The Paper Magician by Charlie Holmberg
Review by Mirah W. (mwelday)
The Paper Magician series is a series unlike any other I have read. I experienced reader highs and lows and moments of confusion and clarity through a story that was refreshing and enchanting in its uniqueness.
The series begins with The Paper Magician. Ceony Twill does not want to be a Folder, a magician who uses paper. She wants to be almost any other kind of magician. But upon completing her schooling at Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, she is forced to choose folding due to the low numbers of current Folders. In order to finish her education and become a professional, practicing magician, Ceony must successfully complete her apprenticeship with a mentor Folder and she is placed with Emery Thane. Ceony and Emery develop an unexpected connection and they are projected into an adventure of fear and love.
Throughout The Paper Magician, and in books 2 and 3 of the series (The Glass Magician and The Master Magician, respectively), Ceony and Emery are thrown on the course of fighting and defeating Excisioners, magicians who practice illegal flesh magic. They both have moments of self-doubt and they question everything they know about how magic works. What can an apprentice magician have to offer to defeat a magic that other practiced magicians cannot? And how can she manage to focus on her apprenticeship and passing her final magician’s exam while trying to defeat this dark magic? And what about the feelings and connection she has for Emery, does he feel the same?
I thought book 1, The Paper Magician, was the weakest of the series. The ‘quest’ Ceony jumped into was long-winded and I started to lose some interest. I felt having Ceony basically on her own so soon wasn’t the easiest scenario to believe and I felt like the character development wasn’t totally successful. But even with that disappointment in the first book, the premise of the series brought me back for more. Happily, for me, books 2 and 3 were more fast-paced and allowed the readers to really get to know the characters more deeply and understand their personal motivations. I read books 1 and 2 but listened to the audiobook of book 3. The narrator for The Master Magician was adept at bringing life to the different characters and listening to the book gave me different visualizations of the scenes.
Overall, I found The Paper Magician series unique and thoughtfully considered. Every story line has a purpose and each is a part of the larger picture. Readers looking to go on a magical adventure should check out this series.
Books 2 and 3 in the series:
Tags: Book Recommendations, book review, Book Series, Book Suggestions, Fantasy Series
