Balance of Magic

<b>5 magic stars</b><br><br><i>Balance of Magic</i> continues the Fate of Wizardoms saga, an epic fantasy adventure filled with magic, intrigue, schemes, and betrayal. <br>While <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/48160294.Eye_of_Obscurance__Fate_of_Wizardoms___1_" title="Eye of Obscurance (Fate of Wizardoms, #1) by Jeffrey L. Kohanek" rel="noopener">Eye of Obscurance</a> was more daring action and adventure the likes of <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/23437156.Six_of_Crows__Six_of_Crows___1_" title="Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) by Leigh Bardugo" rel="noopener">Six of Crows</a>, this sequel changes the note and slowly but surely turns the tale into an epic fantasy perfect for fans of Wheel of Time or Riyria Chronicles.<br><br><b> <i>'Welcome to the second verse of our epic, where complexities arise and the struggle for power takes hold.'</i> </b><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1580809485i/28901031._SX540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><i>Fan Art by The Magic Book Corner</i><br><br><br>After the death of the Wizard Lord Taladain, aided by the old bard Salvon, Jace and Rhoa are on the run, along with princess Narine and her faithful bodyguard Adyn, as well as Rawk of course, who sticks to Rhoa's side. <br><br>Jace wants payment for his fulfilled contract, while Narine tries to escape her brother's vengeful wrath and, since both their paths lead the same way, of course they go together. <br>At this point in their adventure, each and every one of them prefers obscurity and a small respite from trouble. But trouble has a way of finding them regardless. Especially since they find themselves smack down in the middle of a struggle for power and a full out war.<br><br>War wages in Ghealdor with the cities' prayers as the prize. The wizard Malvorian had discovered a means to claim the Towers of Devotion from another wizardom and now he wants to master them all. <br>And it all began with the Eye of Obscurance.<br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1580809485i/28901032._SX540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>An amulet enchanted by a magic that renders even a wizard lord powerless. With this magical item Lord Taladain had been murdered and his death had upset the balance of magic as a whole.<br><br>You see, as Salvon explained:<br><b> <i>'The world is run by wizard lords, each with the power of a god. There are only eight wizardoms so eight men of such power. Their magic greatly outstrips ordinary wizards, of which there are not so many.'</i> </b><br>With a vacant throne the balance is upset, but with a wizard lord holding the power of two thrones, or even two thrones empty at the same time, the balance could be altered and magic shifted into another direction. Which direction and to what purpose, how many empty thrones and why? - That remains for you to find out while reading this series. You won't get all the answers here, within this installment. But I promise you it will be one hell of a ride.<br><br>This second book in series lays out the cards, broadens the game board and properly sets the base for a solid and intricate edge of the seat epic fantasy adventure. <br><br>With plots within plots and reveals that you just don't see coming, this tale will keep you on your toes up to the very end. The characters grow and develop and if you liked them in book 1, you're gonna love them now.<br><br>Away from the restrictions of royalty <b>Narine</b> comes into her own with the help of Jace and Adyn. After having spent her life trying to be who others thought she should become, Narine is finally challenged to <b> <i>'Stop trying to be the girl you believe people expect'</i> </b>and <b> <i>'be the woman you wish to be.'</i> </b> Not such an easy thing to do, especially when she has a whole wizardom to think of too.<br><br><b>Jace</b> begins to care for others too and is now met with a fear he had never before considered. A fear for the safety of others. Well, a certain one to be more exact. But will he be able to act on it after a thief's life of self-preservation and selfishness? His development is one to watch for.<br><br><b>Rhoa</b> doesn't get a lot of stage this time around and I hope to get more of her in future books. <b>Adyn</b> on the other hand is a treasure. I liked her in book 1 but downright adore her here. Her puns and constant fun banter with or at the expense of Jace were one of the highlights of this tale for me.<br><br><b> <i>Jace scrambled away and rose to his feet warily. "That would have hurt."<br>"Which one?"She grinned. "The kick in the head or the heel in the crotch?"<br>"Both."</i> </b><br>You have got to love Adyn.<br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1580809485i/28901033._SX540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>And then we have <b>Rawk.</b> Gentle, steadfast and loyal, the best friend you could wish for. And yet so heartrendingly broken!! I swear I wanted to reach within the pages and give him a big hug!!<br><b> <i>"I..." Am twisted. Disgusting. Corrupted.<br>'... who would want to be friends with Rawkobon the bald, Rawkobon the hairless, Rawkobon the freak?'</i> </b><br><b>I sure as hell would!!!</b><br><br>All compelling and beautifully fleshed out characters, with two more joining the cast. Brogan and Blyte. And they are both pretty awesome too. Especially him! :)<br><b> <i>"We all end up dead Brogan."<br>He stopped and grinned. "Yes, but given the choice, I would prefer to go out in style."</i> </b><br><br>Heartbreaking at times and uplifting at others, this riveting tale has all the marks of a fabulous read.<br>Beautifully fleshed out characters, imaginative magic and unique occurrences, thumping adventure, fabulous character bonding, humor and even a budding romance!<br><br>I loved the take on magic, as well as the conundrum it raises. <br><b> <i>'Perhaps men lose their humanity, squeezed by human suffering on one side and the lure of unlimited unchallenged power on the other.'</i> </b><br><br>The intricacies of the plot were top notch and that reveal at the end - talk about a solid punch you didn't see coming. There were a few clues, mind you, dropped along the way and yet... Holy frigging shirt! That was one HUGE twist!<br><br>And then there is that attention to detail and masterful intricacy that this author pulls like a charm. From word-building to pace, from darkness to light, everything is beautifully balanced. The tension is masterfully softened whenever it becomes too much, with a bit of light banter or chuckle worthy moments. <br>I for one couldn't really keep a straight face when a poor captain spun on his heel and rolled his eyes looking up at the ceiling and muttering in despair: <b> <i>"Why, Gheald? Why must I be surrounded by idiots?"</i> </b><br><br>Bottom-line, cause I already held you too long... :D<br><b> <i>Wizardoms Balance of Magic</i> </b> is a <b>FABULOUS</b> epic fantasy that I highly recommend to all fantasy adventure lovers out there.<br><br>Give it a try people! And who knows? You may end up loving it just as much as I did.<br><br>Find this review and more on my book review and cover art blog <a href="http://themagicbookcorner.com/" rel="nofollow noopener"> <b>The Magic Book Corner</b> </a>

