"Magic is a con game" 
 Spellslinger by Sebastian De Castell is "The first book in a rich and compelling fantasy series bursting with tricks, traps and a devious talking squirrel cat" (as said on the front flap of the book) and it delivers with all three. 
 There are seven fundamental sources of magical force, but Jan'Tep mages are banded with only six: iron, ember, silk, sand, blood and breath. 
 Kellen is soon to be turning sixteen where his fate as either a Jan'Tep or a Sha'Tep will be decided. the Jan'Tep are able to harness the magic of the Oasis and one of the six bands of magic. The seventh band (shadow) of magic is forbidden to them and only the Mahdek harness that band but the Mahdek have long been killed. When a Jan'Tep turns sixteen they have to pass the three mages trials to become a Jan'Tep and keep their ability to harness magic, if they fail these tests or are too weak then their bands are sealed and they become Sha'Tep who are no more than slaves. 
 Kellen is magically weak but had holds a cunning streak that any Slytherin would be proud of and uses his intellect and wits to win his battles for him. He tricks and manipulates in an attempt to avoid becoming a Sha'Tep. Then not long before his sixteenth birthday Ferius Parfax waltzes into town and in comes a whole load of trouble that Kellen must muddle through whilst attempting to not only find the truth but try to find his magic and pass the mages trials. 
 When you see the world outside your home town, outside the walls of what you were brought up to see, then you discover that you almost never know if you're dong the right thing. One action, brave and true, leads to war and destruction. Another, craven and greedy, leads to peace and prosperity. 
 Ferius Parfax was my favourite character in this book, she attempts to teach Kellen that you don't need to have magic to be someone important or to win your battles. She drives home the point that magic does not make someone better than another. Ferius is fast talking, witty and all around a great character to read and laugh about. She has a quick wit that endeared her to me. 
 Overall it was an amazing first book and it will be interesting to see how the series develops and how the characters will change and adapt to the new situations and events that will happen in the next book.