Twenty years after her motherâs 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, 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, sheâll 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 sheâs been taught.
Twenty years after her motherâs 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, 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, sheâll 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 sheâs been taught.
Sinccah clutched her motherâs pendant. So many years had passed. It was time to learn the truth.
A sharp wail echoed through the mountain pass. She grimaced as she let the pendant fall back onto her chest. The wailing continued unabated. Her hands clenched into fists as she fought to avoid showing her discomfort. The sound was wretched, and the memories it brought back were even worse. If only the mountains would fall on them so that she might be free of the hideous sound. Itâd been going on forever, minutes probably, but forever all the same.
She glanced toward the infant who was producing the wailing and watched as his mother tried vainly to calm him. Sinccah turned away and tried to redirect her focus toward something else, anything else. She looked up at the towering mountains on either side of the narrow pass. Between the jagged stone faces, large patches of fir trees clung desperately to the steep walls. She tried to fixate on these, to pick single trees out of the distant forest. It was no use; her mind raced back to the unpleasant memories of the last several years. The smirking faces of Lady Doveâs children crowded into her mind. Spoiled brats, both of them.
A lull in the wailing allowed Sinccah to pull her thoughts back to the present. She glanced over the cobblestone road she was traveling on, which cut deep into the surrounding rock. In spite of winding through the mountains, it was one of the widest roads sheâd ever seen. Centuries of rockslides had reduced its width significantly, but it remained impressive.
She turned her attention to the modest caravan that was plodding down that road. The small cart where she sat brought up the rear of this caravan. It was pulled by a pair of massive goats and also carried the wailing child and his parents. The young couple had been kind enough to let Sinccah ride with them after sheâd stumbled over some rocks the day before. A fresh bout of wailing caused Sinccahâs gaze to snap back to the child. His mother shuffled him onto one of her arms before reaching up and returning a few stray hairs to her sandy-blond bun. She shifted her weight as the cart bounced over a stone. Grimacing slightly, she glanced around in distress. Her eyes met Sinccahâs. Sinccah tried to offer a sympathetic smile, but she couldnât hide her own discomfort and it ended up appearing judgmental instead. Both women looked away awkwardly.
Sinccah grimaced. She hadnât meant to appear so rude, but it was hard to resist the emotions that came with her torturous memories. A fresh cry rang out. She frowned as her head flopped forward. It was just like when sheâd been working for Lady Dove. How did anyone stand this?! She brushed away a few long straight strands of auburn hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. Maybe she ought to just leave. If only she could use her healing magic on herself! Her lip curled upward. Technically, it could be done, but all the manuals had insisted it was quite dangerous. Something about using magical energy to alter the body that was producing it. Certainly not worth it here.
She sighed as her hand twitched nervously to her motherâs pendant. Instinctively, her fingers began to rub the intricate engravings. Then, noticing her fidgeting, she dropped the pendant. She stared at the rounded golden disk as it dangled in front of her dull beige shirt. She really needed to stop playing with it whenever she got nervous. The pendant rotated slowly, reflecting the rays of the setting sun. The engravings had always amazed her. All around the outside, dozens of tiny yarrow flowers had been expertly carved. She smiled. Even though she must have inspected this pendant hundreds of times, the minuscule petals seemed to reveal more and more detail each time she looked at them. Sorrow suddenly crowded in and began to taint her thoughts. The corners of her mouth tugged downward. She blinked some moisture out of her eyes before shaking her head. Sheâd never really known her mother. It had been so long, and sheâd never learned what happened. Had something taken her mother, or had the woman never cared to begin with?
Her gaze slowly drifted to her left foot. She wiped her eyes before pulling it into her lap to inspect her ankle. Pulling back the tattered brown hem of her pant leg revealed that the swelling from the day before had subsided somewhat. She probed the area with her finger. It didnât hurt to touch it anymore; perhaps her injury had healed. She moved her foot back to the floor of the cart and tried putting some weight on it. It still hurt, but it was manageable.
