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Schooled in Magic #4
Work Experience
In the summer between Second and Third Year at Whitehall, Emily accompanies Lady Barb on her rounds of the Cairngorm Mountains bringing magical help to the locals and searching for new magicians. For Emily, tired and broken after the events of Study In Slaughter, it should be a chance to relax as well as a visit to a new part of the Nameless World, to put her responsibilities aside and just be herself.
But the locals aren't quite what she expects, with problems of their own, while Lady Barb is a different person away from Whitehall. As children start to go missing and evil things are abroad in the night, Emily discovers that a deadly plot is slowly bringing the mountain community to the brink of disaster ...and that her oldest enemies are about to make a very unwelcome return.
But the locals aren't quite what she expects, with problems of their own, while Lady Barb is a different person away from Whitehall. As children start to go missing and evil things are abroad in the night, Emily discovers that a deadly plot is slowly bringing the mountain community to the brink of disaster ...and that her oldest enemies are about to make a very unwelcome return.
393 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 24, 2014
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427 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
October 30, 2014
Yes! She finally did it. The big bada boom. Nuclear magic. I loved it. Now before you stop reading, this was of course not the only reason that I liked this book. It is another great book in the Schooled in Magic series by Christopher Nuttall. There is a lot to like about it.
This time we follow Emily on another summer trip outside of the walls of Whitehall. Unlike Lessons in Etiquette this trip is still related to Emily’s schooling though since Emily is traveling in the capacity of Lady Barb’s apprentice. It is a very enjoyable leisurely paced story where Emily, and the reader of course, is discovering more about the world she now inhabits and at the same time are forced to develop both her magic and herself.
The story gradually develops and what starts as a few discoveries and mysteries slowly develops into another big showdown against a seemingly invincible foe for Emily. The two main characters in the book are of course Emily and Lady Barb who’s relationship deepens throughout the book. Both the characters, the later action and the story as a whole was well conceived and written as usual and I enjoyed the reading very much.
I wrote that the book is leisurely paced and mostly it is. It is a mystery book in a magical fantasy world. Up until the end that is. Once the nefarious enemy is exposed the action explodes onto the pages and culminates into the big showdown where Emily finally mixes up some modern science and magic into a devastatingly powerful strike. Big bada boom! Nuclear magic!
Maybe I am a bit silly but ever since the author hinted at this possibility I have longed for it coming to reality. I am a sucker for surprise and “wow” moments in both books and movies. Of course I was a bit worried that once Emily had proven herself vastly more powerful than any of her peers or superiors then it would be a bit “game over” for any future stories but, without spoiling the story, let me just write that Mr. Nuttall took care of that in a way that I thought was satisfactory at least.
Although the main story of the book is brought to a conclusion it ends with a fair dose of mystery hints and a few loose threads for books to come. Nothing that I would call cliffhangers but more teasers and I for one are, again, looking forward to the next instalment.
This time we follow Emily on another summer trip outside of the walls of Whitehall. Unlike Lessons in Etiquette this trip is still related to Emily’s schooling though since Emily is traveling in the capacity of Lady Barb’s apprentice. It is a very enjoyable leisurely paced story where Emily, and the reader of course, is discovering more about the world she now inhabits and at the same time are forced to develop both her magic and herself.
The story gradually develops and what starts as a few discoveries and mysteries slowly develops into another big showdown against a seemingly invincible foe for Emily. The two main characters in the book are of course Emily and Lady Barb who’s relationship deepens throughout the book. Both the characters, the later action and the story as a whole was well conceived and written as usual and I enjoyed the reading very much.
I wrote that the book is leisurely paced and mostly it is. It is a mystery book in a magical fantasy world. Up until the end that is. Once the nefarious enemy is exposed the action explodes onto the pages and culminates into the big showdown where Emily finally mixes up some modern science and magic into a devastatingly powerful strike. Big bada boom! Nuclear magic!
Maybe I am a bit silly but ever since the author hinted at this possibility I have longed for it coming to reality. I am a sucker for surprise and “wow” moments in both books and movies. Of course I was a bit worried that once Emily had proven herself vastly more powerful than any of her peers or superiors then it would be a bit “game over” for any future stories but, without spoiling the story, let me just write that Mr. Nuttall took care of that in a way that I thought was satisfactory at least.
