A Healer’s Gift. A Dark Curse. There’s No Escaping Destiny.
Eve was trained to save lives, not fracture reality. But when the Mark of the Drifter flares across her skin, healing becomes volatile and traversing the realm of spirits becomes instinct.
Haunted by a voice in the night. Hunted by enslavers.
She must master the storm rising inside, or become a weapon that shatters everything.
Desired. Admired. Marked. She must make an impossible choice, Embrace the destiny she never asked for, or risk losing everything.
This was a really intriguing take on fantasy, blending magical elements with a medical framework in a way that felt fresh and intentional. A medical fantasy isn’t something you see often, and I appreciated how thoughtfully that concept was explored throughout the story.
At the center is Eve, a healer whose abilities come with both power and consequence. What stood out to me most was how grounded her journey felt beneath the magic. Themes of compassion, burnout, self-doubt, and emotional resilience are woven naturally into the narrative, giving the story a strong emotional core. The author clearly put care into examining what it means to heal others and the cost of doing so.
The world-building was well developed, particularly the structure of the healer training and the way different abilities complement one another. I enjoyed the found family dynamic among the characters and the balance between quieter, introspective moments and higher stakes magical elements. The story takes time to explore its ideas, which made the world feel lived-in and purposeful.
Overall, this was a thoughtful and engaging read with a unique premise and a strong focus on empathy and healing. If you enjoy fantasy that prioritizes character growth, emotional depth, and an unconventional magic system, this one is worth picking up. I’m glad I read it.
I just want to say this author went above and beyond.
Healer’s Destiny by Sage Salven
Healer’s Destiny follows a girl named Eve, who possesses extraordinary powers. Fearing she might hurt someone, her abilities are sealed away during childhood. When she’s old enough, Eve begins training to become a healer, but her gifts are stronger and more unusual than anyone else’s. Known as a “drifter,” she can open portals to other realms. Yet even as she learns to control her powers, she senses danger: someone is watching her, hunting her for the very gifts that make her unique.
The book offers some truly inspiring moments of reflection. One quote that stood out to me was about “recognizing your own worth and blessings without comparing yourself to anyone else.” There are many more insights like this throughout the story.
I really enjoyed the imaginative magic system, the well-designed technology, and the richly developed world and realms. However, the writing style felt a bit clinical to me at times. That might simply be a matter of personal taste, since this isn’t a genre I usually read. Still, I would have preferred a bit more emphasis on the fantasy and sci-fi elements, and less on the clinical detail.
Overall, Healer’s Destiny offers a fascinating mix of magic, technology, and self-discover a story that will especially appeal to readers who enjoy thoughtful, structured fantasy worlds.
This book was unique! It blended medicine, magic, suspense, tension, adventure and paranormal aspects into one entertaining and unputdownable story. I really enjoyed the different medical cases as well as the characters. The character development was just right.. just enough to feel connected to them. I hope this author writes more books because I want to read them!
"A Healer's Gift" is an absolute gem! I was completely drawn into Eve's world from the start. The way she carries the weight of lost souls and battles against the ancient curse is captivating. The blend of healing, magic, and a world on the brink is brilliantly executed.
I'm already obsessed with the dynamic between Eve and Tristan. The forbidden vibes are strong, and I can't wait to see how their relationship evolves. And let's not forget about Ryssa and the roommates! I'm super invested in seeing their friendships develop and the role they'll play in Eve's journey. Plus, the mystery surrounding the shadow voice has me on the edge of my seat—I need to know more!
This book gave me serious "Grey's Anatomy" meets fantasy vibes, which is a total win in my book. If you're looking for a story filled with complex characters, intricate relationships, and a magical world with high stakes, "A Healer's Gift" is a must-read. Five stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Really interesting tale, a twist on an academy type story based on using magic in the medical setting. The students had a lot of freedom, so it’s not an evil school story. It’s about friendship, romantic teen relationships(clean), family connections, and maturing while learning a profession. I make it sound boring but it’s not! One star off for a number of typos that need to be cleaned up. Still worth the read!
It’s a magical medical academy where gifted students learn how to become healers.
Eve has an ability to open portals to other realms. It makes her a great asset to the Healer’s Keep that recruit her to start training and eventually working with them.
Her team consists of 5 young people, one of which is her best friend. Each of them has different abilities: emotions control, heat, scanning, and care for plants and animals.
They go through different rotations at the keep from ER to plastic surgery. They study, they have fun, the party, fool around, go on dates and live the best of their student lives.
We also have a romantic interest - Eve has a crush on one of her teammates but doesn’t allow herself any moves in his direction.
Overall, It’s like a patchwork quilt woven from many small different pieces that don’t follow a particular pattern. Some threads don’t go anywhere, some change the course midway.
There are some parts that I loved and some that I didn’t enjoy, some that I questioned lol. I realised that medical-related rotations and descriptions are not for me. I love academia settings, but I am too far from medical training to enjoy its description.
