The Tethered Mage cover art

The Tethered Mage

Swords and Fire, Book 1

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The Tethered Mage

By: Melissa Caruso
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
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About this listen

'I couldn't put it down' Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library

In the Raverran Empire, magic is scarce and those born with power are strictly controlled - taken as children and conscripted into the Falcon Army.

Zaira has lived her life on the streets to avoid this fate, hiding her mage-mark and thieving to survive. But hers is a rare and dangerous magic, one that could threaten the entire empire.

Lady Amalia Cornaro was never meant to be a Falconer. Heiress and scholar, she was born into a treacherous world of political machinations. But fate has bound the heir and the mage. And as war looms on the horizon, a single spark could turn their city into a pyre.

SET IN A RICH WORLD OF POLITICAL INTRIGUE AND DANGEROUS MAGIC, THE TETHERED MAGE IS A SPELLBINDING DEBUT FROM A MAJOR NEW TALENT.

'An enchanting voice and an original world you won't want to leave' RJ Barker, author of The Bone Ships

'I raced through this exquisite debut in three days and adored it' Fantasy Book Review

'A breathtaking book. Equal parts fantasy and political intrigue, The Tethered Mage pulls readers relentlessly through labyrinthine turns of conspiracy, adventure and romance' BookPage

Books by Melissa Caruso:

Swords and Fire
The Tethered Mage
The Defiant Heir
The Unbound Empire

Rooks and Ruin
The Obsidian Tower
The Quicksilver Court
The Ivory Tomb

2018, Gemmell Morningstar Award for Fantasy Debut, Short-listed

©2017 Melissa Caruso (P)2017 Little, Brown Book Group
Action & Adventure Coming of Age Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Historical Wizardry Magic Users
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What listeners say about The Tethered Mage

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very Predictable

A difficult one. I actually, on the whole, found it a very pleasant listen, apart from the following reservations:

I found Zaira to be a very unlikeable person and her continued surliness became wearing. Lady Amalia Cornaro came across as being weak. The one bright spark was the narration, which was very good and it is a narrator I will follow.

To sum if, if you like an easy listen; not too challenging, then you will not be disappointed.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good but a little awkward in places

The story is a good concept and definitely has potential, I'm yet to decide if I'll continue with the trilogy though TBH. While the story and idea is good I found some of the story telling and conversations a little stilted and awkward. I didn't check the expected audience and maybe it is aimed at teens or young adults which may explain some of the tamer language used or maybe I'm just used to more blunt and graphic books.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

New and fresh

I loved this book. It is well written, intriguing with a novel plot. I look forward to the next book in the series

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it!

I absolutely love this book. Such a great story and narration. Just wish they would record the 3rd book in English! Desperate to listen to it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A small comment

This was a really good story to listen too I fully recommend it so buy it

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

not a great deal read reviews but very disappointed

to slow had to make myself listen but not want to stay up to get to the end

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Have patience it gets better!

So the general book was quite good but I think the majority of it was building a foundation to enjoy the last quarter or even fifth of the story. The last few chapters I thought yaaaas okay okay this is good, so you have to have patience with the slow pace…
Also (maybe a spoiler) but why is Marcello such a wet blanket? Idk how someone can be a lieutenant while mostly being a soft sensitive and hesitant cry baby. And I’m rooting for him so I’m not being mean! I just want him to grow some pears lol.
Apparently the second book is amazing so I’m excited to get onto it straight away! ❤️ I mostly came here for Saskia Maarleveld because she is the goddess of narration I love her voice/adaptability so so much 🙌

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

good story and easy listening

looking forward to the next book in the series, a timid kitten turning into a fierce tiger.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Wonderful Narrator!

Wonderful narrator and an intriguing book, just a tad on the political side for my taste but very well written with an interesting plot. Also had great characters that I loved or loved to hate.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable but slow

I wish I could give more than 5 stars for the narration, which was excellent. All the characters and emotions were distinct and it brought the book to life,

In fact without the narration I think that the quality of the writing and story would have brought the marks down considerably. The overall story was a reasonable, enjoyable work of fantasy but it was dragged down by a couple of factors. I found the overall style and quality of the writing quite poor, it was very simplistic and almost childlike, Not what I would have expected of an adult, as opposed to young adult, fantasy. The early chapters dragged a little and were very slow and I did not really like the main characterisations, which were quite one dimensional, strangely I thought that the secondary characters were better drawn. Amalia was somewhat weak and young-seeming, a bit whiny in places. Zaira was a stronger character but had no emotion but childish, shouty anger throughout most of the book, understandable in some respects but exhibiting no growth until suddenly at the end of the book. The lieutenant just didn't really make sense to me, too young for a position of second in command, too indecisive and generally just a foil.

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1 person found this helpful