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The Mage Chronicles #2
Taliath
Return to the thrilling young adult fantasy world of The Mage Chronicles...
Driven to find the truth behind her mother’s death, Alyx Egalion has returned to DarkSkull Hall and reunited with her friends. The lies that bound her past have broken open, and she’s determined to embrace the magic that burns inside her.
Despite her resolve, Alyx struggles to learn, haunted by terrible nightmares and the loss of her friend Brynn. Her nemesis, Galien, strains at the leash of the masters’ control—his hatred for her placing Alyx and her friends in constant danger. With the world outside DarkSkull under threat from the increasingly restive Shivasa, the powerful Mage Council sees in Alyx a tool for the protection of the mage order. But the more time she spends in the mage world, the less she trusts the council’s motives.
And as they dig deeper into her mother’s life, Alyx and her friends uncover a terrible secret that strikes to the heart of her family and threatens the powerful bond of friendship between them.
Can they come together, or will the ruthless world of mages tear them apart?
All four books in The Mage Chronicles series, including DarkSkull Hal, Darkmage and Heartfire- are now available on Amazon
Driven to find the truth behind her mother’s death, Alyx Egalion has returned to DarkSkull Hall and reunited with her friends. The lies that bound her past have broken open, and she’s determined to embrace the magic that burns inside her.
Despite her resolve, Alyx struggles to learn, haunted by terrible nightmares and the loss of her friend Brynn. Her nemesis, Galien, strains at the leash of the masters’ control—his hatred for her placing Alyx and her friends in constant danger. With the world outside DarkSkull under threat from the increasingly restive Shivasa, the powerful Mage Council sees in Alyx a tool for the protection of the mage order. But the more time she spends in the mage world, the less she trusts the council’s motives.
And as they dig deeper into her mother’s life, Alyx and her friends uncover a terrible secret that strikes to the heart of her family and threatens the powerful bond of friendship between them.
Can they come together, or will the ruthless world of mages tear them apart?
All four books in The Mage Chronicles series, including DarkSkull Hal, Darkmage and Heartfire- are now available on Amazon
- GenresFantasyYoung AdultMagic
478 pages, ebook
Published July 15, 2017
198 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Cassidy
18 books258 followersLisa Cassidy is an Australian epic fantasy author writing character-driven stories filled with political intrigue, found family, loyalty, and magic. Her books span both adult and young adult fantasy, with romance woven in as a slow-burn subplot rather than the central focus.
She is the author of the young adult fantasy series The Mage Chronicles and Heir to the Darkmage, and adult epic fantasy series A Tale of Stars and Shadow and The Inkweaver Archive. She is currently working on a sequel to A Tale of Stars and Shadow.
Lisa is an author by day and book nerd in every other spare moment she has. She’s a self-confessed coffee snob (don’t try coming near her with any of that instant coffee rubbish) but is willing to accept all other hot drink aficionados, even tea drinkers.
She lives in Australia’s capital city, Canberra, and like all Australians, is pretty much in constant danger from highly poisonous spiders, crocodiles, sharks, and drop bears, to name a few. As you can see, she is also pro-Oxford comma.
A 2019 SPFBO finalist and a finalist for the 2020 ACT Writers Fiction Award, Lisa also partners with One Girl, an Australian charity working to ensure girls everywhere have access to quality education. A percentage of her royalties support this work.
Lisa loves to chat with readers. Visit her website for free bonus content, details on her street team, and information about her reader community, the Inkweavers: lisacassidyauthor.com
She is the author of the young adult fantasy series The Mage Chronicles and Heir to the Darkmage, and adult epic fantasy series A Tale of Stars and Shadow and The Inkweaver Archive. She is currently working on a sequel to A Tale of Stars and Shadow.
Lisa is an author by day and book nerd in every other spare moment she has. She’s a self-confessed coffee snob (don’t try coming near her with any of that instant coffee rubbish) but is willing to accept all other hot drink aficionados, even tea drinkers.
She lives in Australia’s capital city, Canberra, and like all Australians, is pretty much in constant danger from highly poisonous spiders, crocodiles, sharks, and drop bears, to name a few. As you can see, she is also pro-Oxford comma.
A 2019 SPFBO finalist and a finalist for the 2020 ACT Writers Fiction Award, Lisa also partners with One Girl, an Australian charity working to ensure girls everywhere have access to quality education. A percentage of her royalties support this work.
