The Wizard of Dark Street (Oona Crate #1) Audiobook

Oona Crate Mystery #1

by Shawn Thomas Odyssey

Available at Audible.com

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Magic, Childrens, Fiction

Audiobook

First published July 26, 2011

About the author

Edgar and Agatha nominated author of THE WIZARD OF DARK STREET and THE MAGICIAN'S TOWER, novels of detection and magic.

Visit Shawn on the web at:

http://www.thewizardofdarkstreet.com/

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/c7dATW

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShawnOdyssey

Blog: http://shawnthomasodyssey.blogspot.com/

Reviews

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Wizard of Dark Street's niece, Oona, would rather be a detective than a wizard's apprentice. When disasters befall both her uncle and a snooty neighbor, she works overtime to solve both mysteries and save the day. Odyssey put together a very clever whodunit; especially for a middle grade mystery, this will keep you guessing. The story is worth reading for that alone. However, the setting for this mystery was disappointingly Disneyfied - with a simply sketched set, stock characters, cartoony thugs, and snarky animal sidekicks. These are all popular elements, but I've been spoiled by the rich settings surrounding my favorite preteen sleuths, Nancy Springer's Enola Holmes (The Case of the Missing Marquess, reviewed here)and Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, reviewed here), and I prefer when authors' familiarity with the animals in question shine through, such as Mercedes Lackey's raven and parrot in The Wizard of London. I was annoyed by the slapdash construction of the Dark Street setting in particular. Supposedly Dark Street is a bridge between the land of faerie and New York City at the turn of the century, but there was nothing particularly influenced by either faerie or New York there, and the addition of British and Irish accents seemed forced. (In comparison Delia Sherman's Changeling does much more with faerie and New York.) The main villian of Dark Street is a casino tycoon, again an old west/vegas slanted choice that didn't feel consistent with the New York connection. Altogether these issues knock my rating down to a 2.5, but I definitely think there is room for these characters to grow.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really have a thing for fantasies set in worlds that lay alongside ours. The blurring of the edges between what we think of as reality and those magical worlds fascinates me, which is probably why I love the Harry Potter series so much (and why I’m working on a couple of stories with those kinds of worlds myself). The Wizard of Dark Street takes place on Dark Street (oddly enough), a little neighborhood that’s linked to New York City, but is actually a bridge between the normal world and the Land of Faerie. It’s a highly entertaining blend of Harry Potter-esque magic and Holmesian detective work.

Oona Crate is the Dark Street Wizard’s apprentice and niece, but Oona doesn’t want to be the Wizard. She doesn’t even want to use magic anymore, not after the horrid accident. So she and her magical talking raven, Deacon (who’s more of a flying encyclopedia than a regular old bird), snoop around Dark Street, trying to solve mysteries. When a very big mystery involving stolen dresses, missing cobblestones, and her uncle’s apparent murder falls into her lap, Oona hopes she’s not in over her head. She must use all of her detective’s cunning to solve this mystery before she loses her uncle forever, and before the very fabric of Dark Street falls apart.

It’s easy to compare magical young adult literature to Harry Potter, but The Wizard of Dark Street mimics the feel of Rowling’s series, for lack of a more precise term. Odyssey’s way of describing the setting and the characters is very visual and whimsical, and I had no trouble at all picturing the strange world of Dark Street. I particularly like the Victorian setting, and that some of the denizens of Dark Street seem to be far ahead of their time when it comes to fashion (I’m looking at you, Samuligan the faerie who wears a cowboy hat).

Oona herself is a fine young heroine, full of confidence but also realistic enough to be taken down a notch when a snobby girl insults her. Her interactions with Deacon are fun, and I liked seeing her poke and prod her way into places where she’s not supposed to go. Her tenacity in trying to save her uncle and solve the mystery makes her into a really great young protagonist. She runs into many people who are trying to stop her from finding out the truth, but her quick wits and her pet encyclopedia raven help her along the way. I liked Oona immensely, and I really hope that Odyssey writes more books about this awesome young detective.

The other characters are quirky and fun, if not quite as well-rounded as Oona, but hopefully there will be future books that flesh out the others a little bit more. The mystery itself has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end, and a few red herrings are thrown in to keep you on your toes. I had figured out part of the mystery by the end, but I was nicely surprised by one of the final twists.

Overall, The Wizard of Dark Street is a fun, creatively imagined young adult book that has a lot going for it. I enjoyed it as an adult reader, and I can definitely see how kids would dig it, too.

