* This is a finalist in the #SPFBO 2019 so I read it as a judge *

I have to say, I really enjoyed reading this one and it definitely kept me excited throughout. I did have some quibbles with certain things (more like pet peeves) but overall it was a very enjoyable read and it reminded me a lot of the Mistborn series for the set up, magic and style.

This book is the story of two people, we have Tai who is a young street urchin who has lived his life in charge of some other street kids. Tai is a caring friend and family member, and he has a power stronger than many others as he can call on it without the help of 'yura'.
We also follow Ella (Ellumia) who is a lighthair and therefore she's from wealthier stock and used to be in the Councilate dominion. She is trying to flee the Councilate's ways and find something better, and yet she's trapped into various areas of work and contracts and she's not initially sure what she can do to assist.
Both of these characters felt like they were easy to get invested in, and that they had a good plot. However, I did find it annoying when their two stories overlapped and the author felt the need to re-write the same lines of text to show it from both points of view (something that happened a few times and which felt unnecessary to me).

The magic of this word comes from within, everyone has something magic, but how effective it is depends on their type (e.g. Wafter/Brawler etc) and their supply of yura (magical balls which when eaten help people to call on their magic). Yura is currency in this part of the world and the Councilate are trying to encroach on the territory to dominate the trade of yura and the people there. Quickly this leads to strife, turmoil and rebellion...

I think the pacing of this book is a little slow at times, but there are also some scenes where loads it happening and that can be a little overwhelming. I think with a little refinement it could have been a smoother read, but it was a lot of fun throughout :)

On the whole, besides my small niggles with the repeated sections, I found this a lot of fun and the author wasn't afraid to be daring with their choices of the plot twists. I am intrigued about the magic and the direction of the plot as the ending leaves more to come, and I would give this a 3.5/5*s which is 7/10 for #SPFBO purposes.

Preface: I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Explicit content: Torture, slavery, violence
Recommended for: Fans of the Mistborn series or other similar fantasy worlds

This was an enjoyable read! I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book, to the point where reading it almost felt like I had to stake out time specifically to engage with it, vs reading while doing other things like I normally do. The world felt rich and engaging. The characters were all very likable. The conflict was interesting enough. Overall, it's just a very solid debut into a new fantasy series.

It reminds me a lot of Mistborn in some ways - the magic system is similar (in that the heroes ingest an item to use their powers, and there are several different sets of abilities, though there's no one character who has them all), and you really get the feeling of there being so much more to this world that isn't currently being explored. That might be my biggest "gripe" - this world is so interesting, and we only get small pieces of the lore in this novel! The little excerpts at the beginning of each chapter hint toward so much interesting stuff - lore about the moon, waystones, prophecies, etc - but it never comes up in the actual plot. Characters talk about the Prophet here and there, but I still have no idea what s/he actually did or who they fought. I want to know more!!

I'm super intrigued by the voices/spirit guides several characters have. Different characters seem to believe they're different things. Are they really the spirits of the dead? Are they demons? Are they some aspect of the person's own self? It's such an awesome idea, and I'm so curious to see where it goes.

Overall, this story was really engaging and enjoyable. I'd highly recommend it for fans of Mistborn or other fantasy readers who like that sort of world (minus all the ash and looming death and all that stuff, haha).

This is a very adventurous, complex read. A lot of things happen to our protagonists, both awful and uplifting, and there were times when I was afraid my poor heart wouldn't make it through unscathed. I'm not sure I breathed for the last 1/3 of the book.

Fortunately, the wins make up for the losses, and for all that our heroes are messy and flawed, they are at their core such decent human beings that I loved to cheer them on.

On a technical note, I've mentioned how wonderful the author's world building is when reviewing the prequels to this series, but I don't think I've talked about how lovely the cadence of the language is. The words and sentences dip and flow, adding yet another layer of deliciousness to the prose. I saw a few reviews that criticized the formatting/typos/etc, and I think they may have been referring to a previous version of the book, which was recently edited and re-released because I didn't notice any issues. Definitely recommend.

A great read!

I love the world in this book, I could smell the woodsmoke and see the buildings of Ayugen in my mind's eye. I also really enjoyed all the different magical abilities (resonances) and the details of how they worked and the different side effects of each. Tai and Ella are two solid MCs with great motivations and interesting backgrounds (though I found Ella a tad more fun to read), and I really enjoyed the themes of politics and governance that are weaved through the book.

Even though I generally dislike epic fantasy, I enjoyed Beggar’s Rebellion. It blends smaller scale events with epic ones and the result is satisfying. The story revolves around characters reclaiming their freedom in the land conquered by the rich who harvest its treasure - magic-inducing moss known as yura.

Yura enhances preternatural skills that include reading minds (mindseyes), flying (wafters), slowing down reality (timeslips), enhanced physical strength (brawlers), and more. Yura gives temporal access to magic, but some people can access their full powers by overcoming their inner voices (almost everyone has an inner voice in this world, usually of someone from their past).
 
Story’s protagonists come from different backgrounds. Ella escaped her abusive home and fights her way out of the trouble by using her brain rather than brute force. Gifted with interesting, but limited, magical abilities (slowing down the time) her scenes focus on smaller-scale events. Armed with her calculor (accountant) knowledge she tries to ruin people by exposing their ledgers and shady financial operations and not through direct physical confrontation. 

Then there’s Tai - an orphan of the war who learned to take care of himself on the streets. Able to access magic without the inducing drug, he hides his powers and sells black-market herbs to survive. He also helps other orphans and genuinely cares for his “street” family. With time and in consequence of plot development he gains almost god-like powers and some people start to perceive him as a Messiah-figure. His arc is violent and epic. 

Because I prefer smaller-scale fantasy, I loved Ella’s chapters and found Tai’s ones tiring. Also, his behavior borders on moronic and I dislike morons, even those with good intentions and the heart in the right place. It seems Tai is predestined to become the main figure of the series and it worries me because I don’t relate to him. 

Aside from some typos and two or three awkward sentences, the editing is solid and writing good. 

Overall, Jacobs is a writer with a knack for characterization and the ability to introduce a complex world without assaulting readers with info-dumps. I’ve already started the second book of the series and I expect many readers will do the same just to know what the hell is the ninespears society. Plus, I hope the author will give us some hints on where to get the moss.

Beggar’s Rebellion by Levi Jacobs is an incredible epic fantasy with ideas that are unique. They might even be considered off the wall in ways, but they hang together amazingly well. Whether it’s the magic, the concepts and topics Jacobs is touching on, or the authentic and relatable characters, this novel shines in so many ways.

First off, the magic in this novel stands out above all the rest. It might remind you of Brent Weeks or Brandon Sanderson, in terms of allowing magic users to do some very action-packed things. One of most unique elements of the magic, however, was the way it was fueled. Individuals essentially need to eat certain foods to allow them to unlock the ability to do magic, but their bodies digest that food just like normal food, so one must keep those sorts of food a regular part of their diet in order to consistently do magic. Of course, using magic also uses up the nutrients from the food that allow them to do magic. It’s a multifaceted system that also has elements of progression in it. To say I was enthralled by the magic system wouldn’t be an overstatement. The complexity is akin to something you might see in the Stormlight Archive or in Will Wight’s Cradle series. The novel isn’t only a magic system with a story attached, however. There is a plot here that, as it unfolds, pulls us into a world where a conquered people must contend with the evils of colonialism. Jacobs provides some unique perspective here in that although there is plenty of action, fights, and violence, characters actually struggle with the concept of redemptive violence. The question of whether they are any better than those they are fighting to push out is brought up and the characters wrestle with that question without using easy or pat answers to get back to the action. I greatly appreciated this take which is incredibly rare in fantasy. Jacobs manages to do it here without ever straying into the nihilism that can sometimes accompany such questions. It would not be inaccurate to say that the book struggles with the question of whether having the correct ideas makes violence a redemptive act. The two main characters, Tai and Ella are interesting and authentically crafted. They feel like the type of people we might meet around town. Each of them also has a lot of growth that they go through, and I was engaged almost from the first page with each of them. They also function as foils for one another, since each come from quite different backgrounds. Tai can, at times, be an endearing noble hero which will likely frustrate some, whereas Ella is more crafty and subtle in her actions. There is also some fascinating world building beyond the magic system that we get glimpses of in this novel, and I’m hopeful we’ll see more of that in subsequent books.

My biggest complaint about Beggar’s Rebellion is that it needs better copy editing. At times there are missing indefinite articles, singular/plural mismatch between pronouns or verbs, and some typos here and there. It’s unfortunate, because it mars what is otherwise a brilliantly crafted story.

Fans of epic fantasy and complex magic systems will find a lot to love in Beggar’s Rebellion, as will those who enjoy relatable and likeable characters. It’s that mix of the epic plot and the smaller-scale character points that makes the novel stand out. I’m looking forward to moving on to the sequel in the near future!

8/10

4/5 stars.

5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing

mmm I'm a little disappointed.

Beggar's Rebellion is a riveting epic fantasy story with excellent main characters - male and female.

In a lot of ways, this is like Mistborn with hidden abilities coming to the fore upon consuming certain substances etc but the story is complex in a different fashion. Where Mistborn explores the hero's journey, Beggar's Rebellion is one of the most nuanced takes on colonialism that I have read in fantasy. What does it mean when a country colonizes another? How does one make a revolution successful? What does it mean when you try to defeat your oppressor using the same means as what they use to suppress you?

In addition, themes around feminism are also explored quite well. Ella is definitely one of the most well-rounded, capable and plucky heroines that I have read in a long time.

If there is one nitpick I have, it is that the battles tend to blur into one another after a while. In fact, I the character sequences are so good that I prefer them to the action oriented ones.

Overall, Beggar's Rebellion is a must read.