Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Mage-Born Anthology” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The Mage-Born Anthology

Kayleigh Nicol (Goodreads Author)

it was amazing 5.00 · Rating details · 5 ratings · 3 reviews

Before the Mage-Born Bounties:

Before they became known as the dangerous mage-born bastards, Reshi’s brothers and sisters were young mages growing into their powers in a kingdom that forbids the use of magic. This collection of short stories follows Eagan, Kila, Velyn and the rest of Reshi’s magical siblings as they develop their magic and learn to survive during the period ...more

Get A Copy

Or buy for

ebook, 1

Published March 7th 2019 by Blue Feather Publishing

More Details... edit details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Mage-Born Anthology, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about The Mage-Born Anthology

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

Showing 1-16

it was amazing 5.00 ·

Rating details

· 5 ratings · 3 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Mar 08, 2019 Anna K. Scott rated it it was amazing

This is a great companion book to the main stories. I have a thing for short(er) stories and anthologies. I think so much can be explored through them. In the Mage-Born Anthology, we get to see snapshots of the lives of characters we wouldn't see otherwise: the royal mage siblings, Ammon, and even Wix the fae. It adds more rich detail to the world, giving more insight to the Great Mage Hunt and other aspects of the kingdom such as the three Star sects.

First is Reina, a character we see briefly This is a great companion book to the main stories. I have a thing for short(er) stories and anthologies. I think so much can be explored through them. In the Mage-Born Anthology, we get to see snapshots of the lives of characters we wouldn't see otherwise: the royal mage siblings, Ammon, and even Wix the fae. It adds more rich detail to the world, giving more insight to the Great Mage Hunt and other aspects of the kingdom such as the three Star sects.

First is Reina, a character we see briefly in Sorcerous Rivalry, as she discovers something unbelievable about herself. Her tone is spot-on for how I'd imagined: 'While she knew herself to be remarkable and quite agreed with the standards the instructors set, there was simply no excuse for being forced to study out-of-doors.' I always loved when we got to have class outside, but hey, it takes all sorts right? As the story goes on, the reason for her aloof attitude becomes clearer. It makes her more real, less one-dimensional. I found Reina increasingly sympathetic as I learned more about her. Special mention: 'It was rude for her to ignore them, but shouldn’t it also be rude of them to interrupt her reading?' X100 so relatable ugh.

Next is Eagan. Straight away we're thrown into a point of view which is a complete contrast to Reina's. Eagan the roguish noble, hungover and in bed with more than one girl. His interactions with his manservant made me smile, bringing back more of the humorous banter I remember from Mistress Mage. I love Tresance's dry responses contrasting with Eagan's swagger, giving a bit of an odd couple vibe. It’s not even fair such a bad guy gets such a good friend.

It was good to see Kila again, this time during her training camp days. She seems straightforward in her goals and desires, not caring for politics and throwing herself into her love of battle. Even to the point of being eager for a war to break out. But this single-mindedness hides her inner fears. Her story is action-packed, the battles vivid. I was rooting for Kila, while also seeing the moral dilemma of fighting against her own kind, who are only trying to survive persecution.

Fittingly, we meet Kila’s twin Laki next. Unlike Kila, he’s a character we know little about. Also unlike Kila, he prefers quiet contemplation to battle. He’s a very different character to the other siblings, quite absent-minded, finding comfort from the calm, repetitive action of carving, or watching leaves in the breeze, or gazing at the stars. He is beset with those wanting to use him for their political agendas, and I found myself wishing he could just be left outside of all machinations.

Velyn is the first of the siblings to grow up poor, in an orphanage, instead of around nobility or in a training academy. It was surprising to see him as a hard-working boy with close friends, an interesting insight into his past. I’d not thought Velyn a very likeable character before, but then I read this line from him defending his friend’s right to be addressed by their proper pronouns: ‘“You can’t tell someone what they are by what you see under their shirt, mistress.”’ All the more intriguing from someone who later kills/tries to kill his own siblings. Tawni was probably the best part of Velyn’s story.

Cera’s story is one I was looking forward to. Cera lives with a travelling troupe of performers. It’s a fun, happy life with good people. However, after the words of warning from a disillusioned stranger, Cera starts to realise she can’t remain safe for much longer. She displays an innocence and selflessness when she risks discovery using her magic to help family. Over and over, life is too unfair to such a good person. It’s all the sadder to read about her life knowing how it ends.

The author has a knack for making even the most unlikeable characters seem interesting. They are all flawed, and human. I cared about their stories, even if some made me angry (looking at you, Eagan) or sad (Wix). She also addresses interesting and difficult topics, such as gender dysphoria and non-traditional family units. It’s refreshing to see so many different issues addressed in each of their stories. The siblings are all different, their life experiences so varied. Lots of twists and reveals in the stories, but most of all, there are so many feels. I can’t wait for more!

Also, I love the phrase ‘dead-tree eye-shield’ so much. ...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 13, 2019 Andy Winkle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: anthologies, fantasy, lgbtq

Emotional and Epic!

Nicol has outdone herself on this work! Each short story is a character from Sorcerous Rivalry and reading about their origins has made the events in Sorcerous Rivalry and Mistress Mage so much more impactful. A part of me wishes that we could have more stories like this, but I'm also eager to hear about what's coming next for Reshi and Kestral.

Of all of the stories here, Cera's was the one that spoke strongest to me. The world that the author has built here is a stark contra ...more

flag Like · see review

Apr 22, 2019 BriarGrey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019-read

4.5/5 This is an excellent companion to the series that starts with Sorcreous Rivalry. The book follows all of Reshi's siblings as they start coming into their powers in a world where mages are being hunted. Getting these extra glimpses into the world is great, and Nicol's delivers with a series of engaging stories.

flag Like · see review

Caitlin rated it it was amazing
May 01, 2019

Alfred Skulkos rated it it was amazing
May 03, 2019

Jennifer (bunnyreads) marked it as to-read
Mar 12, 2019

Kristen is currently reading it
Mar 17, 2019

Rebecca added it
Mar 28, 2019

Apr 15, 2019 Kayleigh Nicol added it · (Review from the author)

Roman marked it as to-read
May 12, 2019

Cheryl marked it as to-read
May 14, 2019

Pia is currently reading it
May 18, 2019

Ty added it
Apr 01, 2019

Mary Beavers is currently reading it
Apr 02, 2019

Alexander Innes is currently reading it
May 03, 2019

Onefunkynote is currently reading it
May 19, 2019

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

About Kayleigh Nicol

Kayleigh Nicol

31 followers

Lifelong nerd and fangirl Kayleigh Nicol earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Animal Science at Cal Poly Pomona, California. After years of volunteering at zoos and aquariums in California, Kayleigh now works at a therapeutic horseback riding center in Long Island, NY. When not taking care of her own menagerie of rescued animals, she enjoys watching anime, playing video games and reading as many fa ...more