Miller weaves a delightful tale, bringing a distinct style, flare and sense of drama to her first fantasy novel.

In the Kingdom of Lur the Doranen, an elegant, magic-wielding race have brought an age of peace and harmony to the native inhabitants, the Olken. But while they use their gifts and more advanced society to rule for the benefit of both the simpler Olken and themselves, the Doranen hide in their history a dark secret. The kingdom they left behind was devastated by a war of black magic’s and the survivors, who have taken refuge in Lur, seek to forget the legacy of the evil mage Morg that stains them. In an effort to protect themselves and the Olken, the ancient Doranen constructed a wall of glistening magic and light, cutting off all access to the outside world and the horrors they left behind. In return for the protection of their kingdom, the Olken have abandoned their own traditions of magic; but the Olken have secrets of their own.

A secret society known only as ‘the Circle’ holds safe the forgotten Olken magic, and a prophecy awaits the coming of the one called the Innocent Mage; destined to save their world from destruction if he retains his innocence, or to herald its doom if he falls.

From the sweeping vistas of Restharven Harbour, the tale unfolds as a young man, Asher, leaves home in search of his fortune, only to find himself saving a prince and taking a position in the royal stables. This is traditional fantasy at its best as Miller masterfully weaves Asher’s struggle with his own self worth, and his practical nature against the demands of prophecy and magic. While Asher rises to fame and fortune, the Circle watch him from the sidelines.

Abounding with vivid characterisations and contemporary dilemmas, Miller adds a strong human touch that is lacking in many books of more standard fantasy fare, while marrying the tale to a forward-moving plot with a momentum that carries the reader into the small hours of the morning as they find themselves having to read ‘just one more chapter’. (I write from experience!)

Miller’s debut is a blockbuster story crafted with a strong sense of wonder and told with whimsical charm. I have no doubt that all readers will be left wanting more when Book One reaches its astounding conclusion.(less)

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Nov 30, 2011 Bane of Kings rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I’ve recently finished The Innocent Mage, as you’re probably aware from the fact that I’m giving you this review. As you’re no doubt aware by now, it’s the first in the Kingmaker, Kingbreaker duology (The second being The Awakened Mage), and focuses on Asher, who leaves his miserable life in a coastal city in the hope of making a fortune. Employed in the stables, Asher soon finds his dreams coming true, befriending the Prince Gar, and receiving more wealth than he could ever hope of getting as...more I’ve recently finished The Innocent Mage, as you’re probably aware from the fact that I’m giving you this review. As you’re no doubt aware by now, it’s the first in the Kingmaker, Kingbreaker duology (The second being The Awakened Mage), and focuses on Asher, who leaves his miserable life in a coastal city in the hope of making a fortune. Employed in the stables, Asher soon finds his dreams coming true, befriending the Prince Gar, and receiving more wealth than he could ever hope of getting as a fisherman.

Asher becomes unknowingly part of a prophecy, and is watched by enigmatic members of a group called The Circle, who have dedicated to protect what they call “The Innocent Mage”, who is the character destined to save them from evil. And they believe that Asher is that character…

Yeah, it doesn’t sound that original does it? But, let’s move aside from that and talk about what good things this book contains. First of all, the characters. As it’s your average fantasy plot, you may think that the characters are weak an undeveloped. But oh no, far from it. By the end of the book, you’ll be on good terms with the characters. You’ll like them. This is perhaps the strongest part of The Innocent Mage, the characters, be they Asher with his country-drawl (at least in the first half of the novel), or the King himself, as they are believable, and they quickly become characters who you find yourself thinking that you’ve known them all your life, despite the fact that Asher’s way of speaking is kind of hard to get used to at first.

The world created by Miller is richly developed, and although she didn’t explain much about the magic system, I believe we will see more about it in The Awakened Mage, which I can say that I’m looking forward to.

Although the pacing is uneven at first, I for one enjoyed the book despite the flaws that I found within its pages. Sure, it’s not the most original work, but it might just be one of the better ‘prophecy’-type novels that you’ve read yet. Although it isn’t exactly a page-turner, The Innocent Mage is a slow read with some parts that you may feel drag the story down a bit, and I can only hope that after reading this, The Awakened Mage will have to be one hell of a read to make up for the action that this book lacked.

Miller manages to turn the typical prophecy thing found in your average fantasy novel around though, and actually explores the characters that are involved with it and how it affects their life. We see multiple Point of Views from one of the main characters in this novel, the female Dathne, who shares the most screen time with Asher.