The wailing grew louder and higher pitched. Sinccah felt her mind being pulled toward the past. No, she couldnât go there again. She began searching for an excuse to give to the childâs parents, some reason why she needed to get off the cart. This couple had been kind to her, so she didnât want to offend them with her actions, but she couldnât bear it anymore. Her eyes wandered to the right side of the path. Through the scraggly trees, she saw a small trickle of water that flowed lazily eastward. Her eyes darted upstream as she thought back to the start of the expedition. That was it! A powerful mage was leading the caravan, and she did want to speak to him before they reached their destination. She leaned forward to tap on the cart driverâs shoulder.
âHey,â Sinccah said loudly over the wailing, âthanks for the ride, but my foot is feeling better now, and I wanted to talk with Vistimmot, so Iâm going to head up there now.â
âNo problem,â the man said as he turned to her. His face featured a kindhearted smile and was framed by a mat of dark brown hair and a scraggly wisp of a beard. âFeel free to come back if your ankle starts bothering you again.â
âI appreciate the offer,â Sinccah said as she grabbed her pack and hopped off the cart onto the rough rocky path. âThanks again for the ride.â The man waved at her before turning to his wife. Sinccah walked briskly away from the cart, every other step causing her a brief stab of pain. She fought through it and quickened her pace. She soon passed by the group of travelers who had been walking in front of the cart. There were six of them, each carrying a large pack and excitedly exchanging plans for what they would do when they got to Sillburg.
As Sinccah passed them, she began to ponder what she would do herself. Obviously, she needed to figure out why her mother had disappeared. In order to do that, she would need to talk to Ucksil. He was somewhat related to her after all, so heâd probably be willing to help her get established. He might even know what had happened. She grimaced. It was probably naive to think that way. Sheâd be fortunate to find anyone in all of Ucksland who knew, and it almost certainly wouldnât be the first person she talked to. She sighed. Still, she could hope.
She breathed in deeply as her gaze wandered into the mountain peaks. If all that failed, maybe Ucksil could help her find the mage who owed her family a favor. Her aunt had assured her this great mage was living somewhere in Ucksland, so he shouldnât be that hard to find. Hopefully, the mage would be willing to teach her more magic. Perhaps she could even become a great mage under his training. A look of determination formed on her face. She was sick of being a nobody. No matter what happened, this was her chance to change that.
She began fidgeting with her pendant again and a thought slipped into her mind. Perhaps she could find her mother. Maybe it was foolish to even consider such an idea, but a part of her still held out hope. It had been forever since sheâd heard from her mother, so it was unlikely either of them would be able to recognize each other. Still, she had so many questions and couldnât help but hope that maybe, somehow, she might find her.
Sinccah noticed sheâd passed several more groups of people while sheâd been pondering her future. Additionally, sheâd finally gotten far enough forward that the childâs screams could only be heard distantly. Hopefully, the childâs father had been genuine with his offer. If the wailing ever stopped, itâd be nice to stop putting so much stress on her ankle. She looked up at the massive peaks that flanked the caravan. Even though the summer was drawing to a close, large patches of snow still decorated the gaps between the tallest points. Her gaze drifted between the rocky peaks. Most of the Mountains of Spiirige were already behind them. Only two large mountains remained: the two brothers for whom the pass was named: Jelmont on the northern side, and Nelmont to the south. Each of these jutted slightly from the main range, which made the space between them comparatively flat. She marveled at the size of Jelmont. It wasnât the tallest mountain in the surrounding range, but the unobstructed view from the mighty peak to the flat base was nothing short of incredible. Her eyes darted over to the smaller brother: Nelmont. It was fairly short compared to the other mountains sheâd been traveling through, but it was impressive all the same. She followed the patchy trees upward until she found herself staring into a bright-green patch of grass that formed a collar for the rocky summit.
Sinccah stumbled over a loose cobblestone. She caught herself with her injured foot and grimaced at the sharp spike of pain. She breathed in deeply before pressing forward. As she did, her mind thought back to the couple. They seemed like nice people. She frowned as she realized she hadnât bothered to learn their names. Hopefully, that wouldnât cause problems later.
She continued toward the front of the caravan, passing a handful of other carts and several groups of people on foot. As she tried to squeeze between two smaller groups of people, an excited squeal sounded right beside her, and the small arm of a young girl was suddenly thrust nearly into Sinccahâs face. She recoiled at the motion and the sound, but she found her eyes following the girlâs arm toward the mountain stream. A scowl quickly formed on her face as she determined that the child was simply pointing at a small bird that was hopping between the nearby rocks. Really?! All this over some silly bird? She didnât have time for such nonsense. She stepped forward and set her hand on the girlâs arm. Pushing it downward, she stepped through, giving the girl an annoyed snarl as she did. The girl cowered before burying her face in the cloak of another traveler.
