Mageborn

The Hollow King, Book 1

By: Jessica Thorne

Narrated by: Heather Costa

A dark and addictive fantasy listen for fans of Graceling and Sarah J. Maas. The life of an orphan soldier becomes entwined with that of the mysterious heir to the throne, whose very presence draws out the secret magic living inside her: a magic that breaks every law she is duty-bound to uphold....

The room is small and dark. Row upon row of jars line the shelves, each one sealed with blood-red wax. The seal’s mark is a twisted circle of briar with gleaming, gold-tipped thorns. And in each jar a flicker of forbidden magic dances...beautiful, but deadly.

Sold to the Crown in the aftermath of the Last Great War, Grace Marchant has never known her parents. Now, she trains as an elite soldier tracking down mageborn - those born with an ancient and long-outlawed magic - and destroying them if they don’t surrender their power to the Crown.

The mageborn who submit are collared, then handed over to the King’s cousin and heir: the elusive Bastien Larelwynn, Lord of Thorns, locked away in his shadowy workshop deep inside the castle. What becomes of them is hard to say - the Lord of Thorns keeps his secrets close.

Grace has always fought the voice inside her that questions whether the law is truly just - but when her closest friend is next on Bastien’s list, Grace’s loyalties are tested to the limit. Confronting Bastien - searching his strangely compelling obsidian-black eyes for answers - Grace is shocked to feel herself begin to change, to show the first signs of the wild magic she so fears.

Only the Lord of Thorns has the power to save her and the rest of the mageborn - if he doesn’t destroy them all first....

©2020 Jessica Thorne (P)2020 Bookouture

LOVED IT

This was an incredible story of magic, passion, and inner conflict. I truly enjoyed the narration, and felt like Heather Costa really added to the listener experience! Her portrayal of the different characters and scenes made the story really come to life. I enjoyed the setting, the ups and downs as the story progressed, and the creativity of the storyline.

Fantasy Romance

A new fun fantasy series, definitely a romance and meant for teens and up, if it was a movie I would say PG13 due to violence, language and that level of romance. Though not my favorite (I think mainly due to the style of romance), it was still lots of fun. Those who like action, romance, fantasy and magic will love it. The narrator did a great job and was very entertaining.

—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Didn’t hold up for me.

Not really enough plot for me Also, I didn’t think the plot progressed in any believable manner. I can’t give examples without spoilers so I won’t lay it out but there seemed a mismatch of power and actions.

Great Premise

I love a good romance inspired fantasy novel, but similar to other reviewers, there were some plot details that really needed to be fleshed out to make me believe in the characters. The world and lore premise are fantastic and I love the dynamics of the characters, and will keep reading for the pleasure of learning more about the world.

I wanted the main male character to be more dominant and brooding to the public so I could believe in his reputation, even if he really is a softie. And I wanted more tension between the lovers. Hoping book 2 delivers.

Good

I have to be honest, when I first started to listen I just could not get into the story. I almost stopped listening. I decided to push on and give it a chance..I am glad I did. I fell in l love with the main characters and their story. I can not wait to see what happens next.