I specifically loved 2 parts in this book that I annotated.
1. Part 1 was about standing out to gaslighting and manipulation in a relationship. A part of recognising the signs early and don’t wait until it gets worse.
“We have to protect our inner peace aggressively. A relationship that shows patterns of pain, confusion, or sadness is dangerous to our future and our happiness.”
1. Part 2 was about envy and how to address it. “The treatment for envy is gratitude. […] Be grateful for what you have and understand that you don’t truly see or understand anyone else’s pain.”
Very well said!
Up until a few last chapters I believe that the story was gathering up to an en epic twist. There had to be something apart from hospital rotations and dates.
There were some intriguing threads that promised the twist. The cat who is not the cat. The figure that constantly watches over Eve. One of the team mates who tended to disappear and acted suspiciously. The unhinged ex. The very suspicious pizza delivery guy.
All of these threads were left loose somewhere around the middle and weren’t picked up.
The ending. I have a lot of problems with the ending. It doesn’t add up.
So, these young adults are in training to become apprentices of the healers. Four of them have abilities that are very useful in medical treatment. Eve’s ability mostly has nothing to do with medicine. She would be more useful in the military or religion.
Nevertheless, she is training among her teammates and her main goal is to learn how to navigate the portals safely. She uses portals in her own realm and is about to pass the exam on her studies to become an apprentice.
She used her portal to go to the other realm without an approval of her superior and used in unsuccessfully - she lost a patient and escaped only within an inch of her life.
Now my main problem with it. Her superior sends her, an untrained student with a small unsuccessful record alone to fulfil a very dangerous contract to another realm unsupervised. The superior stays in this realm as a moral support, not even a guide.
No backup. No team. No shadowing. No pair. Alone untrained junior student who hasn’t finished first semester and didn’t have the 1st exam yet; who just failed a similar journey and barely returned alive.
If she were to venture there on her own, behind the Keep’s back, this would be more believable.
Other notes and questions I made while I was reading it:
It desperately needs a map and a list of the realms with short descriptions.
The scooters. It keeps bothering me. Eve left for school alone. She took a tram of some sorts from the their tiny town’s station. She drove there on a scooter from home and she refused her parents’ offer to go with her. She left the supposedly family scooter at the station. How is it going to get back home? I read it in the beginning and it kept bothering me all the way through.
Question: what’s up with the eye surgery room coincidentally named number 8? Is there any special meaning to it?
This book was really good! The world building was unlike anything I’ve ever read! You follow a girl who has a rare magic on her journey to become a healer. It’s fantasy-academia with a major focus on healing (the author is a nurse!) And things get wild near the end of the book! I can’t wait to read the next one! The way the world is set up, will definitely lead to some crazy adventures for the FMC. And of course there’s longing and missed opportunities with her crush. I absolutely love the dynamic of her healers team, each person is very different but they all compliment each other so well! I’m excited to see where the author takes this group of friends!
I really enjoyed this story of a woman, learning to use her powers for good both spiritually and medically. Her navigation through love interests and friendships was quite interesting. The medical training and practice was also very intriguing as I liked how it was mixed with supernatural characters and abilities. This was a good read and also something unlike anything else out there!
ABSOLUTELY LOOOVED THIS BOOOOK! Think greys anatomy in the coolest fantasy world! Magic, cute little dragons, and lots of different worlds! Fav quote “I was in the bathroom when a portal opened right in front of me!”….”next thing I know, an alien crawls out and starts chasing me around my house! I barely got my pants up before I jumped out my window and ran for my life!”
This book does have a lot of promise and I wanted to like it more than I did, but overall it just felt flat to me. The magic system is very unique and I love that it ties into such an interesting healthcare system; I would love to read more about the medicine aspect with all the various creatures that we’re briefly introduced to.
I realize this is indie-released but personally I just feel like it lacks polish and for me, the pacing was just REALLY off. I feel like the author may have tried to add too much to the story without adding more depth to what she had already created. A big plot point of the book is basically that the MC, Eve, is afraid of her powers and we see glimpses of that but it’s not as much as a focus as it should be.
Her dating was awkward especially because she was trying too hard to avoid her actual interest and the scenes are just breezed through so quickly. We get weird vibes from the guy and like at one point he brings her to a “delivery“ he has to make and she realizes how unsafe it is but then nothing comes of it?? It was just so weird.
One thing that really irritated me was near the end there was a brief scene where the MC (as a trainee) medicates a patient without consulting with any superiors or actual healers and then just walks away without any sort of conclusion or follow-up except for a single line weeks later acknowledging the act without any repercussions! It just felt super random and out of character.