The plot is dragged out, and not much happens in The Innocent Mage making it feel like it’s only setting the scene for The Awakened Mage, especially with the cliffhanger that the book ends on. I can’t help but want to go and pick up the last book in the Kingmaker, Kingbreaker Duology, and I just get annoyed with ‘books’ like these. You get your novel and then you read it, enjoying it, only to find that it’s merely half a book. Hardly anything is tied up at the end of this novel; making reading The Awakened Mage almost a necessary read if you are to understand The Innocent Mage fully.

Another thing that could be improved is the fact that the evil guy is outright evil. He’s just evil, nothing else, and in fact, he’s the only character that you don’t feel like you’re good friends with by the end of the book. (Well, he is the villain after all, and he doesn’t appear until the end of the book).

I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ll mention this again as I bring this review to a close. The Innocent Mage may not be the most original book, nor the cleverest or the most action-packed novel out there, but if you’re anything like me, then you should enjoy it and you’ll keep coming back for more. The Innocent Mage could also be classed as a nice introduction to Fantasy, as it doesn’t leave the reader totally lost and sticks to a tried and tested plot. A good first novel for Miller, and I’ll be looking to read more of her work.

Verdict: 3/5
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Aug 28, 2011 Josh rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, high-fantasy

Good introductory volume for what looks like a duology. There are a couple of things that grate, , mostly the fact that the lead character keeps being referred to as a lout, despite tremendous amounts of personal growth that has occurred. But overall, it's a good introduction to an interesting and creative world.

The dichotomy between the magically inclined Doranen & the ungifted Olkin is interesting and builds for an intyeresting dynamic between the two races, despite that being both apparen...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Phule77 Erickson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had seen this recommended, I think, by Rothfuss, and besides the covers are quite striking compared to a lot of others on the shelves at this time.

I had glanced at them, but the blurb quote inside the dust cover seemed really pretentious...this bumpkin is correcting a Prince? Okay, whatever.

But while on vacation I needed another book to read, and went ahead and read some of the first chapter, and was hooked by the energy and the writing style. I worried about whether to bother picking up the s...more

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Jul 18, 2011 Aaron Negoba rated it 1 of 5 stars

My family recommended this book as we're all fantasy fans, and I've been on a tear lately. This book takes the usual themes, bends them around just slightly, and sets a reasonable stage for a good story. And then nothing happens. The characters argue and fuss about and some lame pseudo-political wrangling goes on. Tiny bit by bit we get some backstory, and toward the end there is a rush toward a cliffhanger ending that finishes nothing. It serves only as a bridge to the second book.

Miller has a...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Krystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Paced wonderfully over the course of two books, this story gripped me from start to finish. I found the character of Asher slightly annoying in the very beginning, mostly because he starts out younger, a bit naive – and he is overly grating and abrasive, prickly to the extreme, to compensate for his youthful ignorance. As the books continue, he grows and becomes a man much more fun to read about. If I may be allowed a comparison from within the genre, he transforms from the Harry Potter of “…The...more Paced wonderfully over the course of two books, this story gripped me from start to finish. I found the character of Asher slightly annoying in the very beginning, mostly because he starts out younger, a bit naive – and he is overly grating and abrasive, prickly to the extreme, to compensate for his youthful ignorance. As the books continue, he grows and becomes a man much more fun to read about. If I may be allowed a comparison from within the genre, he transforms from the Harry Potter of “…The Order of the Pheonix” to the Harry Potter of “…The Half-Blood Prince”. (If that makes no sense to some, no matter, there are those that will understand.) This emotional growth leads to more responsibilities and influence that also help make him more interesting as a lead character. Asher also has a great ingrained goodness that is impossible to hide, even when he’s being a bit of an ass. He’s just a great character, and when countered by Gar, the scholar raised in a life Asher couldn’t even imagine, burdened by expectations he can never meet but doing the best with what he can … they make a great pair.

