Welcome friend! Backlist Bingo let me finally make time for The Wizard’s Ward, an indie fantasy whose gorgeous cover had been on my mind ever since I got it. Here is what the book is about:
Jules McAleese | Goodreads | Vale #1
Francis has gray blood.
The King of the Elves ordered all gray bloods be put to death, by any means necessary. Francis, the Wizard’s Ward, has been hiding in plain sight all her life, under the care of Billington, the King’s wizard. When Billington disappears from the Cardinal castle, Francis enlists the help of her first love, a battle-ridden soldier called X, to find the only family she’s ever known.
But outside the castle walls, there is a war raging between kingdoms and Francis faces countless dangers that plague the land of Vale. Shapeshifting bounty hunters search for military deserters, pirates maraud Vale’s seas, combat-trained dragons dwell in the witch’s mountains, and betrayals harden once-warmed hearts.
As the journey pushes Francis to her limits, she uncovers the true power of her gray blood, a power that could fulfill a prophecy and bring down a psychotic king.
Vale: The Wizard’s Ward is the first installment of an epic young adult fantasy franchise.
The Wizard’s Ward – Review
The Wizard’s Ward is a YA Fantasy, primarily told from the third person perspective of Francis. From the very first chapter, this book sets up a world rich in magic. I love the settings of markets with vendors and buyers haggling over prices and excitement over rare items. The Elf King’s wizard, Billington, is wandering such a market when he comes across some precious pixie wings at a mysterious vendor’s. He is intrigued by her insistence that he would need them in the near future and pays the high price, not knowing how right she is. Leaving the market, he counters magical bounty hunters and somehow ends up becoming the protector of a baby, Francis.
Fast forward some fifteen years or so, Francis has been living at Cardinal castle with Billington as his ward. As a ward, Francis is neither a servant nor a royal. She has struggled to find her place in the world but a few years ago, she found solace in a new friend, X, the son of the commander of the King’s forces. Their friendship came to an abrupt end when X left to train as a soldier and now, years later, he is returning and Francis has been invited to her very first ball to celebrate the recent victories X’s efforts has brought the King.
The Wizard’s Ward is divided into three acts. While the first has the hopes and anxieties of a young girl trying to find a place in the world, the other two are darker as she finds herself on a quest to not only find her missing benefactor, the wizard Billington, but also learn how she came to be. There are a number of races and magical creatures in this story. Some are described well while others are left to the reader’s imagination to flesh out based on their familiarity. There are also pirates and a group of young people who have escaped the King’s capture which made me think of Peter Pan.
The story moves at a good pace and there was never a dull moment! I found the angle of an evil Elf king refreshing. I liked Francis, the implications and powers of her gray blood. She is still young and in a lot of ways, untaught. She is a lot more emotional than logical right now. Once she learns to harness her power, she can become formidable. I suspect Cora and Kale have a big role to play in the next book.
The Wizard’s Ward is a promising debut. I felt that the story arch for many of the characters was hurried and I couldn’t quite understand their motivations. There were attempts made to share their point of views but I don’t think they were sufficient. Most of the story takes place in present time but all the characters have this tendency to slip into memories without much notice. For the last chapter in particular, I wasn’t sure for the longest time when it was taking place. It was a great ending though and I am curious to see what happens next. Based on the map at the beginning of the book, it looks to be a big world with much room for exploration!
If you are looking for YA Fantasy with beautiful book interiors and exteriors as well as a captivating story, give this one a read. Add it on Goodreads and let me know in the comments if you want to read this one!
Many thanks to the author for a review copy of this book for an honest review.
Be First to Comment