The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
First in The Paper Magician series
3.25 stars
Ceony Twill never wanted to become an apprentice in the art of paper folding. When she arrives at Magician Emery Thane’s house, she is far from ecstatic. She was the top of the class and this isn’t the field she desired, but once she is bound to paper she can never leave the field. As she discovers the intricacy of paper, Ceony becomes more entranced by its beauty. Someone from Mg. Thane’s past is coming back for revenge and Ceony will have to go through a journey into Thane’s heart (his literal heart) to save him. I have had an ARC of this book for far too long. I have been getting better at reading ARCs as get them, but I have a ginormous backlog of ARCs that I must read. I wasn’t sure if I was going to pick this one up any time soon, but I was approved for a copy of the fourth book in the series and I decided to read the first book to decide if I would like to continue. I’m glad I picked this up. It was fun and the concept is incredibly unique. It’s not often you read about someone using magic through paper or having to embark on a journey through someone’s heart after their heart is ripped from their chest. These are probably spoilers, but I’m telling you this upfront because if I had known these details I would’ve been much more excited to go into this novel. While this isn’t the strongest novel in the fantasy or magical-wielding genre, I think it’s pretty unique and I want to see more people reading it. Holmberg’s writing style is simple and breezy. It isn’t complex and this makes the story very readable, but it also poses a hinderance to worldbuilding, characterization, and prose. This was Holmberg’s debut novel though and if this is what she is producing at the start of a fantasy series, then it is pretty promising and has a lot of room for growth.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3
The main female character is Ceony. I like Ceony. She is a simple girl who has moments of strength. She isn’t a new favorite of mine, but I did really like her journey. I will say however, that I felt her decisions were a little off the cusp and impulsive. This made her a little hard to root for because things could’ve gone very bad for her, but they didn’t. (I kind of wish they had though; I would’ve loved some tragedy.) Also, she falls for Thane quite rapidly and it is one-sided, which is totally relatable and nice to seen portrayed in a fantasy novel, but it probably won’t stay one-sided for long.
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 3
The main male character is Emery Thane. He is supposed to be a bit of an oddball, but he didn’t seem all that odd to me. He seemed like your typical magician who happens to have a tragic past. Nothing new and I can’t whether or not I like him because I don’t feel like I know him.
Swoon Worthy Scale: 2.5
The Villain- Holmberg isn’t afraid to create a villain who loves terror and pain. It’s definitely creepy. I would’ve loved to see more development as to why this woman had a change of heart and what turned her into someone who uses blood for magic.
Villain Scale: 3.25
Overall, the story is a lot of fun and it offers a unique twist on a genre that is overrun with magicians. I did like the directions the Holmberg decided to go and I do plan on continuing with the series. This series has a lot of promise and I think that it will be one that I become a fan of. I do recommend this to lovers of rapid-fire fantasy that focuses more on the story than on the worldbuilding.
Plotastic Scale: 4
Cover Thoughts: I love this cover. It’s stunning and it fits with the story quite well.
Thank you, Netgalley and 47North, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
First in The Paper Magician series
3.25 stars
Ceony Twill never wanted to become an apprentice in the art of paper folding. When she arrives at Magician Emery Thane’s house, she is far from ecstatic. She was the top of the class and this isn’t the field she desired, but once she is bound to paper she can never leave the field. As she discovers the intricacy of paper, Ceony becomes more entranced by its beauty. Someone from Mg. Thane’s past is coming back for revenge and Ceony will have to go through a journey into Thane’s heart (his literal heart) to save him. I have had an ARC of this book for far too long. I have been getting better at reading ARCs as get them, but I have a ginormous backlog of ARCs that I must read. I wasn’t sure if I was going to pick this one up any time soon, but I was approved for a copy of the fourth book in the series and I decided to read the first book to decide if I would like to continue. I’m glad I picked this up. It was fun and the concept is incredibly unique. It’s not often you read about someone using magic through paper or having to embark on a journey through someone’s heart after their heart is ripped from their chest. These are probably spoilers, but I’m telling you this upfront because if I had known these details I would’ve been much more excited to go into this novel. While this isn’t the strongest novel in the fantasy or magical-wielding genre, I think it’s pretty unique and I want to see more people reading it. Holmberg’s writing style is simple and breezy. It isn’t complex and this makes the story very readable, but it also poses a hinderance to worldbuilding, characterization, and prose. This was Holmberg’s debut novel though and if this is what she is producing at the start of a fantasy series, then it is pretty promising and has a lot of room for growth.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3
The main female character is Ceony. I like Ceony. She is a simple girl who has moments of strength. She isn’t a new favorite of mine, but I did really like her journey. I will say however, that I felt her decisions were a little off the cusp and impulsive. This made her a little hard to root for because things could’ve gone very bad for her, but they didn’t. (I kind of wish they had though; I would’ve loved some tragedy.) Also, she falls for Thane quite rapidly and it is one-sided, which is totally relatable and nice to seen portrayed in a fantasy novel, but it probably won’t stay one-sided for long.
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 3
The main male character is Emery Thane. He is supposed to be a bit of an oddball, but he didn’t seem all that odd to me. He seemed like your typical magician who happens to have a tragic past. Nothing new and I can’t whether or not I like him because I don’t feel like I know him.
Swoon Worthy Scale: 2.5
The Villain- Holmberg isn’t afraid to create a villain who loves terror and pain. It’s definitely creepy. I would’ve loved to see more development as to why this woman had a change of heart and what turned her into someone who uses blood for magic.
Villain Scale: 3.25
Overall, the story is a lot of fun and it offers a unique twist on a genre that is overrun with magicians. I did like the directions the Holmberg decided to go and I do plan on continuing with the series. This series has a lot of promise and I think that it will be one that I become a fan of. I do recommend this to lovers of rapid-fire fantasy that focuses more on the story than on the worldbuilding.
Plotastic Scale: 4
Cover Thoughts: I love this cover. It’s stunning and it fits with the story quite well.
Thank you, Netgalley and 47North, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Have you read The Paper Magician? Are you planning to? What are some of your favorite fantasy stories with magicians? Let me know down below in the comments!
I'm really intrigued by this concept! I didn't realised it had been out long enough for 4 books to be released in the series haha
ReplyDeleteYes, they've been out a long while! Time really flies in the publishing world. Haha
DeleteI agree, the paper magic was so unique and interesting, I loved it! But I completely fell in love with Emery when I read this one. I was smitten, haha.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy to hear that you loved Emery and the magic based system. I'm looking forward to the next novel. It seems like it'll be a great series.
Delete