Review of The Magician's Secret
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Review of The Magician's Secret
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Magician's Secret" by Charles Townsend.]
Delvin’s plans to become a magician’s apprentice come to an abrupt end when a stranger brutally stabs Borlock, his mentor. Before he dies, his friend wills his property, including all his magic props, to Delvin. With this inheritance, Delvin decides to leave his small town and head to the big city to make his fortune as a magician. He sets up shop in Hengel: selling charms, doing magic shows, and telling fortunes. Oddly, the events he foretells happen more often than not. When one of his predictions comes spectacularly true during a public event, his magical talents attract the attention of Princess Jarla. Jarla persuades Delvin, as only a princess can, to use his magician’s powers to assist her.
The Magician’s Secret is the first book in Charles Townsend’s Illusions of Powers series. With the neighboring duchies Hengel and Argent heading towards war, Princess Jarla’s mission to stop it needs a bit of magic. Can Delvin discover the magician’s secret in time?
I like that the action starts on the first page with poor Borlock bleeding, and the town suspects a confused Delvin of doing the deed. Interest builds as Delvin establishes himself as a magician, conjurer, and fortune-teller, and the pace picks up when Delvin meets Jarla. The slower traveling scenes allow the newly-met comrades to get to know each other and show their uniqueness. In this story, the hard-driving princess takes the initiative to save two countries from war. Jarla forces Delvin to join her mission, but he doesn’t sulk about it. His practical solutions to the obstacles they encounter along the way aid the mission as much as his magic tricks do. My favorite character is Delvin. I can’t help but like a clever guy who shows so much kindness to his rabbit. Finally, I appreciate that Townsend tells the story from one viewpoint. Jumping from one point of view to another tends to distract from the story.
I didn’t find much to dislike about this book. I counted more than ten errors and typos, but they didn’t distract me too much from the story. The extra and missing quotation marks stood out the most. And I got lost in the castles. Townsend did provide extensive maps at the beginning of the book, but I read the ebook edition. Having to flip back and forth from text to map within an ebook was awkward, time-consuming, and distracting.
I gave The Magician’s Secret a 4 out of 5 stars rating. I enjoyed the book but felt I should deduct one star because of the errors.
Teens and older readers who enjoy a fun fantasy story would enjoy this book. The bloody violence that occurs in spots might upset younger readers.
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The Magician's Secret
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Delvin’s plans to become a magician’s apprentice come to an abrupt end when a stranger brutally stabs Borlock, his mentor. Before he dies, his friend wills his property, including all his magic props, to Delvin. With this inheritance, Delvin decides to leave his small town and head to the big city to make his fortune as a magician. He sets up shop in Hengel: selling charms, doing magic shows, and telling fortunes. Oddly, the events he foretells happen more often than not. When one of his predictions comes spectacularly true during a public event, his magical talents attract the attention of Princess Jarla. Jarla persuades Delvin, as only a princess can, to use his magician’s powers to assist her.
The Magician’s Secret is the first book in Charles Townsend’s Illusions of Powers series. With the neighboring duchies Hengel and Argent heading towards war, Princess Jarla’s mission to stop it needs a bit of magic. Can Delvin discover the magician’s secret in time?
I like that the action starts on the first page with poor Borlock bleeding, and the town suspects a confused Delvin of doing the deed. Interest builds as Delvin establishes himself as a magician, conjurer, and fortune-teller, and the pace picks up when Delvin meets Jarla. The slower traveling scenes allow the newly-met comrades to get to know each other and show their uniqueness. In this story, the hard-driving princess takes the initiative to save two countries from war. Jarla forces Delvin to join her mission, but he doesn’t sulk about it. His practical solutions to the obstacles they encounter along the way aid the mission as much as his magic tricks do. My favorite character is Delvin. I can’t help but like a clever guy who shows so much kindness to his rabbit. Finally, I appreciate that Townsend tells the story from one viewpoint. Jumping from one point of view to another tends to distract from the story.
I didn’t find much to dislike about this book. I counted more than ten errors and typos, but they didn’t distract me too much from the story. The extra and missing quotation marks stood out the most. And I got lost in the castles. Townsend did provide extensive maps at the beginning of the book, but I read the ebook edition. Having to flip back and forth from text to map within an ebook was awkward, time-consuming, and distracting.
I gave The Magician’s Secret a 4 out of 5 stars rating. I enjoyed the book but felt I should deduct one star because of the errors.
Teens and older readers who enjoy a fun fantasy story would enjoy this book. The bloody violence that occurs in spots might upset younger readers.
******
The Magician's Secret
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Latest Review: The Impossible Mock Orange Trial by Thad G. Long
