Sorcery for Beginners by Matt Harry
Description
Five-hundred years ago, sorcery began to fade from the world. As technology prevailed, combustion engines and computers replaced enchanted plows and spell books. Real magicians were hunted almost to extinction. Science became the primary system of belief, and the secrets of spell-casting were forgotten. That is … until now.
Sorcery for Beginners is no fantasy or fairy tale. Written by arcane arts preservationist and elite mage Euphemia Whitmore (along with her ordinary civilian aide Matt Harry), this book is a how-to manual for returning magic to an uninspired world. It’s also the story of Owen Macready, a seemingly average 13-year-old who finds himself drawn into a centuries-long war when he uses sorcery to take on a school bully. Owen’s spellcasting attracts the attention of a ruthless millionaire and a secret society of anti-magic mercenaries, all of whom wish to use Sorcery for Beginners to alter the course of world history forever.
My review
If Hogwarts were real this would be one of the first year required books. A highly entertaining, easy-to-read book, with diagrams, spells, and trivia.I love the plotline, as a child, I too was bullied and used books as a way to escape. That’s where our similarities end. The plot itself is action-packed and kept me engaged throughout. I was able to read this book within 2 hours because I was so captivated by the story.
The textbook format was quite unique, giving it an official feel. I also love the cover art. This is a book that I would love to see in a leather bound edition one day to add to my collection. The illustrations were lackluster, to say the least. The ones in the book fell completely flat for me. Coupled with some questionable dialogue, these were really the only two cons of the story.
Regarding dialogue: I was not convinced with the dialogue of the characters. I’m not sure if the author has ever been around the targeted age group, but too my knowledge they don’t speak this way. In some areas, this really took away from the plot.
I would recommend this book for ages 9+.
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Where to buy:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Water, melanin, bones, blood. In route to death, while I’m here, might as well get shit accomplished.
Photographer, fitness enthusiast, blogger, and mother of two.
