Genre: Fantasy, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Bi, Gay
Reviewer: Tony
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About The Book
Apprentice magician Talisman Morning has always been lucky. It’s a problem.
Talis knows his luck is a magical talent — but he can’t control it. And good luck for him can mean bad luck for other people, and a lot of trouble. He’s beginning to wonder whether he belongs with the magicians at all, or whether he should give up and run away … until he meets a royal guard who asks for his help.
King’s guard Jeryn de Machaut could use a magician. He thinks he’s overheard a plot against the king, but he has no evidence and no support. But a wayward apprentice with a knack for being in the right place — and stumbling over hidden objects — might be exactly the luck Jer needs.
Together, Jer and Talis will uncover a palace conspiracy, save a king, and find their own best chance at love.
The Review
Apprentice’s Luck is a romance set in a magical kingdom of Averene at a time of peace, stability and acceptance, much to some peoples’ dismay. On the positive side of life is apprentice magician, Talisman Morning and his royal guard / scout Jeryn de Machaut, who meet when Talis is considering running away from the Magician’s School. He’s not so much running away from the school as from himself, and his failure so far to get a grip on his magic.
His magic does its stuff all on its own, protecting Talis from harm and providing for him in terms of food, money, etc but not necessarily anyone with him, except for what they can share of the food or coins found. In fact, it can be quite dangerous to be around him, which is why he is contemplating leaving Averene. Jeryn asks Talis to help him, which puts into play a series of events that gradually take Talis to a much better place, with a good man at his side and in his bed.
I loved how the language is used here. It’s quite lush at times, and fairly simple at others. I also liked the relationship between Talis and Jeryn, even if I would have been happier if the lovey dovey stuff and screwing was scaled back a little. It gets repetitive at times, and can interrupt the flow of the story, which is about protecting the king from a plot to overthrow him.
I liked a lot about King Ametrine – he enjoys his life, but remains a caring ruler. He takes his pleasure seriously – his food, his clothes and his bedmates in equal measure. This does not necessarily make him universally liked, but he is no libertine, and he carries out his duties with compassion and fairness, so the majority of his subjects love him.
Apprentice’s Luck is a gentle tale about a young magician coming into his power, and finding love along the way. There are lots of happy, caring characters, some a bit disreputable and some just flat-out good. Throw in a little court intrigue and a plot to overthrow a good ruler, and there you go. It’s quite an enjoyable read
The Reviewer
Tony is an Englishman living amongst the Welsh and the Other Folk in the mountains of Wales. He lives with his partner of thirty-six years, four dogs, two ponies, various birds, and his bees. He is a retired lecturer and a writer of no renown but that doesn’t stop him enjoying what he used to think of as ‘sensible’ fantasy and sf. He’s surprised to find that if the story is well written and has likeable characters undergoing the trails of life, i.e. falling in love, falling out of love, having a bit of nooky (but not all the time), fending off foes, aliens and monsters, etc., he’ll be happy as a sandperson who has just offloaded a wagon of sand at the going market price. As long as there’s a story, he’s in. He aims to write fair and honest reviews. If he finds he is not the target reader he’ll move on.