Guild Mage: Apprentice [Volumes 1-5 Stubbed]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

There are a lot of things wrong with Liv Brodbeck.

She’s too small, for one thing. When she works in the castle kitchens with her mother, she can’t carry a sack of flour or roll a keg of ale.

Baron Summerset’s chirurgeon says that she has brittle bones, so she isn’t allowed to wrestle or sword fight with the other children. Even sledding downhill in the winter brings the risk of breaking an arm or a leg if she falls.

Everyone says that she ruined her mother’s life when she was born. Not when they think Liv is in the room, of course, but she overhears all the same. In the kitchen of a less kind lord, a cook bearing a bastard child would have been more than cause enough for both of them to be out on the street.

No, a child like Liv doesn’t have much hope. But when she accidentally unleashes a surge of wild magic, she takes her first step on a journey which will lead her from the kitchens of Castle Whitehill, to the cold palaces of the Eld, and beyond, to the graves of gods...

What to Expect:

- MC starts off very weak, with a lot disadvantages - not just physically weak, but also vulnerable in a socio-economic sense. She has talents, but it is going to take time to develop them. I want to give this process room to breathe, so I hope you enjoy long-term progression.

- The MC begins the story as a child. As she grows up, she will have relationships that I intend to be appropriate for her stages of life, BUT THERE WILL BE NO SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS UNTIL SHE IS AN ADULT. Expect eventual teenage drama progressing into more adult relationships.

- MC is an adult equivalent to age 18 as the end of Chapter 69/beginning of Chapter 70.

- There is action, but it is not constant action, and it will again be appropriate for the MCs development. As a child, she will be challenged by child things, and as she grows into power the scale of threats will increase.

Update Schedule: Chapters will be published M-F. Other than the Amazon & Audible release, this work is only published here, and on my Patreon, where chapters are posted through the end of the series. If you see it anywhere else, it's been stolen.

Volume Five has now been stubbed.All five volumes may now be found onAmazonandAudible.

Both art and writing are entirely human-created; there is no use of AI in this work.

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2024
Author: David Niemitz (M0rph3u5)

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.7/ 5.0
Followers: 6,191
Views: 1,187,157

What readers say about Guild Mage: Apprentice [Volumes 1-5 Stubbed]

“Well thought out, well written, and compelling one of my favorites so far one of my favorites in a long time on here nothing seems off or out of place and I am genuinely interested in how everything's going to play out I'm extremely interested and somewhat…”
tainted-valorRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“The world building in this one is really good, it definitely feels like an epic where we've only gotten glimpses of the larger world. As far as the progression fantasy aspects, I think the MC balances being gifted/talented with having some weaknesses and ha…”
kirbydabearRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(10)

tainted-valorRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Well thought out, well written, and compelling one of my favorites so far one of my favorites in a long time on here nothing seems off or out of place and I am genuinely interested in how everything's going to play out
I'm extremely interested and somewhat upset that there's no more
kirbydabearRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The world building in this one is really good, it definitely feels like an epic where we've only gotten glimpses of the larger world.
As far as the progression fantasy aspects, I think the MC balances being gifted/talented with having some weaknesses and having to earn her strength. We see some examples (if briefly) of what she could become via other characters.
All in all, an enjoyable read and it's set up really nicely.
mini HaldRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I really love this story. The character and story is so well thought out and everything really flows so nicely, it's clear that the author had a plan of where to go from the beginning and is following it. The world is really interesting, the magic system is a nice mix between being born with power and you get what you put into it.
Just read it!
shadow1716Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
You know that feeling when you finish a book, but the protagonist keeps wandering through your thoughts like they've taken up residence in your head? That's Liv Brodbeck for me. Days after turning the final page, I'm still turning over her story in my mind like a smooth stone in my pocket.
From the very first chapter, the world wraps around you with that particular brand of medieval grime that feels lived-in and real. Liv isn't just another plucky orphan - she's the sickly daughter of a kitchen maid, the kind of girl who breaks bones from simple childhood tumbles. The castle's whispers about her being a burden aren't mustache-twirling villainy, but the quiet, everyday cruelty of people who see weakness as inconvenience. What gutted me wasn't the overt bullying, but how Liv internalizes these judgments while still stubbornly persisting.
Then comes the magic - not with fanfare, but with the messy, uncontrolled desperation of someone who didn't know they had power to begin with. This isn't your standard "discover powers and suddenly become awesome" narrative. Liv's magic feels as fragile and uncertain as she is at first, and watching her learn to wield it is like watching someone learn to walk on ice - every step hard-won, every fall potentially devastating.
What makes this story sing is how Liv's growth mirrors her magic's development. When she finally escapes the castle kitchens, it's not through some deus ex machina, but through teeth-gritted determination that leaves her bloody but unbowed. By the time we're trekking through frozen Eld palaces and divine ruins, you realize this isn't just about learning spells - it's about that fundamental human need to prove you're more than what the world has decided you are.
If you're like me and burned out on chosen ones who wake up powerful, Liv's journey will feel like a glass of water after wandering the desert. Her magic feels earned in a way that's rare in fantasy these days. The prose isn't showy, but it doesn't need to b
sixtyplus[Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I have been following this story since it first came out and it is the most consistently excellent read I have found on Royal Road. Well written, interesting characters (particularly the MC), and a well thought out story that keeps your attention. I have read a few other RR stories that might compare for a few chapters, but none that match it overall.
AcaiRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This book delivers a captivating story centered around a compelling female protagonist who feels genuine and multi-dimensional. Her emotions and struggles are portrayed with depth, making her journey both relatable and inspiring. The protagonist’s abilities are impressive but well-balanced, ensuring she remains grounded and engaging. The narrative spans multiple cities, each brought to life with vivid detail, adding richness and depth to the world. The pacing is expertly handled, blending action, character development, and worldbuilding seamlessly. This dynamic combination of a strong yet relatable main character and an expansive, immersive setting makes the story extremely enjoyable to read.
Deathlier OreoRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It's still relatively early in the story, but so far this seems like a really solid traditional fantasy. It follows Liv, a bastard half-elven (Eld) daughter of a cook, working as a scullery maid who discovers she can use 'high magic', and her subsequent adventures. There's no litrpg or status screens, and it seems like it'll hit many of the traditional fantasy tropes (starting as a no-name lowborn, interactions with nobility, wise older master(s), academy arc, dungeon delving, etc).
The writing has so far been top-notch, with no huge grammar mistakes I've noticed, and the characters are all believable, especially for the small-town castle setting. There's been a decent amount of action and stakes, though so far there hasn't been any "bad guy" or pressing external threat beyond what they would normally face -- it's been very slice-of-life so far, though still very entertaining. The magic seems fairly straightforward so far and interesting, and it's clear the author has been a good amount of thought into the wider world of the story.
I have two main critiques, though they're not quite big enough to remove a star, just as feedback for the author. First, there tends to be a heavy over-use of commas in the early chapters. I haven't noticed it as much in the later chapters, either because the author improved or because I've been too engrossed to notice (either way is a good sign), but the first 5 chapters or so, it felt like 30% of the commas could've been removed and really improved the flow.
Second, I didn't feel much logical buildup for the Jo "villain" character, especially since every other character has been, so far, acting so realistically. But Liv immediately pins Jo as the culprit behind an "assassination" attempt, which the adults around her immediately agree with. Yet in terms of things we were actually shown...the only bad thing Jo did was be seen interacting once with the footman Bill who was fired, and have bad teeth -- there's nothing else shown as justific
JaricvennRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A well crafted story set in the backdrop of an intriguing world, with hints of myth and history to hook the reader and capture the imagination. Well written with characters that live and capture the readers interest.
The characters are more than tools to drive the narrative but come alive and you find yourself invested in their lives.
Really looking forward to finding out where the various plots and hints of the wider world lead bother the reader and our protagonist.
John.MalkinRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I've been following this story for months now and I just realized I've never given it feedback. It's time to fix that problem.
While it's not the fastest advancing story, that's fine with me. It builds the characters, setting, magic system and world background along the way and takes it places you don't expect from the early story. Little early things become big ones as time goes on. The same is true for the magic system in the story. It changes as the reader gains more knowledge along with the main character. The same is true of the world the story is set in. As you move out of the starting location, you learn more about it and it grows with you as well. The pace of the story speeds up as well.
This is one of the stories where I'm always waiting for the next chapter to see what happens, what is revealed, or what problems have arisen for the characters, not just the main character in the story. Things change. People age. More time passes than you think about due to the long-lived nature of the main character. It's still worth it. Also, there is a good group of frequent readers/commenters who love talking about what will happen next, and why.
KoorRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Slow burn, but not glacially so.
I really enjoy the way the story is going, and it's at a sustainable growth rate for the MC that will likely result in her being powerful, but not to the point that it breaks the story. My only complaint is that I'm now caught up after binging.