Sinccah rolled her eyes and quickened her pace, avoiding the judgmental glances from the girlâs companions. Her face curled back into a snarl. Children. She breathed in deeply and shook her head. The next set of travelers rode in an ornately carved carriage. They were the only people in the entire caravan who gave the impression of wealth; all the other travelers were simple craftsmen or farmers. Apparently, they were looking for a new opportunity in Ucksland. She began to wonder whom the elaborate carriage belonged toâperhaps some rich merchant who was carrying on trade over the mountains, or maybe even a nobleman who simply had some business to attend to.
She tried to think back to the start of the expedition. Had there been anyone who truly looked wealthy? As she drew near the carriage, her eyes were drawn to a horseman who was traveling alongside the carriage. He was a young man, not more than thirty, with a weathered look that told Sinccah that this probably wasnât his first trip over the mountains. His hair was snarled together into a ratty brown mass, and his eyes moved around nervously. First, he would look intently at the carriage, then his eyes would dart off the path into the mountains. He fidgeted with an unstrung bow, occasionally reaching for the quiver that was strapped to his saddle. Sinccah hadnât noticed that her pace had slowed as she had been thinking about the carriage, and she soon found that she had been walking between the horseman and the carriage for several seconds. She wondered why this man was here, as he seemed far too nervous to simply be heading over the mountains. Suddenly, he turned toward her with a deep scowl.
âMove along,â he said gruffly.
âOh, uh, sorry,â Sinccah stammered, âI didnât mean to stare.â
âI donât care,â he said dismissively.
âAh, right,â Sinccah replied, âI was just wonderingââ
âNone of your business,â the man growled. His mouth curled into a snarl, and he thrust his chin forward. âEalch.â
Sinccah recoiled at the vulgarity, then scowled. While such a term wouldâve brought horror in Lady Doveâs court, it was only reasonable to expect such words in the wilds of Ucksland. âSorry,â she mumbled as she quickened her pace to get ahead of both the horseman and the carriage.
After a few seconds of rapid walking, she turned to look back at the horseman. It seemed he had resumed his previous rhythm of nervous glaces. His eyes briefly met hers, and he scowled at her again. Sinccah spun away and moved to the other side of the path so that a cart would block her from his view. As she did so, she became aware of the gurgle of water. She looked up to see the path in front of her had begun to slope gently downward, taking the small roadside stream with it. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the large swath of terrain that now stretched in front of her.
Ucksland. Theyâd nearly made it over the mountains! Her gaze swept over the vast land. On her left, she noted an enormous expanse of flat land, which the maps had called the Plains of Shoon. To her right was Sirlwood, the great forest of southern Ucksland. Near the border between the two, on the southern edge of the open land, the River of Sorrow flowed away from her toward the distant sea. She paused for a moment to marvel at the sight, but the sound of footsteps behind her pushed her back into motion. As she walked, she looked over the portion of the caravan that was still in front of her. Several dozen people traveled on foot with large packs on their backs. They were dotted with a handful of people riding horses, and perhaps twenty carts pulled by various animals. In the very front was Vistimmot, the powerful old mage responsible for keeping the caravan safe from dragon attacks. He sat tall atop a large horse and truly had an aura of confidence. Sinccah had talked to him briefly before the caravan had set out, and heâd made a vague offer to teach her some magic during the journey. Hopefully, heâd meant that.
Sinccah spent the next quarter hour trudging through the front half of the caravan. As she neared Vistimmot, she made an effort to stop limping. It hurt to walk, but she couldnât let this mage see that. Not when she needed to make a good impression. She walked somewhat stiffly up behind the old mage. He wore a simple outfit. Had it not been for the golden circlet he wore beneath his thin silver hair, he would have been nearly indistinguishable from the commoners who accompanied him. Sinccah jogged up alongside him.
âExcuse me, Vistimmot?â she said with far less confidence than she had intended.
