Way of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell

Way of the Argosi is the seventh book in the Spellslinger series. This book is the first in the series to explore the origin story of the mysterious Ferius Parfax. Ferius has featured in previous books as a canny, humorous, and daring traveller who teaches a strange new magic to a struggling young mage. In this book we meet Ferius as a frightened child, determined to survive in the wake of the slaughter of her tribe. As bodies pile up around her, Ferius defies the odds and is pulled to safety and for a short time, lives with people who care and provide for her. 

However, when she encounters a Jan’Tep mage her world is torn apart. Vowing revenge, she sets about finding out who she is. We follow Ferius through her journey as thief, gambler, traveller, and killer as she meets and is mentored by Durral Brown, a wandering philosopher, who teaches Ferius the way of the Argosi, so that she too can become powerful enough to hunt magicians. As this is the seventh book in the series, the author doesn’t waste much time on introducing the world of the characters, most of the world building having been established in previous instalments. So, it could be difficult to dive into this book without any knowledge of the series. However, the characters are compelling enough to hold a reader’s attention and the story is well paced. Although set in a fantasy world, there are shades of the Old West in this series that will appeal to fans of Firefly or Jim Butcher.  

                                                                    Lisa Redmond