The Sorcerer's Daughter

Accidental Sorcerers #3

by Larry Kollar

In the third "Accidental Sorcerer's" story, as Bailar and his apprentices help the Conclave prepare for conflict with the rogue sorcerers, Sura learns that she is a descendant of a noble House in the Alliance. But when she discovers the price of her history, it may be too late.

Genres: Fantasy

Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2013

About the author

Larry Kollar lives in north Georgia, surrounded by kudzu, trees, and in-laws. His day job involves writing user manuals — some of which may have been fiction, but not by intent. He has had short fictional works published in the Hogglepot Journal and the Were-Traveler. His first novel, White Pickups, is available, with more to come. For more of his strange fiction, and even stranger reality, visit his blog.

Reviews

[Masquerade Crew · Rating 4 out of 5]

2 reviews

Reviewer: Belinda F.

4.0 on the Masq Scale

I haven't read the previous two books Larry Kollar's series so I came to this without any of the history of the two main characters but I really don't think it mattered. Although there clearly is a back story The Sorcerer's Daughter stands alone and is a really good read in its own right (having said that any of the previous story that is useful to know is seamlessly woven into the narrative).

The main character is Sura although Mik is a close support and vital to her story. Their magical growth is mirrored by their journey into their own maturity - they learn about their talents but at the same time about their feelings for each other. This makes both characters feel real and relatable despite being skilled in magical arts. They have obviously grown during the series and Sura's discovery of her own ancestry and her decisions of how to deal with what she learns all add to her journey.

The Sorcerer's Daughter is a short read but an enjoyable one. I can see that followers of the series might find the fact that this is little more than a short story a bit frustrating but the standard of the writing and the development of the characters will hopefully make up for that.

Reviewer: Devorah

3.5 on the Masq Scale

I had not read other stories in this series when I began this one. I did feel a little at sea being unfamiliar with what had gone before. A series writer myself, I can empathize with the challenge of cluing new readers in to the backstory while not boring the series’ fans with information they already have.

At first I thought that I wasn’t going to like the book. With two youthful sorcerer apprentices at a training camp of sorts I wondered if this was going to turn out to be derivative of Harry Potter.

owever, I grew to like Sura, the female of the young pair, who proves to be feisty, quick-witted, true to her values, loyal to her soulmate and not the least bit stymied by palace intrigue. I enjoyed the chemistry between her and Mik. So after what for me was a bit of a rough start getting into the story, I enjoyed the rest of the read.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brisk and fun continuation of the Accidental Sorcerers series. In the previous volume, Mik, the boy of the teenage pair of apprentice sorcerers, went off on a solo adventure, and in this one it's the turn of Sura, the girl. There's some good setup at the start to show how they learn the magic that they'll need, and to reinforce the closeness of their bond, which is also significant.

Although the story is quite short, it's complete and satisfying, something I don't often say about shorter works. I think it's because of the good setup followed by a clear, strong arc for the main character.

The final revelation about Sura's parentage did seem to me to contradict something stated earlier in the series, and indeed an earlier scene in this story, but it was the right answer in an emotional sense, so I give it a pass, just.

I'm glad the series will be continuing, and look forward to the next volume.

[Eric Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sorcerer’s Daughter is, by far, the best book in this magical series to date. Picking up right where Water and Chaos left off, Sura and Mik continue to learn more about magic and their abilities to control under the tutelage of their master Bailar. While there is some back and forth between the views of the two apprentices, this is Sura’s story, especially in the second half of the short but exciting adventure. After seeing things from Mik’s perspective in Water and Chaos, I’d say that I prefer things told from Sura’s point of view. There is more feeling, emotion, and passion behind her voice and the story is strengthened because of it. Kollar makes us feel what she is experiencing and, to me, this is his strongest piece from a writing standpoint as well.

The relationship between the two young sorcerers isn’t as central to the story, something for which I was very grateful, and that allowed the magic to be the focus. Spells using all elements, sometimes mixing them to create something even more powerful, and displays that were exciting and often rather humorous are spread throughout the book.

What sets The Sorcerer’s Daughter, and indeed the Accidental Sorcerers series as a whole, apart from other magical series is that the spells aren’t designed to just inflict damage against enemies or even to just protect yourself. In this series every spell has multiple purposes and uses, and often the initial intent behind them is peaceful in nature, but these sorcerer’s find creative ways to make them combative. It’s a nice departure from the never ending stream of books filled with fireballs and earthquakes.

The story is split into two halves, initially learning and teaching new spells that will be useful later on at the Conclave, and then with Sura having an adventure on her own as she learns about her history and what her life could be like if she desires for nobility. Both are equally entertaining, and the pacing is perfect. The personality of the other apprentices in the first half as well as the nobles and servants in the second helped to keep the mood light and kept me laughing. The cast overall was the strongest it has been in the series and I really enjoyed meeting some new people that I imagine will be returning in the forth book, Into the Icebound.

I’m really looking forward to experiencing more of the world Kollar has created and seeing what new spells he comes up with. This is a really light and easy read for fans of MG or YA fantasy and it’s only a dollar on Amazon if you want to check it out.

[Lee French · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very quick read. It’s solid, entertaining fantasy, without any chaff holding it down. Despite it being the third book of a series, there’s no boring recitation of the previous books to wade through, just a few bits here and there, woven in well, that really were necessary to understand the story. It stands on its own well.

The conflict felt too easily handled. Sura finds out she’s actually nobility and is tossed into the deep end of the Courtly pool, so to speak. It’s clear she’s not in the least bit tempted by it, and her self-extraction, while it’s well foreshadowed by earlier events, is far too easy. In fact, every complication is surmounted with ease.

I did get the impression this book is sort of a filler of a cute little story to connect book 2 and book 4, to show what’s going on during the passage of time and to set up the main conflicts for the future.

Having said that, it’s a swift read, and good fantasy. I recommend it for anyone who likes sword & sorcery stuff, heavy on the sorcery, and would characterize it as YA Fantasy.

[Ronna Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and eventful

Another fast read full of excitement and compelling events. The heroes continue to surprise and grow in to well-rounded characters.