⭐⭐⭐⭐ Was I hooked by that book? Yes. This was a new-to-me fantasy world that I found very intriguing.

Zoë Merrick lived an ordinary life until the night she was brutally attacked. She narrowly escapes death, rescued by Adam Razor, an ex-soldier who offers her friendship and a place to stay. But something else is different. Zoë is unable to control an unexplainable energy coursing through her body. Justus De Gradi is a man who can teach her that control. She meets him by chance – a man who’s handsome, arrogant, and not entirely human. He reveals that she’s a Mage – an immortal made of light, not magic. Zoë must now make a choice: Rebuild her life in the human world with the man who saved her, or live with Justus and learn how to use her extraordinary gifts. Justus has sworn an oath to protect her life, but can he guard her from the one man who has a right to claim it? Zoë learns the price of freedom… and the value of loyalty.

MY THOUGHTS

Zoë’s making came out of nowhere, and it was terrifying. It was a thrilling beginning, but then it took a long time before the reader and Zoë were introduced to the intricacies of the world of Mages. At the end of it, I’m still not entirely sure about how it all works, and I hope the following books will make things clearer. Her time of captivity with her Creator was truly horrific and a testament to Zoë’s inner strength that she made it out with the will to carry on.

Adam was amazing. He helped Zoë without expecting anything in return, even when neither one of them had any clue as to what had happened to her. He took her in and gave her a safe space and even after she went off with Justus, he was still a safe space for her. It was difficult to like Justus initially. I was a bit confused as to where he and Simon fitted in in the whole scheme of things. Zoë wasn’t too eager to ask for or accept help, and she never stopped fighting for herself. And Simon was just the right kind of distraction for Zoë as a break from all the seriousness around her.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this story, even though some parts moved a bit slowly. I can recommend this if you like Mages, magic, and political maneuvering. This first book is not a romance and I don’t know what to expect from the following books, but I am excited to find out. Sterling is book 1 in this series and it’s probably best to start here.

I am reading this series as part of a read-along hosted by Anne at Books of My Heart.

Were you hooked by that book? Let me know in the comments below.

Genre: Fantasy
Published: September 5, 2011
Sensuality Rating: Warm
Series: Mageri