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The Zero Enigma #1
The Zero Blessing
Caitlyn Aguirre should have been a magician. Her family certainly expected her to be a magician. But by the time she reached her twelfth birthday, Caitlyn hadn't even managed to cast a single spell! In desperation, her parents send her - and her magical sisters - to Jude’s Sorcerous Academy, her last best chance to discover her powers.
But as she struggles to survive her classes without a single spell to her name, Caitlyn starts to uncover an ancient mystery that may prove the key to her true powers...
...If she lives long enough to find it.
But as she struggles to survive her classes without a single spell to her name, Caitlyn starts to uncover an ancient mystery that may prove the key to her true powers...
...If she lives long enough to find it.
376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 16, 2017
731 people are currently reading
617 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
October 26, 2017
The Short Pitch:
This is a YA book centering around a magic school, I see a lot of requests for magical training and magic schools, so if you’re one of those people this will scratch that itch hard. But, there’s a twist in that the main character is a zero, she has no magic and she’s trying to make by in a rather harsh scholastic setting.
Plot:
Magic is a big presence in this world, most people are able to do at least basic spells, while more powerful sorcerers are greatly feared and respected. The book opens with a girl talking about her family, and how she and her triplet sisters are all very different. It’s widely believed that children that are twins or triplets are more magically potent than those who aren’t. The main character comes from a noble house and both of her parents are powerful sorcerers, it was assumed that their triplets would be some of the most potent magic wielders the world has seen in a long time.
However, time came and went and the main character never developed any powers, she was treated horribly by her two sisters. Her father turned a blind eye to the hexes and curses because he hoped it would spark Cat’s powers, but it didn’t.
Her parents make a decision to send her to a magical academy anyway, Judes, which is one of the most elite magical academies there are in the realm. Cat is devastated that she has to go because she’s worried she will be exposed as a “zero” and cast out of the school in disgrace.
The academy she goes to is super strict, it felt like every professor with the exception of a few were extremely rigid with their rules and quick to dole out punishments. Her classmates aren’t much better, her sisters and leaders of other cliques are always looking for a way to mess with her and jinx her if they can, leaving Cat as a frog or frozen in place unable to escape. Think Malfoy and Harry Potter, there are a lot of similar antics. She does befriend a common born girl named Rose, and I enjoyed their friendship – I see a lot of requests for strong female friendships and this would absolutely qualify.
The rest of the plot is focused on learning magic, and some ancient secrets that have been lost for a thousand years. It was fun learning the ways magic can and can’t be used, and seeing all the different sorts of experiments she performed.
Characters:
Cat is the main character and this is a single POV book, so we get to see a lot about her. She starts off bitter and angry character. She’s been tormented for years on end by her sisters, and just as she thought her sisters would be sent away to magic school, and she would stay at home and get a reprieve – she’s thrust right into the thick of it at the magic academy. She’s quick to anger, snapping at both teachers and students, including those who are being nice to her. Through the course of the book she mellows out, makes friends, and finds ways to adapt. There was a lot of character growth with her and it was nice to see that, by the end of the book much had changed about her personality and views. If I didn’t know she was 12, I would have placed her age around 16 years old. I don’t tend to connect well with less mature and younger characters, so for me her being mature for her age was a plus.
Rose is her friend and a common born person with a lot of potential. She has a lot riding on staying at school and graduating, if she gets expelled or flunks out her family loses the money and they could end up in debtors prisons. She’s smart and quick to learn and is a pretty good friend to Cat.
Alana and Bella – the two sisters who were relentless about torturing Cat during their childhood. Alana is by far the worse of the two, naturally cruel and more often than not the cause of Cat’s problems. Bella is lazy and although she’s not particularly nice to Cat, she doesn’t seem to actively seek out trouble with her either.
There are a host of professors and students but these are the main players.
World Building:
Supposedly anyone is supposed to be able to touch magic, or at least sense it, and it’s almost unheard of for someone to be a true ‘zero’. Cat’s father had searched old records and come up short for an explanation for Cat.
An Object of Power is an artifact that never loses it’s power, while a Device of Power is something that degrades over time. The ability to make Objects of Power has been lost to time, everyone follows very specific instructions, but no matter what they do it never works.
It sounds like there are elves, unicorns, dragons and other magical beings/creatures but they didn’t make an appearance in the book, outside of dragon scales being used in potions.
Forgery is one of the few things that Cat can do well because most of it doesn’t require magic, while other things like brewing potions does. Cat can put all the ingredients into the pot and follow instructions, but can’t push the magic to make it flow and turn into a proper potion.