(review originally published at The Discriminating Fangirl)

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

After seeing Shawn Thomas Odyssey read the prologue to THE WIZARD OF DARK STREET, I knew I had to read this book. The deliciously sinister feel to the magical world, the idea of a 12-year-old solving mysteries, and the simple fact that Oona (the MC) has a raven for a best friend all suggest a great combination within the book's pages.

Well, let me tell you, this story does not disappoint. I was flipping the pages to find out the whodunits and to see how all the seemingly separate mysteries would intertwine. Oona is an incredibly likeable character, and Deacon--her raven that is also an encyclopedia--is one of those creatures I desperately wish I had as my own pet/friend.

Mr. Odyssey has crafted a wonderfully complex magical world unlike anything I've ever seen. And the story is like HARRY POTTER meets ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN, and I highly suggest it to any and all lovers of fantasy, mystery, or middle grade!

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read my fair share of plucky girl detectives. Some of my favorites include a poison-obsessed tween and two fairy-tale sisters. Oona Crate, the protagonist in The Wizard of Dark Street, doesn’t measure up to her competition.

This book is also a bit like Harry Potter in regards to its setting, a magical world that exists parallel to ours. While Harry Potter never bothered me with all of the world-building details (frankly, JK Rowling could probably write another book in Harry’s world, skip the plot, and I’d still lose sleep reading it), I was bored here. I think part of the problem may be that this is a book about magic that isn’t especially magical. The Wizard of Dark Street lacks the charming tone of, say, The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place. A big reason why the massive Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is worth the reading commitment is that the phrasing and tone evoke a time period that mixes magic and history. That’s entirely missing in Oona Crate’s world. While it is a fun combination of mystery and magic, it feels flat. It’s a novel that wants to be quirky, but quirky has to go beyond character names or a few details: the tone and voice of the novel need be quirky and unique and help set the stage. Indeed, for this sort of fantasy book, I was sort of shocked to find such a generic tone.

The Wizard of Dark Street is a decent mystery, but it’s not a memorable one. For young readers on a magic kick, though, I think they might enjoy Oona Crate’s world. Quasi-recommended.

[Книжни Криле · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Митериите на Уна Крейт" – детско-юношеска трилогия, отчасти детективски истории, отчасти фентъзи приказки с мрачни готически и викториански мотиви, в която мистерия и магия се срещат. Звучи добре! Давайте ги насам! Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": - https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book. The mystery was clever (kept me guessing), and I enjoyed the magical elements. If this is a series, I will keep reading it.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.

Reviewed for Bitten by Books. http://bittenbybooks.com.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read This Review & More Like It At Ageless Pages Reviews

When I was in the 9-12 age range, some of my favorite books were mysteries, particularly the kind where no one got hurt and I got to play along at home. Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown, "Alfred Hitchcock", (though I could never guess those twists. The diamond was in the python, who was in the acrobats' baton?!) I think Oona Crate and The Wizard of Dark Street would have made little-me very happy and will certainly become a mainstay in my house as my nieces enter their middle-grade years.

Dark Street is an entire city condensed into one very long road. At one end, an iron gate that opens into our world. At the other, a glass gate that opens into the world of the fae. But that gate doesn't open any more. Cut off from the magical world of Faerie for so long, Dark Street, and New York beyond, have very little magic to tap into, except for the Wizard. The Wizard lives in Pendulum House and is responsible for the street's magical needs. There must always be a Wizard on Dark Street, even if he's a rather mediocre one like Uncle Alexander. Fortunately, Oona is the most promising Wizard apprentice in some time. She has Natural Magic, unlike her uncle's Learned variety. Unfortunately, she has no interest in being a Wizard, after a tragedy several years before book start.

First, Oona is fantastic. She's logical, resourceful, and brave. When she's thrust into the heart of a mystery, her immediate reaction isn't to fall to pieces, but to find a way to make it right. After being a Wizard didn't work out, she realizes what she really wants is to be a detective like her dad. She handles the career switch pretty maturely for a 12 year old and sets off to solve two seemingly unrelated mysteries. She's joined by a motley assortment of side characters who I wish had gotten more screen time. There's a talking animal sidekick, a wise servant, a prissy rich girl, a mysterious love interest, a timid witch, and the one who's not from around here. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time to flesh them out, what with them all being murder suspects, and that did show towards the end of the book when I realized that after 345 pages, I wasn't rock solid on any of the apprentice candidates names.

