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Worldweavers #2
Spellspam
What do you get when ordinary e-mail spam becomes infused with magic?
Spellspam.
At first, they seemed like harmless practical jokes, but now, for the students at the Wandless Academy, the spellspams are getting worse. Thea thought she was the only one who could reach through the computer using magic, but someone else is out there, someone bent on more than just stirring up trouble. Someone with a dark agenda from a whole new world.
This sequel to Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage ups the ante on a fantasy world that is rich and nuanced, like our own, but with a core of wildly original magic.
Spellspam.
At first, they seemed like harmless practical jokes, but now, for the students at the Wandless Academy, the spellspams are getting worse. Thea thought she was the only one who could reach through the computer using magic, but someone else is out there, someone bent on more than just stirring up trouble. Someone with a dark agenda from a whole new world.
This sequel to Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage ups the ante on a fantasy world that is rich and nuanced, like our own, but with a core of wildly original magic.
Hardcover
First published March 1, 2008
3 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
Alma Alexander
73 books204 followersAlma Alexander is a scientist by education, duchess by historical accident, and an author who has written more than a score of novels, including 'The Secrets of Jin-shei', published in dozens of editions and languages around the world.
Known as the Duchess of Fantasy, she is also a blogger sharing writing tips, and glimpses of both the mundane and magic of a fantasy author's life.
Her latest novels include 'Val Hall', a series about a retirement home for Superheroes, Third Class; 'Embers of Heaven' a Jin-shei follow-up; 'Empress', a love story; and 'Midnight at Spanish Gardens'.
Coming in July is 'The Second Star', a novel about the big eternal questions – about who, or what, God is; about our own immortal souls and their salvation; what it really means to be human; and whether it is possible to go out to where the monsters dwell and expect to come home again unchanged. It is a story of how humans meet the stars, and find themselves there.
Her YA include the four-book Worldweavers series, and 'The Were Chronicles' trilogy.
Her work has been translated into 14 languages worldwide, including Hebrew,Turkish, and Catalan.
She is currently at work on a new series of alternate history novels with roots in Eastern Europe.
She lives in Bellingham, WA, with her husband, two cats, and assorted visiting wildlife.
Visit her website/blog at www.AlmaAlexander.org or AlmaAlexanderAuthor.com , like her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alma-A...
Known as the Duchess of Fantasy, she is also a blogger sharing writing tips, and glimpses of both the mundane and magic of a fantasy author's life.
Her latest novels include 'Val Hall', a series about a retirement home for Superheroes, Third Class; 'Embers of Heaven' a Jin-shei follow-up; 'Empress', a love story; and 'Midnight at Spanish Gardens'.
Coming in July is 'The Second Star', a novel about the big eternal questions – about who, or what, God is; about our own immortal souls and their salvation; what it really means to be human; and whether it is possible to go out to where the monsters dwell and expect to come home again unchanged. It is a story of how humans meet the stars, and find themselves there.
Her YA include the four-book Worldweavers series, and 'The Were Chronicles' trilogy.
Her work has been translated into 14 languages worldwide, including Hebrew,Turkish, and Catalan.
She is currently at work on a new series of alternate history novels with roots in Eastern Europe.
She lives in Bellingham, WA, with her husband, two cats, and assorted visiting wildlife.
Visit her website/blog at www.AlmaAlexander.org or AlmaAlexanderAuthor.com , like her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alma-A...
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 6, 2015
Second in the series, the series is about the ordinary world, except with magic, and the adventures of a girl who has no magic going to a school for the non-magical. In this book, someone has figured out how to transmit magic through computers in the form of spam that actually has results. For instance, a spam that promises clearer skin turns someone's skin transparent. While many of the spams are mere pranks, some are dangerous, such as the teleportation spam that sends a dryad away from her tree and locks a federal agent into a world without people.
While the feds do get involved, they're absolutely useless. They assume that they know everything there is to know about magic and computers, when they know nothing about this permutation of both. Once again, it's Thea and her friends who have to save the day, as they're the only ones open-minded enough to comprehend the problem and its possible solutions.
