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Uncommon Magic
In Mira Meadowmarsh's world, Magicians have complete control over ordinary people like herself. Magicians rule with iron fists, levying taxes, seizing property, and meting out harsh punishment to those who break the rules. But while the un-magical commons cannot defend themselves against the Magician's magic, there is one thing that Magicians inventions. So when rumors spread that the un-magical are building machines and planning an uprising, the Magicians retaliate with even harsher laws.
At first, all of this means nothing to Mira who doesn't give a fig about politics. She's in love, and life is sweet. But when she discovers that her brother is an inventor who's suddenly the most wanted man in the country and that the boy she loves, her companion since childhood, is really a Magician, Mira finds herself in the middle of a brewing revolution.
At first, all of this means nothing to Mira who doesn't give a fig about politics. She's in love, and life is sweet. But when she discovers that her brother is an inventor who's suddenly the most wanted man in the country and that the boy she loves, her companion since childhood, is really a Magician, Mira finds herself in the middle of a brewing revolution.
- GenresFantasy
232 pages, Nook
First published March 1, 2011
About the author
Michelle Scott
27 books420 followersI’m a little old horror writer who puts her nightmares down on paper. I was born on Halloween and live with my husband in a haunted house far off the beaten track. When I’m not writing, I frequent used bookstores and prowl the woods.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 10, 2011
A completely different take on magic and power, I liked this book a lot it mixed fantasy with real life and makes you think. The fact that there is a little bit of romance and the turmoil of Mira Meadowmarsh when it comes to her brother and her boyfriend is great! I would recommend this book, it's really good.
Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud / http://www.greatmindsliterarycommunit...
Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud / http://www.greatmindsliterarycommunit...
June 13, 2012
I got my copy of Uncommon Magic for the promise of a review, so here I am, keeping my word.
This book was beautifully written, seriously, I don't know if it's Michelle Scott's first novel, but if it is, then she is an even bigger genious than I first thought. I mean, look:
And it's only the very first sentence of the book. Excellent.
About the story. When I read the summary, I thought Uncommon Magic was set in our time, or somewhen close to it, and by machines I meant cars or tanks or whatsoever. Well, I figured out soon enough that it wasn't the case. The machines that the Magicians were so afraid of were actually tongs and latches and such. But there's no problem with that, because the world Michelle created was absolutely original. You think you've read enough about magical beings, but this will show you a whole new aspect on magicians.
What I didn't like was the very end. It was a little bit plain for me, no big boom or anything. The solution to the whole situation was ridiculously simple, and it made me feel a little like I was reading a children's book and not a YA novel. In all the story actually I missed the real action, it seemed to go on and on and on and on without having much happening. But the writing was thankfully good enough to make even the boring parts look like you should be vigilant not to leave out anything.
And what about the romance? I'm not saying there was none of it, but it's pretty close to zero indeed. It's kind of sad, for me at least, because I think the book could have been much much better if there was a little more of love.
I'd give 3 stars to the plot, but again the style was so wonderful that I must give this book that one extra star.
All in all, I'm glad I read this book, it was a nice experience and I can only recommend it, for I'm sure there will be many who will not only like but love Uncommon Magic by Michelle Scott.
This book was beautifully written, seriously, I don't know if it's Michelle Scott's first novel, but if it is, then she is an even bigger genious than I first thought. I mean, look:
Along this stretch of Osney’s rocky coast, the wind blew constantly, sighing and moaning as if the sea was forever complaining to the island.
And it's only the very first sentence of the book. Excellent.
About the story. When I read the summary, I thought Uncommon Magic was set in our time, or somewhen close to it, and by machines I meant cars or tanks or whatsoever. Well, I figured out soon enough that it wasn't the case. The machines that the Magicians were so afraid of were actually tongs and latches and such. But there's no problem with that, because the world Michelle created was absolutely original. You think you've read enough about magical beings, but this will show you a whole new aspect on magicians.
What I didn't like was the very end. It was a little bit plain for me, no big boom or anything. The solution to the whole situation was ridiculously simple, and it made me feel a little like I was reading a children's book and not a YA novel. In all the story actually I missed the real action, it seemed to go on and on and on and on without having much happening. But the writing was thankfully good enough to make even the boring parts look like you should be vigilant not to leave out anything.
And what about the romance? I'm not saying there was none of it, but it's pretty close to zero indeed. It's kind of sad, for me at least, because I think the book could have been much much better if there was a little more of love.
I'd give 3 stars to the plot, but again the style was so wonderful that I must give this book that one extra star.
All in all, I'm glad I read this book, it was a nice experience and I can only recommend it, for I'm sure there will be many who will not only like but love Uncommon Magic by Michelle Scott.
June 2, 2012
I got a copy to review.