The mystery is appropriately twisty, but not unfairly so. You may be able to guess the culprit relatively quickly, but the manner in which whodunit kept me guessing all book long. In the vein of old Nancy Drew stories, every single detail is vitally important and not a piece of candy can be overlooked in the conclusion. Including candy. And overturned stones. And cinnamon.

The Wizard of Dark Street is a bright, smart Middle-Grade fantasy with a great protagonist and a world I'm eager to revisit. If I could give it a grade, (oh look, I can!) I'd say A and a gold star.

[Particle_Person · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oona, the 13 year old sleuth of this YA fantasy/mystery, lives on Dark Street, a one street town lying between the New York of 1876 and the land of the Fay. Every midnight for one minute there's an open gate between NYC and Dark Street, and the rest of the time the city is inaccessible. Oona was apprenticed to her uncle, the Wizard of Dark Street, their only wizard, and the person who protects the town against possible fairy attack. Three years before the book starts, she accidentally killed her family with a spell gone wrong and now she doesn't trust magic. She's grieving and guilty, so she's lost heart and decided to give up her apprenticeship and open a detective agency. The Wizard has begun to interview apprentice candidates when a magical floating dagger stabs him, leaving his clothes on the ground and the Wizard vanished. It transpires that the dagger may not have killed the Wizard, so Oona goes in search of her uncle and the person who committed the crime.

It's always nice to read about intelligent people doing clever and brave things, and that recipe seems to work particularly well in YA. This book shares DNA with a lot of YA fantasy and detective novels, particularly The Mysterious Benedict Society books, Agatha Christy, and Edward Eager. Aside from those resemblances, I thought the author did a great job of making Oona sound like a real person with a personal history, right from the start. In most YA we're introduced to the protagonists as nearly blank slates (usually to give the author room to let them grow). Oona certainly grows, but she isn't presented to the reader as a blank. She's grieving, and this is the emotional setup for the story. If you compare to, say, Harry Potter, Harry has a backstory but he is presented as being in a sort of equilibrium when the story starts and events just happen to him because he has no agency. That is what's usual for fantasy novels. Oona's in the process of making dramatic life changes that are under her control, then she's thrown for a further loop and must respond. That's what makes this book different and worth reading.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's what this book has:

--an orphan girl named Oona with an innate talent for magic, a gift that led to a terrible tragedy a few years ago
--a fascinating place, Dark Street, poised between a gate leading to our world at one end (which opens for just one minute ever night) and a gate to the fairy realm, locked after a fierce war some years before
--a mystery that could threaten the very existence not just of Dark Street, but our world as well, and cast our orphaned heroine out into the streets
--and (bonus features) a talking raven, a charming first crush, a captured fairy general forced to become a de facto butler, and some beautiful dresses.

The result is a tremendously appealing middle grade read!

Twelve-year old Oona would rather be a detective than a wizard, so when her uncle is (maybe) murdered by an enchanted dagger, she's determined to crack the case. But she's pretty sure that the villain behind it all is the same one who had her father murdered years ago...and in order to save uncle, Dark Street, and her own home (the beautifully imagined Pendulum House on which Dark Street depends), her penchant for logic and deduction might need help from the magical gifts she rejected after an enchantment went horribly wrong.

It's fun, its fast, it has a pleasantly diverse cast of characters and a vividly imagined fantastical setting. I can't speak to the quality of the mystery, qua mystery--I'm not the sort of reader that thinks critically while reading, picking up clues and looking for inconsistencies; instead, reading a book like this, I am happy to be swept along, wide-eyed and slack-jawed....But regardless of that, I thought the concept of the heroine wanting to be a detective rather than a wizard was a nice twist, and Oona is a thoroughly engaging young heroine.

This is a lovely one to give to a ten or eleven year old girl in particular. I didn't find it to have a huge ton of emotional whumph, but it's a nice tight package of charming entertainment!

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story mixing two of my favorite things - magic and whodunits.

Oona is a Natural Magician, a rare thing even on Dark Street, the last of the pathways between the World of Man and Faerie, and, since the gate to Faerie has been shut permanently, magic is on the decline.

But despite this, and because of a tragic accident she caused when her magic went wrong, she doesn't want to be the Wizard's Apprentice and, instead, wants to follow the path of her father and be a detective.

But her worlds collide when her uncle, the Wizard, is attacked in a locked door mystery and Oona has to figure out whodunit before Red Martin can foreclose on Pendulum House, threatening not only Oona's future but, possibly, the fates of everyone on Dark Street.

Duh duh DUH!

She is thwarted by an incompetent police inspector, a short time frame, and her own doubts in herself...

It's a cute story with a few fun twists and turns, some of which weren't even entirely predictable, though I did guess the how done it, if not quite the who, pretty early on. That characters don't have all that much depth, but I'm hoping this might be remedied in future installments.

Overall, a fast, fun read and I might continue the series when I'm looking for something of this sort in the future. Definitely think kids, especially young girls, would really enjoy the story.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. For me, the characters seemed superficial and somewhat overdone, more caricatures that characters. I also found it quite heavy-handed in Oona 'agonizing' over her decision to give up magic; I understand that the book is geared toward a younger audience, but even the average child would not need to be hit on the head with a hammer to get the message. That said, the book did pick-up at the end. I might read the next one in the series if I come across it in the library... OK, and if it helped me complete a difficult-to-finish reading challenge. But then again, I might not.

Oh, and I really hated that the author chose the phrase "World of Man" to describe the world outside Dark Street and the World of Fairies. Seriously?!? The book was written well into the 21st Century, plus the author created a female protagonist (so it's likely young girls will read the book) and still he chooses a phrase that essentially means 'men are human and women are other'. It is annoying and promotes a mindset that is generally questionable but especially problematic given Odyssey's likely readership.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being 12 years old and a natural magician is one thing, but also hating the idea of actually using magic, and then being the Wizard's apprentice is just something all together.

At least Oona's uncle, who happens to be the Wizard of Dark Street, understands her reasoning in not wanting to pursue magic and instead wanting to open a detective agency. But when her uncle goes missing, she must use all she can to find him...unless he has died.

I really enjoyed this story, and liked how it allowed the adults to be very diverse, from bumbling idiot, to pompous toad, to caring adult. Showing the balance within the adults also leads to a balance with the other characters. It also shows that there is a balance with magic too. Not all magic is bad, and even good magic can become bad.

[Sherwood Smith]

I read this in draft ages ago, when the author was part of a writing group I was in. I absolutely loved it. I have been saving the book for when I finished a project; that means I get to read it in a week or two.

[Bill Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wizard of Dark Street

Oona Crate is a very quirky 12 going on 13 year-old. Living on a magic street half way between the normal human world and the world of the Fae. Great and easy read where there are no loose ends.

[Ана Хелс · Rating 5 out of 5]

От какво имате нужда в една мрачна лятна утрин, дето по една или друга ваканционна причина ви е свободна, когато е ясно, че небето скоро ще се продъни и Зевса ще си поиграе на улучи неверника в тълпата с някоя и друга гръмотевичка? От книги, огромни чаши чай или капучино и някоя и друга котка, разбира се. И ако точки 2 и 3 от универсалния списък на щастието са по-скоро според хранителните и алергичните ви навици, то номер 1 си е номер 1 – добрите и увличащи вниманието книги са лек за всяка лоша шега на божествените повелители на времевите изменения и глобалното затопляне. Та ето ви една добра поредица за целите за натриването на носовете на някое и друго кисело божество на климата, която макар и да е малко детска, е и очарователна, мрачна и забавна.

Уна Крейт живее на тайната улица – нещо като странична реалност на нашата, отваряща се всяка нощ за по час към град в света, някога Париж, Прага, Лондон, а сега Ню Йорк, и приютяваща самотни пътешественици и магове по душа. От другата страна на този своеобразен пропусквателен пункт на вълшебствата е самата земя на феите, но не малките сладки същества с пеперудени крилца, а селенията на Маб и Глориана, с все елфите, таласъмите и особено пакостливите, изплетени от чародейство гадории, за които разказва Сузана Кларк в нейния магнус опус за Стрейндж и Норел. Уна е една от последните надарени по кръв с магия от феите, и затова е предопределена да стане върховен магьосник на улицата, само че има няколко неособено малки проблемчета, стоящи пред тази задачка. Мистериозната ни тъмноока красавица е още дете на около 12-13, убила е с магия по погрешка майка си и малката си сестричка, и общо взето се изживява като Холмс, а не като Гандалф.