This book has a cameo with Tesla as a rare elemental mage who was able to create a seed that ripened into an elemental house which is able to anticipate its residents' desires and make them happen, for example, putting their clothes away or making them the breakfast they want to have.
More of a children's book than an adult book, but a good read nonetheless.
While the feds do get involved, they're absolutely useless. They assume that they know everything there is to know about magic and computers, when they know nothing about this permutation of both. Once again, it's Thea and her friends who have to save the day, as they're the only ones open-minded enough to comprehend the problem and its possible solutions.
This book has a cameo with Tesla as a rare elemental mage who was able to create a seed that ripened into an elemental house which is able to anticipate its residents' desires and make them happen, for example, putting their clothes away or making them the breakfast they want to have.
More of a children's book than an adult book, but a good read nonetheless.
September 12, 2017
I enjoyed this one so much more than the first book in the series. It was set in modern times, albeit in an alternate universe. The first book felt like two separate stories in one novel, one modern and one fairy tale. Mythology was very prevalent in this book too but much more integrated into the story as a whole. It is largely about the choices the characters make and where those choices lead them. It does bring into play the factors of family life and friendships and the part those play in the character's choices, but, at the same time, they bear the blame and the consequences of those choices themselves. The main character, Thea, is able to pity and even love her antagonist, but she doesn't allow herself to be blinded by her feelings. That alone is pretty refreshing in a young adult novel.
November 22, 2010
It's the next year with everyone back at the Wandless Academy. A girl, LaTasha, runs screaming from the Library. To Thea she looked like she had no skin on her face just the muscles. Thea finds the spam email LaTasha read still on the computer screen; guaranteeing clearer skin than you can image. Could there be a spell involved? Here at the Wandless Academy where no one can do magic. And from through the computers where magic can't affect any one... Is Thea going to be the one blamed for all these spellspams since the principle knows what she can do?
This book is an excellent second book. It focuses on the wonderful story more than the setup of the characters and magical world. I felt there were two additional climaxes to the storyline that went with the main story, almost like two bonus short stories added in. The spellspams were fun as the way they were worded made me chuckle and as the story went on I wanted to figure out what the spell would affect before I knew the results of it.
Thea and her friends are curious about what they did with the computers last year, as they are a group on magicless kids in a world full of magic - and last year seemed like magic. They start to investigate more into the unique computer magic. Thea had thought she was the only person that could touch computers in a magical way, but these new spellspams leave her wondering if there is someone else out there like her.
In this book Thea's powers start to grow. It is also very nice to see Thea stand on her own two feet when it comes to her magical abilities. She is starting to get better control of what she can do, when to ask for help, and who to ask. Thea is a young girl starting to grow up. We also take Thea out of her safe zone of the Wandless Academy which opens up a door to more danger. The Alphiri are still a shadow in the back of Thea's mind that could jump out and take her at any time.
I enjoyed the characters in this book as well. Thea's aunt is one of my favorites for the way she talks and her magic. But I enjoyed the way all the characters interact with each other. Alma is great at picking up children's views of happenings around them.
This book is great for Young Readers and Young Adults as there is no gory violence and not sexual content.
This book is an excellent second book. It focuses on the wonderful story more than the setup of the characters and magical world. I felt there were two additional climaxes to the storyline that went with the main story, almost like two bonus short stories added in. The spellspams were fun as the way they were worded made me chuckle and as the story went on I wanted to figure out what the spell would affect before I knew the results of it.
Thea and her friends are curious about what they did with the computers last year, as they are a group on magicless kids in a world full of magic - and last year seemed like magic. They start to investigate more into the unique computer magic. Thea had thought she was the only person that could touch computers in a magical way, but these new spellspams leave her wondering if there is someone else out there like her.
