Review: The Glass Magician

The Glass Magician by Charlie N Holmberg
Published 4 November 2014 by 47North
Source: NetGalley

Three months after returning Magician Emery Thane’s heart to his body, Ceony Twill is well on her way to becoming a Folder. Unfortunately, not all of Ceony’s thoughts have been focused on paper magic. Though she was promised romance by a fortuity box, Ceony still hasn’t broken the teacher-student barrier with Emery, despite their growing closeness.

When a magician with a penchant for revenge believes that Ceony possesses a secret, he vows to discover it…even if it tears apart the very fabric of their magical world. After a series of attacks target Ceony and catch those she holds most dear in the crossfire, Ceony knows she must find the true limits of her powers…and keep her knowledge from falling into wayward hands.

The delightful sequel to Charlie N. Holmberg’s The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician will charm readers young and old alike.

My Thoughts

The Glass Magician picks up shortly after the events of The Paper Magician. Ceony Twill is continuing her studies with Magician Thane and seems to be on track to pass her certification exams as a Folder (a magician bound to paper) after two years of apprenticeship. While on a field trip with other magician apprentices, the paper factory they are visiting is bombed by a notorious Excisioner (a practitioner of blood magic). When it becomes evident that Ceony is the target of a pair of evil magicians, her teachers rally to protect her, but Ceony resents being left out of the plans to capture them. So, she charges out to solve things on her own.

I don't even know how to begin to tell you how much I enjoyed The Glass Magician. I guess the 4-star rating tells you something. I saw reviews which criticized the fact that Ceony makes bad decisions which put her at risk, but really, that's what the book is all about—a young woman taking matters into her own hands.

I noticed that there's another book in this series due out in 2015. I hope the author doesn't plan on stopping with just three books. It seems that there's a lot to be explored in this alternate world filled with magic and emerging technology.

★★★★☆

Note that I received a free copy of The Glass Magician from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.