"Kellen is just moments away from facing his first duel and proving his worth as a spellcaster. There's just one problem: his magic is fading.
Facing exile unless he can pass the mage trials, Kellen is willing to risk everything - even his own life - in search of a way to restore his magic. But when the enigmatic Ferius Parfax arrives in town, she challenges him to take a different path. Daring, unpredictable, and wielding magic Kellen has never seen before, she may be his only hope."
(Blurb taken from the book itself. Credit to the author, Sebastien de Castell, and the Publisher)
This book was a slow build. It took me a while to really get into it and it really wasn't at all what I expected it to be, but that doesn't mean it was bad. It had some compelling characters, an interesting society, and a different take on magic. I always enjoy it when authors create their own magic system. The book follows a boy named Kellen whose magic is fading, a fate that could ruin his life and the honour of his family. My favourite character in the story was a late addition, a talking flying squirrel that the characters called a squirrel cat. So now I'm probably going to refer to them as squirrel cats by accident without realizing my mistake. Spellslinger is not your typical fantasy book, but it was a fun read nonetheless. I was happy with how it ended and have a feeling Book 2 will be more engaging. I gave this book a 3.75 out of 5.