In this book Thea's powers start to grow. It is also very nice to see Thea stand on her own two feet when it comes to her magical abilities. She is starting to get better control of what she can do, when to ask for help, and who to ask. Thea is a young girl starting to grow up. We also take Thea out of her safe zone of the Wandless Academy which opens up a door to more danger. The Alphiri are still a shadow in the back of Thea's mind that could jump out and take her at any time.
I enjoyed the characters in this book as well. Thea's aunt is one of my favorites for the way she talks and her magic. But I enjoyed the way all the characters interact with each other. Alma is great at picking up children's views of happenings around them.
This book is great for Young Readers and Young Adults as there is no gory violence and not sexual content.
June 4, 2012
Alma Alexander fuses together magic and technology in this great sequel to gift of the unmage. I love the facets of the alternate universe she creates, set in a world much like our own, yet one in which magic conexists along with modern technology with out touching. Well, except in the case of the protagonist, Thea. The concept of using magic through technology, like sending curses through the email for instance, was so different from the way magic works in the other books I've read that after reading the first few chapters, I was hooked. I also loved how the story incorporates magic in everyday circumstances from those that can happen in reality (like parking a car) to things that we still dream of like instant transportation using technology. We also get to meet creatures from other world which they call "polities", an interesting take on the whole alien contact idea.
The plot was pretty interesting too, though not as exciting as I had hoped it would be. The whole thing seemed to lead up to a confrontation and a decision for Thea, that came and went so quickly. Also, most of the story occured within the school or the Professor's house, so while I was able to catch glimpses of the magical world, which is what had initially garnered my interest, it was severely limited. I wished for a more extensive foray into the outside world. I also sort of wished for more of a conflict, as the problem and its resolution seemed to go way too quickly.
Overall the book was pretty good, but it became one of my favorite books because it introduced such a new idea of magic use. I actually picked this book up after reading the Harry Potter series and craving a new type of fantasy series and this book became a great find. After reading this I wanted to see the first book (which I hadn't read yet) and enjoyed that too. It offered a new perspective on magic and actually put magic in the modern day without having to put it in such a medieval like setting (like Harry Potter). I wished that it was longer and we could see more of Thea's world, but I loved reading it, and still do, and so in my biased opinion, gave it 5 stars.
The plot was pretty interesting too, though not as exciting as I had hoped it would be. The whole thing seemed to lead up to a confrontation and a decision for Thea, that came and went so quickly. Also, most of the story occured within the school or the Professor's house, so while I was able to catch glimpses of the magical world, which is what had initially garnered my interest, it was severely limited. I wished for a more extensive foray into the outside world. I also sort of wished for more of a conflict, as the problem and its resolution seemed to go way too quickly.
Overall the book was pretty good, but it became one of my favorite books because it introduced such a new idea of magic use. I actually picked this book up after reading the Harry Potter series and craving a new type of fantasy series and this book became a great find. After reading this I wanted to see the first book (which I hadn't read yet) and enjoyed that too. It offered a new perspective on magic and actually put magic in the modern day without having to put it in such a medieval like setting (like Harry Potter). I wished that it was longer and we could see more of Thea's world, but I loved reading it, and still do, and so in my biased opinion, gave it 5 stars.
June 13, 2008
This is a continuation of a story that starts with Alma's first Worldweavers book as 15-year-old Thea continues to discover the unique nature of the magic within her soul. Unlike the first book, which seemed to have a trite threat in the Nothing (something that reminded me far too much of the film, The NeverEnding Story), this story has a larger threat, not so much to humanity, but to Thea herself. While the first book drew me in, I remained an observer of this story, no longer touched by the mystical First World in this fantasy setting. Thea faces a more real threat - computer spam, spam that carries with it nefarious magic that starts from the beginning pages of the story and doesn't stop until Thea faces down her darkest fears and forever retains part of that darkness inside her.
If you have not read the first book in the series, I strongly recommend it for all its wonderful magic: Gift of the Unmage (Worldweavers: Book 1) and because this book does not stand well by itself.
