Review:
I bought Book 1 just because it was dirt cheap and it got magic in it's title. I didn't know then that it got dragons in it yet. Anyway, I started reading and I was pleasantly surprised! I was enjoying it!
So much so that I bought Book 2 of the Shadowmagic series, Prince of Hazel And Oak about halfway through reading Book 1.
As I was reading, Joshua Jackson as Pacey Witter popped into my head and I thought that Joshua would make a good Conor... they just seem to have that same mischievous streak and grudging acceptance of responsibilities in their personalities
.
If I am to rate the pace of these books I would say that it's medium paced at the start but gets quicker halfway through and really fast towards the end. However, I listened to the audibook version of both books, thus deeming the pace irrelevant because I can only listen as fast as the narrator reads.
The thing I like most with this series is the humour and emotions between the pages. It had me bent over laughing out loud and crying in turns. That earned a lot of kudos! It made the story telling quality wonderful indeed!
Another thing I like about these books is that even though these books belong in a series, each book has it's own story arc with a coherent structure and satisfying ending which jibes well within the over-arc-ing plot of the series. This is something I find sorely lacking in a lot of serieses. Couldn't wait for the third book to get released!!
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = N/A
Narrator = 4
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of
5 cherries
Shadowmagic by John Lenahan
Book 1 of the
Shadowmagic series
Narrated by the author.
Format: ebook, paperback, audiobook
Genre: Urban Fantasy / YA
About Shadowmagic:
Shadowmagic is a rip roaring fun fantasy adventure novel by John Lenahan very loosely based on Irish mythology where every chapter ends on the edge of a cliff (or at least a high curb.) Join Conor as he grapples with typical teenage problems like, how to deal with a father's high expectations, how to survive in the world on your own and how to woo a beautiful girl - that wants you dead. Shadowmagic a podcast novel for young adults from 12 to 112.
Source: Info in the
About Shadowmagic was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3061457-shadowmagic on 29/11/2011.
Prince Of Hazel And Oak by John Lenahan
Book 2 of the
Shadowmagic series
Narrated by the author.
Format: paperback, audiobook
Genre: YA / urban fantasy
About Prince Of Hazel And Oak:
The eagerly-awaited sequel to Shadowmagic. Having returned to the real world from Tir Na Nog at the end of the last book, our hero Conor finds himself arrested for the murder of his father. When he explains to the cops that his dad is safe and well and enjoying life as king of a land of elves, imps and banshees they understandably think he is a nutcase. That is until he is rescued by Celtic warriors on horseback and taken back to Tir Na Nog, accidentally bringing a policeman with him. Once safely back in The Land, Conor finds that all is not well. His father is dying, the girl he loves is betrothed to another and a rather confused American cop is wandering around causing havoc. It falls to our young hero, and his band of friends, to find a cure for the king. On their epic journey they encounter one of the most mystical and dangerous races in The Land, the shapeshifting Pooka, and find their fates linked in ways they could never have imagined. The Prince of Hazel and Oak is a stunning fantasy adventure that takes fans of Shadowmagic further in to the land and brings back many of the favourite characters from the first book.
Source: Info in the
About Prince Of Hazel And Oak was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9631271-prince-of-hazel-and-oak on 09/01/2012.
Other Book(s) In This Series:
Publication Date: 6th September 2012
. I don't read gay books. Outside my comfort zone. And this book has an element of gay theme in it. However the author presented it in such a way that it wasn't sordid and overtly sexual. It came across as beautiful even to a non-gay-book reader like me. The sad thing about this book is that it is a novella ebook and there aren't anymore stories in this series. This is it! And I want more stories about how Yakov and Malachi fared. And how the kids coped and grew up to be. I want to read more of this world of Drekken which is wonderful, peopled with sentient beings capable of acts of great evil and of goodness. Strenght of the human heart in the midst of bleak circumstances and fighting for survival. And there aren't anymore of that
. Wish this author would write more books in this series. The ending is just slightly predictable but it wasn't the ending itself that I like, it was the journey towards it that I enjoyed!