I liked this story it’s very creative and the world in which the author puts us was simple and different from ours yet comfortable. The book kept being interesting and I couldnt stop reading till I finished it. I liked that the events where concentrating on one big issue : common machine Vs magic. Though the events were kinda ‘in rush.’ More description would have been welcome. We just jump from something to something else without taking the time to appreciate and grasp what is happening. Also there are times when some characters are totally forgotten. We dont really know what is happening between a character and another until we are informed that they didnt see each other for weeks and just met again as if nothing happened. I was often like ‘what about this or that character ??’
Even though the author concentrated on the commons and not the magicians, I didnt feel bad about it. It was interesting to read about Mira’s struggle with her environent. And I liked that it seemed realistic though there is the magicians in it. But unfortunately feelings werent really intense in this novel. Love, betrayal, anger etc it seems that the characters feelings weren’t deep. They got over their love or betrayal easily.
I didn’t like Mira that much. She is too naive and doesnt really learn from her mistakes. She is impulsive and doesnt think twice before making a decision. She is more passive than active and let herself be in situations she cant handle.
The end didn’t impress me that much but didn’t disappoint me either. I would have liked that something HUUUGE happened. I dont know if that is more good than bad though. The novel is more or less realistic in the sense that we dont have the ‘I love you forever’ BS or ‘the invention changed everything from a day to another’. I guess it’s a good thing that the realistic atmosphere wasn’t broken at the end.
There were some spelling mistakes and confusion at times like when Jess name was written isntead of Liam etc but that didn’t bother me much. I was still able to understand what is happening.
I didn’t like how some things are expressed sometimes like when Mira’s mother would say ‘I see’. I don’t think that a blind person would say that… but maybe it’s just me.
All in all this novel wasn’t a waste of time. I’m glad I read it.
I liked this story it’s very creative and the world in which the author puts us was simple and different from ours yet comfortable. The book kept being interesting and I couldnt stop reading till I finished it. I liked that the events where concentrating on one big issue : common machine Vs magic. Though the events were kinda ‘in rush.’ More description would have been welcome. We just jump from something to something else without taking the time to appreciate and grasp what is happening. Also there are times when some characters are totally forgotten. We dont really know what is happening between a character and another until we are informed that they didnt see each other for weeks and just met again as if nothing happened. I was often like ‘what about this or that character ??’
Even though the author concentrated on the commons and not the magicians, I didnt feel bad about it. It was interesting to read about Mira’s struggle with her environent. And I liked that it seemed realistic though there is the magicians in it. But unfortunately feelings werent really intense in this novel. Love, betrayal, anger etc it seems that the characters feelings weren’t deep. They got over their love or betrayal easily.
I didn’t like Mira that much. She is too naive and doesnt really learn from her mistakes. She is impulsive and doesnt think twice before making a decision. She is more passive than active and let herself be in situations she cant handle.
The end didn’t impress me that much but didn’t disappoint me either. I would have liked that something HUUUGE happened. I dont know if that is more good than bad though. The novel is more or less realistic in the sense that we dont have the ‘I love you forever’ BS or ‘the invention changed everything from a day to another’. I guess it’s a good thing that the realistic atmosphere wasn’t broken at the end.
There were some spelling mistakes and confusion at times like when Jess name was written isntead of Liam etc but that didn’t bother me much. I was still able to understand what is happening.
I didn’t like how some things are expressed sometimes like when Mira’s mother would say ‘I see’. I don’t think that a blind person would say that… but maybe it’s just me.
All in all this novel wasn’t a waste of time. I’m glad I read it.
April 1, 2011
Usually, in books, the magicians are in hiding because they fear the un-magical. Uncommon Magic goes against the norm to a world where magicians control everything and are looked up to as kings. Where inventions are against the law and inventors are put to death. How does an ordinary girl get pulled into the battle of the magical and un-magical? Between magic and inventions? Between love and family?
Fist, Mira. She will do anything for the boy she loves, Jess, who turns out to be a magician. She does not have the strongest girl power, but she does have some redeeming qualities. Sympathy for those suffering is one of those qualities. Even while the magicians were so downright mean to her, when they were in trouble, Mira still tried to help. Also, Mira is loyal to those she cares about, even though they sometimes don’t deserve it. Take Jess for example, he was a jerk to Mira, but she refused to give up on him. I don’t think I would have stuck around.
The magic is uncommon indeed. The magicians can start a fire that does not burn things. They also put on the most magnificent image shows out of thin air. Their magic isn’t all kittens and rainbows though. Magicians do the most horrible things to the un-magical. Magic is sometimes used to put someone to death, or make them suffer for a crime they may not have committed. That is why the un-magical were so upset.
You can see why a revolution was long overdue. The un-magical were prepared to deal with their unfair treatment, for which I applaud them. Magicians couldn’t stay in power forever, and now the people were realizing it. But, their methods were sot of uncalled for. I mean, did they need that many weapons to take down a few magicians. The end result was my favorite part of the revolution. I think both the magicians and the un-magical have a brighter future because of a few people who wanted to be heard.
RATING
4 Stars
COVER COMMENTS
Magically simple. The ball of magical light shows power. I like the gray moon in the background too.
April 20, 2011
I have had this review copy for awhile and just recently had time to read it. It's one of those books that you tell yourself, why didn't I read this sooner? This is one of the reasons why I love to read indie authors/books. I loved this story, it was a mix of historical and dystopian with a magical touch.
It's about this girl Mira who is a common among the world where magicians rule. Mira and her boyfriend Jess both do not like the magicians for what they stand for and how they treat commons. That is until one day they find out the Jess is one of them.
I feel that this is a mix of historical and dystopian because of the way the story was written and told. The historical side being that the inventions that are banned and commons are killed for making them are everyday items to us. The dystopian side being that the magicians rule and it's like a whole new world somewhere in the future. Magic is usually forbidden and regular people rule but this was not so in this story.
I love how Mira was such a strong character and stood by the magicians and the commons even when they treated her badly. I would not have worked for that mean woman or kept trying to see Jess when he was being a jerk. I did like the love story that evolves, though I won't say who the two people are. You'll have to read the book to find out.
I gave this 5 stars because that is what I believe it deserves. I loved it. It was a well written story that I didn't want to put down. I will definitely read more from this author.
This e-book was given to me for review. This did not affect my review in any way.
It's about this girl Mira who is a common among the world where magicians rule. Mira and her boyfriend Jess both do not like the magicians for what they stand for and how they treat commons. That is until one day they find out the Jess is one of them.
I feel that this is a mix of historical and dystopian because of the way the story was written and told. The historical side being that the inventions that are banned and commons are killed for making them are everyday items to us. The dystopian side being that the magicians rule and it's like a whole new world somewhere in the future. Magic is usually forbidden and regular people rule but this was not so in this story.
I love how Mira was such a strong character and stood by the magicians and the commons even when they treated her badly. I would not have worked for that mean woman or kept trying to see Jess when he was being a jerk. I did like the love story that evolves, though I won't say who the two people are. You'll have to read the book to find out.
I gave this 5 stars because that is what I believe it deserves. I loved it. It was a well written story that I didn't want to put down. I will definitely read more from this author.
This e-book was given to me for review. This did not affect my review in any way.
May 29, 2011
I'm not sure where I heard of this book, but I had a sample on my Kindle, and I finally got around to reading it. I read the sample in the morning, bought the book around 5pm, and finished it that night!
It's an intriguing premise! Very creative. Personally, I would have liked to see more magic, but the focus was on the commons most of the time, not the Magicians. It was a really nice read; I didn't want to put it down until I was done. the writing flowed really well; it wasn't full of action every page, but something made me want to keep reading.
I liked Mira. I thought she could have been a little bit more active. Throughout the whole thing, she was mostly the girl on the outside of everything that was happening, but it was kind of a coming-of-age story for her. She grew up, she made some hard decisions. Some of them, especially towards the end, I was thinking, "No! No, don't do it!" But it played out pretty well. It was almost too simple, and I wanted it to keep going. I wanted the author to explore Mira's relationships with Quentin and Jess, but I'm sure it wouldn't have made a very good book. The main conflict was over, I get that. As a reader, though, I was loving the story and the characters and dying to know more about them! Especially the boys and Liam, who I felt weren't explored well enough.
Other small things: I'm sure it was the translation from .doc to .html/.mobi, but there was a lot of words that were missing spaces. Likethis. Some typos or weird sentences, but it didn't stop me from finishing it and enjoying it! I'd recommend it to people who like fantasy stories that aren't too complex and would like a fun read.
It's an intriguing premise! Very creative. Personally, I would have liked to see more magic, but the focus was on the commons most of the time, not the Magicians. It was a really nice read; I didn't want to put it down until I was done. the writing flowed really well; it wasn't full of action every page, but something made me want to keep reading.
I liked Mira. I thought she could have been a little bit more active. Throughout the whole thing, she was mostly the girl on the outside of everything that was happening, but it was kind of a coming-of-age story for her. She grew up, she made some hard decisions. Some of them, especially towards the end, I was thinking, "No! No, don't do it!" But it played out pretty well. It was almost too simple, and I wanted it to keep going. I wanted the author to explore Mira's relationships with Quentin and Jess, but I'm sure it wouldn't have made a very good book. The main conflict was over, I get that. As a reader, though, I was loving the story and the characters and dying to know more about them! Especially the boys and Liam, who I felt weren't explored well enough.
Other small things: I'm sure it was the translation from .doc to .html/.mobi, but there was a lot of words that were missing spaces. Likethis. Some typos or weird sentences, but it didn't stop me from finishing it and enjoying it! I'd recommend it to people who like fantasy stories that aren't too complex and would like a fun read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews