Witches and wizards, magic spells and potions. Incantations, ceremonies and rituals. The stories in this collection explore that which cannot be explained – the mysterious, the bizarre and the magical.
Featuring: “Cupid’s Magic” by MK McFadden “The Black Forest” by Kasidy Manisco “The Killing Jar” by Jan Eldredge “Grieftaker” by T. Eric Bakutis “The Paper Doll” by Nancy O’Toole and “Defining Justice: A prequel to Threats of Sea and Sky” by Jennifer Ellision
As well as interviews with Jessica Spotswood, Michelle Krys and Danielle L Jensen and reviews of Half Bad by Sally Green, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski and Born of Deception by Teri Brown.
It feels a bit strange reviewing Magic, as one of the stories in this collection is actually mine! As a result, I'm not comfortable assigning the ebook a rating, but since it's something I read, I will be posting a review today.
Magic is the third issue of Inaccurate Realities, a new literary magazine that focuses on young adult speculative fiction. The six stories found here cover a nice variety of material, exploring wicked fairies, magic schools, love spells, the power of justice, and the burden of grief. My story, The Paper Doll, seems like the most lighthearted of the bunch, focuses on Lya Darkwood, an apprentice who quickly finds herself in over her head when her first encounter with magic goes very wrong.
There were some stories I liked more than others, but I really found the collection as a whole to be worth my time. My favorites of the bunch were Greiftaker by Eric Bakutis, which focuses on a unique magic system that allows someone to take on the grief and sadness of another. My other favorite is Defining Justice by Jennifer Ellison, where a young Prince must discover his own definition of justice. Both were very enjoyable to read. The collection also contains several interviews, book reviews, and a nice list of suggested reading for books about magic. I was happy to discover one of my all time favorite books, Sabriel, on that list.