Review by Dave Lawson

Blurb: Andrew grew up in the royal palace of Novania, the eldest son of the queen. He went on to achieve fame and glory as a renowned soldier, and was eventually named commander of the king’s army. The kingdom believed he would be named heir to the throne, but he has long known he is ineligible. The king is not his father.

The truth of Andrew’s lineage is only partially known to the king; the identity of his father is a mystery that even Andrew is unaware of. He knows only that his father was a dragon-mage, and the dragons have fled to another world. Andrew is a skin-changer, but the laws of Novania forbid his very existence. If the king were to learn the truth of what he is, he would face execution.

The laws are equally hostile to humans born with the Mark of the Magi and the ability to wield magic. Andrew’s younger half-brother, Alexander, bears the Mark. The pair keep one another’s secrets into adulthood… Until the king dies unexpectedly and Colin ascends the throne.

When Alexander’s Mark is revealed for all to see, Andrew is faced with a choice: To watch his brother be killed, or reveal his true nature in an effort to save him from the headsman’s axe.

Reviewer’s Note: I received a free copy of this book for taking part in the book tour through IndieBookTours. 

Review: 

Dragon skin-changers, scheming would-be kings, three good brothers and one that greatly deserves to be burnt into a crisp. Welcome to Exile, a first person epic fantasy novel that introduces us to Andrew, the illegitimate son of the Queen and a dragon-mage. The King has been a good adopted father to him, but they both know he can’t be king, and so the crown passes on to his half-brother Colin, who wins the award for worst brother to ever exist. 

Plots and schemes ensue, as Andrew and his brother Alexander try to figure out to stay alive and keep those they love safe, especially after the king is killed. 

I enjoyed how Andrew is a good man, someone who cares for his family and has values he holds dear. And yet, he’s never sanctimonious or overly self-righteous. Calvin does a great job exploring his character and that of his brother Alexander, and we get a lot of excellent moments between them as they fight to keep their secrets in the face of death. 

The world is well-crafted; a society where magic of any kind, even just the mark of magic on your skin, leads to certain death. We learn a lot about the dragon mages and the persecution they endured, given great foreshadowing of what Andrew will probably endure himself. 

This feels like two books. Aa slower first book before we reach the second half, where the tempo rises to a feverish sprint at the end. There’s a nice set up for the next books in the series, but I could see how the slow start could turn some readers off.  My recommendation! Enjoy the characters and get ready for the awesomeness as the story goes on. 

My conclusion is to stay for the character work. You’ll fall in love with the world, and find yourself rooting for Andrew and Alexander, no matter what misfortunes befall them.