Source: from the author.
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Thirteen-year-old Elijah Hawk has never heard of the Magi. He doesn't know about the secret power they have. He has never been to Savenridge, the Magi city hidden deep inside the northern forests. Most of all, Elijah is unaware of the dangers hunting him, in search for something he has. After one terrifying night, however, all of that changes!
On a quest to solve the murder of his parents, Elijah stumbles upon the land of the Magi. Learning their secrets and training with their power is the least of his problems. In order to find out why his parents were killed, Elijah learns that he must confront the dangers that are hunting him. What's more terrifying is learning that stumbling upon this new world of the Magi may not have been an accident after all.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed reading this book - there was something about it that made me happy every time I picked it up. The story was easy to read, entertaining, filled with adventure and fun.
Turner doesn't waste any time getting into the story - the mystery and excitement of who the Magi are and the murder of Elijah's family happens right away. This is dealt with well and sensitively, I really felt for Elijah in his grief and confusion. In fact, that is one of the things I liked about this book was how authentic Elijah felt overall - in losing his family, then his uncle, going to boarding school, attaching to a teacher who is nice to him and his akwardness around cute girls. He also feels things very passionately which draws the reader in.
The mystery of who the Magi are and the building of their world is fantastic, as is the conflict with Maliphists, the bad guys who have broken away from the Magi. There is so much adventure in this book, enough to keep young readers turning the pages, but not so much that I feel tense when reading, something I find happens when the characters never get any time to rest.
I did find myself thinking of Harry Potter when I read this book - a young boy who lost his family and goes off to boarding school, a magical world hidden from most humans, the exploration of friendships, and the amount of adventure... But this book is not an alternate Harry Potter, it is a strong book in its own right. I'm sure it will appeal to middle school and young adult fans and I would highly recommend it to them. In fact, I cannot wait until the next in the series comes out - hopefully it won't be too long. Turner has laid the foundation for a great series.
Where to find out more:
Author Website
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
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