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The Mage-Born Anthology

Kayleigh Nicol (Goodreads Author)

4.28 · Rating details · 25 ratings · 10 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

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Published March 7th 2019 by Blue Feather Publishing

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Jan 29, 2020 Jennifer (bunnyreads) rated it really liked it

Shelves: tbrinder-request-books, anthologies, 2020, bingo-r-fantasy-2019

If you were a fan of Sorcerous Rivalry or Mistress Mage (or just want to know what all the hoopla is about) you will want to get in on this anthology! Full of bite-sized stories about Reshi’s siblings, this gives us a peek at their lives and insight to their characters before the big Mage-Hunt that spurred the events of Sorcerous Rivalry.

Like her other books Kayleigh Nicol’s tone is light even though some of subject matter can be pretty heavy and dark. It’s a delicate balance that she does very ...more

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Jan 12, 2020 Kristen rated it really liked it

Full review is here, on my blog!~

Oh anthologies. You take me literally forever to get through. Such is the world of reading bits of them around other things, I guess. This one took an absolute aaaage to get through, by no fault of its own, of course, but mainly because I was so busy with review requests and the SPFBO that I couldn’t really even stop to read a story from this in between. It kind of fell off my radar for a bit but never fear! I always picked it back up for more!

Wayward Scholar – W Full review is here, on my blog!~

Oh anthologies. You take me literally forever to get through. Such is the world of reading bits of them around other things, I guess. This one took an absolute aaaage to get through, by no fault of its own, of course, but mainly because I was so busy with review requests and the SPFBO that I couldn’t really even stop to read a story from this in between. It kind of fell off my radar for a bit but never fear! I always picked it back up for more!

Wayward Scholar – We start this one out with a story about Reina, who is the oldest Mage-Born sibling. The story takes place when she first learns she has magical powers, and includes a little bit of her efforts to control them and how she went about scoring a magical education. It also features Eagan a little bit. I found this story difficult to get through not because it wasn’t written well or anything, but because I honestly never really cared for Reina and thus didn’t really care for her here either. Honestly I should have skipped it when I realized I wasn’t digging it because it took me longer trying to get through it regardless. Oh well. It was good insight into Reina’s life and motivations all the same.

Noble Ambition – This story is about Eagan, a fire mage and the second-oldest of the kiddos. This story was hard to put down! Eagan is seventeen in this story, a blackout drunk, and promiscuous to the point of having slept with pretty much everyone in his circle of influence, with the exception of Arazeli, the woman whose family is in talks to enter into betrothal to him. I liked this story, because really I ended up liking Eagan’s manservant, sometimes bedmate, and best friend Tresance. He’s usually there to clean up Eagan’s messes, and is… pretty much unfailingly faithful to Eagan. Kind of adorable really. So, when a couple of mage hunters show up in town, shenanigans go down. And Eagan, as it turns out… is Eagan. ಠ_ಠ

Warrior’s Weakness – This story follows Kila, and more or less details some of her exploits in military school. She is fifteen in this story, and is already so proficient with most weapons that they have to how special instructors too even teach her at all. As the magical wards have been randomly going off (wonder why), the school brings in an expert, and with him comes her new special instructor. Omiro is fast as hell, and Kila has no idea how he keeps winning against her, but she knows he’s there to teach her something, so she’ll roll with it. When they take on guarding a caravan together, all sorts of shenanigans take place. Fun times!

Star Signs – This one is about Laki. He is also fifteen in this story, and it takes place about a month or so after Kila’s story. Laki is a novitiate at what is basically a monastery. The monks choose a path when they’re sixteen, which is kind of like choosing your profession, or order. He’s still a year away, but suddenly a few of the people in the warrior-monk order come calling hoping to get him to pledge to them early so they can use his parentage to their advantage. Their plans are thrown off course when Laki gets a sign he believes is urging him to join a different order.

Storm Front – Ahhh finally. Velyn’s story. We’re going in order of age, so he’s second to last of Reshi’s siblings. Velyn grew up mostly in an orphanage, because the king and his mistress apparently decided that after pawning off their children on other noble families, school, church, and military, that they were out of ideas on where to put them. This story follows Velyn and his best friend Tawni as they go out fishing for clams in order to make cash to buy themselves their own ship. With Velyn being a wind mage and Tawni a salt-mage, they’re more or less the perfect team to crew a fishing boat. When they get caught in a storm, some shenanigans go down. I really enjoyed this story most of all. Tawni is a great character, and the relationship between him and Velyn was endearing.

Blind Side – Cera’s story. She is part of an acting troupe, traveling the land with her family, boyfriend, and troupe. When one of the troupe is injured in a bar fight, all sorts of shenanigans go down. I really enjoyed this story as well. This and Velyn’s tale were my run away favorites.

