Customer Reviews

Mage Heart

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dion is a young and prudish mage unsure of her abilities. When selected to protect the Duke's mistress from an ex-lover, she finds the task extremely distasteful but promises to do her best. Her concentration on Kitten Avignon, however, is soon disturbed by the appearance of a mysterious dark stranger. Dion finds herself juggling her responsiblities with the emotions brought out by her strange relationship with Andre Gregorov. And her life is made no easier by the appearances a demon named Bedazzer keeps making in her mirror. I read Mage Heart from cover to cover twice before I could put it down. (Thankfully, I'm a fast reader.) A year later, my copy is battered and torn, and I can start reading at any place and immediately know what's happening. I am very pleased to find somewhere to get a new copy, as Mage Heart has been out-of-print for sometime. I am tempted to say that this story is most likely to appeal to women, as a major theme of the book is Dion's 'becoming a woman' and the slow building of her relationship with Andre. (Andre, by the way, is one of the most fascinating and vivid characters I have come across. Ever.) As for vulgarity...well, Kitten is the Duke's mistress, and her friends are women of similar 'character'. You have to expect some talk about sex. I never found it that horrifying, but those easily offended may wish to back off. Unfortunately, the sequels are nowhere near as satisfying, perhaps because the most interesting characters from 'Mage Heart' are forced into the background to make sporadic appearances. This first novel, however, is definitely worth a look.

While I find myself more drawn to slick sci-fi novels, I found MAGE HEART to be a delightfull relaxer. The romance was tawdry but innocent, and the heroine, while a bit on the naive side, grows enough as a person to be believable, but if you are a feminist, I suggest you find another title. Dion, the heroine, is a bit of a push over. But I must say that her love interest Andre would be a well chosen addition to any female's day dreams.

But while reading this book, I suggest you turn your brain off. Don't question the dialogue that seems to try for a bygone age but keeps popping up with contemporary phrases. And don't say, "Well, she's a Mage, for goodness's sake! Why doesn't she just ZAP him? " Trust me, it won't do a speck of good. Just sit back and relax and enjoy some mindless entertainment. It's no worse then day time television, right?

THE SHORT OF IT: An over all refreshing break from those books that HAVE to say something about society.

Dion was just an ordinary young girl when she came to the attention of Michael, a great mage. Michael bought her from her mother to see if it was possible to train a female to be a mage. Michael completely takes over Dion's life as she has no other friends or teachers. When Dion is older, she cannot really remember a life before Michael. She knows that she has often been a disappointment to him and fears what will become of her now that Michael is dead. There is no place for a female mage in Gallia and Dion doesn't really have any training as a healer, the only acceptable role for a female with magicial powers. So it is a relief to the Dean of the School of Magic when the Duke calls on her to protect his favorite mistress, Kitten Avignon, from a necromancer with a grudge.

Dion tries to refuse, terrified that she will lose all that is left to her now - her unsullied reputation. After all, how can she be seen to consort with the women of the "honey sisterhood" and not be thought a courtesan herself? However, when the necromancer sends an assassin into the College of Magics to kill Dion, she has no choice but to move in with Kitten and accept the physical protection that that will provide her. Dion is ill prepared for the world of political intrigue in which she finds herself and struggles to fit Kitten's view of the world and Michael's view together. But Dion has a bigger problem, she has somehow called a Demon to her and the Demon will do anything to cross over into Dion's world where innocent prey abounds. Dion both fears and desires the demon's power, but she knows that to use demon magic is the worst kind of necromancy. Matters are further complicated when she meets the mesmerizing Andre Gregorov, a sophisticated foreigner who claims to be passionately in love with her. But who is he really and why does he want her? Dion soon discovers that nothing and no one is what it appears. Can she have the confidence in herself to make the right choices and to use her great magical gift to protect those most important to her?

