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The Magician
194 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published September 8, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 8, 2026
Deeper and more captivating than a mere card trick!
I like how this story involves both supernatural magic and “real world” magic tricks. The supernatural angle makes this story different than most other “Rewind” stories that have come before it.
I appreciate Derrick’s journey in this story. He has pretty low self-esteem/confidence, and it’s great to see him stand up not only for himself—but also for his family and friends—by story’s end. Along the way, he does the very teenagerly thing of trying to escape responsibility/culpability for his actions, but I like him eventually doing the right thing and coming clean when it's most important to do so.
I love how this narrative involves Derrick’s family. Derrick and his brother, Trent, eventually work together to combat the story's evil… Both Mom and Dad have moments where they help their son in their own way. In other words, Derrick’s family members aren’t just mentioned here and there in the story; they are part of the plot themselves.
Also, the prologue is pretty gripping. The final battle, as a whole, is quite fun!
Read THE MAGICIAN, and *poof!* your boredom will disappear!
I like how this story involves both supernatural magic and “real world” magic tricks. The supernatural angle makes this story different than most other “Rewind” stories that have come before it.
I appreciate Derrick’s journey in this story. He has pretty low self-esteem/confidence, and it’s great to see him stand up not only for himself—but also for his family and friends—by story’s end. Along the way, he does the very teenagerly thing of trying to escape responsibility/culpability for his actions, but I like him eventually doing the right thing and coming clean when it's most important to do so.
I love how this narrative involves Derrick’s family. Derrick and his brother, Trent, eventually work together to combat the story's evil… Both Mom and Dad have moments where they help their son in their own way. In other words, Derrick’s family members aren’t just mentioned here and there in the story; they are part of the plot themselves.
Also, the prologue is pretty gripping. The final battle, as a whole, is quite fun!
Read THE MAGICIAN, and *poof!* your boredom will disappear!
September 16, 2026
I absolutely love how vastly different all the Terrorcore Rewind books have been so far, and yet they still feel like they belong under the same umbrella.
The Magician by Vanessa Leonardo, is the fifth book in this anthology series that is a direct homage to the days of Point Horror, Fear Street, and Christopher Pike and from my memory, I can't recall any of those books involving magic or an aspiring magician.
Leonardo grabs us right out of the gate with a jaw dropping prologue that hooks the reader and demands answers. Those answers are slowly revealed as we follow Derrick, an outcast highschooler with an interest in magic and a girl named May... who also happens to be dating his older brother. One day Derrick receives an invite to a new magic shop in town, a shop filled with tricks that don't cost any money whatsoever. Derrick can't believe it, but he soon finds out the true price of "borrowing" tricks and illusions from Apollyon, the mysterious shop owner that seems to get progressively younger with each visit.
What I enjoyed most was this book doesn't follow many of the conventional tropes of the 90s horror books this series is trying to emulate. There is no mysterious stalker hunting down our MC. It isn't bogged down with jealous lovers. It's a relatable story about trying to find yourself and the risks you're willing to take to achieve your ultimate dreams.
The Magician by Vanessa Leonardo, is the fifth book in this anthology series that is a direct homage to the days of Point Horror, Fear Street, and Christopher Pike and from my memory, I can't recall any of those books involving magic or an aspiring magician.
Leonardo grabs us right out of the gate with a jaw dropping prologue that hooks the reader and demands answers. Those answers are slowly revealed as we follow Derrick, an outcast highschooler with an interest in magic and a girl named May... who also happens to be dating his older brother. One day Derrick receives an invite to a new magic shop in town, a shop filled with tricks that don't cost any money whatsoever. Derrick can't believe it, but he soon finds out the true price of "borrowing" tricks and illusions from Apollyon, the mysterious shop owner that seems to get progressively younger with each visit.
What I enjoyed most was this book doesn't follow many of the conventional tropes of the 90s horror books this series is trying to emulate. There is no mysterious stalker hunting down our MC. It isn't bogged down with jealous lovers. It's a relatable story about trying to find yourself and the risks you're willing to take to achieve your ultimate dreams.
Review of advance copy
I really enjoyed this one .
It had really dark elements .
The start really drew me in .
Parts were slow and near the end I didn't expect a part that happened.
It was like bad hare day for an older audience.
It had really dark elements .
The start really drew me in .
Parts were slow and near the end I didn't expect a part that happened.
It was like bad hare day for an older audience.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews