Magic

Magyk by Angie Sage: A Children’s fantasy tale that wove me in! @HarperCollins @AngieSageAuthor

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Magyk (Septimus Heap #1)

Hardcover, 564 pages
Published May 11th 2005 by Harper Collins

Synopsis:

The seventh son of the seventh son, aptly named Septimus Heap, is stolen the night he is born by a midwife who pronounces him dead. That same night, the baby’s father, Silas Heap, comes across a bundle in the snow containing a new born girl with violet eyes. The Heaps take this helpless newborn into their home, name her Jenna, and raise her as their own. But who is this mysterious baby girl, and what really happened to their beloved son Septimus?
The first book in this enthralling new series by Angie Sage leads readers on a fantastic journey filled with quirky characters and magykal charms, potions, and spells. Magyk is an original story of lost and rediscovered identities, rich with humor and heart.

Review:

A+

I don’t often read children’s books, I’ve moved on to YA now.. at 23, no, that’s a lie, I love children’s books. Occasionally the cover of a children’s book will catch my eye, and I’ll have to pick it up. That’s what happened here. Browsing our local used book shop, my boyfriend and I came across Magyk just sitting on the shelf.. The cover looked cool, the synopsis was interesting. It fit the bill and I bought it.
What I didn’t except was for my inner child to adore this book, this world, and these characters! This is an amazing fantasy series, and I’m honestly surprised I haven’t heard more about it. It’s not just for little kids, honestly, I think it’s a little too scary for young kids.. maybe 8+ would be fine, but there were some parts that even creeped me out! This series is wonderful. It’s honest, refreshing, full of fantasy and cool names and magic spells and shield bugs and dragon boats! There’s evil too, very evil, dark magic, but this series has it all.
I grew up on Harry Potter, and Lord of The Rings, and I’m just so bummed I didn’t discover this series sooner! Septamus Heap is such a wonderful character, even if you don’t meet him right away, and the story is unbelievable catching! There’s the chase scenes, and the action, but there’s the humor and the jokes between siblings. The Heap family would rival the Weasley family for most entertaining group of siblings. There were times when I seriously laughed out loud at this book and the situations. I was also drawn into the action, the suspense and the dark magyk that they had to keep away from.
This is just the first book, and I’m on the second as I write this and I’m still in love. I love the way Angie Sage writes. It’s got wit, humor, and some seriously good action scenes! I love Septamus, Jenna, and the dragon boat! These characters stick with you, even when you’re not reading! I find myself thinking about it and wishing it was right next to me so I could just keep reading, just to find out a little more!Check this series out, you won’t regret it. Yes, it might be a bit kiddie, but don’t we all need a bit of kiddie now and then?

About the Author:

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Angie Sage (born 1952) is the author of the Septimus Heap series which includes Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste, Syren, Darke and Fyre, the final book which is scheduled to come out later in 2013. Also, she wrote The Magykal Papers, an additional book with extra information about Septimus’ world. She is also the illustrator and/or writer of many children’s books, and is the new writer of the Araminta Spookie series.Angie Sage grew up in Thames Valley, London and Kent. Her father was a publisher. He would bring home blank books that she could fill with pictures and stories. Sage first studied medicine, but changed her mind and went to Art School in Leicester. There she studied Graphic Design and Illustration. She began illustrating books after college. Then she progressed to writing children stories, including toddler books and chapter books. Her first novel was Septimus Heap: Magyk. Angie Sage is married and has two daughters, Laurie and Lois.

Links to Check out:

Angie’s Facebook Page

Casted by Sonya Loveday! Blog tour & Giveaway!

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Magic Synopsis

Jade had spent the majority of her life running from the Triad. The Triad, are a powerful group, who would stop at nothing to obtain Jade and the missing spell book for leader, Lorenzo’s, nefarious plans. And now that she has absorbed the highly coveted magic contained inside the missing book, there is nowhere left for her to hide.

With the help of her friends, Jade steps out from the shadows and learns how to fight back. But no one is prepared for Elinor-the woman bound inside of the book that’s trapped in Jade’s mind. Now she not only needs to protect herself from the Triad, but from what’s hiding inside her mind as well.

Jade never expected the answer to it all would revolve around love.

Edge is dark, mysterious, and a sworn member of the Triad. He also hides a secret past that threatens the thin line he walks between good and evil. Lives are at stake when Jade and Edge’s two worlds collide. Can Jade learn to trust him when he says he is her pre-ordained and vows to do everything he can to protect her? But more importantly, can she trust herself and the woman in her mind?

Magic Links

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Magic Review

Wizard A

Amazing, simply amazing. This tale breathes some fresh air into the magical genre and I love it. The book from beginning to end drew me in and kept me reading. Sonya Loveday has an amazing way with her words! This book paints the scenes so beautifully! 🙂

I think overall this book had all the right additives to make an amazing novel. The world is interesting, and complex. The characters are real, heartwarming, and broken. It’s a lovely story the mixes romance, fantasy, action and suspense all in one.  The main character has gone through so many hardships and struggles throughout the novel, and you just want to keep cheering for her, and hoping she will make it through. Each time there’s another obstacle, you root even harder for her. This really makes good writing. We become invested in the story, in the characters, we want the to get the HEA.

This book was wonderful, original, well written and the plot was structured beautifully. I’d read this book again, and I’d love to see another book from the author as well! 🙂

Magic Author

Sonya Loveday, first and foremost is a reader, an avid one. It is of that love that brought her to the realization that this was the answer to the nagging persistent feeling that ‘there’s got to be something more’.

The dream came alive in 2009 when she purchased her laptop and began the tedious step of becoming a published author.

When she’s not reading, she’s writing. When she’s not writing, she’s reading. And when she’s not doing either of those things she’s sleeping, shuttling her children back and forth to school, letting the dogs and cats in and out of the house for the umpteenth time in the last hour and dreaming of a clean house.

GIVEAWAY! 🙂

Prizes:

Casted purse charm
Ebook of Casted
Casted mini poster
Casted bookmarks

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Review: Fireblade by J.D Sims. Fantasy in the style of Tolkien!

So you say earlier when I posted a spotlight for J.D Sims and Fireblade, if not, you can check that out here.

I have finally been able to find the time to finish Fireblade, and I have to say I’m glad I did. This novel is definitely unlike any other novel I’ve read recently. The picture links to the Smashwords page, so you can check out a sample chapter, and see what e copies are offered! Amazon offers a paperback for those interested as well.

I spotlighted this author and book here, in case you’d like to know more about the author!

Blurb:

“Two hundred years have passed since the great war. Evil magick and violence still ravage the lands of Vercinnor. Human kind wars with elves, the Wyzaerds have all but vanished from Terralea and darkness blackens the horizon. A young elf, Aicanaro, must walk a path between light and darkness where only he can govern his true destiny. As a nomadic assassin, diplomat and General, Aicanaro is tested and tempered in the flames of battle. By blade and fire, Aicanaro mitigates his heart and quiets his rage on the front line against evil. The war selects its champions carefully, reluctant as they may be. Out of the inferno and ash an unlikely legend is born who may be the only hope for all of Terralea.

Fireblade is the first book of the series which chronicles the life of Aicanaro from his humble and tragic beginnings through his struggles with life, death, love and hate.

The war between the elves and humans quickly approaches its climax as, on the fringe, the dark elven race; the Sha’edyri, vie for their piece of Vercinnor. Aicanaro must become a legend to return peace to the land. But will the cost be too high to pay? Will the once clear lines of good and evil blur beyond recognition, or will the war end all of Terralea before there is a chance for peace?”

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Review:

Grade: A-

This book is good, and one of the highlight points for me is that the author, knowing he set up a book with confusing words, offers the reader a pronunciation guide! 🙂 This is the best thing ever in the fantasy genre, knowing how the author intended the words to be said really helps me connect to the world and the characters!

This novel is well written, and quite the epic. Yes, it’s long, and you that can be intimidating but I promise, this book is worth it. You will lose yourself in the pages and you won’t realize you’ve read as much as you have. This isn’t a big book that drags. This is a well written, well thought out book. Each scene has a reason, and each character has depth. He doesn’t just throw in unnecessary things to create a long novel, J.D Sims has thought this whole book through beginning to end and everything makes sense. I promise, get to the end.

The fight scenes, as other reviewers have pointed out, are great. They are realistically written, and they include a wonderful use of foreshadowing, and show the writer’s talent. These scenes are some of the best parts of the book. Each one has something new about it, we’re not repeating the same fight over and over like some books do.

This book is in the style of Lord of The Rings, and if you know what that means, then this book is for you. The book based in fantasy, about epic adventures and living by the sword. It’s great to have a new author creating such a great fantasy, and not needing to lean on any cliches to acheive it!

Well Done J.D Sims! Looking forward to the next one! 🙂

Review: The Six by K.B Hoyle

Another wonderful NetGalley title, though this one isn’t really an ARC as there are several more published now. But none the less, the author put her book up for review, and I’m so glad she did! 🙂

This was one magical ride!

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Review:

Grade: A

I loved this book, I had heard about it previously but never picked it up. Always saw it when I was on the hunt for something, and then forgot when I went back to get a new book, but I am so mad now. This book was outstanding. The quality of writing was beyond what I expected, and the storyline was well thought out, interesting and kept me reading. I know it’s meant for younger readers, as main characters are 13-14 age, but as a 23 year old, I have a very strong sense of wonder and really appreciated this book. I could understand the characters and the motivations. This isn’t just a book thrown together for kids, it has a lot of thought in it and you can tell it is based on realistic experiences to create such a wonderful book.

The whole idea of a summer camp with a secret gateway to another world reminds me of Chronicles of Narnia is such a good way, such a wonderful adventure. The main character isn’t thrilled with summer camp, but as the book progresses, she grows and changes and forms bonds with her other campers and has this wonderful adventure. The characters develop and act realistically, and that just makes this book even stronger.
This novel will appeal to the young and the young at heart, the magic is alive in these pages and the book stands out to me as one of the best YA novels I’ve read recently, and I am excited to read the rest of the series and see what happens next year at summer camp!