We also get a few bonus stories. One is a brief look at what happened when the Mage-Born bounties went into effect and people began hunting the siblings (which left me with questions). Another is a story about Wix, which I really enjoyed. Thirdly, there’s a story about Ammon and his sister Zera in which Kestral makes an appearance.

All told, I enjoyed this anthology quite a bit, even if it took me forever to read. I think, in the end, that it was because I didn’t love the first few stories and set it aside for too long. I was far more inclined to read on after finishing a story I liked a lot, so once I got to Laki’s story, I was on board far more. Some people may love Eagan, Kila, and Reina’s stories a lot more than I did. ...more

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Jul 19, 2019 Samantha || Fictionally Sam rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-5-star, fantasy

Rating: 4.5 stars
Representation: LGBTQIA+, non-traditional family, adoption

“A Bargain made.”
“The terms upheld.”
“The price agreed.”
“The debt repaid.”

I really enjoyed myself with this one! The Mage-Born Anthology is a collection of short stories that follows the six bastard children of the King of Zarapheth as they come to learn the knowledge of who they truly are and learning to master their new found abilities.

Each story told in a different perspective from each of the seven children, we ...more

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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

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Jul 29, 2019 Dianthaa rated it really liked it

I read this with no knowledge of the universe and I didn’t have any trouble following along or anything, so if you want to you can read it before Sorcerous Rivalry.

This is gonna be one of those rambling reviews just listing things I liked

The stories

The really cool thing is how different all the stories all to each other. They all show how the MC deals with finding out they are Mage-Born, but they each take it differently, and the stories’ settings are also very diverse.

There’s the bookish introv ...more

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Jul 14, 2019 Alexandra Mack rated it really liked it

The Mageborn Anthology is full of short stories discussing the lives of Reshi’s siblings before and after they received their powers. Some of his siblings lived together while others lived on their own, not knowing that they had any siblings. They were all raised in different locations across the country, they all have different personalities, and they all develop very different powers. I’m not going to be able to review all the stories without including major spoilers, so I am just going to foc The Mageborn Anthology is full of short stories discussing the lives of Reshi’s siblings before and after they received their powers. Some of his siblings lived together while others lived on their own, not knowing that they had any siblings. They were all raised in different locations across the country, they all have different personalities, and they all develop very different powers. I’m not going to be able to review all the stories without including major spoilers, so I am just going to focus on my favorite story and the story that surprised me the most.

My favorite story was Velyn’s backstory. He was also raised in an orphanage like Reshi, but when he aged out of the orphanage, he was placed in a halfway house with his best friend Tawni. They both want to be fishermen and Velyn as a wind-mage would guarantee that they would be successful. All they have to do is save enough from the money they make off the catch of rented boats to buy their own and start their own business. Even though Velyn is pretty evil in the main series, he seemed genuinely sweet to his friend and an honest worker in this book. Now I need to know what happened between this short story and the beginning of the Mageborn Chronicles to make him into the man he was!

The story that surprised me the most was Eagan’s backstory. I knew that one person would have had to be just genuinely bad, and I guess Eagan was that person. I almost cried while reading the end of this story, and then that was it! I don’t need to read more of his character, but it would be interesting to see how he reacted to meeting the rest of his siblings.

Overall, one or two of the short stories were a bit disappointing, but they were all good for the most part. I just hope that there is more to come from this universe, as I love this lore and these characters so much! The novellas were also written in chronological order, from the time the oldest child got her powers to the point that the mage hunters started hunting the 7 siblings. Through these stories you are able to see to see how the world slowly became more and more hostile towards mages over time, and how the younger siblings were raised in worse conditions than their older siblings. I would not recommend reading this before the other two books in the Mageborn Chronicles, but I would recommend reading it after for a bit more backstory.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for the novellas to the Mageborn Chronicles, a fantasy series with LGBT+ characters.

I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.

...more

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Jun 11, 2019 Rebecca (Medusa's Rock Garden) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: x-unlimited, z-2019, amaz-women, self-pub, fantasy, lgb, wizards-mages-sorcerers, author-female, short-stories

Fantastic addition to the Mage-Born world. I started this yesterday with the intention of reading one story every day or two in between other books.... But I couldn't stop reading it, so, here we are.

It begins with Reina and I absolutely loved her story. I also loved reading more about Kila. Wixs history was super sad. Indeed many of the stories were kind of sad to read about, but I guess that should have been obvious considering these are all leading up to the Bounties and what comes after that ...more

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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

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May 09, 2020 Axel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, lgbt, fiction, fantasy, dark-fantasy, anthology

This anthology shows what I like so much about Kayleigh Nicol, she managed to write such interesting characters that really makes you want to read what happens to them. While all stories was great, "Storm Front" was my favorite of them all. Can't wait to see what is in stock for this world and Nicol in the future.

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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.

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About Kayleigh Nicol

Kayleigh Nicol

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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