“Between the planes was the void, and the void was perfect; it flashed by in a fraction of a blink, and Siyon was through.
-Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans
It was like stepping into an open oven, snatched up in the Empyreal plane’s hot dry, first. Siyon staggered, dizzy and dazzled, as the universe tilted around him. It always took a moment to get his balance, like he’d jumped from a moving cart.
Doing this with a hangover had been an awful idea.”
Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans is book one of The Burnished City trilogy, and it was absolutely fantastic. Massive thank you to Orbit for sending me the entire trilogy, I am very eager to keep reading the series and see what happens next.
The story follows Siyon Velo, a young man living in the city of Bezim, who aspires to be an alchemist but at the start of the novel, is just entering the different planes to obtain alchemical ingredients that he then sells. For the most part, his job seems pretty straightforward. He is held to the realm of Bezim by a tether, and the person holding the tether pulls him back when he’s collected what he needs and is ready to go.
Siyon wants to learn how to do alchemy, how to become an alchemist and become a member of the Summer Club. His thirst for knowledge drives him into danger when he is almost attacked in the Empyreal plane by an angel and comes out brandishing half the angel’s sword. He sells the sword to Nihath Joddani, an alchemist who is trying to figure out a way to realign the planes which have lately been thrown into chaos.
When Siyon performs a feat that saves a young woman’s life, Zagiri Savani, he suddenly realizes he might have the ability to become an alchemist after all, even if it’s not in the textbook way the other alchemists approach their workings.
Another amazing character in this novel is Zagiri, a young woman who is trying to avoid getting introduced into society by her sister for the purposes of marriage. Her sister, Anahid Joddani is married to Nihath and is struggling under the bonds of her newly formed marriage. It isn’t at all what she expected or wanted for herself, and she struggles to subject her sister to a similar fate. Then there’s the delightful Izmirlian, who hires Siyon to help him enter the void, something Siyon isn’t sure he can do but wants to try. All of the characters in this book push and pull against each other, seeking out their own destinies while helping the others do the same. It’s gorgeously written, and while I am likely explaining the plot a bit badly, Davinia Evans does a masterful job of weaving all of the storylines together, while building an altogether incredible world full of magic, mystery and mayhem.
This book brims with magic, color and light. I really enjoyed it. I read it in less than a day because I absolutely couldn’t put it down, it was so fast-paced and enjoyable. I’m really eager to see what becomes of these characters in the next book, especially Anahid, who for some reason became my favorite by the end, and I feel like she has a lot of story left to discover. The Notorious Sorcerer propels the reader into a new world filled with magic I’ve never seen before, and I loved it. This is one you don’t want to miss!
Of Worlds Forgotten 
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