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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
The Mage of Mourning by Dreamer's Riot is the second book in the high fantasy Otherworldly Anarchist series. Previously, graduate student Annie dies and is reborn as Lillith, a guardsman’s daughter in a medieval realm. Guided by mage Godfrey, she must learn to harness magic as noble rivalries and sins of the church are rampant. Overcoming these threats and freeing her brother, Lillith accepts Godfrey’s invitation to a noble academy, determined to continue resisting injustice. Now, Lillith can absorb the sorrow of those nearby and use it to fuel her power. Feared as a destructive sorceress, she has helped many in Satusmor before turning to Visenar, where conflict awaits. With the support of the powerful Sarafyna, Lillith faces dangerous enemies and complicated forces while fighting to break the chains of oppression and change the city’s future.
The Mage of Mourning by Dreamer’s Riot offers superb writing with first-person narration that brings Lillith vividly to life through her candid, often sarcastic, yet vulnerable voice. Her internal commentary reveals skepticism, frustration, and humor, making her a fully human and relatable character. Sarafyna, also narrated in the first-person, delivers a range of intense internal conflict. This is anchored by her relationships with Lillith, a source of salvation yet unknowable in some ways, and Peter, who embodies familial love and innocence, a light in her dark world. The detailed political and social critique is embedded seamlessly, with Lillith’s reflections on authority, violence, and systemic control creating a believable, oppressive world. The use of vampire mythology as metaphor is brilliantly intelligent, and the thematic devices turn the oppressor’s image against itself, linking folklore in a way that makes abstract ideas tangible. Overall, this is a great series that is absolutely worth the time investment.