Although the main story of the book is brought to a conclusion it ends with a fair dose of mystery hints and a few loose threads for books to come. Nothing that I would call cliffhangers but more teasers and I for one are, again, looking forward to the next instalment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2017
Healing, a serpent and a necromancer, July 30, 2016
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Work Experience (Schooled in Magic Book 4) (Kindle Edition)
Another solid entry in the Schooled in Magic series. This one takes Emily outside of the comfortable environs of Whitehall into the wild mountains to aid and interact with the commoners of the world.
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Work Experience (Schooled in Magic Book 4) (Kindle Edition)
Another solid entry in the Schooled in Magic series. This one takes Emily outside of the comfortable environs of Whitehall into the wild mountains to aid and interact with the commoners of the world.
April 16, 2015
Work Experience
This was very interesting, it kept me totally enthralled from beginning to end. This whole series has been the perfect entertainment I needed. I totally endorse this author and series.
This was very interesting, it kept me totally enthralled from beginning to end. This whole series has been the perfect entertainment I needed. I totally endorse this author and series.
February 9, 2018
Slow paced in parts, but always interesting. I think have now become addicted to this series.
A few minor grumbles. In this series, Christopher Nuttall does seem to philosophise a lot, rather than make his thoughts part of the story.
He keeps going on about how the 'English' alphabet is phonetic and makes reading easier. In fact, English spelling is hardly phonetic at all. Languages with far crazier looking writing schemes like Chinese and Japanese have a far higher literacy rate than any English speaking country, and a glance at the Internet quickly tells you that many English speakers are a bunch out "loosers" when it comes to writing. He also has a thing about exams being useless. I'm not sure what he expected of exams, but their main purpose is to demonstrate that a student can show some understanding of a subject under pressure, and at that they are successful. They do not purport to show deep comprehension.
Then there is kava, which seems to take the place of tea and coffee in the world. Kava can be relaxing and even have medical benefits in small doses, but in larger doses, it can have similar side-effects to alcohol.
Batteries: in the book, Emily uses this to mean a storage device for power, but it's hard too see how Lady Barb could guess this meaning. Battery means hitting. It came to mean a devastating 'hitting' caused by a number of cannon and, by extension, simply an array of cannons, so that when someone (Franklin?) linked an array of Leyden jars, he called them a battery. Lady Barb can't possibly know this.
An "inn that only had three items on the menu"! What sort of eating establishments does Mr Nuttall frequent? I imagine most primitive inns had only one menu item. Certainly, a number of high class French restaurants only have one or two choices that they change regularly.
Finally, it is not explained why Lady Easter is so compliant, especially when her castle has just been destroyed.
A few minor grumbles. In this series, Christopher Nuttall does seem to philosophise a lot, rather than make his thoughts part of the story.
He keeps going on about how the 'English' alphabet is phonetic and makes reading easier. In fact, English spelling is hardly phonetic at all. Languages with far crazier looking writing schemes like Chinese and Japanese have a far higher literacy rate than any English speaking country, and a glance at the Internet quickly tells you that many English speakers are a bunch out "loosers" when it comes to writing. He also has a thing about exams being useless. I'm not sure what he expected of exams, but their main purpose is to demonstrate that a student can show some understanding of a subject under pressure, and at that they are successful. They do not purport to show deep comprehension.
Then there is kava, which seems to take the place of tea and coffee in the world. Kava can be relaxing and even have medical benefits in small doses, but in larger doses, it can have similar side-effects to alcohol.
Batteries: in the book, Emily uses this to mean a storage device for power, but it's hard too see how Lady Barb could guess this meaning. Battery means hitting. It came to mean a devastating 'hitting' caused by a number of cannon and, by extension, simply an array of cannons, so that when someone (Franklin?) linked an array of Leyden jars, he called them a battery. Lady Barb can't possibly know this.
An "inn that only had three items on the menu"! What sort of eating establishments does Mr Nuttall frequent? I imagine most primitive inns had only one menu item. Certainly, a number of high class French restaurants only have one or two choices that they change regularly.
Finally, it is not explained why Lady Easter is so compliant, especially when her castle has just been destroyed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2017
I devoured this series - 9 books in 2 weeks. A Magic School, a young girl with magic from this dimension, teachers, potions, dukedoms and nobility do not always mix, but they do make for good reading.