Left Handed/dark magic is highly illegal and if you’re caught using it it’s likely an execution sentence. There are a few spells that are illegal, but most dark magic starts with legal spells with nefarious intent.
Pacing/Prose/Tone:
This was a lighter book, and although there wasn’t much “action” there was a lot going on with world building and learning how the magic system works, it kept me turning pages fairly quickly.
It was cleanly written, and obviously since it’s YA there wasn’t much of any cursing.
In the beginning when Cat was still get bullied frequently without much hope of saving herself the tone was a little bleaker, but she does learn how to adapt and defend herself and the tone gets lighter and a bit more mysterious with lots of unexplained things happening to the main character.
Audience
single pov
ya
female pov
magic school
female friendship
quick reads
magic training
underdog pov
This is a YA book centering around a magic school, I see a lot of requests for magical training and magic schools, so if you’re one of those people this will scratch that itch hard. But, there’s a twist in that the main character is a zero, she has no magic and she’s trying to make by in a rather harsh scholastic setting.
Plot:
Magic is a big presence in this world, most people are able to do at least basic spells, while more powerful sorcerers are greatly feared and respected. The book opens with a girl talking about her family, and how she and her triplet sisters are all very different. It’s widely believed that children that are twins or triplets are more magically potent than those who aren’t. The main character comes from a noble house and both of her parents are powerful sorcerers, it was assumed that their triplets would be some of the most potent magic wielders the world has seen in a long time.
However, time came and went and the main character never developed any powers, she was treated horribly by her two sisters. Her father turned a blind eye to the hexes and curses because he hoped it would spark Cat’s powers, but it didn’t.
Her parents make a decision to send her to a magical academy anyway, Judes, which is one of the most elite magical academies there are in the realm. Cat is devastated that she has to go because she’s worried she will be exposed as a “zero” and cast out of the school in disgrace.
The academy she goes to is super strict, it felt like every professor with the exception of a few were extremely rigid with their rules and quick to dole out punishments. Her classmates aren’t much better, her sisters and leaders of other cliques are always looking for a way to mess with her and jinx her if they can, leaving Cat as a frog or frozen in place unable to escape. Think Malfoy and Harry Potter, there are a lot of similar antics. She does befriend a common born girl named Rose, and I enjoyed their friendship – I see a lot of requests for strong female friendships and this would absolutely qualify.
The rest of the plot is focused on learning magic, and some ancient secrets that have been lost for a thousand years. It was fun learning the ways magic can and can’t be used, and seeing all the different sorts of experiments she performed.
Characters:
Cat is the main character and this is a single POV book, so we get to see a lot about her. She starts off bitter and angry character. She’s been tormented for years on end by her sisters, and just as she thought her sisters would be sent away to magic school, and she would stay at home and get a reprieve – she’s thrust right into the thick of it at the magic academy. She’s quick to anger, snapping at both teachers and students, including those who are being nice to her. Through the course of the book she mellows out, makes friends, and finds ways to adapt. There was a lot of character growth with her and it was nice to see that, by the end of the book much had changed about her personality and views. If I didn’t know she was 12, I would have placed her age around 16 years old. I don’t tend to connect well with less mature and younger characters, so for me her being mature for her age was a plus.
Rose is her friend and a common born person with a lot of potential. She has a lot riding on staying at school and graduating, if she gets expelled or flunks out her family loses the money and they could end up in debtors prisons. She’s smart and quick to learn and is a pretty good friend to Cat.
Alana and Bella – the two sisters who were relentless about torturing Cat during their childhood. Alana is by far the worse of the two, naturally cruel and more often than not the cause of Cat’s problems. Bella is lazy and although she’s not particularly nice to Cat, she doesn’t seem to actively seek out trouble with her either.
There are a host of professors and students but these are the main players.
World Building:
Supposedly anyone is supposed to be able to touch magic, or at least sense it, and it’s almost unheard of for someone to be a true ‘zero’. Cat’s father had searched old records and come up short for an explanation for Cat.
An Object of Power is an artifact that never loses it’s power, while a Device of Power is something that degrades over time. The ability to make Objects of Power has been lost to time, everyone follows very specific instructions, but no matter what they do it never works.
It sounds like there are elves, unicorns, dragons and other magical beings/creatures but they didn’t make an appearance in the book, outside of dragon scales being used in potions.
Forgery is one of the few things that Cat can do well because most of it doesn’t require magic, while other things like brewing potions does. Cat can put all the ingredients into the pot and follow instructions, but can’t push the magic to make it flow and turn into a proper potion.
Left Handed/dark magic is highly illegal and if you’re caught using it it’s likely an execution sentence. There are a few spells that are illegal, but most dark magic starts with legal spells with nefarious intent.
Pacing/Prose/Tone:
This was a lighter book, and although there wasn’t much “action” there was a lot going on with world building and learning how the magic system works, it kept me turning pages fairly quickly.
It was cleanly written, and obviously since it’s YA there wasn’t much of any cursing.
In the beginning when Cat was still get bullied frequently without much hope of saving herself the tone was a little bleaker, but she does learn how to adapt and defend herself and the tone gets lighter and a bit more mysterious with lots of unexplained things happening to the main character.
Audience
single pov
ya
female pov
magic school
female friendship
quick reads
magic training
underdog pov
December 30, 2017
This is one of my personal favorites of our batch of 30 SPFBO entrants.
It is a YA story, that turns one of the major tropes on itself. Everyone in this world has magic - except our main character. For once we do not read about the chosen one who can do everything within a coupld of weeks training. Instead we have a main character who is weak compared to her sisters and everyone wlse she knows. But she tries to make the best of it, and hold her head above the water as well as she can. It was quite refreshing to read!
The story took a while to really catch my interest, but once I was in, I devoured it. The prose and editing were smooth and I clicked with the characters once the story started moving.
A definite recommendation for everyone who likes to read YA fantasy and/or school settings!
It is a YA story, that turns one of the major tropes on itself. Everyone in this world has magic - except our main character. For once we do not read about the chosen one who can do everything within a coupld of weeks training. Instead we have a main character who is weak compared to her sisters and everyone wlse she knows. But she tries to make the best of it, and hold her head above the water as well as she can. It was quite refreshing to read!
The story took a while to really catch my interest, but once I was in, I devoured it. The prose and editing were smooth and I clicked with the characters once the story started moving.
A definite recommendation for everyone who likes to read YA fantasy and/or school settings!
April 1, 2017
Wow! Another masterful magical masterpiece from Christopher Nuttall, one of my favorite authors -- and he just keeps getting better. I love the magical worlds that he creates and crafts so well. And the way in which he imagines the integration of magic into real-world-like contexts is nothing less than stunning. His characters are interesting, thoroughly believable and fully developed. The settings and story lines are frankly compelling. And I am continually amazed at how prolific Christopher is. I hope he keeps on writing for many more years to come. And I'm certainly hoping that he'll continue the Zero Blessing with further books. I'll be very disappointed if he doesn't. Because everything I've said about his writing in general is absolutely the case with this most recent book. It is a winner. Apparently it originated as an idea that grew out of the Schooled in Magic series, which I've been reading avidly for the past few years now. So it's not surprising to find some similarities between that series and this book. It also reminds me of Christopher's Bookworm series, which I also enjoyed very much. If anything, I enjoyed this first Zero Blessing book even more than either of those other series, which is saying quite a lot. Christopher, if you're listening, please, oh, please, keeping telling Cat's story. You'll have an eager reader in me.
March 21, 2017
The Zero Blessing is an amazing read. It's so good and you're not going to put it down. It's literally impossible not to be pulled in by Caitlyn's story. From the beginning, it's clear just how good it's going to be, The quality of the content is just simply mind blowing. The whole original brilliant plot of the book promises a lot of tantalising treats and it more than delivered.
Caitlyn being an outcast among their magic driven society is very understandable in a land where position is dependent on magical prowess, its only natural those with little to no indication of possessing it will be stigmatized. But the brilliant way she broke out of that conformity is nothing less than genius writing.
One thing I absolutely love about Christopher Nuttall's books is the detail. He doesn't just let things happen, he explains them. Detailed explanation creates a vivid picture that leaves nothing out of one's imagination. Another amazing thing is that, I find myself following along with the explanations. At no point in time do I get either lost of confused, It's so easy to get absorbed by a book when the writing is so convincing and fascinating.
The magic system is also nothing short of phenomenal, It is a brilliant display of the ingenuity of the author's lush imagination. It's similar to his other fantasy series yet it differs in the most brilliant subtle ways that makes the difference glaringly clear. Reading about Caitlyn's trials and how she overcomes the numerous hurdles and obstacles in her way is an amazing experience that shouldn't be missed.
This is a book that inspires the imagination. Christopher Nuttall is undoubtedly one of the best authors the writing world has to offer, Just pick all of his books and you'll know he's totally deserving of the praise. It also helps that he's quite prolific. The Zero Blessing is a fantasy book that readers of all ages are going to find an absolute delight.
Caitlyn's adventures is one that is worth one's time and attention. It had so many twists and turns that made the book unputdownable. One thing that makes it work so well is that its revolved around the main character in a way that gives justice to the storyline while making the whole content fascinating.
I happily recommend The Zero Enigma series to anyone looking for a great mindexploding read. Christopher Nuttall had once again reminded me why life is just not the same without his book.(I really mean that!!!).
P.S: Be prepared for adventure, magic, fantasy, drama, mysteries, rivalries, mean girls and superb writing.
P.P.S: If I was to touch on just how good the worldbuilding and magic system is, that'll take a whole new review because it's substantial enough to warrant a long entertaining discussion.
Caitlyn being an outcast among their magic driven society is very understandable in a land where position is dependent on magical prowess, its only natural those with little to no indication of possessing it will be stigmatized. But the brilliant way she broke out of that conformity is nothing less than genius writing.
One thing I absolutely love about Christopher Nuttall's books is the detail. He doesn't just let things happen, he explains them. Detailed explanation creates a vivid picture that leaves nothing out of one's imagination. Another amazing thing is that, I find myself following along with the explanations. At no point in time do I get either lost of confused, It's so easy to get absorbed by a book when the writing is so convincing and fascinating.
The magic system is also nothing short of phenomenal, It is a brilliant display of the ingenuity of the author's lush imagination. It's similar to his other fantasy series yet it differs in the most brilliant subtle ways that makes the difference glaringly clear. Reading about Caitlyn's trials and how she overcomes the numerous hurdles and obstacles in her way is an amazing experience that shouldn't be missed.
This is a book that inspires the imagination. Christopher Nuttall is undoubtedly one of the best authors the writing world has to offer, Just pick all of his books and you'll know he's totally deserving of the praise. It also helps that he's quite prolific. The Zero Blessing is a fantasy book that readers of all ages are going to find an absolute delight.
Caitlyn's adventures is one that is worth one's time and attention. It had so many twists and turns that made the book unputdownable. One thing that makes it work so well is that its revolved around the main character in a way that gives justice to the storyline while making the whole content fascinating.
I happily recommend The Zero Enigma series to anyone looking for a great mindexploding read. Christopher Nuttall had once again reminded me why life is just not the same without his book.(I really mean that!!!).
P.S: Be prepared for adventure, magic, fantasy, drama, mysteries, rivalries, mean girls and superb writing.
P.P.S: If I was to touch on just how good the worldbuilding and magic system is, that'll take a whole new review because it's substantial enough to warrant a long entertaining discussion.
July 29, 2018
This is a Harry Potter variant, but I'm not punishing it for that. The twist presented here--a student at Magic School who has no magical talent at all--could have been fruitful. And, here and there, the story does entertain. But I have three serious problems with this book.
One: the twist is rather predictable.
Two: school life seems to consist almost exclusively of bullying by older students and punishments by teachers. It's amazing how much time consists of somebody giving our poor heroine grief. The bullying could have been okay, but the punishments mostly result from the misuse of magic. There are an astonishing number of accidents in class, some nearly fatal. The school seems to be run on insane principles. Students are given assignments with no preparation. Teachers issue angry threats over how likely it is they will screw up and kill someone. Then students screw up and there's an explosion. Then the teachers yell some more and issue punishments, usually in the form of drudge work. It's all very tiresome; someone should explain to these grumps they (and their students!) would be much happier if students were eased into things a bit--given knowledge to go along with the terrifying responsibility they're acquiring.
Three: there's a gaping plot hole that bugs me. The heroine figures out some promising magic she wants to try. No one has ever talked about this, although it's kind of obvious; in fact, it's not mentioned in any magic textbook. The heroine tries it. It goes badly (contrary to theory.) She learns that it obviously was doomed, so obviously and famously doomed, that no one bothers to forbid the practice, because who would be that stupid to actually try it? Plus, there's all these years of experience from all those people in the past who tried it and it ended badly. So that's why no one ever does it: because everyone does it.
That made no sense, and yet the plot hinges on the heroine trying that magic, so the author had to contrive a way to get her to try it, so he does. Badly. That's why I rate this book 2 stars.
One: the twist is rather predictable.
Two: school life seems to consist almost exclusively of bullying by older students and punishments by teachers. It's amazing how much time consists of somebody giving our poor heroine grief. The bullying could have been okay, but the punishments mostly result from the misuse of magic. There are an astonishing number of accidents in class, some nearly fatal. The school seems to be run on insane principles. Students are given assignments with no preparation. Teachers issue angry threats over how likely it is they will screw up and kill someone. Then students screw up and there's an explosion. Then the teachers yell some more and issue punishments, usually in the form of drudge work. It's all very tiresome; someone should explain to these grumps they (and their students!) would be much happier if students were eased into things a bit--given knowledge to go along with the terrifying responsibility they're acquiring.
Three: there's a gaping plot hole that bugs me. The heroine figures out some promising magic she wants to try. No one has ever talked about this, although it's kind of obvious; in fact, it's not mentioned in any magic textbook. The heroine tries it. It goes badly (contrary to theory.) She learns that it obviously was doomed, so obviously and famously doomed, that no one bothers to forbid the practice, because who would be that stupid to actually try it? Plus, there's all these years of experience from all those people in the past who tried it and it ended badly. So that's why no one ever does it: because everyone does it.
That made no sense, and yet the plot hinges on the heroine trying that magic, so the author had to contrive a way to get her to try it, so he does. Badly. That's why I rate this book 2 stars.
December 14, 2022
I have read all of the ‘Schooled In Magic’ books and like nearly all of them so I couldn’t understand why I really wasn’t enjoying this book.
I decided one of the reasons may be because Caitlyn, who is the heroine of the story, is unable to fight back against a cast of truly awful people and the constant abuse just became depressing.
The majority of the school children especially Alana and Isabella were obnoxious, Caitlyn’s Mum and Dad are incompetent parents who shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near children and many of the teachers shouldn’t be allowed to supervise a group of shop window mannequins never mind a school. I know this is a fantasy but I would like it be slightly believable.
It wasn’t until a quarter of the way through when there was a glimmer of resistance, when she told Magistra Haydon what she really thought, from then on there were occasional moments when she was able to fight back enough to make the story bearable, but not really enjoyable.
Eventually Caitlyn begins to discover what she is and finds a few ways to compensate for her lack of magic, but at the same time seems to lose all her common sense and makes some silly decisions.
Overall the basic story isn’t bad but I had nearly finished the book before I started to enjoy it, there just wasn’t much fun during first half of the book, in fact it was just dismal.
I decided one of the reasons may be because Caitlyn, who is the heroine of the story, is unable to fight back against a cast of truly awful people and the constant abuse just became depressing.
The majority of the school children especially Alana and Isabella were obnoxious, Caitlyn’s Mum and Dad are incompetent parents who shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near children and many of the teachers shouldn’t be allowed to supervise a group of shop window mannequins never mind a school. I know this is a fantasy but I would like it be slightly believable.
It wasn’t until a quarter of the way through when there was a glimmer of resistance, when she told Magistra Haydon what she really thought, from then on there were occasional moments when she was able to fight back enough to make the story bearable, but not really enjoyable.
Eventually Caitlyn begins to discover what she is and finds a few ways to compensate for her lack of magic, but at the same time seems to lose all her common sense and makes some silly decisions.
Overall the basic story isn’t bad but I had nearly finished the book before I started to enjoy it, there just wasn’t much fun during first half of the book, in fact it was just dismal.
March 21, 2017
I honestly really enjoyed this story. It was a magic school story, but different in how the protagonist was completely magic free, but not without her own hidden talent. After reading Nuttall's blog, I really wish he had been able to fit this into the schooled in magic, I almost would have been able to accept some plot problems just for the joy of being able to read either series and see them referenced in the other. As it is I appreciate that magic in both is very similar and in a way it almost answers some theoretical questions for schooled in magic. I really hope he continues the series as it was a fun read that I did rather too quickly. I can't way for more of Nuttall's fantasy books to come out.
November 19, 2022
This book would have been much better if it were edited to be shorter. It got to be quite repetitive, with a variety of things being said over and over.
The characters were interesting, albeit fairly one-dimensional. The plot was enjoyable, albeit quite linear. The magic system was reasonably engaging, though also perhaps a bit cliched.
There were some places where the main character referred to women in ways that felt somewhat sexist (like "shrew" and "witch with a capital B").
The characters were interesting, albeit fairly one-dimensional. The plot was enjoyable, albeit quite linear. The magic system was reasonably engaging, though also perhaps a bit cliched.
There were some places where the main character referred to women in ways that felt somewhat sexist (like "shrew" and "witch with a capital B").
August 28, 2022
Caitlyn Aquirre is a 12yr old girl that is a set of triplets, with her sisters Alana and Belladonna (Bella). They live in a world of magic, one in which literally everyone has magic. This is a world that is a mix of old 18th century style living, combined with a magic system in which most people use spells to cast, create potions, but they can also forge magic items and use runes. In the past, there used to be objects of power, that held powerful magics, and lasted permanently, but these were lost when the first Empire fell to some unknown disaster over 1000yrs earlier. Now, people can only forge devices of power, which last for short periods of time.