There were parts of the book that tried to be insightful and maybe tried a little bit too much to have more flowery prose but it contrasted poorly with the overall immature thoughts of the MC. And the romantic feelings between her and Tristan felt way too forced and unbelievable. I know we don’t really get into much of the romance but Eve spends so much time talking about wanting to be with him but not compromising her work, it just seemed like a brief endnote and again, not a focus.
I know that this is the first book in a series so maybe more of my concerns are fleshed out in later books but I’m probably not going to continue with this, unfortunately.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Healer’s Destiny is such an interesting blend: part medical drama, part magical fantasy, and somehow it all works.
It follows a young paramedic-healer who can move between the real world and a spirit realm filled with monsters and lost souls. She’s trying to use her gift to save others, but the deeper she goes, the more dangerous her own power becomes. It’s got that mix of adrenaline, mystery, and emotional depth that keeps you reading just one more chapter.
What really stayed with me was how human this story felt beneath all the magic. Eve’s compassion, her burnout, her moments of self-doubt are written with the kind of realism that can only come from someone who’s actually worked in medicine. There’s magic and danger, but also therapy sessions, friendship, and a real look at mental health.
If you like fantasy that feels grounded in real emotion.. something that explores healing, burnout, and finding strength in empathy, you'll love this book
What to expect -Chosen one / marked by destiny -Found family -Slow-burn romance -Light vs. dark powers -Strong female protagonist
Vibes: -Medical fantasy -Emotional and introspective -Modern setting with supernatural layers -Focused on mental health and healing
Captivating, Magical, and Full of Heart! Healer’s Destiny by Sage Salven is an absolute gem of a fantasy novel. From the very first page, I was swept into a world of elemental magic, ancient prophecies, and a heroine who’s as strong as she is compassionate. The worldbuilding is rich and detailed — you can almost feel the pulse of the forests, the whisper of old magic, and the tension between light and shadow. The main character’s journey from uncertainty to empowerment is beautifully written, and her struggles to balance her gift of healing with the weight of destiny felt so real and inspiring. Sage Salven has a rare talent for weaving deep emotional moments into epic storytelling. The side characters were equally memorable, and the slow-burn tension (both romantic and magical!) kept me glued to the pages. If you love fantasy stories with heart, courage, and a touch of destiny-driven magic, Healer’s Destiny is a must-read. It’s perfect for fans of strong heroines, emotional depth, and immersive worlds that stay with you long after the final chapter. ✨ Highly recommended!
I received an ARC copy and this is my honest review.
When I think about how this book made me feel, it gave me the nostalgic feelings of Harry Potter. The character development of the group of students developed in a fluid way through the story that grew into more of a family from the strangers they were in the beginning. I was captivated by the integration of magic and modern medicine into the magical world of paranormal beings. Following just the main character through her trials and tribulations of learning she had a sorce to her figuring out that it was not a hindrance to be scared of but a tool and blessing that she can use to make the world a better place through medicine. I thought I knew what was going to happen next, just to be blown away and it kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat to figure out what what going to happen next. I am beyond ready to devour more from this series and following these amazing characters through their journey.
I was pleasantly surprised with this read. I was struggling at first as this is not a typical read for me. I like dark and smutty reads. This is a very slow burn no spice but has some romance. I highly recommend this for young readers or a reader who is trying to get into the fantasy read. this story follows a group of friends going through nursing rotations. They are healers who heal with magic. While learning how to heal they are faced with things like moral and medical ethics, emotional burdens of caring for patients, and working through trauma. Plus so much more. The author definitely knows her medical stuff. I am a nurse and as I was reading this I was thinking, wow, the author either did some great research or she has a medical background. Turns out the author is a Nurse. She did a great job with this book.
This book surprised me in the best way! I love watching medical shows on tv and this book felt like I was getting to start a brand new medical show series. But, add a seriously unique magical system and a fantasy world setting....umm, I loved this! I also cannot wait to see where this story is going, the next book cannot come fast enough, lol I loved the different patient cases, the banter between characters and the attention to & descriptions of the detail..that was also not over done. Perfect!!
This book was an amazing read that I could not put down. It grabbed me and sucked me into the story which took me on an adventure and let me forget my worries for awhile. It moves along at a pace that is perfect for the flow of the story making for an easy read. It has characters that are relatable and you feel as though you know them. This book will not disappoint. It is a must read, no doubt about it.
Whoa—what a unique twist on a medical fantasy story. This book blends multiple genres and somehow manages to feel both modern and, at times, truly epic fantasy. I loved the main character; her worldview was a refreshing and original take. While I didn’t fully connect with the book on a personal level, there’s no denying that it’s well written and thoughtfully constructed. It kept my interest throughout and did real justice to modern-day medical warriors.
It's a good attempt. All in all the story is interesting but personally the writing style isn't for me. It's very clinical and a bit of a ramble but I'm still very interested to know how the story proceeds.
I loved every moment of this book the characters the learning they are doing the creatures and them shorting of the names of places all fantastic cannot wait for book 2 xx