December 17, 2014
Rating for series to date: I was a little leery at first of the oft used device where someone is taken from our world and transplanted to a magical one. This series quickly won me over. Emily's reactions are believable as is her pace of learning.
She develops her magic a little more in each book and uses her alternative history to introduce modern technological advances. These have unexpected third order consequences, demonstrating the risk of trying to change a society too quickly.
She develops her magic a little more in each book and uses her alternative history to introduce modern technological advances. These have unexpected third order consequences, demonstrating the risk of trying to change a society too quickly.
April 8, 2015
I really loved this episode in the series... we re-encounter the problem of necromancers, and at the same time Emily starts experimenting with some of the things that have been hinted at in previous volumes without being acted on. The relationship between Emily and her mentor was enjoyable; it's nice seeing a virtually orphaned young character gain a parental figure (even if they're somewhat reluctant to take the role). Really liked the end of the book.
September 27, 2017
I especially enjoyed seeing how Lady Barb spends her summers in Book Four Work Experience. Lady Barb goes out to the villages as a free healer. At the same time, she keeps her eye out for new magicians. You see, magicians are born to magical families but ALSO can be born to non-magical (commoner) families.
If a trained magician didn't go out among the people on a regular basis these common-born magicians would be missed. The Nameless World can't afford to miss ANY magicians (who are needed to defend the Allied Lands against the evil necromancers).
Emily accompanies Lady Barb for this summer. She's not a regular apprentice (she doesn't take apprentice oaths, etc. and normal apprenticeships are for two years). I think of her more like Lady Barb's intern. Lady Barb needs correctly brewed potions for her work and it is up to Emily to get them right every time. (Fortunately, while alchemy is not her strong suit, she does manage to do the basic potions needed, if not the first time then without wasting too many ingredients when she has to start over and do a ruined potion a second time.)
The Harry Potter books each cover one calendar year. The Schooled in Magic books, so far, cover either a term (such as the First Year or the Second Year) OR what happens over the summer break.
As the series goes on, more and more changes/inventions introduced by Emily (since her arrival in the Nameless World) start to catch up with her. She has certainly been a Child of Destiny if you count how much difference she has made already!
If a trained magician didn't go out among the people on a regular basis these common-born magicians would be missed. The Nameless World can't afford to miss ANY magicians (who are needed to defend the Allied Lands against the evil necromancers).
Emily accompanies Lady Barb for this summer. She's not a regular apprentice (she doesn't take apprentice oaths, etc. and normal apprenticeships are for two years). I think of her more like Lady Barb's intern. Lady Barb needs correctly brewed potions for her work and it is up to Emily to get them right every time. (Fortunately, while alchemy is not her strong suit, she does manage to do the basic potions needed, if not the first time then without wasting too many ingredients when she has to start over and do a ruined potion a second time.)
The Harry Potter books each cover one calendar year. The Schooled in Magic books, so far, cover either a term (such as the First Year or the Second Year) OR what happens over the summer break.
As the series goes on, more and more changes/inventions introduced by Emily (since her arrival in the Nameless World) start to catch up with her. She has certainly been a Child of Destiny if you count how much difference she has made already!
December 10, 2018
Fun
Another fun read for me. I really enjoyed this book and how some concepts from our world were used magically in this new world. Some people have an issue with how Emily is ignorant at times, freezes up, or stumbles about it seems. For me that makes for a more realistic reading experience because I think that’s how most people would be in this new world. She works hard and does her best, she makes mistakes, and try stolen from them. Most we could ever do.
Another fun read for me. I really enjoyed this book and how some concepts from our world were used magically in this new world. Some people have an issue with how Emily is ignorant at times, freezes up, or stumbles about it seems. For me that makes for a more realistic reading experience because I think that’s how most people would be in this new world. She works hard and does her best, she makes mistakes, and try stolen from them. Most we could ever do.
January 28, 2020
I know some of y'all call this a boring book, but what Christopher Nuttall is doing (IMO) is continuing his slow steady world building - look at the number of books in this series. This is not a spoiler but trust me on this, there is more than enough action in the final forth of the book to satisfy anyone.
May 10, 2021
A solid continuation of the story.
Emily is away from the school again and I'm definitely enjoying the stories where she's not there more than when she is.
A simple summer work placement to work and learn potions and healing turns into a hunt for a necromancer.
