The Dark Refrain: The Mystwick School of Musicraft

Mystwick #3

by Jessica Khoury, Suzy Jasckson (Narrator)

In the third book in the Mystwick School of Musicraft series, Amelia Jones and her friends fall centuries into the past, and their only hope may lie in the hands of the villain they fear most....

After defeating the terrifying Necromuse and his mysterious orchestra, all Amelia Jones hopes for is a return to normal. But to her surprise, her class is sent to Europe for a month of study abroad. This seems like the perfect escape from all her problems, but not long after they land in Salzburg, Austria, danger haunts their steps. A street musician claims there is something wrong with Amelia’s magic, odd visions of the past appear around the city, and Amelia finds a strange message preserved in a museum—a message she fears was left by the Necromuse.

He’s still out there, and he’s still after Amelia.

When a storm of time magic traps Amelia, Jai, and Darby in the year 1765, they join forces with the most powerful musicians of the 18th century in an attempt to restore the timeline before it rips apart entirely. But it’s not enough. With time literally breaking down around her, Amelia will have to call on music far more powerful and forbidden than anything she has attempted before...magic only the Necromuse can teach her.

With original music throughout, this orchestral fantasy is an adventure the whole family will enjoy.

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

10 pages, Audiobook

Published May 2, 2024

About the author

Jessica Khoury wrote her first book at age 4, a fan fic sequel to Syd Hoff's Danny and the Dinosaur, which she scribbled on notebook paper, stapled together, and placed on the bookshelf of her preschool classroom. Since that day, she's dreamed of being an author.

When not writing, Jess enjoys spending time with family, playing video games, and oil and watercolor painting. She is also a professional mapmaker, and spends far too much time scribbling tiny trees and mountains for fictional worlds.

Jess currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina. She is the author of the Corpus trilogy, The Forbidden Wish, Last of Her Name, and The Mystwick School of Musicraft.

Reviews

[Lulitta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is healing my daddy issues … worth the wait ❤️❤️

[Mary H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay this one gets 5 stars even though it has some flaws because I just really enjoyed it and the whole dynamic with her dad really gave me all the feels.
This is my favorite of the series so far! It's nice that Amelia and her friends have bonded enough to really trust each other. She seems more resilient to the bullying and less worried about it, which frankly is a relief. I also enjoyed that it took place outside of her school and that they were able to time travel.
The whole dynamic with her dad really got me. The logical side of me will say his character arch feels to good to be true or maybe there wasn't enough of an explanation of his character to justify what he did... But I didn't really care about that. I loved that she gained a relationship with him and had a sort of fairytale ending there.
I think I related to it. It got me to cry which isn't something I often do with books. I think it really was effective in communicating the emotional need of a child to her father. And how lovely it is when that hole can be filled. I think real life isn't often like that, but I enjoyed dreaming it with her in the story.
I did think her father was a fascinating Jekyll/Hyde character. I appreciate that Amelia was able to see him as a real person and how she held him accountable but forgave and still loved him. I hope the author writes another book because there were a lot of unanswered questions about him.
The first book started her journey of self-assurance and this book solidifies it. Partly by healing her relationship with her dad and partly by giving her real world experience and perspective. I enjoyed that aspect of it.
I could go on and on. It was a complex, exciting, silly and funny, heart-wrenching, heart-warming, fascinatiating, surprising and thoroughly enjoyable read!

[Richard Kendrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've quite enjoyed this series and was pleasantly surprised when this new novel dropped. This particular entry felt more middle grade than earlier novels. I think a lot of that was owing to the inclusion of historical figures, and that, in turn, nudged my suspension of disbelief a bit. Earlier entries also had a mystery to unravel, and this one mostly didn't. Overall, I enjoyed it. But it was a weaker novel than the ones that came before.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this one as an audio book, so it was a little difficult for me to completely grasp the story; overall though, it was pretty good! I will look forward to when this book comes out in print.