In this universe, twins and triplets are portents of great power in the magical universe, and so, the birth of triplets should have seen the Aguirre family, already powerful due to the Fathers ability to cast, and the Mothers ability to brew potions, made even more powerful. However, things go wrong, when in the children’s 7th year, the normal age that children are first really taught magic for safety reasons, it is discovered that Caitlyn has no magical ability at all, none.
Everyone has a small amount, it is not heard of that someone has NO magical ability, but Caitlyn has zero. In society, those with limited abilities are known as Zero’s, a sort of derogatory term. But Caitlyn really is a Zero.
And so, we get to follow Caitlyn’s story, through her eyes, from the start. Finding out she is a Zero, and the disappointment she is to her parents. Her Father pushing constantly for her to find ‘her potential’, because she has to have magic. To being bullied and tortured by her sisters as they grow up, and her parents letting it happen ‘to bring out her powers’.
But the real story begins when young 12yr old Caitlyn and her sisters are sent to Jude’s Sorcerous Academy to be taught to be Magicians. Of course, Caitlyn’s sisters think this is a joke (Alana is horrified, as it will interfere with her plans to be the centre of attention), and Caitlyn is equally horrified as it means she will be the centre of attention for all sorts of other reasons. A child in the middle of a school full of other children that can hex each other, with no ability to defend herself is going to end up either dead, or spend an awful lot of time as a frog.
Book 1 is the first year of her journey at Jude’s, and it is a fascinating experience. We get to see her trying to deal with all of the obvious issues and trials she has to face, but we also get to see some of the nicer things to. Forging for the most part does not require a lot of magic in this universe, and so, Caitlyn has managed to become incredibly skilled at it, and it is with this, we find that she can not only perform some unique things, but protect herself in some pretty cool ways as well. We get to meet a slew of wonderful characters as well, from the Teachers of Jude’s, to the obvious bullies and villains that are part of this sort of story, and to the friends she makes, especially Rose.
There are the obvious comparisons to Harry Potter, but this is so utterly different, she is not the champion of the Universe, the boy with all the gifts, in fact, she is the exact opposite, in a world in which everyone can see, she is blind, in a world in which everyone else has abilities, she has none. And yet, she is expected to be able to not only survive, but thrive, given no help, but quite literally pushed into the water with her legs bound and told to swim. Whilst obviously both stories are fantasy, there is an element of realism to this book that just gives it an edge and makes it a far more interesting read.
Caitlyn’s character is brilliant, intelligent, cunning, and despite what she has been through, she is still kind, still able to see others that need help (such as Rose). And she has such a strength of will, so much courage, you can’t help but instantly like the character. As I said before, there are so many wonderful characters in this book.
The world building is exceptional, quite literally ‘magical’ (pardon the pun!), with a well thought out magical system, a wonderful back drop for the story to be told in, and there are some brilliant fantasy elements.
This is also a book that is suitable for young adults as well, there is no bad language, and whilst there is some mild violence as far as the hexing and a bit of bullying in it, there is nothing that is what I would consider above moderate (I have an 11yr old – at time of reading – and would be more than happy for her to read this), in fact, there are some really good moral and ethical elements to the story that make you consider these actions (And there are some really good points about parental actions to). It is still more than suitable for adults to, as there is a great story.
Overall, this is just an outstanding first book in what is going to be a brilliant series, I am already into book 2 (and it only gets better). If you like a good epic fantasy series, strong magic, great characters, then this is a must read!!
In this universe, twins and triplets are portents of great power in the magical universe, and so, the birth of triplets should have seen the Aguirre family, already powerful due to the Fathers ability to cast, and the Mothers ability to brew potions, made even more powerful. However, things go wrong, when in the children’s 7th year, the normal age that children are first really taught magic for safety reasons, it is discovered that Caitlyn has no magical ability at all, none.
Everyone has a small amount, it is not heard of that someone has NO magical ability, but Caitlyn has zero. In society, those with limited abilities are known as Zero’s, a sort of derogatory term. But Caitlyn really is a Zero.
And so, we get to follow Caitlyn’s story, through her eyes, from the start. Finding out she is a Zero, and the disappointment she is to her parents. Her Father pushing constantly for her to find ‘her potential’, because she has to have magic. To being bullied and tortured by her sisters as they grow up, and her parents letting it happen ‘to bring out her powers’.
