Enjoyed it but I think Davenforth is the series I’m most into of the author’s.

There are few YA books that I actually like- this will be one of them. The story is unique, Rena is training to be a Mage and one of the tests is to call a familiar to her. She calls a young, handsome man as her familiar (unplanned) and chaos ensues.

They don't know her magic type or why her health is failing so badly, but its all explained as the book unfolds. Bannen is a sweetheart and fiercely protective of Rena, and I enjoy his sarcasm as well.

The story ends with them in a new place and finally with someone who can explain what they are together, which springboards into the next book of the series. Its unique magic, VOID Mage, and I like where these stories are heading. The affection between the characters warms the heart -like the Forthright series does to me. Highly recommended if you are looking for a good adventure story that is slow burn.

Well, there was never a dull moment! :D

I seriously am having a lot of fun reading Honor Raconteur's books, so far, it's only my second serie after all but I'm having the same kind of feeling reading this than I had when I read [b:Magic and the Shinigami Detective|39890034|Magic and the Shinigami Detective (The Case Files of Henri Davenforth, #1)|Honor Raconteur|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1524087680l/39890034._SY75_.jpg|61712317]. Really, I can't put it down and my cheeks almost hurt from smiling at the sweet, sweet banter between the 2 MCs.

Renata has to summon a familiar in order to become an official mage (it's one of many "tests" she has to go through), but her magic is a quirky little thing that knows better than her what she needs and here pops up Bannen, a human. So, yes, the issue here is that familiar are usually animals or even sentient objects but never humans and there are laws against it, the most important I think is that the "familiar" bond can be compared to slavery, so not really so good.
So plenty of things happened, like I said never a dull moment. The world-building is a little shaky, I could have used more informations here but it didn't bother too much in the end, the most important here are Bannen and Renata and they are so great and so cute!!!

So, I don't want to spoil to much for anyone who would read this, so I'm gonna stop here but I love them soooo much and I think I'm gonna read this whole serie really fast!
And now I'm onto book 2, [b:The Void Mage|36648483|The Void Mage (The Familiar and Mage #2)|Honor Raconteur|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511455411l/36648483._SX50_.jpg|58420112]! :)

This is a fun story but if I hadn't already read other books from this Author I probably would not have finished it because of the age difference between the main characters

5 stars // read June 2023

I was cautiously optimistic about this book, as the premise sounded intriguing but also like one that could go in a very weird direction.

The beginning felt very rushed and sort of clumsy, but as the book continued and I got to know the characters more, the pacing evened out. I'm a sucker for a good "magical bond" story, and that particular trope was front and center, so I enjoyed that quite a bit.

Overall, if you're looking for something deep and philosophical, this isn't for you. If you want a portal fantasy that has a light and sweet romance with interesting magical powers in the mix, then definitely check this one out.

Content: Overall, pretty clean. Several uses of language with frequently used made-up words ("sards/sarding" is used frequently as a curse word, for example). As you might guess by the title, familiars play a significant role- in this story, they are sentient animals/objects (or in Bannen's case, humans) that act as assistants to the mage they are bonded to; Bannen basically acts as Rena's bodyguard.

I CAN’T GUSH ABOUT THIS BOOK ENOUGH!!! okay, first things first: the overview. Basically, this story is about a 19-year-old boy (sorry, MAN) who is summoned by a 16-year old girl/apprentice mage to have as her familiar. It just so happens that mages are not allowed to have humans as their familiars–slavery and all that jazz–and so Renata (aka Rena) and Bannen are forced to await a decision by the Mage Council about what to do with their familiar bond. In the meantime, Bannen acts as her stand-in familiar, following her on jobs, her training, and learning all about this girl and unfamiliar country (because, by the way, he was summoned from 2 continents over). As they spend more and more time together, their familiar bond strengthens as does their friendship. Bannen also becomes privy to just how strange Rena is in the magical world, as her magic has a tendency to deconstruct, whereas all other magic constructs. To top it all off, Rena is afflicted with a mysterious illness that neither magic nor science has any explanation for, let alone any hope for a cure. Do Bannen and Rena get to keep their familiar bond intact? Do they both even want to keep it?

Sprinkled with modern slang and a dash of technology, reading this story was slightly jarring at first. I was unsure as to what time period it was set it, because it gave off a pretty medieval vibe… Excepting for terms such as “sexy” and the like that Bannen enjoys throwing around. There is also some technology, such as Trolleys in the city and a train… I am unsure if these are real, modern-technological advances, or if they run on magic, so I am still not sure what time period to categorize this book in, because they definitely do not have cars, telephones, or the like… However, after I got into the book, I became accustomed to this juxtaposition of medieval and modern, and it actually enhanced the story to provide a further layer of mystery and magic on my own reading experience.

The thing that kept bringing me in, again and again, so that I could scarcely put the book down before picking it right back up after a few minutes (definitely decreased my productivity on important matters, like oh, I dunno, grad school homework!) was the character building. I absolutely loved the characters in this book, and not only Rena and Bannen, though they were admittedly my favorite, probably in part because the story alternated between their first-person POVs. Bannen is an overprotective gentleman and a fighter to the core. Rena is an ambitious, bright, and occasionally shy mage-to-be, who has the potential to become something amazing. Tarkington plays the part of an overbearing father, but really is a sweetheart on the inside, while Vonda plays his perfect double. Each character, no matter how small their influence in the novel, had such a unique set of character traits and humor/dialogue that I found this novel absolutely fascinating. Not to mention Bannen/Rena’s wit! I literally found myself laughing, out loud, while reading this novel. So be forewarned, you may want to read it in a more private area than a coffee shop, or people may start to look at you funny… Hypothetically of course, nothing like that happened to me…

With the amazing characterizations of the characters, my emotions were fully invested in the story. And there was quite a range of emotions that I went through! I laughed (obviously, see above), I teared up, I became frustrated with a character (mirroring the M.C.s), and even found myself yelling at them at one point. As if they could hear me all the way here on Earth. I’d need Tarkington to set me up with a communication spell first! Really, though. This book was amazing. It completely stole my mind away from wherever and whatever I was doing in real life, and transported me to this magical world where I felt the stakes. I was inspired to enact change in the Mage Council, and was even drafting up arguments/protests in my head! That’s how invested I was in this book.

So, I’ve talked a lot about characters and dialogue and setting, but what about plot? Well, lemme tell you, the plot was SO GOOD. Can you tell I love this book? I love this book. So not only does our heroine and her sidekick follow the traditional fantasy arc of meeting, building up to the climax of a problem, and finally the resolution of that problem, but the story continues even after that. I thought the book was about to end, but then looked down and saw I still had 25% left! Gotta admit, I may have jumped up and down a little bit. Even after the main obstacle in our protagonists’ way is overcome (either positively or negatively, I will not spoil!), we still get to follow our characters (because yes, they are now ours–the readers’–no longer the author’s. I especially claim ownership! I want them in my life!) into another climax and resolution. And this is the one that really tugs on our heartstrings. I love it.

The novel ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger, or perhaps just more a feeling of adventure-yet-to-come. Since this is part of a series, Familiar and Mage, you can bet your bottom dollar (and more!) that I will be getting the next book ASAP. I cannot wait to continue this journey!