Review: Outlaw Mage by K. S. Villoso

 

Outlaw Mage by K. S. Villoso follows the adventures of Rosha, a young woman with the ability to do magic living in an empire where she's an outsider. This book is full of what I love most about Villoso's work: those raw, deep observations about what it feels like to be an outsider trying to find or make a place for yourself in a society that doesn't have a place for you except on the sidelines. There's a fast-paced, action-packed story full of magic and secrets and even empire politics, but those few, scattered thoughts where Rosha is trying to come to terms with the way others see her, the way the empire treats her and her family, those are what raise this book above others of its kind and convince me that K. S. Villoso will one day be considered one of the greatest writers of this generation. 

"The Empire of Dageis, mighty conqueror, the bastion of civilizations, envy of the world. And yet its people cannot grasp how a mere Gorenten child could make a pebble float in mid-air. I think they would have been just as surprised if I had told them I could read." 

This is just the first of many such quotes that stood out to me. It's worth reading Villoso's books just for this perspective, which will resonate if you've ever been in such a situation. 

Another thing I love about Villoso's world-building is that the books connect in some ways. You'll see characters you love - I almost did a little dance when I met Rosha's step-father and realized who her family was from other books I've read. I won't spoil it here, but I just want to say that I love all the little connections between the books. You can, of course, read this series all on its own, but if you've read her other series and books you'll start to make all kinds of little connections that make the experience so much more satisfying. One day, there will be timelines and fan-made wikis and analyses of all this stuff! 

Going back to this specific book I'm supposed to be reviewing: Rosha's story as an outlaw mage begins when she leaves the magic school Eheldeth, with the imperative of surviving away from the prying eyes of the authorities and struggling to do magic but not overdo it as that might alert them to her whereabouts and activities, but it's also grounded in her past. We get all kinds of flashbacks and memories to her time at the school and before, showing us how she got to this point and showing us some of the formative - and traumatizing - events of her past. It all comes together wonderfully in a way that makes the book well-paced so you get action, but you also get some amazing backstory at the same time. 

While all of Villoso's books have magic at the heart of them, I think this one might have more magic than the others just because of the setting at the heart of the empire of mages and main character being a mage. I really enjoyed seeing the different uses of magic, the different layers of power that get uncovered, and the exploration of forbidden magic vs. the established/accepted ways of doing magic in the empire. Great stuff. And in a way, told through Rosha's POV magic seemed to be less creepy and terrifying than it was in some of Villoso's other books. Until that ending. What an ending!! I can't wait until book 2 comes out!