[Mela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved loved loved this book! I loved the main plot and the time jump, it really made the entire plot extremely fun, also I loved the growth of our main trio, I hope the parents can finally get a grip in the next one!

[Kaitlyn Ngoc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the concept and writing of this series—obviously, since I’ve made it to book #3. However, to be honest, I didn’t enjoy this installment as much as the previous two. The Dark Refrain concept was fascinating, and I appreciated the meticulous world-building that made the magic feel as plausible as possible.

That said, two aspects of the book concern me. First, the seemingly modern take on feminism feels overly extreme. Second, some characters are quick to judge others despite being no better themselves. There’s no denying that history was unkind to women—many were denied recognition for their knowledge and contributions. But change didn’t happen overnight. It took hundreds of years and hundreds of thousands of people fighting for women to earn their place in society. Yet somehow, Darby, a young schoolgirl who accidentally travels back to the 1760s, decides she’s going to single-handedly teach the past what it means to be feminist.

She proudly stands before some of the most powerful figures in Europe, defiantly playing an instrument in a society where girls were strictly forbidden to do so—all while being one of the most wanted people of her time due to her anachronistic existence. Worse, she forces Maria Anna Mozart to play music, despite Maria's genuine fear of social repercussions. And despite all her grandstanding, Darby is just as flawed—criticizing Amelia and Jai for being cowards while failing to stand up for herself when Mia manipulates her.

Ultimately, Darby comes across not as a determined heroine, but as a bully framed as an icon of strength. While I respect the author’s effort to highlight Maria Anna Mozart’s talent and advocate for gender equality, I wish it had been more persuasive. Sometimes, simply presenting historical realities and letting the audience reflect on them is far more effective. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will centuries of prejudice against women disappear with one girl’s defiance.

That said, this remains a beautiful series with so much to explore. I’ll definitely listen to future installments, but I sincerely hope the next book doesn’t bite off more than it can chew.

[Marie Sinadjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Mystwick School of Musicraft series, and as of this time it's only out in audio format. Regardless of the reason for that, I do think there's no other way to truly appreciate and enjoy this series but through audio, so I highly recommend getting the audiobook if you can! It's just brilliant to have music as spells and to hear orchestral music played throughout — not as background music, mind you, but as part of the scenes themselves.

The story takes an outrageous turn in this installment BUT I also LOVE time travel, so this was a win for me 😂 After I finished this book I actually ended up reading articles about 18th century musicians (won't name them to avoid spoilers!), listened to their compositions, and even searched for other fantasy books that featured them, particularly... let's call her M.A.M. 😉

And what I really loved, aside from the music, were the characters. Amelia, Jai and Darby have grown on me, and the new characters were just delightful. Plus I was tickled by Mr. Pinwhistle and Miss Mott (oops, listened to the audiobook, so I'm not sure how to spell her name 🙈), and the development of Amelia's relationship (if you've not read the previous books, this isn't what you might think LOL) was bittersweet.

It doesn't feel like the end, because the three books all took place during Year 7, which has been quite unexpected given that I kind of expected one book per year (like a certain wizard story). But hey, it's also good, because it means there's more to come!

[Tired Tiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goddamn, this book even had me tearing up a few times! Usually that doesn't happen with time-travel stories with well-known historical figures. And I certainly didn't expect it with Mozart of all composers, but here we are.

Sure, there were some silly things and inaccuracies, but I'll forgive them because the main trio's character arcs were handled really well. Love that they act like kids. Love that Amelia gets to face her insecurities, but is still emotionally intelligent enough to express her wants and needs.

Also, the listening experience with the score in the background was great. Suzy Jackson is such a good narrator that of course she's also narrated for Brandon Sanderson works. Obviously.

[Cassandra Hamm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so glad I finally got to read this now that it’s no longer just on audible. I love Jessica Khoury’s MG books and this one was no exception. While there were some very corny moments, especially with Mozart’s crush on Amelia, I very much enjoyed seeing Amelia wrestle with her complicated feelings about her father. I also was glad this book dealt with Marianne Mozart and her forgotten talent. And of course I ship Amelia and Jai! They’ll be so cute together when they’re older! Not as spooky as the previous two books, but that’s my preference anyway!

[Graham Herrli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE this series. From the music pun chapter titles (starting with "One Soprano Time") to the way that the spells played on instruments are blended into the audio of the narration, to the vibrant and believable characters, this series is a delightful experience.

This particular book gets dinged a star for being a bit too heavy handed at times. For example, there's a delightfully subtle, understated, whimsical, wondrous humor to the protagonist wondering through a place full of lost things, encountering undelivered mail, a pile of socks, a pile of keys, and a large stone nose...but the wonder, humor, and subtlety are undercut when a couple of minutes later the protagonist thinks: ohh that must've been the sphinx's nose.

I'm assuming this was done to make the book more understandable to a child audience. But as an adult, it felt like being hit over the head. It only happened in about half a dozen places, although a couple of those earlier in the book were enough to interrupt my suspension of disbelief.

Overall though, this was a delightful romp of a book.

[Absmagabs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of this series, it is super fun and engaging. However, while this is still a really fun read, it isn’t as good as the other two books. But this book did push the romance way more which makes me very excited 🤘

[Rachel Kohlbrenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series gets better with each book! I loved this book so much with magic, music and history woven together in such a creative way. The audiobook narration is also fantastic and perfect for the whole family!

[Nasya Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book was incredible! I really enjoyed it! I highly recommend this book series!

[Heaven Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series for what it is and it is so cute! I love all the feels and the music in the audio, so good!

[Lorrie (Clockworkbookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 Reads #352/250
3.75⭐️

[Jamie Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another strong volume in the Mystwick series.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the previous books, many of the scenes and jokes were cliché. The emotional relationship between the heroine and her villain father was somewhat shallowly portrayed. There were some funny moments with little Mozart though.

[Aloha4Ever · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

While I liked this book as a sequel to the first two books, it wasn’t as exciting. I liked the fact that the author resolved many of the questions around how Amelia’s dad ended up as the Necromuse, while leaving open the door for future books. I liked the explanation of the Dark Refrain and how it connected with Amelia’s past.

The whole Mozart sibling plot was a bit OTT. If only patriarchy was so easily defeated in the real world!

How I wish the enchanted electric guitar had made it back with the gang! Goodbye, Space-sword! 😭

[KayLynn Zollinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is so inventive and well written. I think the idea of music being the base of all magic to be quite beautiful and entirely believable. The relationship with Amelia and Jai is developing really sweetly and even though he won't admit it, I'm 99% sure he has a lil crushy-crush on Amelia. (And it just might be mutual!) Amelia's strong feelings and turmoil over the Necromuse being her father is legit. As she spends more time with him and sees the man behind the mask, she has to grapple with those emotions more. All the feels.
One final note, I know very little about Wolfgang Mozart, so I have no idea how much liberty Khoury took with his personality, but I adored him. He was a little player and I was so here for it. I also know nothing about his sister and what we actually know about her, but how the group helped her was nothing short of awesome. And maybe I even learned a few things about a very famous musician.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though my daughter and I both LOVED books 1 & 2, this third Mystwick installment just involved lots of arguing between characters and no action. It was hard to know what was going on exactly because there seemed to little to no plot! Clearly from our dates above, the audio took WAY too long to finish.

[Tiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have so many thoughts swirling around in my mind, I don't even know if I can focus on them all for this review. First, I want to say that this book fell short for me, it wasn't as good as the first two. The first half of the story was kind of boring and the constant bickering and saying the same insults over and over got really annoying. For the first time, I just wanted to tell all three of them to shut up.

The final half picked up the slack, though. Not enough to bump it up to 5 stars, but it got close. This was the first book that made me cry - multiple times - and filled me with a deep sorrow. As someone who grew up without ever knowing who my father is, if he's alive or if he knows I'm alive, this hit me a lot harder than I expected it, too.

When Mr. Midnight first appeared, I was intrigued about him long before I knew his true identity. I mean, who isn't a sucker for the brooding bad boy with a dark past? Now, though? I am full on in love with this man. He is my favorite character and I want - need - to know more about him, more about his past. I need to know if he's okay, goddamn it.

I have to say, the whole spiral of Amelia - "I can't do this" "I'm a curse" - is getting old. In the first book, she doubted she was good enough to be at the school and was constantly trying to prove everyone wrong. She then learned she didn't need to prove them wrong and that she does have it what takes. Great lesson.

Book two, once again, she doubts herself, thinks she's not good enough, blames herself for everything. She completely forgot the lessons she learned in book one, but she re-learned them and realized it wasn't her fault. A little old, but still a good lesson.

Book three, once again, she doubts herself, calls herself a curse, blames herself for everything... Like, I have -1000% self-confidence and even I'm not this bad. I mean, yeah, she's a kid so she has less control over her emotions. But she's starting to feel less like a loveable heroine embracing her flaws and more like an annoying brat who forgets all the lessons she learns and keeps making the same mistakes over and over and over again. There's no point in her learning if she's gonna keep doing the same shit.

If there is a book four, I truly hope it doesn't continue on this path. Also, I hope the next one is lighter. I get adding drama and feels to a book helps people connect better with the characters but goddamn. I signed up for cool music and funny ass friendships, not dark drama that squeezes the heart until it bursts. Like, these kids are 12! Let them have a break! Give us a book where it's not dark drama constantly doubting/hating herself and crying.

Send them to the beach, for christ's sake.

Like, the first two were pretty fucking funny with great quips. This one? That seemed to be lost. I laughed only once or twice. The quips and comedy just... died. Not only that, but the main three were annoying as hell. I will be the first person to say I'm fine when I'm not, but they take it to a whole other level. They want to keep everything to themselves and then whine about each other doing the same thing. And Darby trying to push everyone to do what they don't want to do... I was so mad when she tried to play in that church (I think it was a church.)

They were supposed to stay low and yet she prances out there without giving a single fuck about what damage it could cause. She wanted to constantly complain about bullies while literally trying to bully people into standing up against their bullies... girl huh. And I also understand getting angry about how women were treated back then, but it's not like present day is like that.

The number one rule of time travel is DON'T CHANGE THE PAST. And they use the poor excuse of "we didn't change it, she did" as if that's supposed to change the fact that they literally changed the past, thus altering the future. I know, I know, she was dealing with trauma - they all were - and they are kids who can't quite process their drama properly but damn, it was annoying as hell. For me, it did not have the impact it was supposed to on me.

They made so many dumb decisions. 12 years old cannot be that dumb... right? I don't know. I'm just disappointed. I was so happy during the first two books, so much so that I listened back to back, forgoing sleep to finish them. When I woke up, I was excited to get into book three only to get this. Maybe my expectations were too high.

Also, I really REALLY want this to be made into a series. I don't care if it's animated or live action but I NEED this in my life. And I need them to make Eric cute as hell, okay. It's for... science. Netflix, make it happen!

There better be a book four and I really hope it is lighter than this one.

[Kryssy · Rating 3 out of 5]

We get a more fleshed out story about amelia’s dad. And a focus on jai. I hope that there’s one more book to focus on darby

9 year old mozart being so in love with 12 year old amelia and having a past fling with marie Antoinette??? What is happening? Austria and France? That a little bit of travel. Especially back then without cars

Randomly starts hinting at a romance between amelia and jai and it never goes anywhere. Almost like the author was recommended to add a romance. Not a fan of that part

This was fun to see these historical figures we learn about, but something about this book just felt off. Still very fun and enjoyable, but not as much

Also, did we ever find out what the S stands for on the music box?

- Mia isn’t coming back
- Jai is acting weird
- Study abroad trip
- Learn about mozart and his composer sister but her talents were not given attention
- Note to amelia in a museum. Thinks from dad
- Jai’s dad is lulling him out of mystwick
- Necro muse traps them in the past
- Amelia believes she has the dark refrain and will take after her father
- Amelia sent the necromuse to the past with sent something to the present to balance
- Mozart and sister help play a spell to heal eric off the dark refrain
- Jai’s violin is broken. Amelia composes it into a guitar
- It’s an enchanted guitar. Meaning it will never fade. Only worked because Amelia really knows and understands jai
- Changed into a squirrel. Forgot that she’s human. Only way she changed back was hearing a hummed melody from eric
- Time itself is collapsing on them
- Amelia and eric have a heart to heart
- Dark refrain is a spell to the tempo of your heartbeat. Spell that got eric barred
- Mozart plays a spell not yet composed
- Dark refrain may get them back home. But will kill who plays it because it takes their life force. Amelia and later others join
- Eric forces amelia to stop playing when everyone else collapses
- Back in normal time, agents come in and arrest eric
- The museum now has exhibits for mary ann!! And a spell dedicated to amelia

[JenBsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I see "Audible Original" I think of an audio created for Audible ... not an actual novel (different than "exclusively on Audible"). This series has been marked as an Audible Original, yet I was able to find the first two books in kindle format at my library. I totally recommend the audio version though ... there is a musical touch that is missed if reading on your own.

This third installment does seem to be Audible Only ... no ebook option (I like to have that, while I prefer audio, I like having the words in print to skim over when writing a review). Without having a reference, I'll just have to go off memory (and I didn't write down any notes). I miss being able to see all the punny chapter headings at a glance (unlike the previous installments, only the generic numerical chapters are listed, without their helpful headings ... WHY aren't they included in the Audible TOC?)

The kids have been off for winter break for three weeks, and book 3 picks up upon the return of the students to school. The kids are going on a field trip to Europe (this reminded me a little of Spiderman: No Way Home). Amelia is introduced to the title concept ... the dark refrain. Is it something she has, inherited from her father?

This installment, while still good, felt a little more YA ... a little more crazy action. With some time shifts, it felt a little reminiscent of the Magic Treehouse books, with kids from modern day going back into time. That goes for the "Missing" series by Margaret Peterson Haddix too (the first book sets things up, with the sequels having the kids go back in time). Young Mozart and Marie Antoinette and an electric guitar way before its time (shades of "Back to the Future" and "A Knight's Tale ... just the music and the dance). Desyncranization, a tempest, portals, NBI, save the world.

That's a Rap-sody ... (final chapter heading) ... is this the last installment?

[Rachel Auer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will have spoilers so run away if you don't want them!

I can't believe the third book finally came out! This is my favorite series of all time, and waiting for the print version was absolutely worth it!

This was such a fun story. I loved how the characters kept getting into situations that they had to find their own ways out of. Like when the Necromuse locked the kids in his dungeon and Darby knew to play a looping percussion song. Or when they needed to create the Tempest at the concert for the emperor so Jai distracted everyone by playing his electric guitar. Or how Amelia had to choose the bad from the worse by deciding if she's going to let her father die playing the Dark Refrain and lose him forever or risk also dying along with him by playing it and potentially also dying. Jessica Khoury is brilliant in so many ways, but giving all our main characters their moment is so special.

I also loved the other theme of standing up for yourself and believing in yourself. Each character has beautiful moments of that. My favorite being Marianne standing up for herself in her new timeline and having a whole exhibit after her in the museum. I almost cried!

There were some unanswered questions I would have loved to know the answers to! Did the Necromuse live and go to jail? What does the S stand for on the music box? Who are the people after him that couldn't know Amelia was his daughter? I am praying for another book, but I promise I'll be patient.

I clearly highly recommend this book to kids and adults alike. I'm 28 with no children and found these books when I randomly won the second in a Goodreads Giveaway, so I bought the first and devoured them all! It was a blessing for sure! I have had so much joy reading these and can't wait to dive into other Jessica Khoury books!

