Magic Heist

by Mary Karlik

[chymerra]

I was excited to read Magic Heist. I wanted to read a book that had fairies, elves, trolls, Red Caps, and dragons. Heck, I needed to read a book like that. Lately, I have been reading books that were heavy on the drama, and I needed a break from that. I got that with Magic Heist.

Now, onto the complaint. If you have been following my blog for any length of time, you know how much I dislike starting a series mid-series. 9 out of 10 times, the books are not standalone. I am left wondering what the heck happened in the first book, which was the case in Magic Heist. It took me until the middle of the book to figure out what happened in the first book. And even then, there were some areas that I was still fuzzy on. But that is on me. I shouldn’t have accepted the review without vetting the book first. In plain words, this is NOT a STANDALONE book. You need to read book 1 to understand what is going on in book 2.

Other than that, I enjoyed Magic Heist. It had well-written characters and fast-paced plotlines.

I enjoyed Layla’s character. Even though the fairies from her village mistreated her, she was still willing to go and rescue them. She was ready to find a portal and transport them home, regardless of what was going on. She even risked her life and went to find the fairies who were being sold on the black market. For a 19-year-old, she was one of the more mature characters in the book. I can’t wait to see what other powers she has!!

I liked Ian. He showed terrific strength in fighting the dragon spirit. I wish that I had read the scene where he got infected with the dragon’s poison/spirit. I thought he was terrific when it came to dealing with Finn and the elves. I also thought he was fantastic when he dealt with the troll. I can’t wait to see what he is going to do in the next book!!

Let’s talk about Layla and Ian’s semi-romance. I say semi-romance because while they acknowledged that they had feelings for each other, but they couldn’t do anything about it. They had to concentrate on getting the fairies back to where they came from and rescuing the rest of the fairies who had been kidnapped.

I loved the secondary characters. Finn, Amelia, Andy, Buzzard, and the others added a much-needed depth to the book. I do think that there is more to Buzzard than what is being shown. I liked that the author had that one fairy be a jerk to Layla. I liked it because it showed what she was up against growing up. I will say that I didn’t feel bad for that fairy, and I do think that he got what he deserved.

The end of Magic Heist left me with more questions. It also left me a little angry. I couldn’t believe what happened to Layla!! I wanted to cry for her. I also was surprised at who the golden fairy was and how he was tied to Ian. Of course, something else happened that made me grin from ear to ear. And what was revealed about the staff? I was surprised by that too!! I can’t wait to read book 3.

I would give Magic Heist an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is mild language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Magic Heist I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**