Miners of the Mystics (The Miners Mine Book 1) by Penny Moss

In anticipation of the second book releasing in this series, this review is for the first book of The Miners Mine series. A huge fantasy world build filled with a loyal set of characters, a slow burning romance, and the beginning of a set of high risk adventures.


From the Miners of the Mystics blurb:

Deep in the mountain where magic and mining coincide, penniless Oliver enlists as a Miner of the Mystics. The dream is unfathomable riches, the risk is injury or even death. A risk worth taking for just a glance at Sentinel Tau, an otherworldly being tasked with protecting the mountain’s inhabitants.

Oliver’s luck plummets when he suffers a magical curse. Even a wayward touch could hurt him or his friends, alienating Oliver from everyone but Tau, whose healing magic he needs to survive. Oliver aches for an echo of his feelings behind the Sentinel’s expressionless mask—and discovers it in unexpected ways.

When Oliver and his friends unearth a portal, the rarest artefact of all, he is plunged into a world of nightmares. There, he uncovers the gruesome origins of mining for the transmundane. The truth of what they might have unleashed upon their own world is only the beginning of a harrowing road Oliver stumbles down to be with Tau.

A slow-burn dark fantasy m/m romance story.


SNik's review:

First in series (The Miners Mine). Paranormal fantasy. Very slow burn. Found family. Multiple POV’s. Cliffhanger. 

Oliver is seeking riches by mining for magical artifacts, not expecting to find friendship with his fellow miner crew, and especially not having a crush on the sentinel in charge of protecting the miners. Tau is the protector of the Tesera mine, healing miners and whisking away dangerous finds, but for the last few years he has formed a special attachment to Oliver, the human that speaks to him even though Tau can’t respond verbally. 

There is plenty of world building in this story, a ton of information and characters to familiarize yourself with and it is very well written although some readers may find the time jumps and multiple POV’s difficult to follow. Some information is slow to be provided, and this is more a found family story than a romance. Oliver is dedicated to his feelings for Tau, even though their interactions are mostly one sided and they don’t know each other that well. There is a ton of action and drama, with new discoveries and plotlines forming along the way. This book held my interest for the deep world and character building alone. Interested to see where this series is going.


Miners of the Mystics is currently available as an e-book and paperback and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription