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A Magical Girl #2
마법소녀 복직합니다
Win a free print copy of this book!
2 days and 23:45:53
25 copies available
U.S. only
최초의 고공 농성 노동자 ‘강주룡’부터 삼국지의 등장인물 ‘초선’, 호주 워킹홀리데이를 떠난 이십대 청년과 거대 로봇 파일럿 오디션에 참가한 여성 로봇공학도까지, 시대와 공간, 실제와 허구, 장르와 장르를 넘나들며 누구보다 다채롭고 생생한 여성들의 이야기를 그려내온 박서련의 소설 『마법소녀 복직합니다』가 출간되었다.
창비의 젊은 경장편 시리즈 소설Q의 신작으로, 지난 2022년 동시리즈를 통해 출간되었던 『마법소녀 은퇴합니다』의 후속작이다. 마법소녀에 대한 기존의 정형화된 프레임을 허물고 새롭고 현실적인 마법소녀의 등장을 알린 이 작품은 미국의 대형 출판사에서 유명 번역가 안톤 허의 번역으로 출간(Harpervia 2024)되는 등 한국을 넘어 해외에서도 그 독특한 설정과 특유의 재기발랄한 스타일을 인정받은 바 있다.
제목에서 알 수 있듯 전편에서 은퇴를 선언했던 마법소녀가 복직하게 되며 일어나는 일들을 다룬 이번 작품에서 박서련은 세계관을 한층 정교하게 쌓아올리는 동시에 청년실업, 주거난, 사이비 종교 등 우리를 둘러싼 여러 사회문제를 날카롭게 짚어내 보이며 그것을 돌파하는 사랑스러운 위트와 상상력의 힘을 십분 보여준다. 무엇보다도 읽는 이를 이야기 속으로 거침없이 끌고 들어가 앉은자리에서 모든 페이지를 넘기게끔 하는 흡인력은 『마법소녀 복직합니다』가 지닌 마법이라 해도 과언이 아닐 것이다.
창비의 젊은 경장편 시리즈 소설Q의 신작으로, 지난 2022년 동시리즈를 통해 출간되었던 『마법소녀 은퇴합니다』의 후속작이다. 마법소녀에 대한 기존의 정형화된 프레임을 허물고 새롭고 현실적인 마법소녀의 등장을 알린 이 작품은 미국의 대형 출판사에서 유명 번역가 안톤 허의 번역으로 출간(Harpervia 2024)되는 등 한국을 넘어 해외에서도 그 독특한 설정과 특유의 재기발랄한 스타일을 인정받은 바 있다.
제목에서 알 수 있듯 전편에서 은퇴를 선언했던 마법소녀가 복직하게 되며 일어나는 일들을 다룬 이번 작품에서 박서련은 세계관을 한층 정교하게 쌓아올리는 동시에 청년실업, 주거난, 사이비 종교 등 우리를 둘러싼 여러 사회문제를 날카롭게 짚어내 보이며 그것을 돌파하는 사랑스러운 위트와 상상력의 힘을 십분 보여준다. 무엇보다도 읽는 이를 이야기 속으로 거침없이 끌고 들어가 앉은자리에서 모든 페이지를 넘기게끔 하는 흡인력은 『마법소녀 복직합니다』가 지닌 마법이라 해도 과언이 아닐 것이다.
232 pages, Hardcover
Published October 8, 2024
About the author
Park Seolyeon
9 books150 followersPark Seolyeon (1989-) is a South Korean novelist. She made her literary debut in 2015 when her short story “Mikimauseu keulleob” (미키마우스 클럽 The Mickey Mouse Club) won the Silcheon Munhak New Writer’s Award. In 2018, she won the 23rd Hankyoreh Literature Award with the novel Chegongnyeo gangjuryong (체공녀 강주룡 Kang Juryong, the Woman in the Air). She uses love and the voices of the underprivileged, such as women, the elderly, and sexual minorities, who are excluded and hidden from society, as the subject of her works.
박서련(1989~)은 한국의 소설가다. 2015년 단편으로 신인상을 받으며 작품활동을 시작했다. 2018년 장편으로 제23회 한겨레문학상을 수상했다. 작가는 여성, 노인, 성소수자 등 배제되고 은폐되는 약자의 목소리를 사랑을 매개로 작품의 주제로 삼고 있다.
박서련(1989~)은 한국의 소설가다. 2015년 단편으로 신인상을 받으며 작품활동을 시작했다. 2018년 장편으로 제23회 한겨레문학상을 수상했다. 작가는 여성, 노인, 성소수자 등 배제되고 은폐되는 약자의 목소리를 사랑을 매개로 작품의 주제로 삼고 있다.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Want to Read
April 7, 2026Yay! A sequel! I enjoyed the 1st book, and this one is probably longer than the 1st one, so, hopefully, there's more biting social commentaries, new intriguing characters, more magical girl union lore revelations, and wild adventures ahead in this sequel.
