The Well of Tears was created to harness the power of the Netherworld to prevent a magical apocalypse. Now Darien Lauchlin is the last surviving mage capable of reversing the destruction the Well unleashed. Darien will be forced to sacrifice everything of himself and everyone around him-all to preserve a nation of people who despise him.Darkmage is the first installment of the Rhenwars Saga, a … sprawling epic set in a morally gray world where there is no clear distinction between hero and villain.Experience epic battles, flawed heroes, and a brutal struggle where the triumph of good over evil is never guaranteed.If you enjoy the dark, sprawling world of Steven Erikson, the awe-inspiring magic of The Wheel of Time, and the compelling antiheroes of C.S. Friedman, then you’ll love The Rhenwars Saga.
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I finished reading this book a week ago and finally had time to review it. I had no idea what to expect when I picked up the entire Rhenwars Saga by author M.L. Spencer. Darkmage is the first book in the series.
The tale begins with death and destruction and the opening of the Well of Tears which unleashes chaos upon the world, Eight Servants of Xerys; demons. Great start. I was drawn into the book right away.
Darien Lauchlin is a minor acolyte of Aerysius who still hasn’t committed to the faith, bearing the markings, the chains of his binding on his wrists while bearing a sword against tradition. Through desperation and Transference, with the ancient city falling apart around them, Darien is hoisted up into a Master’s role, a Sentinel, absorbing enough power from the dying to become an unheard of Eighth Tier mage.
Surviving the onslaught, Darien travels through various locales, gaps, shrines and temples, enlisting the aid of an apprentice, Kyel Archer, and Naia Seleni, First Daughter of the Goddess Isap and a priestess of Death. Makes for interesting company.
Sworn to honor the Oath of Harmony which prevents him from using his powers to injure, Darien must decide if breaking the binding and sacrificing his soul to defeat the enemies of chaos is the right choice to save his people. An unbound mage is an abomination. He will not be looked upon as a hero even if he wins.
To make matters worse, the mage who opened the Well and poses his greatest threat, is his brother, Aiden.
I found Darkmage to be an extremely entertaining fantasy tale and I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series. Highly recommended for lovers of fantasy.
This book reminds me of the ‘dark side” of Darth Vader from the Star Wars movie franchise. The main character has his own set of demons to deal with – internal and external. An interesting twist to the world of magic!
The first book in a series about deconstructing many of the sacred cows of high fantasy. A heroic band of misfits sets out to save the world, only to fail miserably, and get their world cursed forever. This is a prequel to the proper start of the series and gives the origins for many of Rhenwars most interesting characters.
Darkmage by M.L. Spencer is the second book in The Rhenwars Saga. Set 1000 years after Darkstorm, the Well of Tears is opened, yet again, and Darien Lauchlin is determined to close the Well of Tears, and keep it closed.
I enjoy Spencer’s writing and world building. The characters are tormented, and emotions run high in this dark fantasy story. Spencer’s writing takes us to the edge of darkness and keeps us there, hoping to find the light. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Darkmage is set in a world where the only things standing between the (mostly) peaceful kingdoms of the Rhen and the Black Lands of The Enemy are the desperate men guarding the border and the Mages of Aerysius.
The novel has a number of point of view characters, moving in and out of the story, taking the reader around the kingdoms, drawing the story together in places, expanding it where necessary. The bulk of the story though, is told through the eyes of Darien Lauchlin. He begins the novel as an acolyte mage but in rapid succession is elevated to full mage and possibly the most powerful in history. He is betrayed, loses his home and just about everyone he cares for.
A very strong part of the novel is Darien’s progression from young, relatively innocent soldier to a haunted man, equally revered and cursed by those he wants to help. The reader is led through what he will do, to others and to himself, in order to do what he believes will save the lands from the agents and armies of the enemy. It’s often easy to be simultaneously appalled by his arrogance and the way he treats people but also understand why he’s doing so.
The world building in the story is very well done. There is a sense that there is a long history in the kingdoms, and pieces of that history are given out as needed. You learn everything you need to follow the plot without any large info dumps, but there is more than enough to suggest a lot more is in place, possibly being held back for future installments. The same is true of the way magic works in this world. Again, some aspects like the passing of abilities are detailed, while others, like the orders of mages, are only alluded to.
Despite it being billed as the 1st book in the Rhenwars series, Darkmage can be read as a stand-alone novel. Both the writing and the world are strong enough to support this and I certainly had no difficulty enjoying the novel on its own terms. Having said that, I would eagerly visit the Rhen again…