Sapphire Blue and Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier, #2 and #3 in the Precious Stone Trilogy.
This is a re-read for me
Both published in 2010
Young Adult fiction, time travel, series
Recommend: Yes
Once I started the re-reading of this trilogy I had to complete it. The second time around I found some holes in the plot line, but to be fair time travel books normally have plot holes and they weren't too much to deter me from heartily enjoying the story despite having to look past some inconsitancies.
The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
Bought paper copy from Amazon, read on the beach
Published in 2014
Fiction, fantasy, magic, magicians, adventure
Recommend: Yes
I brought this on a cruise my husband and I went on and read it in it's entirety either on the boat or on the beach. This is the first in the Paper Magician Series and follows Ceony, a girl who has just graduated at the top of her class at the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined. She isn't too excited that she has been apprenticed to a paper magician, Magician Emery Thayne, having much preferred to go into metal magic. As she resigns herself to her new future she uncovers a dangerous plot that threaten the magician she is working with and she bravely sets out to undermine the plot.
To Ride the Wind by Melanie Cellier
Listened to on the Libby App
Released in 2024
Fantasy, fairy tale retelling
Recommend: Maybe
I adore fairy tale retellings and one of my favorite fairy tales is East of the Sun, West of the Moon. I've read many retellings that were superb, Ice by Sarah Beth Durst, East by Edith Pattou, and Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George for example. This one was set up well and I was enjoying the unexpected twists as I read. Toward the end it started getting tedious with the story being drawn out with too many internal musings by the two main characters and too little acting on those musings. As I neared the end of the audio book I was excited to finally have some action when all of a sudden it ended just as the action was to begin and I realized there are two books to this series! What a dissapointment! I did not like it well enough to wade through the second book to it's conclusion.
I've read other of this author's fairy tale retellings and they are not bad, I was just ready for this one to end.
The Glass Magician by Charlie N. Holmbert
Released in 2014
Fiction, fantasy, magic, magicians, adventure
Recommend: Yes
This second book in the Paper Magician Series did not disappoint. Ceony's character is further fleshed out and her determination to save those she loves leads her into life threatening situations. Her developiong relationship with Magician Thayne developes slowly but surely. The danger is heightened in this book and all does not end happily ever after. There are 4 books in this series and I have already started to listen to book 3, The Master Magician.
The Master Magician by Charlie N. Holmbert
Released in 2015
Fiction, fantasy, magic, magicians, adventure
Recommend: Yes
Every bit as good as the previous two installments and it has a very sweet satisfying ending. There happens to be a fourth book, The Plastic Magician. I read some reviews because it seemed the story had come to an end and I was curious what it would be about. It introduces some new characters and Ceony and Emery have a small cameo appearance. I have really liked the character development of these two and was disappointed that more of them would not be fleshed out in the fourth book. I don't think I will spend time with that one. I would still heartily recommend the first three.