The story overall was good, though not executed so wonderfully at times. There were moments where things happen so suddenly and without much fanfare, you don’t even really remember them happening … only to learn later on that that was in fact something extremely crucial to the story as a whole. One such example being that the possession of the Master Magician’s body by the evil Morg, thus giving him access to Lur so he can start his systematic destruction of everything (seems crucial, right?) all happened so quickly and with little description, and was then easily overshadowed by the events that followed that were much easier to read and follow. I also remember the battles at the very end being a bit wordy and hard to follow. As before, things aren’t emphasized much or explained in a way that you can really know what the hell is happening. One example I can clearly remember: reading the final battle, Miller writes that Asher steps up the unconscious body of the bad guy … I’m like, wha? When did he get knocked out, last I knew he was wreaking havoc over here while Asher and his group had a little pow-wow. I had to go back two or three pages, discovering after close inspection, that there was a short sentence or two in which, without much to-do, the bad guy, who was flying around over Asher, was hit somehow and fell to the ground. Aaahhhh. Gotcha. This is not a book to skim through paragraphs, which let’s face it, we all do at times. You have to read this shit carefully or be prepared to waste time combing back through pages to find out what the hell you missed.

Besides that one drawback, I really enjoyed these books. The story was great, I loved the characters, and it ended on just the right note. I also discovered that Miller has written a follow-up novel which follows Asher’s son during yet another crisis in the land of Lur. It looks to be the first in a new series titled Fisherman’s Children, no doubt telling the tales of Asher’s descendants. I’ll definitely give it a go, especially since it’s got cover art done by the same artist who created all the other beautiful Miller covers that I am so in love with. Gotta love a book that’s both fun to read and makes my bookshelf look cool.(less)

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Jun 03, 2011 Mikko Karvonen rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: No-one, really.

Shelves: fantasy-scifi

In a word: uninspiring.

Innocent Mage has its merits. The relationship between the two main characters has some interesting moments, and there are couple other potentially decent characters. The language is good and flowing. It tries to do something bit different with the age-old 'Chosen One' theme.

But bah, it just never gets anywhere. And when it did, it left me mostly annoyed.

Miller spends habitually six pages saying things she could have said in two. One could argue that it makes her dialogues...more

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May 11, 2011 Joe Barker rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm not sure where to begin. This book...was interesting. Most books I read are action driven books, being young adult or a magic slinging fantasy style, I'm not used to books driven almost entirely on character. It took me FOREVER to finish this book, and actually has me a little weary to read the sequel (and there are another pair after that). In six hundred and six pages, I expected quiet a bit from prophesy, and magic...

However. This is not what happened. Asher of Restharven is the youngest...more I'm not sure where to begin. This book...was interesting. Most books I read are action driven books, being young adult or a magic slinging fantasy style, I'm not used to books driven almost entirely on character. It took me FOREVER to finish this book, and actually has me a little weary to read the sequel (and there are another pair after that). In six hundred and six pages, I expected quiet a bit from prophesy, and magic...

However. This is not what happened. Asher of Restharven is the youngest son (20 years old) of a lowly fisherman who splits all profits eight ways, proportionate to seniority. He does not like this, nor does he much care for his brothers. So he sets out and to the big city to make alot of money and return to buy a boat for just him and his father. Thats cool, good start. When he gets to the city, we encounter our first action! Huzzah. Saving the prince from a bucking stallion, and earning himself a much coveted job. From this point on and the next four hundred and fifty pages, the book is focused on the mundane fashion of Asher's life and the whispered hints of his destiny spoken by two other minor characters.

When this Prophesy was first mentioned, I was excited. It sets up a great premise, however it seems that it was abandoned in the first novel. Mentioned a lot, and always saying that part of it are coming true, but never actually connecting the dots. The event that I expected to happen based on the prophesy, didn't even happen to Asher, who is blatantly called the Innocent Mage. I now feel obligated to read the second book...eventually for the sake of my own curiosity.

Being a Character drive novel, the Characters are phenomenal! I loved each of there very distinctive personalities, and they do play off each other well. The characters and their non-western wit and lingo are worth the read by themselves I think.

As a friends said, everyone is established, so perhaps there is no need to go through another five hundred pages of mundane life to get a book that is action driven.

I am not sure where I stand on this book. The last 100-200 pages were very well written, it stands to question though...if you can fight through the first two thirds of the book...(less)

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May 10, 2011 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Very mixed feelings on this one. There are two things that Miller does extremely well and make this an excellent study for me as a would-be author, but the rest seemed quite middling to me. I was most frustrated with the fact that this is not a story in its own right. There is no conclusion or climax, simply a stopping point between this and "book 2" which is not a sequel so much as the second half of the book that somehow ended up bound separately with near-identical cover art (the color of the...more Very mixed feelings on this one. There are two things that Miller does extremely well and make this an excellent study for me as a would-be author, but the rest seemed quite middling to me. I was most frustrated with the fact that this is not a story in its own right. There is no conclusion or climax, simply a stopping point between this and "book 2" which is not a sequel so much as the second half of the book that somehow ended up bound separately with near-identical cover art (the color of the robe changes).

