Tag: magic

Rival Magic

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Antonia is serving as an apprentice to Master Betrys, a super-talented wizard. While Antonia has read all of the spell books she can get her hands on, and flawlessly recites complex spells… the power of her spells doesn’t seem to match the power of her knowledge of spells. And then everything gets way worse when some scullery maid girl named Moppe turns out to be super powerful, and now Antonia is competing for Master Betrys’s attention. When Master Betrys and her apprentices are accused of treason, will Moppe and Antonia be able to get over their differences? They’ll have to go on a quest, face creatures they thought were just legends, and not get petrified while they’re at it. This was such a fun middle-grade book!

What I loved most:

I really love when children’s authors find a way to write in beautiful prose that’s accessible to young readers. Listen to this gorgeous excerpt:

“From this perch high on the mountainside, the scattered fishing boats were like children’s toys bobbing across the blue. Far away but ever-present, the sea filled my vision, wrapping half the horizon in turquoise and azure. I’d never seen my home like this. It made something catch in my throat. Awe. Or maybe thankfulness. It was so beautiful.”

(Rival Magic, Chapter 9)

COME ON. The imagery. The actual picture painted in your head. This is the kind of thing that really pulls a kid into a story – when you feel like you’re seeing what the characters are seeing. I’ve read a lot of adult authors who do this well, but it seems harder to execute successfully for children. Absolutely gorgeous.

Read this book if you like:

Friendship stories, celebrating unique strengths, celebrating differences, teamwork, magic, fantasy creatures, quests

Book details:

  • Author: Deva Fagan
  • Publisher: Atheneum
  • Date of Publication: April 2020
  • Age Recommendation: 4th – 6th grade
  • Look up Rival Magic on WorldCat to find it at library near you!

Twinchantment

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Review:

In the Kingdom of Kalloon, magic has been outlawed for decades. After a magical attack on the royal family, it was decided that the only way to keep everyone safe was to get rid of all magic and potentially magic beings. Black cats, twins, and other potentially magic beings obviously also had to go. Any magic-weilders were banished from the land to the Twists. And this sounds great in theory… until the twin princesses Sara and Flissa are born, and their parents decide to conceal their twin-ness and introduce them to the world as Princess Flissara. The girls have lived as one for twelve years, and their Ascension Day (when they will officially be in line for the throne) is drawing near. However, when the Queen is attacked with magic, Sara and Flissa must go on a journey to the Twists in hopes of saving her and the Kingdom of Kalloon.

Favorite Passage:

“It was like Sara had reached inside Flissa and twisted her stomach.
“I like sharing a life with you,” she said. “I thought you did too.”
Sara sighed. She looked tired. She squeezed Flissa’s hands. “I like you. I love you. But I don’t want to be you, and I don’t want you to have to be me. It’s not fair. To either of us.””
– Chapter 16, Flissa

What I Loved Most:

Flissa and Sara are extremely different girls. Flissa is athletic and adventurous, ready to race horses or compete in swordsmanship tournaments. Sara loves people – making connections with both nobility and servants, speaking publicly to the kingdom, etc. Their strengths complement each other, and they can fill in for one another’s weaknesses. I loved that one personality type isn’t prized over the other. It doesn’t matter if you’re outgoing or shy, if you’re athletic or charismatic… what matters is learning how to embrace who you naturally are.

Read this book if you like:

Magic, people of color, adventures, siblings, things that aren’t always as they appear

Book Details:

The Revenge of Magic

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Review:

Fort Fitzgerald just lost his dad to an attack by a mysterious, giant monster in Washington, DC. He’s overwhelmed with grief, and doesn’t know how he’s going to go on. But after a surprise visit from a mysterious school headmaster, he is invited to a new kind of boarding school run by the government… and there, he’ll learn a new set of skills that will help him protect the world from future attacks.

Thirteen years ago, a set of books were discovered that reintroduced magic into the world. Only children born after the Discovery Day are able to read the books and learn how to use the spells contained within. However, Fort soon realizes things aren’t all as they seem at his new school. Everyone seems to be hiding secrets, and Fort is determined to figure out if they know more about the attack that killed his dad than they are letting on.

This was a fun, quick read. James Riley has taken a departure from his traditional writing style (such as in his Story Thieves series), and I enjoyed this story even more than his past works. The Revenge of Magic is a solid middle-grade work that is sure to captivate readers. I’m looking forward to reading about the future escapades of Fort and his friends.

Favorite Passage:

“Have you ever looked at the spell words?” Fort asked, turning to look at Rachel, who was staring at the ceiling.
“Maybe I could make like a shield of fire,” she said, ignoring him. “That might stop a fireball. Or would it? Maybe the ball would just plow right through.”
Fort picked up the Healing book, then dropped it, letting it hit the pedestal with a bang. Rachel immediately looked at him upside down. “What did I say about hurting the books?” 
“Have you ever thought about what the spell words mean?” Fort said again. “I’m seeing the same word pop up in the first two spells. That has to mean something.”
– Chapter Twenty-Seven

What I Loved Most:

There are several different kinds of magic discussed in The Revenge of Magic, and I thought it was fun to learn about how each kind worked. Fort goes into the school hoping to specialize in Destructive magic, which he believes will be most useful in fighting the monsters that killed his dad. However, he’s put on the Healing magic track instead. There are also characters who use Clairvoyance magic and Telepathic magic. Whenever I read a book where characters are sorted into different houses/abilities/propensities/etc., I love imagining where I would excel, as well as where my close friends would be. I feel like I’d be great at Telepathic magic… but that might also just be wishful thinking.

Bonus thing that I loved: The protagonist (Fort) is a boy, but the three strongest students in the school (Jia, Rachel, and Sierra) are girls. I feel like most books tend to either feature strong boy characters or strong girl characters, and Riley has done a great job of creating strong characters of both genders.

Read this book if you like:

The early Harry Potter books, training periods (my favorite), adventure, and obviously… magic.

Book Details: