Tag Archives: Magic

Mayowa and the Sea of Words

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Chibundu Onuzo. Bloomsbury Children’s, (288p) ISBN: 9781526661005. Middle Grade, read 14/05/25, Paperback ★★★★☆

Mayowa and the Sea of Words

Mayowa and the Sea of Words

I’ve got to admit when I received this I was a bit trepidatious as the cover reminded me of so many book in the past several years and the blurb reminded me of a couple of books I had read and enjoyed in the past.

I needn’t have worried as the story of Mayowa and her growing ability to channel emotions through jumping on books, or as her Grandad calls it logosalting (yes I know, a bit of a mouthful) turned into an amazing adventure with appropriate baddies.

This is the first of a new series which explores this power and follows Mayowa as her skills develop and a good first book it is.

Mayowa has always been told by her mum and dad not to jump on books and not to copy Grandpa Edwards, but circumstances conspire to have her staying a summer with him and this is where she learns about her family secret (on dad’s side anyway), logosalting and how it has been used in the past for good and evil and that it should only be used if it causes no harm.

Mayowa and her Grandpa (Baron Edgerley) get involved in foiling nefarious racist bigots from getting a piece of legislation through parliament that would mean refugees would be left to drown if they capsized, this is being pushed through by evil logosalters who shouldn’t exist according to Grandpa.

Lots of adventures, training montages, upsets, evil twins, new friends, and family, always family makes this a well-paced read that you don’t want to put down. Read it in three commute sessions and would have read it in one long sitting if given half the chance.

“These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.”

The end was exciting and satisfyingly left a lot open for book 2, especially mum’s side of the family, I think…

I received this from Bloomsbury Children’s in exchange for an honest review.

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Wolf Siren

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Beth O’Brien, HarperCollins, (320p) ISBN: 9780008642013. Middle Grade, read 05/04/25, eBook ★★★★★

Wolf Siren

Wolf Siren

I was immediately drawn to this by the cover designed and drawn by Ayesha L. Rubio, I’ve always been a sucker for Red Riding Hood tales and I love seeing how people handle them.

This is Beth O’Brien’s debut, and what a debut it is, confident and strong, full of beautiful magic, wolves, and reasons why the patriarchy sucks.

Red lives in a village surrounded by a forest, one no one really goes in any longer as the wolves have turned from the hunted to the hunters and any man or boy who goes in the woods is killed.

Though women and girls are left unharmed they aren’t allowed to go in the woods either, this is done to control by the men who resent their freedoms and want to curtail them as much as possible.

I really don’t want to give too much of the story away as the twists and turns are wonderful as they unfold, there are secrets all around, jealousies, entrenched power, magic, wolves, and lots of changes. This keeps you powering through as you are desperate for the next revelation.

But the woods are full of magic, trees that can help or hinder, wolves with secrets, women who’ve been exiled for their craft, and a story that needs to be told to balance out the narrative told by the men in the village.

This is one of the best books I’ve read that talks normally about menstruation in girls and this is a key part of the storyline, this change in a woman’s body is used really well in the story, again not going to give why away…

The main character being visually impaired was done so sympathetically and honestly and the acceptance of this by others around her was really strong, there was also a moment of signing in the book which was just part of the story which really worked for me.

Altogether this was one of the strongest middle grade debut’s I’ve read for a while and now I really want to read what comes next from Beth O’Brien

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Rivers of London

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Ben Aaronovitch. Orion Publishing. (432p) ISBN: 9780575097582
Rivers of London

Rivers of London

I’ve been reading this series of books since they came out as I’ve always been a sucker for urban magic, showing the magical underside of our ordinary world, revealing the wizard behind the curtain.

Rivers of London introduces us to the recurring cast of the series; Peter Grant, Lesley May, Thomas Nightingale, the Rivers of London, Molly, and some others, as Peter and Lesley become embroiled in the magical worlds and feuds of London.

The development of the characters whilst investigating a series of seemingly unrelated crimes is done extremely well, weaving the personal into the overall setting, foreshadowing a lot of future stories in this first outing.

Peter’s development as a magician is well-paced and developed in a way that you could follow as more of the secrets of The Folly revealed, this includes building some of Nightingale’s and the societies back history.

My favourite’s though are the Rivers and the relationships between Mama Thames and Old Man Thames and their children.

Ghosts, genius loci, secret societies, history, police procedural, vestigium, there is a lot introduced but keep up and you are massively rewarded.

This is a well-paced story and much darker than the humour makes you think it will be so watch out for that.

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Questions to Ask About Magic

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Magician

Magician

When thinking about adding magic to your world building, these are some questions to ask:

  • Who has it?
  • Who can use it?
  • Where does it come from?
  • What does it go through?
  • Is it active? Passive? Both?
  • Is it tangible? Visible?
  • Can magic people sense magic?
  • Can non-magic people sense magic?
  • Can non-humans be or have magic?
  • Can objects be or have magic?
  • Can it be used by accident?
  • What are the consequences of using magic? Of not using it?
  • Do some things (eg causing injury, death, etc.) have greater consequences?
  • Does level/degree of use correlate to degree of consequences?
  • Does magic require a bargain (eg service to a god)?
  • Can someone lose their magic?
  • Can someone gain magic?
  • Can magic be transferred or stolen?
  • Is magic something to be turned on and off or is it always there?
  • Does a person have a limited amount of magic? Can it be replenished?
  • Does everyone’s magic manifest the same way?
  • Does everyone call upon their magic the same way?
  • Does magic require physical aids? Meditation?
  • Is strength innate or based on training? Can it change?
  • How is strength indicated?
  • Are there physical indicators of magic use?
  • Is there some sort of test to be allowed to use magic?
  • To show competency?
  • To show mastery?
  • To certify teaching?
  • Is magic tied to or antithetical to religion?
  • Must magic obey scientific principles?
  • Does magic operate the same way everywhere?
  • Does magic operate the same way on everyone/everything?
  • Is healing possible? Is it telekinetic? Time-based? Done by switching physical health?
  • Does magic require a sacrifice? Before or after? User’s or others’?
  • Is magic something a person is? Does? Uses?
  • How is magic conceptualized? Is that correct?
  • What can someone do with magic?
  • What can’t someone do with magic? Why?
  • What are ethical/moral lines that have been drawn regarding magic? How are they enforced?
  • Is belief necessary?
  • Can magic only be done at certain times or in certain places?
  • How do powerful magic users face consequences from the law?
  • Is magic something that people want to be?

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When Among Crows

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Veronica Roth. Titan Books. (176p) ISBN: 9781803363585
When Among Crows

When Among Crows

At about this time last year I read Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth and absolutely loved it, so was really looking forward to this novella as soon as I saw it on NetGalley…

and I wasn’t disappointed, from the very start we were immersed in a magical culture so different from the usual worlds we see portrayed in fantasy and urban fantasy.

The first chapter started the story off in such a vivid and fascinating manner I was hooked, then late on I was going to bed to finish a chapter and continue it the next day but just couldn’t put it down! So finished it at 1am, I’ve not done this for a long time.

Full of dark stories of blood, revenge, guilt, remorse, ancient hate, and curses all set in modern day Chicago where the various creatures of Slavic mythology have come across running from some of the same things that other waves of immigrants were running from. Finish this with a great tale of found family and an eventual kiss that seals the story.

The world building is amazing for such a short work and throws you full blown into the dark underworld that these creatures inhabit and the magic systems which are based on debt and/or blood.

My only disappointment is that I had to leave the world so beautifully and carefully described.

I’m always a sucker for stories with a depiction of Baba Jaga, and combine this with a quest story was brilliant, the depiction of the leszy at the start of the book was brilliant and this was the introduction to the idea of magical places coming from some form of debt.

As I said I just couldn’t put it down until finished and would love this world to be revisited at some point.

I received this from NetGalley and Titan Books in exchange for an honest review.

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The Honey Witch

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Sydney J. Shields. Little Brown Book Group. (368p) ISBN: 9780356522524
The Honey Witch

The Honey Witch

Marigold remembers happy times with her Grandmother on the island of Innisfree which were cut short by memories of fire and chaos.

Years later living in the land of Bardshire Mari feels so out of place, a land of talents and gentry Marigold is nether but wants to run wild and be herself.

It is here that we discover that Marigold is a Honey Witch, as is her grandmother but which her mother didn’t want as to be a Honey Witch is to be cursed never to be loved, never to find your soulmate. Mari grabs the opportunity with both hands and this is where the adventure starts.

Another in my journey through the land of cozy fantasy, full of flowers, honey, friendship, and a world that accepts love for whoever you want to love, though chaperones are required no matter.

Well imagined world which is based on the duality of magics and that a Honey Witch who nourishes life should be paired with an Ash Witch who cleanses rot and decay to make the place clear for growth.

I really enjoyed the descriptions of the cottages and châteaux, the freedom that Mari really enjoys as she learns her powers, the different honeys and their uses, and the love that grows that is forbidden.

Slightly more perilous than my last cozy fantasy read, especially the descriptions of pushing against the curse and the build up to the end section, but still a cozy read with some really fun parts.

And it’s great that one of the characters is a tattoo artist as you don’t really see that in books much, and the use of the tattoos she did on herself was perfect, though it has made me want another tattoo.

A great little read and I’m really hoping that we get to visit this world at some point again.

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