The Mage in Black (Sabina Kane, #2)

by Jaye Wells

[Amanda]

Sabina is back! Back in black! Okay. That was lame of me for going there. I'm sorry. I was a little hesitant going into this book because...it's the second book. Second books freak me out a little: they're the realization (or failure) of the potential in the first book. Given that I loved Red-Headed Stepchild, I wanted The Mage in Black to be just as good. And is was. My only complaint about The Mage in Black is that Sabina's old flame was a bit too opportunistic for me. Make of that what you will.

Sabina's world changes considerably with book 2 as she's thrust into the mage world. She finds herself overwhelmed with new experiences: meeting her sister, learning magic, having to abide by rules. And she struggles. She struggles a lot. And I liked that who Sabina is continues to change throughout this book. She has FEELINGS. She keeps trying to run away from them, but...she can't. I liked how uncomfortable she was. Her world got all shaken up and now she's trying to figure out where she belongs. Good stuff.

And it wouldn't be a review without mention of Giguhl. No lie, Giguhl ranks up on my list of sidekicks right under Oberon from the Iron Druid Chronicles. His snark and well-timed observations are classic. Plus, he's a demon who often gets stuck in a hairless cat form. And we get to know him a little better. And he's fun. "Why is it forked?" may have been my favorite line in this book. Of course, Giguhl is not the only character in this book worthy of mention. I had a certain fondness for Adam, his aunt--Rhea--and Maisie.

The Mage in Black was a worthy follow-up to Red-Headed Stepchild. The next book in the series is going on my wishlist ASAP, because Jaye Wells didn't exactly leave Sabina in a good place. Shit's going down. THINGS are HAPPENING, people. And I want to know what happens next.