The Warden

by Daniel M Ford

There was a plan.

She had the money, the connections, even the brains. It was simple: become one of the only female necromancers, pass as many certifications as she could, get a post near the capital, then… profit. The funny thing about plans is that they are seldom under your control.

Now Aelis, a daughter of a noble house and a trained Magister of the Lyceum, finds herself in the far-removed village of Lone Pine. Mending fences and delivering baby goats, serving people who want nothing to do with her. But, not all is well in Lone Pine, and as the villagers Aelis is reluctantly getting to know start to behave strangely, Aelis begins to suspect that there is far greater need for a warden of her talents than she previously thought.

Old magics are restless, and an insignificant village on the furthest boarded of the kingdom might hold secrets far beyond what anyone expected. Aelis might be the only person standing between one of the greatest evils ever known and the rest of the free world.

• ISBN10: 1250815657
• ISBN13: 9781250815651
• Publish Date: 22 May 2023 (first published 18 April 2023)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English
• URL: http://melia.co.uk/page/detail/?k=9781250815651

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

Aelis de Leni worked her butt off to make it through the Magisters' Lyceum – the prestigious magical school of the area. She could have had an easy life, but Aelis is not the type of person to waste talent, especially not her own.

She had this big plan. Graduate from the Lyceum, blow their minds and land the perfect position as a Warden. Unfortunately, her new Warden position has put her in the middle of nowhere, dealing with a small town that doesn't understand her role – or her magic.

My Review:

I knew right away that I was going to love The Warden. First, the title and description are compelling. But it was the first two chapters that sold me on this story. I love the idea of magical Wardens setting up shop, working to protect the townspeople from necromancy and other monsters.

Mostly, I loved Daniel M. Ford's take on necromancy and magical abilities. It made the system feel new and fresh, adding weight to the world and the story as a whole. I'm already looking forward to the next novel, and that's at least partially because I want to see more of the world/magical system.

On that note, I found myself enjoying the present more than all the flashbacks. Yes, they were relevant to Aelis' situation, but I feel like they could have been summed up in one or two flashbacks if that makes sense.

Regardless, I really enjoyed The Warden and can't wait for the next novel in the series to release. The cliffhanger may have something to do with that anxiety, but only partially. This is a world worth diving into.

Highlights:
Fantasy
LGBT Protagonist
Necromancy/Mages

Trigger Warnings:
Severe Injuries/Graphic Details

Thanks to Tor Books for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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