What Miller does best is character painting. All of her POV characters give wonderfully appropriate descriptions and reactions based on their background. For example, Asher arrives in the city from his fishing village and sees everything in terms of currents, shoals, boats, and rigging. This style is consistent throughout the book, through multiple POV shifts, and is a great example of showing a character's personality through voice and perspective.

Miller also does a good job of letting some mysterious elements of the world remain mysteries. There are aspects to the magic of Dorana that are so mundane to the characters that they never merit an overt description. This forces some serious detective work by the reader to figure out what is going on.

Unfortunately there are also two things that Miller does very poorly. Worst is the foreshadowing. There are few books I've read more heavy-handed in telling the reader exactly what is coming before it happens. Rather than creating suspense to figure out how events would play out as predicted, this made me exceptionally bored through most of the novel. There were only two surprises in the whole book, and those felt cheap, sprung from nowhere.

The second lowlight was portayal of emotion. This was most evident in Dathne's character. She is supposed to be conflicted between responsibilities and personal feelings, to be the stoic martyr who struggles but is a strength to those around her. Instead she seemed bipolar, always shifting from strong to weak and back again in less than a page or even paragraph. The other characters were less problematic simply because strong emotions surfaced less often.

I'll read the second one to finish the story and see if we transcend some of the predictability, but I'm not expecting a stellar review of that one. Then again, it might have a conclusion.(less)

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Mar 17, 2011 Jacob rated it 2 of 5 stars

(My post and other reviews can be found here: http://drying-ink.blogspot.com/2009/0... )
The blurb conformed to the expectation: "Chosen One"s scattered liberally, absolute evil... But good books as well as bad have been tarred with this particular blurb brush, and so I picked it up and set to work. It was, as I had expected, a mixed read:

Lur, a land cohabited by both the native Olken, and the fugitive, ruling Duranen, is showing signs of civil unrest - the Olken, forbidden their (weaker) magical...more (My post and other reviews can be found here: http://drying-ink.blogspot.com/2009/0... )
The blurb conformed to the expectation: "Chosen One"s scattered liberally, absolute evil... But good books as well as bad have been tarred with this particular blurb brush, and so I picked it up and set to work. It was, as I had expected, a mixed read:

Lur, a land cohabited by both the native Olken, and the fugitive, ruling Duranen, is showing signs of civil unrest - the Olken, forbidden their (weaker) magical abilities, and ruled by effortlessly magical Duranen, are rioting in the streets - as Asher, fisherman and eighth son, enters the Royal Stables. Rising through blunt manner to become an assistant to the sole aberration in this order, Prince Gar - a magicless Doranen serving in the role of mediator between the two peoples -, Asher is being watched. Less usual than one would expect? We'll see. The Circle seek to preserve Olken magic until the coming of the prophecied "Innocent Mage", an Olken with the abilities of the magical Duranen. It's a decent plot so far, but the outside threat added later into the novel turns the tale of mediation and unrest into out more stereotypical tale of absolutes: good versus evil. The Duranen had fled Morg - absolute evil - to come to Lur, the land inhabited by the Olken - and erected the Weatherwall, some unknown symbiosis of weather and magic to repel Morg. But this is about to change. Unbeknownst to the Doranen, their excavations in the old Palace have uncovered a way to bring Morg inside their best defence against him...

And it gets worse. There are few twists, and Asher's personality doesn't develop past the half-way mark - but that's not to say it's all bad. Miller's portrayal of speech is remarkable, bringing characters' dialogues to life even when their actual characterisation (as in Daphne, the transparent romantic interest) is rather weak. Asher's POV, also, is well characterised, even without significant development - a sympathetic aspect in Miller's prose-as-Asher lends drive to the narrative through concern, emnity, and empathy for the surrounding characters - Gar, the Circle and the Doranen Royal Court.

5.5/10 (less)

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Mar 10, 2011 sabisteb rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: buch, fantasy

Vor langer Zeit liebte Barl Morgan und Morgan liebte Barl. Beide waren große Magier und die Magie keinem Gesetz unterworfen. Dann kam der große Krieg. Morgan wurde zu Morg und Barl floh. Um die letzten Reste der Doranenzivilisation vor der Untergang zu retten, erschuf sie die große Barriere, die von nun an das Königreich Lur vor den Einflüssen morgs schützen sollte.

