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Reviewed by Gabriel Santos for Readers' Favorite
Set in the modern era, Solomon Glaukos' The Curse of the Wanderer places the reader in a fantastical world hidden from regular eyes and filled with magical powers and beasts. Our main character, Amber, wishes to follow in the footsteps of her father, the powerhouse and renowned fire mage Jonathan Tepes. Unfortunately, Amber isn't as talented in fire magic as she hoped and instead possesses a strong affinity for astral magic. The arrival of Jonathan's newest disciple, Nicolas, frustrates her even further as the boy's skills seem to eclipse hers in almost every aspect. However, Amber will soon start missing these peaceful days as a mysterious and terrifying creature known as the Wanderer returns for revenge.
From secret organizations to otherworldly visitors, this book intrigued me so much that I'm eager to read more stories exploring this universe. Solomon Glaukos excels at adding small but unique twists to the fantasy formula for worldbuilding, and, in particular, the magic system is interesting and well thought out. What I enjoyed the most is how magic isn't super powerful, especially compared to modern weapons. Rather than power, mages rely on clever, subtle applications of spells, making for creative and dynamic battle scenes. Amber's journey of growth as a person and mage also follows this principle, as she slowly but surely realizes she can't brute-force her way through obstacles and must learn to embrace her strengths and weaknesses and trust her comrades. I had a great time with The Curse of the Wanderer and recommend it to anyone interested in urban fantasy and coming-of-age stories.