A word on the rating - while I gave the first book 4 stars (out of 5), I would love to kick this up a notch for this one (4.5 stars out of 5), but there was at least one noticeable typo stumbling point. Still an excellent read.
If you have not read the first book in the series, I strongly recommend it for all its wonderful magic: Gift of the Unmage (Worldweavers: Book 1) and because this book does not stand well by itself.
A word on the rating - while I gave the first book 4 stars (out of 5), I would love to kick this up a notch for this one (4.5 stars out of 5), but there was at least one noticeable typo stumbling point. Still an excellent read.
May 9, 2009
If anything, this book is better then the first and that is saying alot. The only reason why I even say it now is because Thea is growing up and it shows. Gone is the insecure girl of book one and instead we get to experience a teenager developing her own sense of self worth. She is also developing definite leadership abilities.
I have to give Alma Alexander some well-deserved credit here. She does a wonderful job with personalities, how they mesh, and how they conflict. I love a book where each person has a well-defined personality with strengths and weaknesses. Take that one-step further and add in group dynamics. Alma Alexander has created a very real heroine in Thea but she does not stop there. Thea's circle of friends range wildly in personality, from the shy but smart kid who questions everything to the impulsive but compassionate roommate. However, as a group they click, each fulfilling a role within the group and lending it strength. As a lover of great characters, I have to admit that I enjoyed every nuance of these relationships.
Full Review here:
Dragons, Heroes and Wizards: Fantasy Series Book Reviews
I have to give Alma Alexander some well-deserved credit here. She does a wonderful job with personalities, how they mesh, and how they conflict. I love a book where each person has a well-defined personality with strengths and weaknesses. Take that one-step further and add in group dynamics. Alma Alexander has created a very real heroine in Thea but she does not stop there. Thea's circle of friends range wildly in personality, from the shy but smart kid who questions everything to the impulsive but compassionate roommate. However, as a group they click, each fulfilling a role within the group and lending it strength. As a lover of great characters, I have to admit that I enjoyed every nuance of these relationships.
Full Review here:
Dragons, Heroes and Wizards: Fantasy Series Book Reviews
June 8, 2009
We are all familiar with e-mail spam, that annoying componant of e-mail, where at best you are bombarded with ads for the latest pills, Rolex watches and...other things. Some of the nastier ones can carry viruses that wreck havoc with your computer. But what if there was a way to send magic spells via e-mail?
This isn't supposed to be possible, especially at the Wandless Academy, but as Thea watches, her classmates start feeling the effects of various and malicious spellspam. Thea and her friends have to figure out who is behind the spells and why -- and how to stop them.
I'm really liking this series, and can hardly wait to get my hands on the third book. The concept of spellspam is genius (if a bit scary). Same with the elemental house. Thea is beginning to come into her own, and is more comfortable in her own skin. I am a bit worried about Ben, and can't help wonder if his insecurities may be an issue in the next book.
This isn't supposed to be possible, especially at the Wandless Academy, but as Thea watches, her classmates start feeling the effects of various and malicious spellspam. Thea and her friends have to figure out who is behind the spells and why -- and how to stop them.
I'm really liking this series, and can hardly wait to get my hands on the third book. The concept of spellspam is genius (if a bit scary). Same with the elemental house. Thea is beginning to come into her own, and is more comfortable in her own skin. I am a bit worried about Ben, and can't help wonder if his insecurities may be an issue in the next book.
April 3, 2011
This book was a lot better than the first one--the pacing was much more even, and the story fit together much better. Thea's magic still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but maybe it's not supposed to. The book wasn't spectacular, but it was entertaining; if I could, I would give it a 3.5. I liked the de los Reyes family and their Elemental house. I'm also still wondering who Thea is going to fall for, if anybody--it's kind of refreshing to read a book for teen girls that is not obsessively centered on the crush factor. At age fifteen/sixteen, the characters in this one ring true to me--kind of awkward, not totally sure how to go about things in the romance department.
Since these are such quick reads, I've got a hold on the third one from the library.
Since these are such quick reads, I've got a hold on the third one from the library.
July 16, 2011
Once again, a thoroughly enjoyable read. It took a while to get going, but once momentum was established it was terrific, and carried a surprising emotional weight at the end. Definitely for fans of Madeline L'Engle and Diane Duane's Wizard series.
April 29, 2013
I liked it even more than the first. I'm really learning a lot from Alexander's style and my opinion of her as an author has gone up even more. Great book and series! I have to admit I'm even starting to ship some characters!
January 30, 2008
Wow. I'm surprised at how much I like this book. When I first got it, I thought, "Aw, it won't be good, but I might as well read it." But wow, it was actually pretty awesome.
May 26, 2012
A cool idea - magical spam email that gives the term virus a whole new meaning - but it didn't quite live up to the first in the series. Still, I have already started book 3.
January 9, 2014
A Spellspam!! incredible, who would have thought. The words were well played with in the spellspam - hidden and twisted meanings. But overall this book made me keep on reading it.
January 5, 2025
Just finished this, the second in the series, and I think I'll binge read the whole series. Alma knows how to create a fantasy world and drag you totally into it
March 2, 2017
The book was fine and was connected to the first book. It had a nice idea but could have been written a bit more colorful especially because of the things described in the book. Story was fine and in a way unique.
December 31, 2014
Thea is supposed to be the only one who can use computers to do magic---which is why it's so disturbing when people start getting emails that look like ordinary spam but have a spell payload attached. The spellspam ranges from amusing to dangerous, but far worse are its implications. Somehow, someone else has found a way to use computers to do magic. And the spellspam has to be stopped before it turns deadly.
If the first book was a launching ground for Thea into a world of ancient myths and modern technology, this one expands on the premise by throwing Thea at a decidedly technical problem with a magical twist. Old friends (and enemies) reappear, Thea's secret power with computers is no longer secret enough, and behind the scenes something really big is poised to break loose as the rest of the world discovers computers aren't as magically inert as everyone assumes.
But in a way, this is also less than the first book was. The mythology is more scattered throughout, and the only faces that appear are ones the first book already introduced. Thea's friends all have roles, though some like Ben feel like they show up just because they're at school but have no real role in the plot. Far more intriguing than the spellspam to me was the tension between Thea and a particularly aggressive FBM agent who has decided Thea herself is somehow a part of the problem.
Overall it's a solid followup to Gift of the Unmage, though weaker in some areas. It would definitely be advisable to read the first book before this one as key areas are given minimal recap. I rate this book Neutral.
If the first book was a launching ground for Thea into a world of ancient myths and modern technology, this one expands on the premise by throwing Thea at a decidedly technical problem with a magical twist. Old friends (and enemies) reappear, Thea's secret power with computers is no longer secret enough, and behind the scenes something really big is poised to break loose as the rest of the world discovers computers aren't as magically inert as everyone assumes.
But in a way, this is also less than the first book was. The mythology is more scattered throughout, and the only faces that appear are ones the first book already introduced. Thea's friends all have roles, though some like Ben feel like they show up just because they're at school but have no real role in the plot. Far more intriguing than the spellspam to me was the tension between Thea and a particularly aggressive FBM agent who has decided Thea herself is somehow a part of the problem.
Overall it's a solid followup to Gift of the Unmage, though weaker in some areas. It would definitely be advisable to read the first book before this one as key areas are given minimal recap. I rate this book Neutral.
March 20, 2008
Sequel to "Gift of the Unmage." Read my review in School Library Journal.
August 17, 2024
This book was so good. It was such a fast paced book, I harldy was able to set it down for more than a few hours at a time.
October 23, 2008
Very creative premise--magic attached to spam e-mail.
October 29, 2015
One of those rare sequels that is even better than the first novel in the series. If you enjoy magic, mysteries, and clever word play, this is definitely a book you need to check out.
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November 1, 2018Does the sequel match the adventure of the first book? Find out in our review. PS - You can add yours, too.
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