Synopsis
Calla has no memories of her childhood except for hazy, recurring nightmares. Working as a servant in Kiriong, the picturesque terrace garden home to one of the most influential families in the Kamphua Dominion, she’s content to live a simple life. As long as no one finds out about the forbidden magic stirring under her skin.
When the estranged family heir, Gray—a magehunter in servitude of the royal hold—unexpectedly returns home, Calla’s secret threatens to surface. Instead of turning her in, however, Gray offers her the one thing she always feared: to teach her how to use her powers. And as the turbulent tides of long-forgotten magic draw them together, Calla finds it harder and harder to deny her potential.
But Gray knows more than what he admits. In the aftermath of a vile political plot targeting him and with the shadow of a mage uprising cast upon the land, finding out what happened to Calla in her forgotten years might be their only chance to survive.
Except the knowledge could break them both.
It could break the world.
Review
Imbued is an emotionally rich dark fantasy with visually-arresting descriptions.
The world-building is lush, filled with flower and plant symbolism, magically-tainted purple soil, and dream-like visions. The magic in this story is parasitic in nature, drawing power from the life force of plants and creatures. It is easy to see why our protagonist, Calla doesn’t heed its call. Mages seeking power have left distant lands scarred and brimming with warped creatures. The mage-stalking Venai in particular, are at once pitiable and horrific.
This is a book for fans of Margaret Rogerson (I’d comp it to A Sorcery of Thorns in tone) and the Grishaverse. One theme that comes through powerfully here is that of trust. Calla must learn when to trust her abilities and instincts and when to place her wellbeing in the hands of others.
Imbued starts off in the seemingly peaceful land of Kiriong, but there is a simmering tension here. Much like the magic that is always lashing against Calla’s composed surface. Her dangerous gift cannot be revealed or she will likely lose her life. So she hides it, serving Ma-yi Sulla, a local authority (someone like a duchess, I think) and her family. Calla does not seem to remember her childhood, and has worked as a servant for as long as she can remember. Her tendancy to withdraw into her own mind may feel foreign to readers more familiar with sword-weilding heroines, but she is worthy of her role as our protagonist. Calla is careful to preserve the simple life that she has grown with dear friends like Marigo, a fellow servant in the Ma-yi’s household. When the Ma-yi’s son, a mage trained to hunt those of his kind, returns home for the first time in years, Calla is faced with difficult decisions. Should she flee from everything she knows before she is found out? And just how much longer can she afford to remain an observer?
The author gradually weaves traces of foreshadowing into the early part of the story. This pays off in the last third of the book. Events start ramping up dramatically, and the seemingly disconnected threads of Calla’s past and present pull together. The sequel to Imbued, Untwined, promises to navigate challenging waters where character relationships and morality are concerned. Untwined releases on 6 September 2026.
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