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New Magic Trilogy #2
Yesterday's Magic
WHEN HEATHER MCKENNA is kidnapped by the sorceress Morgan LeFay, it is up to Heather’s friend Welly and the wizard Merlin (yes, that Merlin), to rescue her. Set 500 years in the future, following a nuclear devastation, the technological world has ground to a halt, but magic is beginning to take hold again. And the powerful icons of myth are starting to fight over control of the world. From the Russian witch Baba Yaga, to the native American trickster god, Raven, the most ancient magical forces are beginning to awaken, and they have very different ideas about the future of the earth.
This riveting sequel to Tomorrow’s Magic continues Merlin and Arthur’s quest to reunite the world.
This riveting sequel to Tomorrow’s Magic continues Merlin and Arthur’s quest to reunite the world.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
6 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
Pamela F. Service
38 books48 followersBorn in Berkeley, California, Pamela F. Service grew up loving to hear, read, and tell stories - particularly about weird stuff. Pamela earned a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley followed by an MA in history and archaeology from the University of London.
She spent many years living in Bloomington, Indiana, writing, serving on the city council, and being curator of a history museum. She has a grown daughter, Alex, who is also a museum curator. Pamela is now living in Eureka, California, where she writes, works as a museum curator, and acts in community theater.
She spent many years living in Bloomington, Indiana, writing, serving on the city council, and being curator of a history museum. She has a grown daughter, Alex, who is also a museum curator. Pamela is now living in Eureka, California, where she writes, works as a museum curator, and acts in community theater.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 19, 2019
This was a solid follow-up to Tomorrow's Magic. Still enjoying the series. It becomes a small world tour, with stops in the Carpathians, India (or Pakistan? unclear), Mongolia, and somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.
August 25, 2021
I bought it on a sale, without any idea how this would turn out, but it was amazing!!! Merlin and Heather are just too cute 😍 and so are King Arthur and Queen Margaret 🌺. The adventures to rescue Heather are thrilling and suspense! Do read it if you haven't already!!!
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P.S. This was the first book I read of New Magic Trilogy.
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P.S. This was the first book I read of New Magic Trilogy.
August 7, 2019
That was excellent! A great follow up to Tomorrow's Magic. I really enjoyed it and appreciated that it wasn't just a rehashing of the same old good vs evil, but also about exploration and connecting.
February 25, 2021
Great next part to the series. I love how it is really explaining more about the new magic.
July 29, 2008
Reviewed by Candace Cunard for TeensReadToo.com
The sequel to TOMORROW'S MAGIC packs a definite punch. Hundreds of years into Earth's future, humanity has lost control of its nuclear weapons and destroyed much of the planet, plunging the world into another ice age and killing off most of the human population. Years later, civilization is starting to rebuild in those few pockets of human life that remain, but this civilization looks very different from the one that preceded it. For one thing, the high levels of radiation have mutated numerous plants, creatures, and even humans, and those who have escaped extreme mutations have still been changed by their surroundings. But the other, more significant development is the resurgence of magical power into the world and the appearance of new forms of magic.
In the previous novel, British schoolchildren Heather and Welly opened up a portal to the Otherworld known as Avalon and brought back King Arthur with the intent of reuniting Britain. They also discover Merlin, who as a result of a spell he has used to cheat time is now a young boy again, the same age as Heather and Welly. Unfortunately, the return of magic into the world also heralds the return of Morgan Le Fay, evil sorceress bent on uniting the world to much darker purposes.
The conflict in YESTERDAY'S MAGIC begins when Morgan, thought to have been defeated, rigs an elaborate trap to kidnap Heather in order to drain her of her magical powers. Merlin, who is in love with Heather, runs to her rescue despite the caution of his friends that he may be Morgan's real target. The resulting chase leads Merlin around the world, where he encounters other civilizations that have survived the Devastation and are beginning to rebuild, all the while attempting to save Heather and protect these fledgling civilizations from Morgan's evil.