Good pace. Good dialog. Good story.
Emily is away from the school again and I'm definitely enjoying the stories where she's not there more than when she is.
A simple summer work placement to work and learn potions and healing turns into a hunt for a necromancer.
Good pace. Good dialog. Good story.
February 20, 2025
I really liked this one. Probably somewhere between good and great but rounded up. Gives serious Harry Potter vibes as a story, but this book was just Emily out gaining experience in the field with Lady Barb - learning, handling small village issues but also gets intense when they run across the mystery of missing children and compelled lords.
July 23, 2017
Another entertaining book (mostly), the characters are still enjoyable with a smaller gallery than the earlier books, mainly focusing on Emily and Barb (and Voldemort). Don't really have much else to say one way or another.
August 4, 2017
YOU MUST READ THIS
I read a lot of these type or books as well as zombie's Apocalypse, vampires, witches and I came across this series book one is free so what have you got to lose?. These are well written and the characters are generally believable I am on book 3.
I read a lot of these type or books as well as zombie's Apocalypse, vampires, witches and I came across this series book one is free so what have you got to lose?. These are well written and the characters are generally believable I am on book 3.
October 1, 2017
Although I seem to prefer those set in a magical school, this interlude was extremely well-plotted, with many surprises. I was pleased to get to know Lady Barb much better. Both repelled and fascinated by the addition of Emily's familiar! Highly-absorbing series.
November 24, 2017
Another Top Notch Novel!
As always, Christopher Nuttal comes through again with another great novel of Emily's growth as a fledgling powerful magician. As Emily grows more and more, her tasks are becoming more challenging as well! Another Five Stars!!
As always, Christopher Nuttal comes through again with another great novel of Emily's growth as a fledgling powerful magician. As Emily grows more and more, her tasks are becoming more challenging as well! Another Five Stars!!
February 1, 2018
Not suitable for young readers
Great book but this definitely not suitable for young people. I'm an adult and some of it made me feel stick to my stomach. Just say it involves animals. I wish they did not go into much detail about it.
Great book but this definitely not suitable for young people. I'm an adult and some of it made me feel stick to my stomach. Just say it involves animals. I wish they did not go into much detail about it.
July 1, 2018
Alright. A little less of anything 'sardonic' and I am actually satisfied with this book. The author has come a long way from his previous writing style. And the character herself is less annoying. I can see a lot more personality and a little less angst.
June 24, 2019
Fun and exciting
I'm on book 5, just started today and would give 5 stars to all the previous four. The author has kept up a solid pace and has a great sense of how to introduce new characters. Looking forward to the next in series.
I'm on book 5, just started today and would give 5 stars to all the previous four. The author has kept up a solid pace and has a great sense of how to introduce new characters. Looking forward to the next in series.
December 29, 2023
This series is improving with each volume. The advantages the protagonist had in the first books are feeling more earned, the characters are developing in interesting ways, and the world is being fleshed out in a believable way.
Still not at the pinnacle of fantasy writing, but quite good.
Still not at the pinnacle of fantasy writing, but quite good.
January 29, 2024
This series has great world building and fantasy/ adventure that holds your attention.
This specific book has some content that may be triggering (attempted SA)
Also, some of the wording/subjects are a bit dated
This specific book has some content that may be triggering (attempted SA)
Also, some of the wording/subjects are a bit dated
July 16, 2017
I'm anxious to see where the story goes from here. A lot better than book 1
October 8, 2017
Same as the rest, 3 Stars, can't give the author much more knowing they have taken so much from other books. Strangely I still like the series and will continue
November 2, 2017
Great book
I was. glad I tried this book. I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued. The plot was good and the ending was happily ever after.
I was. glad I tried this book. I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued. The plot was good and the ending was happily ever after.
December 29, 2017
An intense adventure with Lady Barb that explores some interesting social issues as well.
March 15, 2018
Good in the end, but too boring for the most part. I hope the next ones will be better.
April 1, 2018
Another good story of Emily's path in a new world learning her magic tempered with her knowledge of science and technology from earth.
February 25, 2019
I am really enjoying this series and look forward to book 5 next.
November 27, 2019
Loved the ending.
December 5, 2019
Seems to be losing its edge and recycling material from earlier in the series. Same old issues.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews