Book Review: My Lady Mage by Alexis Morgan

My Lady Mage
Author: Alexis Morgan
Series: Warriors of the Mist, book 1
Publisher: Signet
ISBN-10: 0451237447
ISBN-13: 978-0451237446
Source: From author for review
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For more information visit Alexis Morgan's website


No longer able to stand by as her people suffer from her uncle's cruelty, Merewen calls upon the warriors of the mist for help. Having to earn redemption from the gods he and his men pledged their souls to, Captain Gideon is ready to fight to free Merewen and her people from abuse and neglect but soon realizes that something more sinister is at work. If Gideon and his men don't stop the dark magic from spreading across the land of Agathia, they will be eternally damned.

From the beginning, I was drawn to Merewen's altruism and courage. She risks a beating from her uncle by seeking out the river where legend says a band of warriors rest, waiting to be called upon by someone the gods deem worthy of their aid. She accepts the punishment because she'd risk anything to help her people be free. She demonstrates how brave and headstrong she is early on and continues to do so throughout the book as she defies her uncle and refuses to give in to Gideon's demand of her stepping aside and hide to stay safe. She has a modern way of thinking when it came to the place of women that made her easily relatable. All this, in addition to her unique ability to call upon horses, made her a fascinating heroine I could easily read more of.

After a terrible incident that cost innocent lives, Gideon and his men have spent centuries fighting battles in hopes one day the gods would consider them redeemed and allow them to pass on. Merewen is unlike any of the callers he's had before and he's unable to keep himself from getting personally involved with her. Gideon is a very impressive warrior and I loved the loyalty he had for his men. What I admired most about him was how, even though he would have preferred her tucked safely away, he respected and supported Merewen. I felt she was the real standout in this book but Gideon was great in his own right and deserving of the title champion.

The romance between Gideon and Merewen was not an over the top scorcher but exactly right for them. Because of what Gideon is and who he answers to, there are obstacles between them and I enjoyed watching them bring them down. Gideon is not the only warrior who allowed himself to fall for a woman. His fellow warrior Murdoch has eyes for the female who greatly suffered at the hands of Merewen's uncle. Their relationship is new and very delicate and I look forward to seeing how it grows.

What first starts out as a mission to free Merewen and her people turns into something much bigger. There's dark magic in Agathia that if it's not stopped, will overrun the land and bring suffering to all. I thought that this story was well integrated into what was taking place on Merewen's land and opened the series to interesting possibilities.

Led by a spirited and caring heroine, My Lady Mage was a fantasy adventure that didn't take long to completely pull me in. The characters, the romance, the plot, everything came together and made for a great read. I really hope each warrior gets their own book not just so I can learn more about them but also their unusual, and very cool, avatars. Each warrior has one, which includes a sassy mountain cat and a gargoyle with attitude, and I thought they added a fun twist to each character.

I think people who enjoy reading fantasy romance will really like this one.
My Rating: