The Paper Magician

Really liked this book, but it took me a while to get properly into, you can read my full review here: http://teachocolateandbooks.blogspot.co.uk/

This was my pick for the pick-for-me book club. I'm not a fan of YA, but this was pretty good. It was a nice quick read. I think I'll read the next one in the series.

This book doesn't grab me right off the bat. It takes a while before I can truly get into the story and magic, but the fast pace and the clear, concise writing style made it engaging nonetheless. Ceony is a nice and relatable heroine. She has her flaws, of course, but she acknowledges them and tries to be a better person. She doesn't dwell on things she can't do anything about, and instead tries to make the best of her life—even if it's different from what she wanted.

The romance is thin, but adorable. Emery's past gives so much depth to his character, and Ceony only starts to fall in love after she learns more about him. No instalove, no drooling over his hotness considering he's pretty much average in everything aside from his eyes. The 12 year of age difference doesn't bother me a single bit, but that's my personal taste... and also because Emery doesn't feel like an old man despite his age.

And because I'm closer to his age than Ceony's. You didn't see that.

That aside, it'd have been nice if we get to learn about Ceony herself. Emery's life and past takes up a large portion of the story, but Ceony's only came out in a desperate moment that made it feel kind of rushed. This is only the first book in a trilogy though, maybe that's for the next ones to reveal. I didn't really like Lira though. I feel like she lacks depth as an antagonist, so hopefully this part gets better as the story moves along.

For the last couple books I've reviewed, I've been taking notes while reading the book. Just things that come to me, or quotes that I want to use - anything that I can expound upon in my review. I couldn't with this book. Oh, I thought I would, but when I read the first half in less than four hours, including breaks to do minor things like eat and take care of the pets (and watch a bit of The Originals) I didn't feel like focusing on the book without getting to actually read it.

I was hooked right from the beginning. Right from:

For the past five years, Ceony had wanted to be a smelter.

That sentence brought up all kinds of questions. Going into this book only knowing what the back cover says, I had little idea what this story would even be like.

If there is one word I'd use to describe this book it would be ‘magical'. Let me just say that, while there isn't anything wrong with the cover, it does nothing to indicate the imagination and whimsy that this book contains. No, basing it on that cover, I thought this was going to be a solid story, very staid and ‘feet-on-the-ground'. A bit mannerpunk - strong on the manner and light on the punk.

Instead, the story is a whimsy, sometimes dark story about magicians and stolen hearts and a girl that just had her heart broken - but not by romance.

Set in the early 1900's in a London that is ever-so-slightly different from the historical one, we have ‘magicians' - people who bond to a specific man-made material and can do magic through that medium. Honestly, some of the magic that Ceony learns is very awesome - also very visual. (I want this book made into a movie.)

There are many different types of magicians - a number that grows occasionally. However, our Ceony, wanting to be a ‘Smelter' (able to affect metals) but instead she gets shunted off to the primary dying magic. ‘Folding.' Paper magic. It's not a powerful magic - not like most of the others - nor is it particularly useful. It to her, it seems to be only good for parlor tricks.

I like Ceony. She's not the kind of girl that I'll be fawning over, but she is simply, quietly likable. She is upset that her dreams have fallen through, but it doesn't take her long to decide that her situation actually isn't so bad. She is smart, with something of a photographic or eidetic memory. However, she also has a fear. A fear that she must face several times throughout the story, and I must say that I think her fear was handled very realistically.

Her master is a bit...cuckoo. Ceony wonders if he's mad and - well... I like him. Emery Thane is kind and extremely quirky. He obviously views the world in an odd manner and has strong shades of an absent minded scientist. A major portion of this book actually takes place inside his heart. Ceony gets an up close look at his hopes and fears and memories - both good and bad.

There were few other characters of any real importance, but the gorgeous way Ceony and Emery were developed more than made up for a light cast. There was information about both their pasts and, by the end of the book, I really felt like I knew them. (There were a few, non-talking characters that were so entertaining as well.)

I love the ‘Folding' magic. (Paper magic.) Origami is an obvious influence and I love all the different things that can be done with it. It's one of the weaker magic's, (at least, for physical strength) so it's great fun to see how it can be used in battles.

I would like to make special mention of romance in this story. You see, Ceony develops a crush (becoming love) on her master. It's easy to see how respect and admiration can turn to love and all the time Ceony spends with Emery certainly helps. However, this may be a bit of a deal breaker for some people. Ceony is nineteen. Emery is almost thirty-one. While twelve years difference in age doesn't bother me, I know it will some people, so be forewarned.

(Originally posted on my blog: http://pagesofstarlight.blogspot.com/)

So Charming

A quick, charming read in this magical story set in 19th century London. Ceony Twill becomes a magician's apprentice to Magician Thane and an adventure occurs that was unique enough to keep my attention. I will certainly be reading the rest of this series.

reviews.metaphorosis.com

3.5 stars

Commitment to a branch of magic is irrevocable, and Ceony Twill, a talented cook and recent graduate of Tagis Praff magic school, has been apprenticed to a specialist in paper magic. Deeply disappointed, she nonetheless applies herself, and quickly learns there's much more to her mentor than meets the eye.

Is it worse to have your expectations dashed, or to have them raised and then dashed? Disappointed by what I expected to be a sharp, quirky debut by N. K. Jemisin (and turned out to be a solid but unoriginal fantasy), I turned to a completely unknown quantity, Charlie Holmberg.; I'd never heard of Holmberg, but her idea of paper magic seemed interesting.

I was quickly caught up in an alternative historical romance fantasy for young adults. The setting an alternate 19th century-ish London was minimal but well done, the characters greatly appealing, and the writing excellent. Sure, the tone was more YA than it needed to be - protagonist Ceony gets things far too easily for there to be much challenge early on, and the romance is virtually instant. But there was quite a lot too like. (even if the older man, young adult trope is something I'd hope an alternate world could get by without, and there's quite a bit of girl cooking and cleaning for man).

Unfortunately, the story bogs down considerably about a third of the way through, and we spend virtually the rest of the book slogging (literally) through a heavy-handed metaphor that we get far, far earlier than our protagonist. It's a mildly clever idea that goes on much longer than it needs to - so long that it downgraded an exciting new discovery to “yeah, interesting” status.

Holmberg is clearly talented, and I'll be going on to the second in the series, The Glass Magician, but I hope that she'll apply her deft hand to the plot as well as the writing in that book. (Unflesh it, so to speak.)

This is a clever, well-written fantasy that leans far too heavily toward simplistic romance to be as effective as it could have been. Nonetheless, it's a fun read, and I recommend it, especially for those looking for a strong (if not terribly modern) female lead.

NB: Received free copy from Net Galley. 

This is definitely a young adult story and if you come into it knowing that, it's a very enjoyable book. It's a story of a magical world without being a rip-off of Harry Potter. The story focuses more on characters than on the magic environment itself, which makes the beginning of the book somewhat jarring. More than once I double checked to see if there was a book that came before this that introduced things that I was expected to know before reading this book.

But you get drawn into the story quickly and it's a quick, enjoyable book. Being a young-adult story, it does lack the intensity and depth of a more advanced novel. Things definitely come a little too easily to the main character, and she is able to solve the crisis a tad too quickly.

But, like I said, if you come at it knowing what to expect, it's a very good story with great writing that describes the scenes of magic in ways that make them almost come to life.

The story has its fair share of violence, but there's almost nothing in the way of language or sex, which is refreshing for a young-adult novel. I would have no problem recommending this book to anyone, adult or teen.