Vistimmot brought his horse to a halt and turned to Sinccah. âAh hello, young lady!â he said with a gentle smile. âWhat can I do for you?â
Sinccah looked up at the tall mage, finding it suddenly hard to get her words straight. Now that he was facing her, she could see his old eyes looking at her with a kind expression. He wore seven fist-sized gems on a belt that ran from his shoulder to his hip. The gems were each a slightly different color and were arranged to transition from a vibrant green at his shoulder to a deep blue at his hip. Sinccah recognized these as maggni: small gems used to store magical energy. Even the royal arch-mage who had attended one of Lady Doveâs banquets had only carried five. Just how advanced was this mage?
âWhen we were first setting out,â Sinccah finally managed with as much optimism as she could muster, âyou said you would teach me some magic. I was hoping now would be a good time for that.â
Vistimmot gave a knowing smile. âOf course, but first, what is your name?â
âSinccah.â
âAlright, Sinccah, what do you want to learn about?â
âWell,â Sinccah answered, barely managing to contain her newfound excitement. âI heard you were something of an expert on fire magic, so perhaps you could teach me some of that?â
âAn expert?â Vistimmot said with a chuckle. âIs that what they call me? I suppose I have picked up a few things over the years. Is there anything in particular you want to learn?â
âI donât really know any fire magic,â Sinccah responded, âso just about anything would be fine. Do you think you could teach me a fireball spell?â
âDo you have much experience with projectile spells?â Vistimmot asked as he urged his horse into a walk.
âNo,â Sinccah admitted, her excitement waning as she began walking to keep pace with the mage. âI can only do shield spells and some basic healing.â
Vistimmot turned to her suddenly. âDonât be so hard on yourself! The correct use of shield spells is very complicated, and any proficiency in healing magic is no small accomplishment. If you can manage them, you are already a fine mage. However, if you are not experienced with ranged magic, it would likely be better to start with a flamewisp. It is a simple utility spell, but it will help you with all future fire spells.â
âOh,â Sinccah said, trying to hide her disappointment. âI guess I was hoping to learn something more impressive.â
âPerhaps we will get to those.â Vistimmot said gently. âWe still have at least three days until we reach Sillburg. That should be plenty of time for you to learn something impressive.â
The additional emphasis on the last word rekindled Sinccahâs excitement. âYou think so?â she asked hopefully.
âOf course!â Vistimmot said with a smirk. âThey donât call me an expert for nothing!â
Sinccah tried to remain composed but found herself chuckling at the eccentric old mage. âThank you,â she said smiling. âWhere do we begin?â
âWell âŚâ Vistimmot said thoughtfully, âI think it would be best if weââ
Sinccah gasped as she took a wrong step and pain shot through her ankle, causing her to stumble to her knees.
Vistimmot jumped from his horse. âAre you all right, Sinccah?â he said as he reached out and helped her back onto her feet. âAre you injured somehow?â
âIâm alright,â Sinccah said with a grimace. âI tripped on the path a few days ago, and apparently my ankle hasnât quite healed yet.â
âYouâre pushing yourself too hard,â Vistimmot said sympathetically.
âI wanted to learn some magic,â Sinccah said stubbornly. âIâm not going to let a sprained ankle get in the way of that.â
âI see you are persistent,â Vistimmot said with a knowing smile. âThatâs an admirable trait in a developing mage. Youâll do great things if you can keep that attitude.â
âReally?â Sinccah asked with a hint of pride.
âOf course,â Vistimmot replied with a fresh smirk, âsupposing that you consider what I do great. First, however, we are going to get your ankle patched up.â
He turned to a boy sitting in the ox-drawn cart just behind them. âYoung man! How would you feel taking the reins of this expedition?â
The boyâs head jerked up. âYou really mean it, mister Vistimmot sir?â
âYes, just help this young lady onto your fatherâs cart for me.â
The boy beamed as he leapt from the cart and ran to help Sinccah. She cringed at the boyâs excessive excitement but handed him her pack before hobbling to the cart herself. The boy helped her climb on before sprinting to Vistimmotâs horse and excitedly clambering into the saddle.
âLook Dad!â he yelled, gently nudging the horse forward. âIâm leading the caravan!â
The boyâs father smiled as he waved at the boy. He then turned to Vistimmot, who was climbing into the cart himself. âThank you, sir,â he said, âI didnât realize you overheard my sonâs earlier request. Is there anything else we can do for you?â
âNah,â Vistimmot grunted, âit is my pleasure. The temporary use of your cart will be more than enough.â
âVery well,â the man said, âyou have use of it as long as you need it.â
âExcellent,â Vistimmot said before turning to Sinccah with a satisfied grin. âThis will be a better environment for teaching anyway.â His expression changed as he looked at the scowl Sinccah now wore. âIs something wrong?â
âSomewhat,â Sinccah said. She lowered her voice and leaned closer to the old mage. âIsnât it a bit foolish to let a boy lead the caravan like that?â
Vistimmot gave her a puzzled look, âWhat ever would be the problem with it?â He gestured toward Sinccahâs foot, and she pulled it up onto a couple of bags that sat between the two of them on the cart.
âItâs just âŚâ Sinccah said before her voice trailed off. Vistimmot put his hand on her ankle and she could feel the subtle pain of healing magic. âWhat would happen if the caravan were attacked right now? That boy isnât going to know what to do.â
âNo, I suppose he won't,â Vistimmot said as he took his hand off Sinccahâs ankle, âbut Iâm hardly out of reach. Besides, do you see how happy he is?â
âSure,â Sinccah grunted as she pulled her foot from the bags and tested it on the floor of the cart. âI just donât think the boyâs happiness is worth the risk to the rest of the caravan.â
âSinccah,â Vistimmot said softly, his face turning to one of pity, âare you always this bitter?â
âWhat?!â Sinccah said angrily. âHow can you even ask that?â
Vistimmotâs face contorted into a sorrowful frown. âMy apologies. Perhaps I can clear something up for you.â He gestured toward the mountains on either side of the path. âWe are currently in the steepest part of the pass. For the next several hours, there are no ways on or off the road. The only potential risk to the caravan right now is dragons, and if they attacked us, it would matter very little where exactly I was.â
Sinccah bit her lip. âI guess that makes sense.â
âI shouldnât have intruded like that,â Vistimmot said with a frown. âYour personnel matters shouldnât be my concern. However,â he said, a faint smile returning to his face, âfor me, there is nothing that brings back good memories like joyful children.â
âI guess I donât share that sentiment,â Sinccah said flatly. âMost of my memories of children come from my time working as a nurse-mage for Lady Dove.â
âYou took care of a noblewomanâs children?â Vistimmot asked.
âYes,â Sinccah spat, âand it was awful.â
âSorry to hear that,â Vistimmot sighed, âbut I would encourage you to keep an open mind. Not all children are raised thinking the world bows to them.â
âPerhaps,â Sinccah grumbled, her voice tinged with annoyance. âI guess I just donât care for them.â
âFair enough,â Vistimmot said, âbut enough personal discussions. I think it is about time we started learning some magic.â
A Mageâs Mentor is Book One of the Ucksilâs Folly trilogy by Stephen Jarocki. It tells the story of Sinccah, a young woman and trainee mage who crosses the mountains into Ucksland in hopes of finding more information about her mother, who had disappeared when she was just a kid. However, in order to do so Sinccah finds herself getting drawn into a variety of interesting adventures in Ucksland as she navigates bandit attacks and interactions with non-human races such as goblins, all while working to improve her magic skills.
This was a good book and enjoyed reading it, but at the same time I frequently felt like there was little depth to certain elements of the story. Especially in regards to the backstory of the main character, Sinccah, as I frequently felt like I had no idea who she was. The story is about her trying to find out more about her mother but there is little explanation as to what prompted that. Why did she decide to go now? Did something happen back home? Where was home for that matter, as that was not explained very well either. I feel like understanding her motivation and reasoning for the journey was pretty important yet I also feel like that is somewhat lacking. There is a lot that seems to be missing from her backstory and while not absolutely necessary I do think that it would have contributed to a fuller picture of the character. The book was still good and I am happy to give it three out of five stars.
Honestly, I would recommend this to other readers if they enjoy a good fantasy novel. However, this is also what I would consider light reading so I would warn them to not necessarily expect a lot of depth to the story, and for it to be a relatively fast and easy read. In terms of content there is little that they should be warned about beyond some minor violence and hostility. While it is an adult novel, it could easily be read by readers in the teen and young adult age ranges as well.