Also, I (And many others who enjoyed the 1st book) want to know if there's something... romantic between The Narrator and Roa. Argh, enough subtexts. I just want them to be together. I can sense it, but pretty please, make it a reality. My poor shipping heart. 🥹
Also, I (And many others who enjoyed the 1st book) want to know if there's something... romantic between The Narrator and Roa. Argh, enough subtexts. I just want them to be together. I can sense it, but pretty please, make it a reality. My poor shipping heart. 🥹
Want to Read
June 11, 2026YIPPEE!!!! I really liked the last book but thought it struggled as a standalone. I've very happy to see that it has a sequel--and it's gonna be translated!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A sequel to A Magical Girl Retires, our protagonist returns to the world of magical girls because the chairperson of the National Trade Union of Magical Girls refuses her request to take early retirement. Mired in credit card debt made worse by her own powers, our protagonist is also unable to refuse an additional steady source of income, and her pay from being a magical girl is higher than her multiple other part-time jobs. Much like the first book, this is a surprisingly grounded take on the magical girl genre with ample and sometimes even surprisingly subtle social commentary.
I really enjoyed this as we get to see our protagonist grow both as an individual as in her relationship to the people around her. The connections she formed with Roa and other magical girls continue to grow here and in meaningful ways that give our protagonist new confidence and agency. I loved her and Roa’s relationship, and I really enjoyed seeing them actively working together as the protagonist gradually comes into her own. I also really liked Roa helps our protagonist think differently about her powers and how much trust they have in each other.
The format of this book closely follows the first one, almost to the point where I could predict exactly the pacing of this. This did make the first third of this novella a little plodding, but the miasma of the protagonist’s despair in the first book is not there, and the experience of being a magical girl feels more exciting. While I didn’t enjoy the mission at Heathrow Airport in the first book, I really liked the mission in this as it tested our protagonist’s resolve and powers in a way that impacts the rest of the novella. The villain of this novel is obvious but pertinent social commentary, and I loved how the protagonist dealt with her own feelings and, slowly but surely, is learning to ask for help.
I really enjoyed this as we get to see our protagonist grow both as an individual as in her relationship to the people around her. The connections she formed with Roa and other magical girls continue to grow here and in meaningful ways that give our protagonist new confidence and agency. I loved her and Roa’s relationship, and I really enjoyed seeing them actively working together as the protagonist gradually comes into her own. I also really liked Roa helps our protagonist think differently about her powers and how much trust they have in each other.
The format of this book closely follows the first one, almost to the point where I could predict exactly the pacing of this. This did make the first third of this novella a little plodding, but the miasma of the protagonist’s despair in the first book is not there, and the experience of being a magical girl feels more exciting. While I didn’t enjoy the mission at Heathrow Airport in the first book, I really liked the mission in this as it tested our protagonist’s resolve and powers in a way that impacts the rest of the novella. The villain of this novel is obvious but pertinent social commentary, and I loved how the protagonist dealt with her own feelings and, slowly but surely, is learning to ask for help.
June 28, 2026
This one wasn’t as charming as its predecessor; it also didn’t feel as heavy or as focused. In short, definitely a victim of sequel syndrome. We lost sight of climate change as our big bad (which was portrayed as an imminent disaster in Retires, that needed immediate magical intervention) and instead spend time on rather silly training montages.
I liked the principle of the Magical Girl of Exchange - it felt very “goblin market” where anything had to be traded for something of equal value, which often required explicit terms and deep consideration. But it was sort of played for laughs instead of deeply discussed (particularly since almost everything simply costs money that suddenly our narrator isn’t so worried about losing). I wish we could have seen more of how Roa used that power and thought through each “transaction”.
Speaking of Roa, I think I wanted more from her. Especially given her relationship with the protagonist and her sincerity in the first book. She takes on a much blander mentor role here, and I think it does her a disservice.
Absolutely interested in continuing the series, but I hope future books feel more deliberate like Retires did.
{Thank you HarperVia for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
I liked the principle of the Magical Girl of Exchange - it felt very “goblin market” where anything had to be traded for something of equal value, which often required explicit terms and deep consideration. But it was sort of played for laughs instead of deeply discussed (particularly since almost everything simply costs money that suddenly our narrator isn’t so worried about losing). I wish we could have seen more of how Roa used that power and thought through each “transaction”.
Speaking of Roa, I think I wanted more from her. Especially given her relationship with the protagonist and her sincerity in the first book. She takes on a much blander mentor role here, and I think it does her a disservice.
Absolutely interested in continuing the series, but I hope future books feel more deliberate like Retires did.
{Thank you HarperVia for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
June 23, 2026
Thank you NetGallery for the eARC!
What a delightful sequel! When I had initially saw that there was a sequel, I had to immediately request it! I really enjoyed the first and I knew that the second would be an excellent ride as well.
Picking up a little where we left off, we are once again with our unnamed protagonist. Now that she has taken everyone’s powers, she must deal with the consequences both as the supposed final magical girl and the taker of their powers. But, this is not the only plot of this novel, the main focus being placed on a new issue, our protagonist finding her place within magical girls (and, of course, funding). There are complexities occurring, even while being a novella.
I also enjoyed seeing more of Roa and our protagonists romance begin to blossom, specially within (SPOILERS) the temporary exchange of powers and hearing Roa’s heart. I hope to see another story that continues to develop them (or at least I’d like to imagine happy things for them).