I hadn't read the previous novel in the series before picking this one up, but the richness of backstory present within the book had me itching for a copy of its predecessor within chapters. The author does a good job of presenting characters and their relationships with a sense of depth, giving not just an idea of who they are now, but who they were in the previous book and how their relationships have developed over the course of time. I also enjoyed her small details about the setting that helped me get a sense for the time--Heather's two-headed, two-tailed "mutie" dog comes to mind, as does a schoolchild's plastic lunchbox that is revered as treasure because plastic can no longer be manufactured and so much of it was destroyed during the Devastation. Service's blend of a new world and old magic makes for a compelling read.
The sequel to TOMORROW'S MAGIC packs a definite punch. Hundreds of years into Earth's future, humanity has lost control of its nuclear weapons and destroyed much of the planet, plunging the world into another ice age and killing off most of the human population. Years later, civilization is starting to rebuild in those few pockets of human life that remain, but this civilization looks very different from the one that preceded it. For one thing, the high levels of radiation have mutated numerous plants, creatures, and even humans, and those who have escaped extreme mutations have still been changed by their surroundings. But the other, more significant development is the resurgence of magical power into the world and the appearance of new forms of magic.
In the previous novel, British schoolchildren Heather and Welly opened up a portal to the Otherworld known as Avalon and brought back King Arthur with the intent of reuniting Britain. They also discover Merlin, who as a result of a spell he has used to cheat time is now a young boy again, the same age as Heather and Welly. Unfortunately, the return of magic into the world also heralds the return of Morgan Le Fay, evil sorceress bent on uniting the world to much darker purposes.
The conflict in YESTERDAY'S MAGIC begins when Morgan, thought to have been defeated, rigs an elaborate trap to kidnap Heather in order to drain her of her magical powers. Merlin, who is in love with Heather, runs to her rescue despite the caution of his friends that he may be Morgan's real target. The resulting chase leads Merlin around the world, where he encounters other civilizations that have survived the Devastation and are beginning to rebuild, all the while attempting to save Heather and protect these fledgling civilizations from Morgan's evil.
I hadn't read the previous novel in the series before picking this one up, but the richness of backstory present within the book had me itching for a copy of its predecessor within chapters. The author does a good job of presenting characters and their relationships with a sense of depth, giving not just an idea of who they are now, but who they were in the previous book and how their relationships have developed over the course of time. I also enjoyed her small details about the setting that helped me get a sense for the time--Heather's two-headed, two-tailed "mutie" dog comes to mind, as does a schoolchild's plastic lunchbox that is revered as treasure because plastic can no longer be manufactured and so much of it was destroyed during the Devastation. Service's blend of a new world and old magic makes for a compelling read.
December 21, 2014
Arthur has finally achieved victory of another sort---the first royal wedding in centuries has drawn together most of what remains of Britain to celebrate the promise of future unity and hope. But when Morgan intervenes and kidnaps Heather, Earl, Welly, and Troll set off to rescue her. And their journey will take them all over the world, to strange peoples and stranger powers that were once yesterday's magic but are now rising again.
Veering from the Arthur mythos, this book digs deeper into the fate of the rest of the world. Heather's kidnapping almost feels like an excuse for an extended world tour that pokes into everything from Dracula to South American spirit warriors. The secrets of Morgan's longevity are revealed, as well as Morgan's allies in this strange new time.
Although it's fun to see the various myths and legends playing out, particularly the snippets of story with how they have survived the centuries, the nature of Earl's chase means pretty much every encounter is stopping for a brief visit, exchanging some conversation over dinner, and then being packed on their way. Blanche's brusque personality balances out Earl's moroseness, and it is good to see the deepening relationship between Earl and Heather. But overall this feels like the weakest book in the trilogy. Most of the magical focus is on a newly-discovered ability in Heather that conveniently places allies in every spot Earl has to ask for help.
The final battle is a bit less than I had hoped for, with the usual ambiguity about whether or not Morgan herself actually got hurt. Welly manages to get a girlfriend in an extremely short amount of time (and in a point that was never really explained, she can speak the same language as Arthur despite being from the opposite side of the world); there just isn't time to see her as more than the arrogant warrior who has a few dozen lines before the end of the book.
But although there are weaknesses, it's still a decent end to the trilogy. The book includes a short summery of the previous two books, but would be best read as part of the trilogy instead of by itself. I rate this book Recommended for those who have read the first two books and Neutral for anyone who hasn't.
Veering from the Arthur mythos, this book digs deeper into the fate of the rest of the world. Heather's kidnapping almost feels like an excuse for an extended world tour that pokes into everything from Dracula to South American spirit warriors. The secrets of Morgan's longevity are revealed, as well as Morgan's allies in this strange new time.
Although it's fun to see the various myths and legends playing out, particularly the snippets of story with how they have survived the centuries, the nature of Earl's chase means pretty much every encounter is stopping for a brief visit, exchanging some conversation over dinner, and then being packed on their way. Blanche's brusque personality balances out Earl's moroseness, and it is good to see the deepening relationship between Earl and Heather. But overall this feels like the weakest book in the trilogy. Most of the magical focus is on a newly-discovered ability in Heather that conveniently places allies in every spot Earl has to ask for help.
The final battle is a bit less than I had hoped for, with the usual ambiguity about whether or not Morgan herself actually got hurt. Welly manages to get a girlfriend in an extremely short amount of time (and in a point that was never really explained, she can speak the same language as Arthur despite being from the opposite side of the world); there just isn't time to see her as more than the arrogant warrior who has a few dozen lines before the end of the book.
But although there are weaknesses, it's still a decent end to the trilogy. The book includes a short summery of the previous two books, but would be best read as part of the trilogy instead of by itself. I rate this book Recommended for those who have read the first two books and Neutral for anyone who hasn't.
April 4, 2010
I read Winter of Magic's Return as well as Tomorrow's Magic years and years ago. I'd been waiting for a new addition to the story, and when I discovered it existed, I went out, hunted it down, and purchased it. I devoured it. And I really, really wanted to like it. I don't know if it's the intervening years or what. The story seemed a little preachy (hate versus love, importance of communication to prevent another Devastation). On the plus side, I liked the introduction of Otherworldly entities from other cultures, and I would really have liked to see further exploration of the fractured, future world that Arthur returned to. I wonder, a bit, if it was rough writing/revisiting a world when the previous installment came out twenty years ago. Despite my (admittedly mild) disappointment, I would like to see more adventures for Heather and Welly and Merlin. Thank you for bringing them back, Ms. Service.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2011
Yesterday’s Magic is my favorite out of the three books I’ve read of the New Magic series. I can tell that both the author and the characters have matured a bit by this point. Although, I’m eternally glad I found the series after Service had published the new books. I hate coming into a series only to discover it isn’t finished and the author hadn’t put out a new book in years. Drive me nuts. Yesterday’s Magic was a well-paced, magical trip across a world that could just possibly be what ours becomes if we’re not careful and I definitely enjoyed riding along on the dragon for it.
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Lady with Books
Please pop over to my blog to see the whole review.
Lady with Books
July 16, 2008
Not quite as good as the first two books (now published together as Tomorrow's Magic) and with an ending that seems extremely abrupt if it's not (hopefully?) leading to a fourth volume in the series. Still, it earns an extra point just for the chance it provided me to spend more time with these characters I've loved for twenty years. Even if in the interim the author *did* forget what color hair one of them had. ;-)
April 27, 2019
I was so excited to see a new book in this series! Service was one of my favorite childhood authors, and these novels were amongst my favorites. This new addition did not disappoint. I love how the different stories and mythologies were interwoven.
November 9, 2013
this book is wonderfully depicted with a sense of what the past looked like (aside from the magic) taking place in another Arthurian reign 500 years in the future. it is a great book to read during one's spare time. Yesterday's magic can be for anyone who loves fantasy and adventure
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April 8, 2025A quick read with a different take on Arthurian legends
Picking up a few years after Tomorrow’s magic, we learn about the great wide world in this post apocalyptic future. With visits from Kali, Baba Yaga and more, it is definitely a worthy successor.
Picking up a few years after Tomorrow’s magic, we learn about the great wide world in this post apocalyptic future. With visits from Kali, Baba Yaga and more, it is definitely a worthy successor.
June 14, 2009
I still have trouble seeing what Welly's role is in all of this. I mean, even Troll's managed to get a few things done, save some lives, what have you.
November 9, 2010
A really good read.
July 3, 2016
Yesterday's Magic - Pamela F. Service
Winter, Book 3; YA Fantasy; 8/10
Winter, Book 3; YA Fantasy; 8/10
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews