The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
So, I know I’m late the party on this one. The eBook has been sitting in my Kindle library for years. But I’m glad I finally decided to read it (in one sitting, no less).
Ceony is an apprentice magician who has been forced to take up Paper magic under the eccentric Magician Emery Thane. When a mysterious woman blasts her way into the house and steals Thane’s heart, Ceony must overcome her fears and her doubts to save her mentor.
I’m just going to say it. I’m in love with Emery Thane. Of course, in my mind he looks like Hale Appleman from The Magicians, who I also find adorable.
I fell hard for this book. It sucked me in and wouldn’t let me back out until I was done with it. Hours flew by without my noticing. An engrossing adventure that took me for a wild ride.
The only thing that stops me from giving this 5 stars is that it got a little preachy in the middle. There were a couple of points where the narrative faded and the theme lay bare, writhing on the page. And I’m not a fan of that, in general. I like my themes cuddled in thin layers of flaky pastry and drizzled in warm honey… Wait, where was I?
So, I give this 4.5 stars because it was honestly fantastic. And, dammit, I want a paper dog named Fennel now.
KT Byrde Writes 