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neuroqueer 's review for:

Magic Dark, Magic Divine by A.J. Locke
3.25
adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
Protagonists
  • [ ] Hot garbage
  • [ ] Boring boring boring
  • [x] Serviceable
  • [ ] Likeable leads
  • [ ] I love them so much

Side Character
  • [ ] Every character is terrible
  • [ ] Characters commit sin of being boring/generic
  • [x] Enough interesting characters to balance out the few terrible ones
  • [ ] Likeable side characters
  • [ ] Amazing characters all around

Antagonist(s)
  • [ ] Hate them for the wrong reasons
  • [x] Cliché as hell
  • [ ] Serviceable
  • [ ] Sympathetic or likeable enough that I don't want to hate them
  • [ ] Love to hate them

Plot
  • [ ] Average, generic plot
  • [ ] Average plot made interesting with creativity
  • [ ] Crazy plot that is either so bad it’s good or just plain bad
  • [x] Unique plot that keeps you interested

Writing
  • [ ] Terribly written
  • [ ] Very simple but effective language
  • [x] Average writing that does the job
  • [ ] Beautiful but accessible writing
  • [ ] Challenging

Short summary:
This book makes me feel…..conflicted.
The story takes place on an alternative Earth where magic once flourished in the past. There were magic users of different types: Shapers can create objects from the world, Temporals can created rips in time and space, etc. After a cataclysmic event, magic and the majority of magic users were wiped out but the history still carries on into today. Our magical warrior lead Pennrae has survived the event and has woken up in this new world, hiding her magic from everyone. That is, until a new magical evil surfaces, threatening the world and those she cares for.

Pennrae as a lead is fine. She has personality. She isn’t a wilting flower that needs to be saved by a man when things get too rough. She’s a bad ass. She has a caring side. She’s likeable enough.

Her friends and sidekicks are fine as well. I love Ashe a lot and wish she was my familiar.

This alternative magical Earth setting is pretty cool. I liked the idea of different types of magic, that it was lost and may be possible to bring back again.

Yet, this book makes me feel…..conflicted. While I was reading, I felt off. I wanted to finish it but at the same time, I felt disengaged.

I think another review said it best when it feels like there’s 3-4 books crammed into one.

You have the main story with the big bad causing trouble with magic.

You have the mystery of Toji’s heritage.

You have the romance between Callan and Penn which I did not care for.

Note about the romance:
I don’t like how Callan didn’t take no for an answer when asking Penn out the first time. There are other ways to get them together without the icky “no means yes” shit.


And few other things that I don’t want to include due to spoilers.

Because it feels like a mashing of so many books, my first thought was “Oh, this seems convenient.” Because so many things were tied together, it felt like things were solved due to coincidence. I don’t think this would be an issue if this were split up into different volumes and given time to simmer.

It’s very weird. The book feels rushed yet so long at the same time.

Overall, I liked the concept, the characters were fine and the writing was decent. Not sure yet if I’ll read the next book.