Author: Daniel M. Ford

Review – Advocate

Posted May 29, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Advocate

Advocate

by Daniel M. Ford

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery
Pages: 496
Series: The Warden #3
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Aelis de Lenti is back on her home turf, but it's not quite as welcoming as she remembered....

Recalled from Lone Pine to investigate claims of murder by magic against her mentor—legendary Warden Bardun Jacques—Aelis takes to the streets of the grand city of Lascenise, and plumbs the deepest secrets of the Lyceum to clear his name. Certain of her success, she doesn't count on thieves, subterranean labyrinths, or the assassins that dog her steps from the moment she leaves her tower.

Behind all of it lurks a ring of unknown wizards who can seemingly reach anyone with their magic. Without knowing who she can trust, Aelis must gather what allies she can to unravel the web of intrigue, murder, smuggling, and theft originating in the halls of magic power. With an old friend from her college days, a war-haunted gnome thief-catcher, and the advice of her imprisoned advisor, Aelis races to save lives and expose a conspiracy that seeks to change the face of the world.

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

In some ways, Daniel M. Ford’s Advocate was enfuriating. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still enjoying the story and the world, but everything Aelis’ friends and allies point out to her about not planning ahead, being a bull in a china shop, trampling on other people on her way up — it’s all true, and Aelis hears it and is hurt by it and claims to take it on board… and then keeps doing it!

If she could plan ahead just a little, use her allegedly amazing brain just a bit, she could see so much of this coming, including each of the obvious-as-heck twists at the end.

I want Aelis to be brilliant, once-in-a-generation, able to kick anyone’s ass, but I do want her to earn it. She keeps saying that she has, but then she gets by on vibes, large amounts of money spread around, and what seems like frankly unearned loyalty from her friends and family. She is a good healer, and I mean both technically skilled and driven to help people regardless of their status, station or feelings toward her — even when they’ve wronged her. She’s also loyal to Bardun Jacques, her teacher, but unfortunately to the point of stepping on everyone else’s faces to help him (including people she also owes loyalty). She doesn’t deserve Miralla’s friendship, in particular. And she sees literally nothing coming until way too late.

Sometimes Ford does lampshade this by having her friends say so, but they remain her friends and support her cause and forgive her, no matter what happens, so it doesn’t have much bite.

The more I think about it, the more annoying I found this in Advocate. Aelis just isn’t learning, and we’re three books in. I’d read the next book, because the magic systems of this world are cool, and Aelis’ passion for being a warden and serving people is enjoyable to read about… but in the next book I need to see Aelis face some actual consequences or grow up, or I might have to be done with the series.

It was cool to see the Lyceum, learn more about some of the Archmagisters, and see a bit of the world outside of Lone Pine, though.

Rating: 3/5

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Review – Necrobane

Posted May 19, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Necrobane

Necrobane

by Daniel M. Ford

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 366
Series: The Warden #2
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Aelis de Lenti, Lone Pine's newly assigned Warden, is in deep trouble. She has just opened the crypts of Mahlgren, releasing an army of the undead into the unprotected backwoods of Ystain.

To protect her village, she must unearth a source of immense Necromantic power at the heart of Mahlgren. The journey will wind through waves of undead, untamed wilderness, and curses far older than anything Aelis has ever encountered. But as strong as Aelis is, this is one quest she cannot face alone.

Along with the brilliant mercenary she's fallen for, her half-orc friend, and a dwarven merchant, Aelis must race the clock to unravel mysteries, slay dread creatures, and stop what she has set in motion before the flames of a bloody war are re-ignited.

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I’d meant to dig into Daniel M. Ford’s Necrobane right away after reading the first book, but somehow it didn’t happen. Fortunately, I felt like I was able to plunge back into the world really well — I don’t feel like I could explain to you the magic system of the world in any detail, even after just finishing the book, but it feels lived in. I want to be clear: it’s not a criticism! I feel kind of like the friends and acquaintances Aelis has, watching from the outside her very academic understanding of what she does. There are rules here, it’s just that I don’t know them, and that’s handled well by the story.

The story picks up more or less where we left off, with Aelis hurrying to deal with the aftermath of her actions in The Warden. We get more of Tun and Maurenia as characters, and more cool magic, and a twist that I basically saw coming (though I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to, it was so obvious that the tension was more in waiting for what would come of it, rather than whether something would come of it).

Some of the things that irritated me a bit in the first book, like Aelis’ tendency to talk to herself, were somewhat better here? Or rather, she kept doing so, but it felt less obtrusive and more natural.

I do feel a bit meh about her lack of forward planning, though; it feels like it allows for a somewhat sloppy plot (though it probably feels that way because it’s third-person limited, very tight to Aelis). It doesn’t take a super clever opponent to have her run herself into a trap, but we’re supposed to believe Dalius is very cunning, very clever, and Aelis can still run rings around him while just reacting to every situation rather than planning ahead. Even when she deliberately charges into a trap, her plan is basically “be really fast and strong”. Great. It’s entertaining reading, don’t get me wrong, but it does all feel a bit ad hoc.

In any case, the ending is rather a cliffhanger — some of Aelis’ problems are gone, but now she has a whole new one, which I definitely didn’t predict. I’m keen to pick up The Advocate soon.

Rating: 4/5

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Review – The Warden

Posted May 28, 2024 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – The Warden

The Warden

by Daniel M. Ford

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 320
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

There was a plan.

She had the money, the connections, even the brains. It was simple: become one of the only female necromancers, pass as many certifications as she could, get a post near the capital, then… profit. The funny thing about plans is that they are seldom under your control.

Now Aelis, a daughter of a noble house and a trained Magister of the Lyceum, finds herself in the far-removed village of Lone Pine. Mending fences and delivering baby goats, serving people who want nothing to do with her. But, not all is well in Lone Pine, and as the villagers Aelis is reluctantly getting to know start to behave strangely, Aelis begins to suspect that there is far greater need for a warden of her talents than she previously thought.

Old magics are restless, and an insignificant village on the furthest boarded of the kingdom might hold secrets far beyond what anyone expected. Aelis might be the only person standing between one of the greatest evils ever known and the rest of the free world.

I had a really good time with Daniel M. Ford’s The Warden. The components are fairly familiar: cocky new graduate is dispatched to a place she believes is below her station and capabilities, becomes part of the community there, and quickly discovers that there are dangers aplenty that require her skills. Aelis looks down a little on the community, and stands upon her dignity, but in part that’s what she’s been taught to do — and she makes up for it with hard graft, never failing in her duty to put her skills and her life on the line for the people she must, as Warden, protect. She’s impatient at times, but ultimately she does her best by her responsibilities, and that wins you a lot.

I did find that one aspect of the plot — Aelis kind of dropping a subject that was actually really important — wasn’t well handled and didn’t really make sense. It’s explained later, but I felt somewhat blindsided by the explanation; I think it needed a little more foreshadowing.

Stylistically, I could have done with a bit less of Aelis talking to herself, and the flashbacks didn’t always feel smooth; it was obviously being used to fill in the world, character and background info needed, but sometimes felt a touch clunky. Aelis’ relationship with Maurenia could have done with some fleshing out, too, but I really feel like I’m nitpicking here. I had fun, I loved Tun and Aelis’ scenes with him, and I think the types and bounds of magic that Aelis can wield (and which exist in general) are interesting. Obviously we have much to learn about the history of the world, and Aelis has a heck of a job left to do.

I’m definitely eager to read Necrobane. I’m even going to try and break my usual mould and read it right away!

Rating: 4/5

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