But the real story begins when young 12yr old Caitlyn and her sisters are sent to Jude’s Sorcerous Academy to be taught to be Magicians. Of course, Caitlyn’s sisters think this is a joke (Alana is horrified, as it will interfere with her plans to be the centre of attention), and Caitlyn is equally horrified as it means she will be the centre of attention for all sorts of other reasons. A child in the middle of a school full of other children that can hex each other, with no ability to defend herself is going to end up either dead, or spend an awful lot of time as a frog.
Book 1 is the first year of her journey at Jude’s, and it is a fascinating experience. We get to see her trying to deal with all of the obvious issues and trials she has to face, but we also get to see some of the nicer things to. Forging for the most part does not require a lot of magic in this universe, and so, Caitlyn has managed to become incredibly skilled at it, and it is with this, we find that she can not only perform some unique things, but protect herself in some pretty cool ways as well. We get to meet a slew of wonderful characters as well, from the Teachers of Jude’s, to the obvious bullies and villains that are part of this sort of story, and to the friends she makes, especially Rose.
There are the obvious comparisons to Harry Potter, but this is so utterly different, she is not the champion of the Universe, the boy with all the gifts, in fact, she is the exact opposite, in a world in which everyone can see, she is blind, in a world in which everyone else has abilities, she has none. And yet, she is expected to be able to not only survive, but thrive, given no help, but quite literally pushed into the water with her legs bound and told to swim. Whilst obviously both stories are fantasy, there is an element of realism to this book that just gives it an edge and makes it a far more interesting read.
Caitlyn’s character is brilliant, intelligent, cunning, and despite what she has been through, she is still kind, still able to see others that need help (such as Rose). And she has such a strength of will, so much courage, you can’t help but instantly like the character. As I said before, there are so many wonderful characters in this book.
The world building is exceptional, quite literally ‘magical’ (pardon the pun!), with a well thought out magical system, a wonderful back drop for the story to be told in, and there are some brilliant fantasy elements.
This is also a book that is suitable for young adults as well, there is no bad language, and whilst there is some mild violence as far as the hexing and a bit of bullying in it, there is nothing that is what I would consider above moderate (I have an 11yr old – at time of reading – and would be more than happy for her to read this), in fact, there are some really good moral and ethical elements to the story that make you consider these actions (And there are some really good points about parental actions to). It is still more than suitable for adults to, as there is a great story.
Overall, this is just an outstanding first book in what is going to be a brilliant series, I am already into book 2 (and it only gets better). If you like a good epic fantasy series, strong magic, great characters, then this is a must read!!
March 31, 2021
4.25 stars.
Surprisingly good!
Surprisingly good!
January 20, 2020
Stands up well to a second reading.
I'm rereading this series for the joy of it and just noticed that I didn't mark it read it the first time.
My Initial reaction is that it's pretty good with some interesting ideas.
If Christopher G. Nuttall is tired of having this book compared to Harry Potter, he has no one to blame but himself. This book has a lot in common with the Potter series but most everything is reversed.
This is the story of a girl with no magic in a world where everyone has magic. This could be trite and dull but Christopher keeps it engaging, wile not unfamiliar.
If you liked Potter, and all the other magic prep school books, and want one more magic prep school book to read you could do much worse.
I'm rereading this series for the joy of it and just noticed that I didn't mark it read it the first time.
My Initial reaction is that it's pretty good with some interesting ideas.
If Christopher G. Nuttall is tired of having this book compared to Harry Potter, he has no one to blame but himself. This book has a lot in common with the Potter series but most everything is reversed.
This is the story of a girl with no magic in a world where everyone has magic. This could be trite and dull but Christopher keeps it engaging, wile not unfamiliar.
If you liked Potter, and all the other magic prep school books, and want one more magic prep school book to read you could do much worse.
September 3, 2018
Caitlyn is an endearing protagonist. She comes from a magical talented family and is one of triplets. In magical circles, this is regarded as a boon because twins and triplets often have complimentary powers, making them an especially powerful unit – a necessary advantage if the Aguirre family are to keep their position as one of the leading magical families. But while both sisters are extremely gifted, Caitlyn cannot summon a single thing. Not that her parents are prepared to give up and accept the situation. Magic is part of everyday life. Everyone has some sort of magical ability – even the servants and lower orders use magic in their everyday lives. Except Caitlyn.
It means she is at the mercy of her sisters’ pranks and while her parents occasionally step in to prevent her being killed, from the time she is seven, Caitlyn is routinely turned into frogs, dogs and mice, hexed so she behaves in stupid ways, magically frozen, stuck to the floor and even blinded… Of course, it all eventually wears off. But she, with her zero ability, has nothing to fight back with.