This is definitely an author and small series I heavily recommend. Especially as quick and entertaining reads.
What a delightful sequel! When I had initially saw that there was a sequel, I had to immediately request it! I really enjoyed the first and I knew that the second would be an excellent ride as well.
Picking up a little where we left off, we are once again with our unnamed protagonist. Now that she has taken everyone’s powers, she must deal with the consequences both as the supposed final magical girl and the taker of their powers. But, this is not the only plot of this novel, the main focus being placed on a new issue, our protagonist finding her place within magical girls (and, of course, funding). There are complexities occurring, even while being a novella.
I also enjoyed seeing more of Roa and our protagonists romance begin to blossom, specially within (SPOILERS) the temporary exchange of powers and hearing Roa’s heart. I hope to see another story that continues to develop them (or at least I’d like to imagine happy things for them).
This is definitely an author and small series I heavily recommend. Especially as quick and entertaining reads.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I love this. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.
I read the first in this series when it came out a couple years ago and had no idea the author planned to create a sequel.
Park Seolyeon writes with such whimsy that it’s hard to not get swept up in the story. Also a magic credit card talisman is still so end stage capitalism slay. Forget a wand, gimme a magical black card.
Roa is also such an amazing side character. Her affection for the main character is so heartwarming.
The ultimate message I’ve gotten from both books is everything has a price. But this title definitely extends that metaphor to : everything has a price, but that price is manageable when more people share the burden.
In the end, perhaps the first book is about agency and this one is about community. Regardless, it is fantastic!
I read the first in this series when it came out a couple years ago and had no idea the author planned to create a sequel.
Park Seolyeon writes with such whimsy that it’s hard to not get swept up in the story. Also a magic credit card talisman is still so end stage capitalism slay. Forget a wand, gimme a magical black card.
Roa is also such an amazing side character. Her affection for the main character is so heartwarming.
The ultimate message I’ve gotten from both books is everything has a price. But this title definitely extends that metaphor to : everything has a price, but that price is manageable when more people share the burden.
In the end, perhaps the first book is about agency and this one is about community. Regardless, it is fantastic!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4/5 Stars
A Magical Girl Rehired is a wonderful sequel to A Magical Girl Retires.
Was not expecting a sequel to the novel and was pleasantly surprised to see it.
The story building is similar to the first novel with multiple chapters in sequential order, and instead of learning about how Magical Girls in the setting we get to see how they train and go about their daily lives. As our protag tries to unsuccessfully retire.
There are still some lingering notes and mysteries at the end of the novel as the author gives us a deeper picture of the powers and mechanisms of the world. While also tying some points up from the previous novel.
A nice short read and hoping for possibly a book 3 but also happy where this book ended.
A Magical Girl Rehired is a wonderful sequel to A Magical Girl Retires.
Was not expecting a sequel to the novel and was pleasantly surprised to see it.
The story building is similar to the first novel with multiple chapters in sequential order, and instead of learning about how Magical Girls in the setting we get to see how they train and go about their daily lives. As our protag tries to unsuccessfully retire.
There are still some lingering notes and mysteries at the end of the novel as the author gives us a deeper picture of the powers and mechanisms of the world. While also tying some points up from the previous novel.
A nice short read and hoping for possibly a book 3 but also happy where this book ended.
June 30, 2026
4.5⭐️
I was very lucky to get an ARC for this book and I squealed with delight. A much anticipated book for me as soon as I found out about this sequel! And I was not disappointed.
While it did not feel like it had as high of stakes as the first book, I still felt like it touched on important things that happen to all of us and different ways to try to cope with them. All while getting to see and hear more about the wonderful magical girls!
I didnt give a full 5 stars because while I enjoyed this immensely and definitely recommend, I just felt like the first book was a little bit better 😊
Spoiler ahead!!:
And I was soooooooo excited that our main character and Roa are an item, 100%!! 😍🫶💜🫰
I was very lucky to get an ARC for this book and I squealed with delight. A much anticipated book for me as soon as I found out about this sequel! And I was not disappointed.
While it did not feel like it had as high of stakes as the first book, I still felt like it touched on important things that happen to all of us and different ways to try to cope with them. All while getting to see and hear more about the wonderful magical girls!
I didnt give a full 5 stars because while I enjoyed this immensely and definitely recommend, I just felt like the first book was a little bit better 😊
Spoiler ahead!!:
And I was soooooooo excited that our main character and Roa are an item, 100%!! 😍🫶💜🫰
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I love the balance between the ordinary & the magical, and it was nice to see the supporting cast return (pretty cool to include the reformed magical girl from the first book as a potential new recruit). The dramatic rescue at the factory & the fight at the mysterious magical girl cult compound were hightlights of the book. What kept this sequel from being perfect was that I thought the evil magical girls this time were not as compelling as they could have been, & the ending felt a little rushed + abrupt.
Still, if there's a third book in this series, I will read it SOOOOO fast.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.
Still, if there's a third book in this series, I will read it SOOOOO fast.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Full review December 2026! <3
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I hope there are 10+ more books in this series, I will eat it up every time.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews