Cloak of Magic (Shaihen Heritage Book 1) by S.A. Rule

Review by Mark Coates for Goodreads.com

 “Cloak of Magic” is a solid, enjoyable read. While this book is certainly not destined for the bestsellers list, there is lots of potential here for the rest of the series that Rule is currently writing. The world in which the story takes place is different enough from our own, and from generic fantasy worlds, to draw the reader in. Like other examples of high quality low fantasy, “Cloak of Magic” would most appeal to someone who is leery of reading stereotypical “good-versus-evil” high/epic fantasy or lowbrow sword-and-sorcery fiction.

While the occasional snippets of action are exciting, this book is really about interpersonal and inter-territorial politics. The plot gets a bit thick, even tedious, at times when the reader is required to keep track of the various territories, individuals, and armies involved in the power struggle that is the central theme of the book. Some of the politics is just a little bit too subtle. There is a lot going on here, and while I hate to criticize a writer for demanding too much of her readers, I would have appreciated a bit more clarity as the characters navigate the complex relationships and strategic maneuvering. Having said this, the moral ambiguity, difficult decisions, and often mundane needs of the characters gives “Cloak of Magic” a realism that I found appealing.

One of the things I liked best about “Cloak of Magic” is that the world did not contain too many fantasy cliches. There are no elves, orcs, or dwarves. Dragons and unicorns are not supernatural creatures, just rare animals. While one of the main characters is a powerful magician, the use of magic powers is subtle. Rather than reading arcane incantations or shooting fireballs from a staff, the magician's power are mostly limited to healing, illusion, and telepathy. This reminded me of one of my favourite aspects of the Lord of the Rings books; the ability to influence and control people was infinitely more powerful than shooting lightening bolts. On the other hand, there is no doubt that “Cloak of Magic” is set in a fantasy world. It succeeds as escapist fiction (unless you're trying to escape stories of political intrigue) particularly when the action speeds up.

There were some problems with the flow of this book. I did a double take a few times when, in the middle of a single paragraph, the time-line of the story skipped ahead a year or two. This made the passage of time feel disjointed and disorienting. My other complain about the book was the ending. The story did not feel particularly well wrapped up, and it was a disappointment to get to the end with so many major loose ends remaining. Instead of leaving me satisfied but wanting more, the ending left me feeling like “Cloak of Magic” does not stand alone as a single novel. There is a sequel coming, and I suspect that the potential of this series is yet to be realized. I would be willing to read the next book in the series, but unless the second book feels more complete I will stop there.

Overall, I enjoyed “Cloak of Magic”. While I won't be grabbing random people to give them this book, I would recommend it to someone wanting to read a serious and challenging piece of fantasy.