[mika · Rating 5 out of 5]

nothing like a phenomenal children's book to remind me that I am, in fact, still a child. This is a series that deserves to be up there with keeper of the lost cities, harry potter and percy jackson. the audiobook was also amazing, the music and original score definitely helped me with my music revision. all the attention to detail in that regard was wonderful to spot, knowing that the music was time period appropriate was like an easter egg for me.

the surprising darkness of this book was also a plus. it dabbled in grimmer and more real themes through the eyes of a young child masterfully and realistically, which added to its appeal as a children's book that doesnt belittle its audience. im fully convinced that an adult could read this and weep like i did (i certainly seem to be weeping a lot this year)

i usually dont like time travel books but this was delightful and funny. i dont laugh out loud to books, but this made me giggle like crazy and gave me a nostalgic feeling that i haven't felt since i read percy jackson for the first time. i cant wait to see where this series goes from here and listen to the music the new audiobook brings. having an orchestra play the music described in the book in the background was the best choice ive ever heard before even when i read the first and second books. i genuinely hope this series goes on forever like keeper of the lost cities bc its three books in, their first year of school isnt even over and the girl is just starting to develop feelings for her best friend which she's ignoring, and everyone is 12. i might also be 12 bc im certainly acting like it and its the best feeling ive felt in a long time.

ps finishing this after doing my lit exam was not a fun combination bc i keep analysing the relationships between the characters in a way that the author was definitely not thinking about.

pps i just found out that the author is part syrian palestinian like me and im experiencing feelings

[Jennifer Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I have enjoyed the entire series so far, this particular book was not my favorite of the 3 books. It was very enjoyable - just not my favorite one.

I think one of the reasons had to do with the choices the children made. They consistently ignored adult instructions. I also had issues with the relationship between Amelia and her father - it wasn’t a realistic relationship, and a difficult psychological relationship that would have needed more than just a mental sorting out. A lot of kids in this situation would potentially be left confused or angry here.

I did love that everything was made right in the end, and how the Mozart children were tied into the story. It was an enjoyable read, and my daughter listened to the book with me. The series is one of her favorites. We can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!

[Narilka · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dark Refrain is a fun continuation of the The Mystwick School of Musicraft series. Amelia's Mystwick class heads to Salzburg, Austria on a class trip to learn some musical history and the kids get caught up in time magic that dumps Amelia, Jai, and Darby in the year 1765. Shenanigans ensue as they work to figure out a way home. It ended up being a more touching story than I thought it would be with strong themes about family. The audio narration kicks it up a notch with original orchestral music throughout the book which adds depth to the story and Suzy Jackson's narration. Hopefully there will be a fourth book forthcoming. This is currently available in the Audible Plus catalog.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just devoured the first two books in this series and moved to the third very quickly. I wasn't as enamoured with this one as the first two though - it required a lot more suspension of disbelief (even within the confines of a fantasy novel). I didn't find myself doing any eye-rolling in the first two books, but this one had many eye-rolling moments. I enjoyed learning more about Amelia's dad, but the over-the-top storyline kind of interfered with that enjoyment. The ending was interesting - not a cliffhanger by any means, but it certainly seemed to leave the future open for more books. Not sure how many are planned in this series. I'd probably still listen to the next one though!

[Madison Ezzell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, this was so good. I love reading children’s books, but I don’t always expect complex family/friend dynamics to be done well in them. I also don’t usually expect side characters and side stories to be fleshed out well. But this book knocked it out of the park. Every character had a fully developed and completed character arc that was woven into Amelia’s story in a really satisfying and lovely way. I loved how intentional each storyline was.

In general, this book is great. The magic system is increasingly well-developed, the pacing is great, and I’m invested in the overarching world. 10/10

[Viola Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review of the paperback. I enjoy the concepts of this world so much and really ended up liking the tie-ins to Mozart and his music. Buuuut there were just a couple things that I'm not sure I liked.

The part about the Necromuse being a criminal and everything that entails is...complicated. I also am not sure how I feel about the Dark Refrain and how it's used. Morally gray areas that I suppose are good to think about but not my favorite in a book I'm reading for the fun and magic.

Also could have used another proofread...