I thought that the book started off a little slow, but once Dion moved into Kitten's house, the plot seemed to move along faster. Also, I really enjoyed the romance/attraction between Dion and Andre and wish that that had been introduced sooner in the book, but I understand that Dion's character needed to be developed to a certain point before Andre could be introduced. The plot was quite original and the world that Jane Routley introduces the reader to was simply stunning in its realistic details. Politics, art, religion, all intertwine in the complicated relationships that we see in our own world today. Nothing is simple and nothing is easy in this world and everything becomes a shade of gray instead of the black and white that Dion is looking for. A very entertaining read - highly recommended for all who love fantasy!

"Mage Heart" is really a simple little fantasy (the first written by author Jane Routley who later changed her name to Rebecca Locksley and published "The Three Sisters" which takes place earlier in the same world) that seems quite complex because of the amount of information packed into it. All of this is quite dark also, which added an extra creepy atmosphere to the book.I should say this is fairly dark fantasy, and it's well written enough to be creepy, so now you're warned. I had some disturbing, dark, confusing dreams while reading this. What this book really is is a story about the only female mage around coming to maturity while protecting a high ranking courtesan from a necromancer-and it is just stuffed with the history of the world it takes place in.

This is kind of cool because you learn all sorts of things that come into play later (making re-reading certain passages for clarity a must) but it makes parts of the book boring. I wasn't really sure if I liked this book at all until the last 50 pages, which were packed with adrenalin. The ending was good stuff and a bit unexpected after the treading water pace of the rest of the book.

In the end, three stars, and I will read the next, though if I had not already purchased it I might not have made the effort to track the out of print "Fire angels" down.

I've bought Mage Heart only 2 days ago and promised myself that I would take my time reading(i'm the kind of person who stays up past midnight to finish reading a book)... well, i failed.. Mage Heart was too good to put down! Dion(the main character) is a very interesting person once u get to know her. She's the type of person who wants respect from society-she's no rebel-but still has mixed feelings about what to do (and no, its not peer pressure). to sum it all up-its a perfect book for anyone [over 13] who loves romance..but dont worry, there's a lot of sci-fi involved in it too.. ; )

I bought this book on the discount hardcover rack just because I was bored. I am a Jordan fan & have impatiently awaited the eighth book in his WOT series, with nothing better to do, I was eager to find something to occupy my time. I was completely suprised to find such an enthralling story behind the cover. I was hesitant to buy an unknown author's first book, but I am very glad I did. After the first page I was completely hooked. I lost many hours of sleep because I could not put it down. This book grabs you and does not let you go! A definite must read for the fantasy fan who is bored with the same old names.

I have trouble finding books every now and then that I enjoy so much I read it over and over, each time not losing one bit of intrest. I did this with "Mage Heart." Dion caught my attention from the first chapter. She is a strong character, and the story line is not hard to follow. I have always loved dark and demonic things. The seductiveness of the demon and the man who seduces her are very dark indeed, and the mystery, love, and gentleness about Kitten Avignon give a nice touch to the book. If you love books with a fiery passion for life, love, and the yearning of trying to fit into a corrupt world, read "Mage Heart." *meg*

This book is filled with romance when Dion meets the beautiful Andre. Dion can't make up her mind about this gorgeous hunk but others would be delighted to take her place. Suspense filled to see what happens at the end. This book was a great read and filled with one surprise after another! People who like mysterious circumstances and/or romance will find this book worthwhile, I think.

Unless you are a fan of romance novels I can't believe you'll enjoy reading this book. I have read several other novels that successfully blend romand and fantastic literature so that fans of both enjoy the book - this is not one of them.

From the overwrought prose to the heavily telegraphed "climactic" revelation of the villian this book was a huge disappointment. I have nothing against a little bit of bodice-ripping in my reading but this really over did it.

However, if you like your women basically witless and hopelessly naive, you may enjoy this book.

This is a fantastic fantasy masterpiece that explores the areas of love, trust and magic! The characters are so real that they practically leap out at you and everything's so vividly described. This is one of the best books I've ever read and I can't wait to read the rest of the series, Fire Angels and Aramaya.