Review – The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

Title The Paper Magician

Author Charlie N. Holmberg

Description

Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she’s bonded to paper, that will be her only magic…forever.

Yet the spells Ceony learns under the strange yet kind Thane turn out to be more marvelous than she could have ever imagined—animating paper creatures, bringing stories to life via ghostly images, even reading fortunes. But as she discovers these wonders, Ceony also learns of the extraordinary dangers of forbidden magic.

An Excisioner—a practitioner of dark, flesh magic—invades the cottage and rips Thane’s heart from his chest. To save her teacher’s life, Ceony must face the evil magician and embark on an unbelievable adventure that will take her into the chambers of Thane’s still-beating heart—and reveal the very soul of the man.

Release Date September 1, 2014

Initial Thoughts

I picked this book up after I read Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg. The premise sounded right up my alley and I love her writing style.

Some Things I Liked

• Quirky friends to almost lovers romance. I’ll be honest, the romance here wasn’t really romance but rather mutual respect that grew between teacher and student (despite their age difference). I really enjoyed the relationship between Ceony and Thane and can’t wait to see how that grows in future sequels.
• World building and magic. I also loved the concepts of the world building. I thought the idea of “paper magicians” and magic based around different materials was a fascinating idea and I can’t wait to read more about the other types of magic.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

• Unbelievable plot. Despite being a fantasy story, I found several moments in the story where, Ceony in particular, made absolutely outlandish decisions. I couldn’t understand how certain events led from one to the next. I found the plot had holes that I couldn’t fill as a reader which was a bit of a disappointment.

Series Value

While there were some plot holes, overall, I enjoyed this book and I am definitely going to keep reading this series. I already have the next two books and plan to read them this month.

I am also already a fan of Charlie N. Holmberg’s writing. I want to read all of the books she’s released.

Final Thoughts

I liked this book a lot. I can see its flaws, but overall, I am incredibly intrigued by the concepts described here and I want to keep reading.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

• The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith – if you enjoy historical fantasy, wit, and magic, look no further than this series. It’s a perfect fall read to cozy up with.
• Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg – if you enjoyed the writing style here and are looking for something with a slightly older main character, try this new duology.