It’s a rare book indeed that after 640 pages, it ends on a cliffhanger, and you sit back and go, “Damn, I wish I had the second book in the series to start.” But that’s exactly what I thought after plowing through Karen Miller’s marvelous THE INNOCENT MAGE, the first of her two books in her KINGMAKER, KINGBREAKER series, which will conclude with THE AWAKENED MAGE.

Asher is a young country lad from a fishing town who strives to make his way in the big city of Dorana. There, he lucks into a job at the royal stables, but his boss Matt, and Matt’s companion Dathne, are plotting something. These two believe the end times are coming, and through a vision, Dathne identifies Asher as “the innocent mage” of the prophecies. But they tell Asher none of this.

Instead, Asher luckily – but believably – hooks up with the royal Prince Gar, and wrangles a job within the royal retinue. Gar and Asher become good friends. Prince Gar is a Doranen, but inexplicably was born without the ability to perform magic, thus causing a stain on the royal family. Gar’s sister, Fane, will be able to ascend the throne, but Gar must make do with what political appointments he can handle.

There is a remarkable scene where his father the King and Gar talk about Gar’s future and his reputation that rings very true. The story in this first book details Gar and Asher’s friendship, and the political machinations that go on in the kingdom. There are some very severe threats to the peace of the land, both from within and from beyond the protective wall that cuts off the land of Lur from what evil lies beyond.

This mix of royal prince and rude country lad is standard, but well-handled here. Miller occasionally lets the pseudo-cornpone dialect get the better of her, even when Asher isn’t speaking, but this is counterbalanced by her full characterizations and realistic depiction of human behavior. Prince Gar isn’t always the young, polished sophisticate, and Asher isn’t always as clodly as he sometimes behaves. Their interactions have ups and downs just like any relationship, and Miller uses these well to make us believe in her heavily-magicked world.

I’d like to tell you more, but there are so many intriguing twists and turns that I don’t want to give away: things concerning the health of the King, newfound capabilities of Gar, the historical development that threatens every character we have come to care for, the mysterious purpose of the innocent mage. It all adds up to a remarkable foretaste for what will be revealed in the second book of the series. I can’t wait. Give this one a try. –Mark Rose

Buy it at Amazon.