Review of The Master Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

The Master Magician

The Paper Magician: Book III

By Charlie N. Holmberg

Star Rating: 

Date/Time Started: 6/6/2015 4:52 pm
Date/Time Finished: 6/8/2015 1:15 am

Genre: Fantasy
Number of Pages: 224

Synopsis:(From Amazon)
Throughout her studies, Ceony Twill has harbored a secret, one she's kept from even her mentor, Emery Thane.  She's discovered how to practice forms of magic other than her own--an ability long thought impossible.

When all seems set of Ceony to complete her apprenticeship and pass her upcoming final magician's exam, life quickly becomes complicated.  To avoid favoritism, Emery sends her to another paper magician for testing, a Folder who despises Emery and cares even less for his apprentice.  To make matters worse, a murderous criminal from Ceony's past escapes imprisonment.  Now she must track the power-hungry convict across England before he can take his revenge.  With her life and loved ones hanging in the balance, Ceony must face a criminal who wields the one magic that she does not, and it may prove more powerful than all of her skills combined.

Review:
Like all of the books in this series, this was hard to set down.  Ceony seems to have a nice depth of character in this book, showcasing that she has fears that she isn't willing to sit back and let happen.  While most will argue that Ceony needs to plan better instead of running forward and jumping into sticky situations without a plan, most can empathize with wanting to keep their family safe.  Besides running into danger, Ceony showcases her impatience and temper on more than one occasion.  I, for one, find it refreshing to find a protagonist who isn't perfect, and who sometimes has to collect herself and apologize for being brash, as I have had to in the past as well.

WARNING: Ending spoiler ahead.

I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed with the ending.  After seeing Ceony and Emery go through so much together, we are shown their proposal, and are left with the assumption that what she saw in the fortuity box will come to pass.  I would have loved some sort of epilogue, showcasing what Ceony decided to do with her career.

Author Information:
Charlie N. Holmberg has a BA in English with a minor in editing.  She likes Star Trek and hopes to someday own a dog.  She is married and has a child.  The Paper Magician was her ninth book, but first to get published.

For more information on Charlie N. Holmberg, see her author page or go to her website.

If you like this review, and the writing style of this quirky reviewer, please consider visiting and liking my Facebook author page: Lizzy March.