И това носи повече недоразумения и катастрофи на полу-магичното селение, отколкото всички престъпници, които някак все се появяват неканени в картинката, и не се свенят да демонстрират впечатляващи жестокости, нищо че животът отвъд вратите на реалността ни би трябвало да е една идея по-добър от обичайното. Безмилостни предприемачи, живеещи с отвратителни способи по няколко столетия; брутални убийци, скрити зад лицата на иначе интелигентни и мирно живеещи хорица; вампири -измамници, вещици – крадци, че даже и политици – от всеки познат вид отрепка се намират обилни количества дори и в това прелестно място, застинало насред стиймпънк викториана, с въздух наситен от свежи вълшебства. И само невръстната Уна може да помогне да не се разпадне този малък рай на магията. С късмет, остра мисъл и безценната помощ на шепа ценни приятели, едно девойче съзрява, бори се с огромна лична вина и се отпитва да приеме себе си, като между другото все спасява света.

История за силата, прошката и отдадеността на мечтите, но и за магия, престъпления и хумористични подмятания към настоящето ни. Мистериите на Уна Крейт е малко мрачна, но брилянтна с умело подбраните социални теми, вплетени в наистина впечатляващо увличащи приключения с хора и магични същества, на място, за което няма как да не бленувате нощем под завивките. За съжаление на български са намерими само първите две части от трилогията, които могат да се четат и самостоятелно, но третата е черешката на тортата и онзи финал на детството на Уна, за който трескаво хапех нокти в първите две. Забавление от най-непретенциозния порядък, и гарантиран някой и друг следобед или сутрин в добра книжна компания – за мен по-голяма препоръка от това просто няма.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich habe dieses Buch lange vor mir hergeschoben und wusste auch nicht so recht was ich zu erwarten habe.
Natürlich kann man bei einem Kinderbuch nicht uneingeschränkt davon ausgehen, das es sich um einen derart spannenden, gruseligen und verzwickten Fall handelt wie in manchen Krimis für Erwachsene. Auch wenn diese Annahmen oft übertroffen werden.
Bei diesem Buch muss ich sagen handelt es sich nicht unbedingt um einen der spannendsten Fälle, allein im Bereich der Kinderbücher, trotzdem schaffte er es jedoch mich zu fesseln. Auch dieser winzige Hauch einer möglichen Liebesgeschichte zwischen Oona und Adler, hat mir die Lesezeit versüßt. Ich bin zwar genau genommen kein großer Fan von Liebesgeschichten allgemein und im besonderen in Kriminalromanen oder Fantasy Romanen, aber da es sich in diesem Fall um eine derart zarte und schüchterne, auch nicht wirklich im Mittelpunkt stehende Entwicklung handelt, hat es meine Neugier geweckt.
Die Geschichte an sich ist ganz süß zu nennen, die Ideen sind liebevoll, ebenso wie die Charakter, auch wenn es durchaus Abgründe gibt, die den Leser jedoch nicht mit sich ziehen.
Als Fazit möchte ich gerne erklären warum ich diesem Buch die volle Anzahl an Sternen gegeben habe.
Ich finde ein Buch muss einen nicht immer umwerfen, es muss nicht unbedingt schockieren oder ängstigen und es muss sich bei der Idee auch nicht immer um etwas geniales, außergewöhnliches handeln. So lange man Freude am lesen und an der Geschichte empfindet und das Buch mit einem glücklichen Gefühl schließt, ist das völlig ausreichend. Um ein genau solches Buch hat es sich hier gehandelt.

[Doug Lewars · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** Possible Spoilers ***

I thought this book was YA and, I guess in one sense it was, but very YA. According to Amazon it's targeted toward the 8 to 13 year old set. The question then becomes, would it work for them? Certainly I found a number of flaws in it but I'm not the one the author is trying to reach. For example, a number of characters are mere cartoon cutouts. The inspector, for one, is portrayed as a bumbling idiot; however, I can see boys in that age range finding his antics hilarious. Likewise girls might be able to relate to the idea of a special ball where everyone wears extra special clothes. Overall, I think the prose might be a little tough for the 8 year olds and some of the slapstick a little to banal for those who are 13 but it's difficult to say. At least the author kept the plot moving for the most part. There were some moments of angst but I suppose such might be well received by some young people. This book wasn't for me and the author didn't intend it to be. I doubt I'll read any more of his books.

[Kailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so to be perfectly honest although I love fantasy I will turn around hard and fast to head the other direction if it is a mystery. This, as can be inferred by the title, is a mystery and I loved it. I also never saw the end of this book coming and now I have to say that I actually want this book for my own personal library.
I found the discoveries that the main character, Oona Crate as in the title yes, actually had a realistic struggle in balancing her natural abilities that would not let her deny them and the passion she has for investigation. That really interested me especially considering the spoilers that come in later. I've never seen magic and investigation paired together before and highly suggest it.