Lisa loves to chat with readers. Visit her website for free bonus content, details on her street team, and information about her reader community, the Inkweavers: lisacassidyauthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 20, 2021
4.5 Stars
This just keeps getting better and better. All of the angst, fights, double crossing...it's hard to figure out who are there to help Alyx or there to hurt her.
This just keeps getting better and better. All of the angst, fights, double crossing...it's hard to figure out who are there to help Alyx or there to hurt her.
December 18, 2024
3.5/5.0
Alyx still annoys me to no end but at least she is getting better little by little. The rest of this story is engaging and keeps me turning pages well every chance I get, so on to the third installment!
Alyx still annoys me to no end but at least she is getting better little by little. The rest of this story is engaging and keeps me turning pages well every chance I get, so on to the third installment!
March 13, 2021
Oh MY god guys, this sequel!!! AAAH!!
I really liked the first book in the series, but THIS SEQUEL. I am screaming, I don't know what to do with myself!
So. The story. The turns that it's taking are soooo intriguing, I found myself incapable of putting down the book for the last 50% so I threw away my assignment work and just BINGED AWAY.
Alyx is wayyyy more likeable in this book, I mean one of the things I really liked about her in the first book was the fact that she was kind of worthless and had to learn as she went - she was super refreshing but also you know.. a tiny bit annoying.
Her personal growth is AMAZING from book one to this baby though, and I found myself growing super fond of her!
...Which brings me to my favourite, my baby, my love - DASHAN. Oh yes, we get waaay more Dashan in this book (heheee hence the 5 stars jkjk) and he is SUCH A GOOD CHARACTER (and also swoon worthy). His struggles with being mixed and never fitting in wherever he goes is something I can relate to sooo much being mixed myself, and Lisa really portray that amazingly.
The writing is really good as usual, I love the way Lisa writes not only because she conveys characters emotions (and portray them) really well, but also because she describes the little things in the world that makes it that more real!
Needless to say, I will not be focusing on my Latin assignment tonight because I'll be reading the third book in the series haha.
I really liked the first book in the series, but THIS SEQUEL. I am screaming, I don't know what to do with myself!
So. The story. The turns that it's taking are soooo intriguing, I found myself incapable of putting down the book for the last 50% so I threw away my assignment work and just BINGED AWAY.
Alyx is wayyyy more likeable in this book, I mean one of the things I really liked about her in the first book was the fact that she was kind of worthless and had to learn as she went - she was super refreshing but also you know.. a tiny bit annoying.
Her personal growth is AMAZING from book one to this baby though, and I found myself growing super fond of her!
...Which brings me to my favourite, my baby, my love - DASHAN. Oh yes, we get waaay more Dashan in this book (heheee hence the 5 stars jkjk) and he is SUCH A GOOD CHARACTER (and also swoon worthy). His struggles with being mixed and never fitting in wherever he goes is something I can relate to sooo much being mixed myself, and Lisa really portray that amazingly.
The writing is really good as usual, I love the way Lisa writes not only because she conveys characters emotions (and portray them) really well, but also because she describes the little things in the world that makes it that more real!
Needless to say, I will not be focusing on my Latin assignment tonight because I'll be reading the third book in the series haha.
April 11, 2021
Just as brilliant as the first. These characters are wonderful and bring so much to the story. I adore Terrick and Dawn. Terrick is so overprotective but it’s sweet and I’d love to have that in a friend. Cario is something else but I really like him! He sounds really 😍🔥 too 🤷🏻♀️ This was fast paced and I found myself on the edge of my seat often. Dashan is everything. He’s still my favorite and I’m always worrying about him. Ladan as well. This is also a five star for me.
June 11, 2020
Taliath picks up where the first book ends, with Alyx resolved to return to DarkSkull Hall. The prior year she spent at the school changed her, and after her short visit back home, Alyx realized she doesn't know where she belongs. This time she intends to put in real effort to her mage training to discover herself instead of living under her father's title and comforts of nobility. The story follows Alyx and her friends in their second year at DarkSkull Hall, while they study, train, and slowly become proficient in their abilities. The Shiven continues to pose a threat with their attacks on the school and borders surrounding the disputed area. Meanwhile, Alyx continues having nightmares, which she suspects is more than mere dreams. After a devastating truth about the Mage Council comes to light, Alyx cannot help but wonder about her mother's murder and whether the events leading up to her disappearance are connected to the Shiven, her dreams, and the disappearing mages.
I am glad I decided to continue reading the series because the story's progress as it moves beyond DarkSkull Hall and the characters' growth was remarkable. Taliath is a fast-paced, easy read, and the world continues to be built. Two more books remain in this series, and I hope they live up to the promising potential it's being built up to.
I am glad I decided to continue reading the series because the story's progress as it moves beyond DarkSkull Hall and the characters' growth was remarkable. Taliath is a fast-paced, easy read, and the world continues to be built. Two more books remain in this series, and I hope they live up to the promising potential it's being built up to.
October 12, 2022
It's very similar to the first and while that's not entirely a bad thing I wanted something that made it stand further apart from the first. The same criticism's from the first book follow the second and at this stage its even more frustrating at times. Alyx had decided on her own to go back to DarkSkull to study but its still fairly unknown about all the magics that exist and how people are trained or are even doing it. Some seem to be instinctive but if its not then Howell has a lot of explaining to do in future books. At this stage I'm not sure if I'm going to continue reading it right now. Its a solid enough series but I have some "spooky" stuff to read and the month is starting to go by quickly. I might get back to this series early next month or it might be something that I get back to in 2023 depending on what actually ends up getting released within the next 2 weeks to 2 months or so.
November 3, 2021
Robuster.
I’ve read two books of this series. They are well wrote and follow the the path of the genre as it’s been laid out for young adult stories.
A young person , with unknown power , the fellowship of friends to help with the adventure of saving the nation , a Villain yet unidentified. The love interest and the ensuing entanglements.
It all here and done up fairly well.
It is a fantastic young adult series. I highly recommend this work if that holds your interest.
If you happen to be an adult and are looking for adult themed storylines, characters with adult depth then this series isn’t for you. While it is well written I doubt that it would appeal to hardcore fantasy enthusiasts of Game of Thrones , The First Law series , etc.
Good luck.
I’ve read two books of this series. They are well wrote and follow the the path of the genre as it’s been laid out for young adult stories.
A young person , with unknown power , the fellowship of friends to help with the adventure of saving the nation , a Villain yet unidentified. The love interest and the ensuing entanglements.
It all here and done up fairly well.
It is a fantastic young adult series. I highly recommend this work if that holds your interest.
If you happen to be an adult and are looking for adult themed storylines, characters with adult depth then this series isn’t for you. While it is well written I doubt that it would appeal to hardcore fantasy enthusiasts of Game of Thrones , The First Law series , etc.
Good luck.
May 17, 2022
I loved this second installment of the series far more than the first. The characters are all incredibly detailed and realistic, their relationships and personal journeys and growth wonderfully engrossing.
All of the characters having greatly matured from book 1 to book 2 brings a new tone to this book that I missed from the first. I’m really happy I stuck with this series! The found family and the mysteries are all so amazing - especially the reveal at the end of the book!
All of the characters having greatly matured from book 1 to book 2 brings a new tone to this book that I missed from the first. I’m really happy I stuck with this series! The found family and the mysteries are all so amazing - especially the reveal at the end of the book!
January 19, 2019
Missing reviews...
I'm really enjoying this series and couldn't believe there weren't hardly any reviews. So... I checked Goodreads. Yep, that's where they're posted; along with a fine collection of 4 and 5 star ratings. Unfortunately, if we don't review and post at Amazon, I think the author misses out on a lot of credit and perks.
Hint... Hint... Hint...
👼👼👼👼👼
I'm really enjoying this series and couldn't believe there weren't hardly any reviews. So... I checked Goodreads. Yep, that's where they're posted; along with a fine collection of 4 and 5 star ratings. Unfortunately, if we don't review and post at Amazon, I think the author misses out on a lot of credit and perks.
Hint... Hint... Hint...