I find myself in an odd situation, here almost solely at the author's request. After I left a complainy review of the first book in this series (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4403371820">https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...</a>) he asked that I give the rest of the series a shot before passing final judgment. I understand how my review overcame the generally-correct recommendation that authors stay out of review spaces, with its default prime placement on Goodreads thanks to its smattering of 'likes', and Mr. Kohanek was a class act in his reply, so I eventually agreed to continue onward and see what effect the next books would have. And now, part-way into book three, I find that some of my complaints are, in fact, alleviated. At least in part. My broad take at this point is that <b>I'm enjoying the series more than the individual books,</b> if that makes any sense. <br /><br />In my prior review, I cautiously complimented the writing, but backhanded that by pointing out some cliche passages and unnecessary chapters. Good news: any cliche has run its course and I found none of the same in this second volume (with the caveat of two brief exchanges drawn from Star Wars and The Princess Bride that are either lifts or homage). There were still a couple of chapters or sections that I feel could have been skipped, where narrating out particular actions didn't have to happen (and I've found the same at least once in book three) but I can skim past these when I need to. In truth, the writing is skillful, meticulously edited, and accessible to all ages. <b>If all self-publishing authors wrote at least this well, there would be no stigma.</b><br /><br />One recurring thing that irritates me is action replays with POV changes. A scene plays out; we then switch to a different character's POV (all third-person) but the tape rewinds a bit, with the exact same actions and dialogue playing out on the page again, with very little value added from the new character's POV. It makes me so mad, like, I just read this! One page ago!<br /><br />Also in my prior review, I called out some sexism, which on reflection was more strongly contained within one particular lecherous character's POV than I initially allowed for. A sentence in the second book highlighted this issue for me, at the start of chapter 22: <blockquote>Every wizard in Fastella was gathered in the Guild Hall, even the wizardesses.</blockquote>This left me replying sarcastically, "Wow, even the wizardesses, like females even count." The problem is that it took at least a full page before it sunk in that this was narrated in a specific character's (a wizard's) point of view, so when first encountered it seems like the book's attitude, not just the character's. Maybe this is bad reading on my part, but it's at least partly due to the POV style, a rotating limited third-person POV, but one that's distant from the character in question. We're not deep inside the character's head at any point. Still, I accept that this attitude towards wizardesses as "the weaker wizard sex," as well as most of the "your talents are thievery, my talents are boobs" perspective that we were given during Jace's scenes in the prior book, are properly attributable to specific characters, even when the words came out of a different character's mouth. <br /><br />It's still a worldbuilding choice that female wizards are categorically different and considered less powerful than male wizards because they don't make things go boom as well, but the sequels demonstrate that this is an important factor in the overall plot. I'm still not sold on the lack of wizardess lords, the god-like power level of the top magic users in this world; in this sequel, it's told that this is because one time there was a wizardess lord and she went cray-cray, but I don't like that all characters, male and female, conclude that this means a wizardess lord would be inevitably and inherently more dangerous than the prevailing alternative. <br /><br />At least Jace's default sexist attitude sees evolution in this book and beyond, as his relationship with Narine evolves, but I still have to note that she comes to this relationship as a literal virgin princess. I'm rarely a great fan of romance in my reading except when it's presented with utmost emotional authenticity. The version here is fairly standard for the all-ages audience that the books seem geared towards. Perhaps this is the biggest reason why I'm not a greater fan of the series, specific content complaints aside: its primary appeal is, I think, to a younger audience than I. I would have enjoyed the series a lot more in my teen years, and specifically when those went down in the 1990s. The POV style and the plot-driven focus give the series a retro feel that I connect with the 90s for whatever reason. It's comparable in those aspects to, say, the <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/68380.Dragonlance_Chronicles__Dragonlance___1_3_" title="Dragonlance Chronicles (Dragonlance, #1-3) by Margaret Weis" rel="noopener">Dragonlance Chronicles</a>, which I happen to have read recently (2 of 3 books anyway). I can say with utmost conviction that <b>this series is better than the Dragonlance Chronicles.</b><br /><br />Maybe I'm a character reader, if I must be limited to something? (I can be many things, but let's go with that for the moment.) I often found during the second and third book that they demand that the reader be interested in the setting's fate overall, and events taking place far away from the main characters established in the first book, featuring characters that I would be hard pressed to remember mentions of from the first book. The more of the series I read, the more it appears that the total plot is intended as the main draw, so I'll shift my expectations away from character experiences and just try and enjoy the ride. Helping that, this book includes at least one good twist that creates its own impetus to read on.

Jeffery Kohanek continues this epic series in book two, by adding some revealing background information on many characters, while deepening the storyline. Strong character development with right amount of tease, deepens my interest and furthers my curiosity in this still developing story. Book two is filled with mystery motives, intense action and more diabolical plots, plans are revealed. Again, my expectations are high and Jeffery L. Kohanek continues to deliver, cannot wait to read more asap. Work well met, well done, Mr. Kohanek!

Balance of Magic is the second instalment of the Fate of Wizardoms series, and it picks up right where Eye of Obscurance left off. And let me tell you, it does NOT disappoint! <br /><br />The power struggle between Wizard Lords is evident, and dark schemes and subterfuge are abounding! This book may not feature the same type of focused quest as the first, but it set the groundwork for what I believe will be an epic showdown of an equally epic series!<br /><br />Following the first book and its excellent world-building, we get to experience even more of it as we - as readers - get to dive deeper into the magic system, and - you guessed it - the Balance of Magic. <br /><br />The environments and the characters are well-described, and here we get to follow along with all those who were introduced in the first book, as well as a few more! Jace is as snarky as he ever was, and I found myself laughing out loud in several places as he drops his witty comments ("I can be quick" LOL). Narine is the sweetest, yet she is still a headstrong young woman, and <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="e93e0ca9-1714-4797-93c9-459271ebf190" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="e93e0ca9-1714-4797-93c9-459271ebf190">a certain budding relationship there hit me in all the right romance-loving places!</label> <br />Rawk, Rhoa, and all the rest are also treasured! The cast is well-balanced and distinctly different, yet complement each other perfectly! <br /><br />I'm really enjoying this series and I'm excited to see where the story is heading! Onto the next!

Following the death of the wizard Taladain, our friends are on the run. The princess Narine fearing her brother (Prince Eldalain) will blame her for their father, Lord Taladain’s death escapes with Jace, Rhoa and Salvon along with her lifelong friend and bodyguard Adyn.<br /><br />-<br /><br />The Balance of Magic picks up almost directly after the events of Eye of Obscurance and is just as fast paced and fun as the first. The world has gotten a little more complicated as it opens up and we meet new characters and travel to new places. As the plot thickens some of the minor characters get bigger arcs and their backstories filled in this time around.<br /><br />Of our friends- <br />Narine moves into the limelight, as she and Jace are developing a relationship. Rawk meets up with an uncle who was kicked out of the clan, the same as himself. And Salvon believes Rhoa is the anomaly that was predicted, and is immune to magic and illusions.<br /><br />Of our villains- <br />Cordelia is working behind the scenes for whoever benefits her guild the most. Rindle is still trying to prove himself better than Jace. Eladain intends to declare martial law, therefore handing the throne and power of the Fastella to himself (at least for the next few months). And Parsec’s is working towards challenging Eladain, for that same throne.<br />That was just the tip of the iceberg. <br /> I always worry I’m not going to be able to keep everyone straight because there are so many characters and so much going on with them and you all know me and my notorious inability to remember names (this is why all my bunnies just inherit by default any name of a rabbit they look similar to). But I have learned with Jeffrey Kohanek to not stress too much about it because it all works itself out in the wash. As the unimportant people fall away, and the main characters move forward, those characters usually have enough quirks or events happening to them that I can keep them straight for the most part.<br /> The only issues I had this time was with the wizards- keeping track of who’s on top in which city, and who’s trying to topple whom, was a bit tricky. It does eventually get easier as the details start sticking.<br /><br /><br />I can always count on Jeffrey Kohanek’s books for fast paced entertainment and this didn’t disappoint. With lots of twisty behind the scenes plots as the balance of power shifts from one wizard to another, there are quite a few surprises along the way including the appearance of a magic-based dragon! Always good fun.<br /><br />Other notes-<br />This is getting a little more adult with the relationships and a few scenes of gore but still rather mild in comparison to some of what’s out there. I’d let my teen read it but that’s just me. <br /><br /> I mentioned in the review of Eye of Obscurance, how I was sad about Rhoa not having much thought about her leaving her found family and we do get a little here as she sees them in passing and regrets the loss of their company etc. I liked that.<br /><br />Thank you to Jeffrey Kohanek for the ARC!

<u> <b>05/01/2023</b> </u><br /><br />2023 reads book 2<br /><br /><i>“We all die. It is how we do it that matters.”</i><br /><br />Good second installment of the series! For being such a short book, a surprisingly amount of shit went down. I will say that I don't feel the romance between two certain characters at all, but I might change my mind further into the series. The ending left me a little speechless <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="44726234-406b-49fe-be2f-179f15e5f0f1" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="44726234-406b-49fe-be2f-179f15e5f0f1">Salvon killing one of the rulers so the balance in magic will shift is a thing I did NOT see coming at all. However I'm enthusiastic because I want to see how far he will go to get to what he wants. I do wonder what he is going to do now that Thurvin is on the throne. Although I don't know how that will be much of a problem with how fast these rulers are dropping dead.</label> and ensured that I will continue on with the series for sure!

While not perfect, I liked the first book in the series. Sadly for my personal taste this sequel went way downhill.<br /><br />There's plenty of romance, which already isn't my cup of tea, but on top of that I found it to be the worst kind of romance (again for my taste) as well.<br />The oh so naive young woman, and the experienced scoundrel. All the stereotypes hit on the head as well. He's looking for "insert all sorts of physical attributes". Meanwhile she's looking for someone who makes her laugh. He thinks marriage is a horror, she thinks it's very romantic. The way he goes after this inexperienced young woman just felt annoying, creepy and ewwww to me.<br />I love it (full on sarcasm here) if the female character needs the male one to tell her to not care about what other people think, and instead do what she actually wants. All while ignoring her wishes, unless he thinks it will get him in her pants. Yes, this definitely fits the character, and I don't think the author is thinking like this, but seriously, I just HATE that sort of thing. And I hate all the blushing, kissing, and shoving away as well as sneaking looks at naked people. If I want to read whining and pining, I'll read a romance, and not a sword and sorcery.<br /><br />The plot seemed to be secondary to the romance, and aside from a few action scenes that kept me interested, the story seemed to flounder quite a bit.<br /><br />The characters seemed to get shallower instead of showing growth from the first book - which might be due to the romance annoying me so much to be fair.<br /><br />This will definitely be my last book by the author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3<br /><br />One of the most interesting parts of this series is how devotion carries such power where worship carries power and fills a vacuum. In this story, following two such absences of great wizards, what might happen in such a dark hole?<br /><br />A quick, snappy book with amusing dialogue, a fast-paced plot and multi-povs including some from the villains perspective which is always refreshing to see. <br /><br />The characters are slightly shallow with little development, but with such short chapters and the seemingly younger proposed audience for the series, this didn’t bother me as much as it might have it other high fantasies. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/booksblabbering/" rel="nofollow noopener">Bookstagram</a>

As usual, Jeffrey Kohanek has knocked it out of the park. This is the second book in the Wizardoms series, and it is the perfect follow up. All of my favorite characters are back, the story and action are both outstanding, and there is a huge twist at the end that made my jaw hit the floor. I am so excited for the third book to come out!

This is another great book added to this series and I'm so glad I had the chance to read it. The actions and adventures these characters take are awesome and you don't want to miss out on it so I grab your book now and get started reading it and if you want to get caught up grab the first book and start there.... Happy Reading ?????