[Katie Storer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author, Shawn Thomas Odyssey, not only wrote this delightful story, he also acted as narrator. Author narrations often leave much room for improvement. However, I am happy to report that he did a marvelous job on this story.

This story takes place in an alternate New York City suburb at the end of the 1800’s. Young Oona is blessed, or cursed, with natural magic. Sadly, one of her spells went horribly wrong and her mother and sibling lost their lives.

Young Oona, unable to stomach the thought of using magic again wants to become a detective instead. This story picks up with the search for a new apprentice so that Oona can relinquish her apprenticeship with her uncle. And that is when everything starts to go wrong…

[LaSibila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oona Crate es una niña prodigio con poderes mágicos naturales que vive en Dark Street con su tío, el Mago Alexander, en un barrio secreto de la ciudad de New York. A pesar de ser talentosa con la magia, un accidente trágico la lleva a renunciar a su puesto como aprendiz y a perseguir su sueño de crear una agencia de detectives para utilizar sus poderes deductivos y, algún día, descubrir al asesino de su padre.
Cuando su tío desaparece frente a sus ojos, deberá interrogar a los sospechosos, formar alianzas con personajes cuestionables y encontrarlo antes de la medianoche... o todo el mundo que conoce podría ser destruido.

[Karissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have had this book on my TBR pile for a long time and was excited to finally read it. This was an okay middle grade story set on a magical street located off of New York City. It was okay but not great.

I enjoyed some of the creative ideas and settings but didn't find the story or characters all that engaging. At points so many fantastical things are thrown at the reader that it makes both the characters and setting hard to picture and follow. You never really get a chance to know and engage with the characters all that well. The “mystery” is also fairly predictable.

Overall this was an okay middle grade fantasy read. There are some fun and creative ideas in here; but I didn’t find the story very engaging and thought the mystery was fairly predictable.

[Kaye · Rating 2 out of 5]

This steampunk mystery/fantasy was short on imagination and dialogue, with more unanswered questions about this portal world than it had plot. Why do they get their food from New York? How do they do it in one minute a day? Why do lawyers have tattoos on their faces? Are they placed there magically, through a bonding process, or do they just go to parlors? If so, on Dark Street, or in New York?

The mystery itself felt a bit obvious. The character Deacon was the best (and he was an encyclopedic raven.)

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a tragedy that took her family, Oona wants nothing to do with her magic, instead seeking a job as an amateur detective - but a series of robberies and an attack on her wizard uncle require both her wits and her gifts if she hopes to protect her home...and her town. Odyssey brings young readers a twisting mystery woven through by cliched yet amusing fantastical elements and a nicely gothic atmosphere. Can Oona figure out who would want to harm her uncle without using her powers?

[pdarnold · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review of audiobook format.

I truly tried to like this tale. I will have to give it a go in actually reading it with my eyes rather than my ears. Shawn Thomas Odyssey sounds well enough as a narrator, but a definite distinction between characters was lacking. I think that was my whole problem getting into the story.

[Aly ∞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aly rates this: ★★★★ stars

Where Nancy Drew meets the Little Witch ..well, sorta.

Shawn Thomas Odyssey gives you a juvenile book with faerie references and and magical lore that makes this story a page turner.

Full of plot twists and thrills, Miss Oona Crate's adventure is just the beginning.

[Kerri Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really cute book. I loved how it mixed fantasy in a normal world. Oona is a fun character. I can certianly see why shed want to avoid magic but i wouldnt. I enjoyed the story the characters and the twist. Its really enjoyable to read.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting characters and setting! It took a while to establish the setting and introduce the characters, but once it got going, the continuous action kept me reading non-stop to the end! I have The Magician’s Tower (book 2) ready to go!

[Piruvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, it's rather a kids/young adult book, so a bit easy, but I enjoyed every bit of it. Interesting mystery to solve, nice fantasy world, magic, the main characters had her own thoughts and her own story (and issues). I wish I could have read it as a kid, I would have loved it.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting premise of logical mixed or contrasted against and with magic. Overall, I loved this story and I can't wait to read the next one. The mysteries are so fun to figure out as you read along.

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! It has endearing characters I especially liked Oona and Deacon and their back and forth banter. If you enjoy fantasy mixed with quick wit and humor give this book a try.