👼👼👼👼👼
October 25, 2020
Another amazing book ended and I'm :( it was all that I wanted and more, thank you Lisa!! I'm happy and sad at the same time about how it ended, tho I should've seen it coming... I need to get my assignments done but I can't bring myself to put the books done. This is not good for my gpa but wellllll 😂😂
October 14, 2021
Definitely liked how Alyx grew as a person in this book, but with a similar setting as the first book sometimes I felt it dragging a little. The last quarter of the book was my favorite though! I also enjoyed the new characters and plot development. I'm interested to see where this all goes! Also Dash is ❤
May 23, 2022
a great sequel to the mage chronicles
Really enjoyed the second book in the series. The relationships between all of the characters is well done and key to the story. This book is getting more serious as the characters grow and mature, but there’s still plenty of humor and light hearted moments too. It still pretty clean so far; not sure about the other two books yet
Really enjoyed the second book in the series. The relationships between all of the characters is well done and key to the story. This book is getting more serious as the characters grow and mature, but there’s still plenty of humor and light hearted moments too. It still pretty clean so far; not sure about the other two books yet
December 8, 2022
I liked this one a bit more than the first. I felt like the author got to flex her world building efforts more than in the first book, and it’s interesting to see how a larger plot is (slowly) being built up. I still feel like there are a lot of things I want to know more about (the magic system, the school/curriculum, etc) and Alyx got on my nerves a couple times, but none of this was egregious.
January 4, 2019
I am thoroughly enjoying the Mage Chronicles. This second book in the series grabbed me every bit as much as the first - DarkSkull Hall. I love the character developments and the story line continues to intrigue. Can't wait for book 3!
February 17, 2018
Yes yes yes this book jumps right into where the plot left off last time!! The relationships between characters and the characters themselves make the story relatable and addictive. Would have finished sooner if Work/Life wasn’t getting in the way! Loved it!
August 19, 2018
This book continues nicely from the first one, especially in continuing Alyx's journey of self-discovery. You become much more invested in Alyx as the protagonist in this book, so for those of you who like a strong female lead, this is a good series to get stuck into.
Read
January 17, 2022Better than the first book
The main character shows plenty of growth in the second book.
She overcame all the whining of book one. This was a much more enjoyable read. Looking forward to book number three.
The main character shows plenty of growth in the second book.
She overcame all the whining of book one. This was a much more enjoyable read. Looking forward to book number three.
January 28, 2022
Fantastic!
Wow! I gobbled this book up in 1.5 days. I couldn’t put it down. The characters are growing into strong, thoughtful individuals with a strong desire to approach the challenges they meet as a team!
Wow! I gobbled this book up in 1.5 days. I couldn’t put it down. The characters are growing into strong, thoughtful individuals with a strong desire to approach the challenges they meet as a team!
February 16, 2022
This story just keeps getting better and better. Double crosses, powerful people who should be protecting their charges, putting them in harms way, and an insane nightmare maker in Alyx’s head. Who is it? Why are they doing it? The political intrigue is fascinating and who can she trust? Loving it.
February 23, 2022
A strong continuation of the series. I liked the character growth and development a lot. As with her other series I read, I saw the twists and turns coming, but less because they were obvious and more because they were well paved in the path to those twists and turns.
March 4, 2018
Great continuation of the series. A really exciting book that almost reads itself.
January 18, 2019
Great series!
I'm so loving this series, seriously can't get enough. The storyline has me completely gripped! It just keeps getting better and better.
I'm so loving this series, seriously can't get enough. The storyline has me completely gripped! It just keeps getting better and better.
October 8, 2020
If you’ve read the first you’ll definitely read the rest. This author doesn’t disappoint in this completely compelling series. I couldn’t put it down!
October 11, 2020
Book 2 Mage Chronicles
Very enjoyable read. There are times when I can not put it down just keep reading and reading. Getting ready to read book three.
Very enjoyable read. There are times when I can not put it down just keep reading and reading. Getting ready to read book three.
February 15, 2021
Fantastic
Great storytelling, strong characters, a few unexpected plot twists and general all round good read. Magic and Mystery just the way I like it.
Great storytelling, strong characters, a few unexpected plot twists and general all round good read. Magic and Mystery just the way I like it.
June 19, 2021
Really enjoying this sage, if only they had had books like this when I was a young adult I may have read more instead of becoming an avid reader in my 50s. On to Darkmage can't wait!
December 27, 2021
Great series have moved on to my thirdbook now
December 10, 2022
Well I did not expect to like this book more than I should. Kudos to the writer. I want more and I’ll definitely continue reading the series.
January 12, 2024
fun read
Good story, good characters, a nicely built world. I highly recommend. Start with the first book and read the series.
Good story, good characters, a nicely built world. I highly recommend. Start with the first book and read the series.
January 28, 2025
I found the story to be a little repetitive with the last, but I'm invested in the characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews