Review: The Greatest Magician, by Elena Paige (Prequel to The Magicians series)

Review: The Greatest Magician (Prequel to The Magicians' series)
Author: Elena Paige
Format: ebook
Source: Book Sirens

From Goodreads: "A convention for magicians! Mages and illusionists casting spells and performing spectacular tricks! The perfect annual event for every magical family!

Except for someone like Jack Roberts.

His mother is The Great Linda, a woman who can’t die. His dad has the power to heal. His sister can bend people to her will. But Jack has no such magic up his sleeve. He’s about as ordinary as can be. In fact, the annual Magicians’ Convention is the very last place on Earth he wants to hang out.

Then Jack discovers there might be a way for him to gain magic after all.

How far will Jack go in his desperate quest for magic? And who can he trust?

See where it all began in The Greatest Magician, a prequel following the adventures of young Jack and his family years before the events of The Magicians’ Convention."

My Opinion: Per the author: "This book is The Prequel to The Magicians' series. It can be read as a stand alone book, but is awesome when read after book 1: The Magicians' Convention."

I didn't read this prequel before reading The Magicians' Convention, but Ms. Paige is correct - it can be read as a stand alone. In fact, it was a very good introduction to what I think is going to be an excellent series. You don't have to rely just on MY opinion - I had my 13 year old son read it along with me and he loved it! Rave reviews were given all around.

Jake is the only member of a magical family without magic. He tries and tries, and acts like it doesn't bother him, but when the occasion presents itself to obtain a magic coin that could just possibly give him magical abilities, he jumps at the chance! Unfortunately, it turns out that this will not be an easy feat. He meets some kids at the Magicians' Convention who have the same idea, and they team up to get the coins.

The characters were fleshed out nicely. You really get a feel for where they are each coming from, which is remarkable given the fact that this is not a full length novel (as it is a prequel) and there is lots and lots of action. The world building very well done - it is now my life's ambition to find and attend The Magicians' Convention, even if I have to sneak in!

The writing did something most books cannot do, and that is keep the attention of my ADHD 13 year old son! Trust me, that is no easy task. Being a middle grade book, I like to get his opinion when possible to make sure my review is accurate, and we both loved this one. The pace was well done and easily kept our interest, and for this reason, it was a quick read. We are looking forward to reading book 1 of this trilogy. 

In summary, I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend it to lovers of MG fantasy books with an emphasis on magic, which is a favorite of mine. I give it an enthusiastic 5/5 stars.

I received a copy of this book free of charge from BookSirens in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: Sisters of Summer's End (Summer Resort #2), by Lori Foster

Title: Sisters of Summer's End (Summer Resort #2)
Author: Lori Foster
Format: ebook
Source: NetGalley

From Goodreads: "As the summer ends, friendship begins...When single mom Joy Lee abandoned her old life to take a job at a lakeside resort, she found something that her family's wealth and influence could never buy: peace of mind. Not easy to come by for the once-burned divorce who keeps everyone at a distance. But when her new friend, Maris, dares her to take a chance with the drive-in's charismatic new owner, everything changes for Joy and her young son. A difficult childhood has left Maris Kennedy with definite priorities. Her job running Summer's End, the camp store and cafe, comes first. Always. Nothing could ever make her risk that hard-won security--especially not her free-spirited colleague. But the more she encourages Joy to open herself up to new experiences, the more Maris begins to wonder what she, too, might be missing. Learning how to trust will bring Joy and Maris together. 
And soon they form a friendship that leaves them as close as sisters--and open to love where they least expect it...in Summer's End."

My Opinion: Confession #1: I love Lori Foster and will happily read anything she has written!! Confession #2: That being said, I haven't read the first book in the Summer Resort series - Cooper's Charm - yet, but I will be rectifying that oversight very quickly because I absolutely loved this book!! Luckily, even though this is the second book in the series, it was able to be read as a standalone story. 

The most important thing I noted as I was reading this story is that, while it has a couple of very hot romances in it, the relationship that is mostly explored is the friendship between Maris and Joy, and I absolutely loved that! Their friendship grows and blossoms even as they get to know each other, but they have each closed themselves off to any type of relationship because they are putting all of their time and energy into the priorities in their lives: Maris with her camp store and cafe, and Joy with her son. So the question is, can they change that and open themselves up to new experiences and new people? Watching their journey was both captivating and heartening, and I loved it.

The characters were all very likable (or hard to like as the case may be) and they were all fleshed out beautifully. Their back stories were woven in so you know exactly where they are coming from and why they have made the decisions that have brought them to this place and time.

The setting was very well written, so much so that I want to go stay at this lakeside resort myself! The descriptions of the fall and winter seasons were so real that they cooled me off in the midst of this hot summer! And the plot line unraveled at just the right pace, which is hard to achieve, but is done so beautifully here.

In summary, this book was a fascinating read, a different kind of love story, and it captivated me right from the start. 

I give this book 5/5 stars, and can enthusiastically recommend it to anyone looking for a light, but very fulfilling, book to read.  

I received a copy of this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.