The Spoken Mage Series by Melanie Cellier

We’re already Melanie Cellier fans over here. She has proven to be an insightful, philosophical, detailed, and wonderfully creative writer. When I saw that she’d written an entirely new set of fantasy novels, I was in.

True to her form, Cellier propels the reader into each novel by giving us a story line that we cannot resist. Love of family, personal sacrifice, underdog determination, hidden magical powers—each calls us to the next chapter, then the next book.

Melanie Cellier’s character building is probably my favorite aspect of her writing. Her characters are distinct while remaining subtle and relatable.

The main character of the Spoken Mage series, Elena, carries the typical baggage of a poor, underprivileged outlier. Thrust into the center of elite society due to her mysterious powers, she is both eager and reticent to make friends in her new social construct. We feel her stress and her wonder as she encounters magic that’s way over her head. Elena makes mistakes in assuming both the best and the worst of people without realizing her new social order is one of subterfuge, posturing, and a dismissal of those who are weak. She is fortunate to have a few guides along the way, such as the mysterious prince of Ardann.

Prince Lucas should have been in a grade ahead of Elena’s small class, but princely duties forced him to wait to start his training at the academy. Not that it mattered, as he is the most powerful and level-headed mage in their year. And while he comes across as haughty, things are different beneath the surface of royal appearances. When he does speak, Lucas is profound. He proves to be an ally without giving any indication that he’s actually doing everything he can to protect Elena from execution by those who are unsettled by a new type of power in the kingdom.

The first book carries us through the multi-layered social order only to realize in the second book that the real force of doom lies in the battered warfront that claims victims from every class of society. As Elena discovers her depth of powers, she comes to love every class of society with whom she mingles, but that also means she has more to protect as the kingdom comes against a magically complex enemy.

Which brings me to the other reason why I love Melanie Cellier—her world building invites the reader to solve the mysteries with the character. There are enough insights and hints to make the reader feel like they are unraveling the mysteries with the character without robbing us of the surprises. The magical rules are consistent and it makes sense why people end up acting the way they do.

If you haven’t figured it out already, I highly recommend Cellier’s Spoken Mage series. Also, it’s a clean read, which is just reason #257 why I like Cellier’s work.