644 Jahre nach seiner Gründung durch Barl herrscht noch immer Frieden im Königkreich Lur, aber nicht alle sind damit zufrieden. Die...more Vor langer Zeit liebte Barl Morgan und Morgan liebte Barl. Beide waren große Magier und die Magie keinem Gesetz unterworfen. Dann kam der große Krieg. Morgan wurde zu Morg und Barl floh. Um die letzten Reste der Doranenzivilisation vor der Untergang zu retten, erschuf sie die große Barriere, die von nun an das Königreich Lur vor den Einflüssen morgs schützen sollte.

644 Jahre nach seiner Gründung durch Barl herrscht noch immer Frieden im Königkreich Lur, aber nicht alle sind damit zufrieden. Die Olken, die ursprünglichen Bewohner dieses Landes sehen die Doranen als Eroberer und warten auf den Tag, an welchem der "innocent Mage" sie befreien wird.

in the Final Days shall come the Innocent Mage
born to save the world from blood and death
He shall enter the House of the Ursurper
He shall learn their ways
He shall earn their love
He shall lay down his life
And Jervale's Heir shall know him, and guide him, and enlighten him not.

The Innocent Mage is come, and we stand at the beginning of the end of everything

Asher ist 21, Fischer und jüngster Sohn von 7. Er leidet sehr unter seinen Brüdern, die ihm die Liebe des Vaters neiden und ihm daher das Leben zu Hölle machen. Daher beschließt er für ein Jahr in die Hauptstadt des Reiches Dorana zu gehen, um genug Geld zu verdienen, damit er seinem Vater ein gutes Leben ermöglichen kann, fern von seinen 6 Brüdern.
Eigentlich wollte Aher nur einen einfachen Job, Stallbursche oder Handlanger. Das Schicksal jedoch hat andere Pläne mit ihm...

Ashers Art ist sehr erfrischend. Er hat eine sehr geradlinige, aufrichtige Art und nimmt niemanden ernst, nicht einmal, oder vor allem nicht, den Prinzen.
Die Rebellen des Kreises arbeiten für ein freies Lur, frei von der Herrschaft der Doranen. Anders als der Leser sehen sie nicht, wie die Herrscherfamilie leidet und was sie aufgibt, um die Bewohner Lurs zu schützen, sie sind keine Eroberer mehr, auch wenn sie dennoch Fremde sind. Und hier zeigt sich die erzählerische Kunst Karen Millers. Es gibt kein schwarz und weiß, ihre Charaktere haben Ecken und Kanten und auch viele Fehler. Das Buch lebt weniger von Action sondern mehr von Dialogen und Verwaltungshumor. Wer große Schlachten und magische Kriege erwartet, der ist mit diesem buch falsch beraten.
Das Buch erzählt die Geschichte einer ungewöhnlichen Freundschaft zwischen dem magisch unbegabten (und daher von seinen Mitdoranen als Krüppel angesehenen) Prinzen Gar und dem ungehobelten Fischer Asher, die beide über sich hinauswachsen.

Viel Charakterentwicklung, viel Familienzwistigkeiten und Politik und ein wenig Magie. Eher ein historischer Roman eines imaginären magischen Königreiches denn ein klassisches Fantasybuch.(less)

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About Karen Miller

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. Please see this thread for more details.

Also writes as "K.E. Mills"

Lord, do you really want to know?

Oh, all right.

I was born in Vancouver, Canada, and came to Australia with my parents when I was 2. I think. Dad’s an Aussie, Mum’s English, go figure. Talk about Fate and Destiny. But three passports come in hand...more

More about Karen Miller...

Books by Karen Miller

The Awakened Mage (Kingmaker, Kingbreaker, #2)

The Prodigal Mage (The Fisherman's Children, #1)

The Reluctant Mage (The Fisherman's Children, #2)

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“In this office we do not have problems. We have interesting developments. We have challenges. If we absolute must we may, on occasion, have a slight difficulty. But under no circumstances whatsoever do we have problems.” — 15 people liked it

“What's going on? Not much. My mother's falling to pieces, my sister is a selfish bitch and my father's committing slow suicide for sake of his kingdom. That's all.” — 3 people liked it

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The Innocent Mage (Kingmaker, Kingbreaker #1)

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