Synopsis
Twenty years after her mother’s mysterious disappearance, Sinccah sets out to find answers in the untamed province of Ucksland. Hoping to bolster her meager magic skills, she seeks out the old mage guarding the caravan. While talking to him, she discovers that the pendant her mother left her might hold a secret. Unfortunately, before she can uncover anything, the caravan is attacked and the pendant is stolen.
Determined to get the pendant back at all costs, Sinccah makes an agreement with the local lord, Ucksil, and is sent into a goblin-infested wilderness. If she can find the powerful mage living in southern Ucksland and convince him to help, she’ll be one step closer to learning the truth. As she begins her search, she stumbles upon a member of a despised race of creatures who inexplicably agrees to guide her to the mage. But after decades of hostility between his race and her own, can he truly be trusted?
With an uneasy truce lingering between them, the two companions navigate a land where peace is fragile and disdain runs deep. Yet as they struggle together, genuine conversations begin taking place and Sinccah starts to wonder at the truth of what she’s been taught. But even if she can overcome the murderous bandits, are they truly the greatest threat, or does something darker lurk in the shadows? If Sinccah can’t learn who to trust, her very life will be at risk and she’ll never find the answers (or purpose) she’s seeking.
Review
I read this book as a judge for FanFiAddict during SPFBO XI. These opinions are entirely my own and don’t necessarily represent the views of the rest of the team.
A Mage’s Mentor is a personal fantasy journey that blends mystery, magic, and questions of identity. Sinccah’s search for the truth behind her mother’s disappearance provides a clear emotional throughline, and the story’s central themes—trust, prejudice, and self-discovery—are easy to connect with.
Jarocki sets the stage quickly, dropping the reader into the rugged province of Ucksland and establishing the stakes early as Sinccah’s pendant, her last link to her mother, is stolen. While the opening leans toward a straightforward, information-heavy introduction, the core mystery is compelling enough to pull the reader forward, especially as Sinccah’s journey expands beyond simple answers into something more meaningful.
The characters serve the story well, particularly as signposts along Sinccah’s path. Vistimmot and Ucksil neatly frame the early stages of her quest, and while their roles are brief and purposeful, they help move the plot decisively into the wilderness where the novel truly begins to find its footing.
The standout is the Wanderer, whose presence adds tension, curiosity, and a welcome sense of originality. The uneasy alliance between Sinccah and her non-humanoid guide encourages thoughtful conversations about long-held beliefs and cultural hostility, and these quieter moments give the story much of its heart.
Sinccah herself has a distinct voice and a relatable motivation, even when circumstances push her forward more than her own decisions do.
Jarocki’s worldbuilding is ambitious and clearly well considered. The opening maps are a delight and help ground the reader in the setting, while concepts like the Magnus add a genuinely unique flavor to the world.
At times, the prose and pacing could be tighter, with less emphasis on internal exposition and more trust in the reader to infer meaning. Still, there are memorable touches throughout—from small, humorous details to a genuinely satisfying villain twist—that make the experience rewarding.
Despite its rough edges, A Mage’s Mentor is an enjoyable and earnest fantasy novel, telling a story of a young woman searching for truth and purpose in a world that is far more complicated than she was taught to believe.