Her only recourse is to study as hard as she can, in the hope that eventually, she will grow into her magic, as her father keeps promising. But by the time she is twelve, she has all but given up. Which is when she receives the worst news of all. She will be accompanying her sisters to the magical academy, St Jude’s. She is half convinced that she won’t survive the first term – because students are mostly supervised by older prefects, who are desperately studying for their magical finals. So it’s left to the juniors to sort themselves out – it’s no good Caitlyn running to sharp-tongued Sandy for help when one of the girls in her dorm targets her.
I loved the dynamic – it was all too plausible that this would go on in a magical establishment. I also liked the fact that Caitlyn’s only friend is a peasant girl on a scholarship who is naturally extremely magically giftedbut with no grounding in theory or how to mix with the higher orders. Nuttall’s magical system is also interestingly complex and the rules are well covered within the story as Caitlyn struggles through some magical lessons and manages to cope better in others by virtue of her constant studying.
Her plight is both believable and engrossing, so that I gobbled up this book in two sittings. I’m delighted to see there are other books in this series, which I’ll definitely be tracking down. Recommended for fans of magical school stories.
9/10
It means she is at the mercy of her sisters’ pranks and while her parents occasionally step in to prevent her being killed, from the time she is seven, Caitlyn is routinely turned into frogs, dogs and mice, hexed so she behaves in stupid ways, magically frozen, stuck to the floor and even blinded… Of course, it all eventually wears off. But she, with her zero ability, has nothing to fight back with.
Her only recourse is to study as hard as she can, in the hope that eventually, she will grow into her magic, as her father keeps promising. But by the time she is twelve, she has all but given up. Which is when she receives the worst news of all. She will be accompanying her sisters to the magical academy, St Jude’s. She is half convinced that she won’t survive the first term – because students are mostly supervised by older prefects, who are desperately studying for their magical finals. So it’s left to the juniors to sort themselves out – it’s no good Caitlyn running to sharp-tongued Sandy for help when one of the girls in her dorm targets her.
I loved the dynamic – it was all too plausible that this would go on in a magical establishment. I also liked the fact that Caitlyn’s only friend is a peasant girl on a scholarship who is naturally extremely magically giftedbut with no grounding in theory or how to mix with the higher orders. Nuttall’s magical system is also interestingly complex and the rules are well covered within the story as Caitlyn struggles through some magical lessons and manages to cope better in others by virtue of her constant studying.
Her plight is both believable and engrossing, so that I gobbled up this book in two sittings. I’m delighted to see there are other books in this series, which I’ll definitely be tracking down. Recommended for fans of magical school stories.
9/10
January 21, 2019
This one would have been quite good if the author had an editor or someone to actually help him put the books together. Instead we had an excellent plot and some decent writing interspersed with a lot of silliness and repetitiveness.
The Harry Potter and George Martin references were irritating. They might have been intended as homage but if so they failed - too blatant and heavy-handed. I'm not sure what age group this is intended for (it's Harry Potter lite so could be a young audience and the main character is 12) but I don't think children would fare much better with the references and the ones that do work fairly well (Shallot and Tintagel) they likely won't get at all. The "bend (or bow) the knee" nonsense doesn't fit with the writing of the rest of the story, imo. (I felt slightly the same way about the nickname 'Kitten' for cat which seems both slightly anachronistic and somewhat more affectionate than the relationship with her father justifies.)
Then the main character (pov) tends to repeat things over and over that we already know (I have no magic, my sisters bullied me, I've done this a million times before, etc.) It ends up coming across as whiny and boring. Personally any parent that encourages children to bully each other, any school that does, and any society that tolerates, even encourages that much dissension is on the verge of collapse anyway.
Those are the parts that cost a couple of stars here. For the good stuff, the story is interesting. I got hooked enough to read despite the annoyances above. I'm curious about the past society and what happened to it and about how Cats power will play out. All the stuff that's original to the story works well. Also I am not sure if the author is familiar with the Jester/Fool/Tarot Card 0 myth/iconography but whether he is or not it works really well with this story. I enjoy that and it makes me even more curious what he'll put in for the background of the lost empire.
The Harry Potter and George Martin references were irritating. They might have been intended as homage but if so they failed - too blatant and heavy-handed. I'm not sure what age group this is intended for (it's Harry Potter lite so could be a young audience and the main character is 12) but I don't think children would fare much better with the references and the ones that do work fairly well (Shallot and Tintagel) they likely won't get at all. The "bend (or bow) the knee" nonsense doesn't fit with the writing of the rest of the story, imo. (I felt slightly the same way about the nickname 'Kitten' for cat which seems both slightly anachronistic and somewhat more affectionate than the relationship with her father justifies.)
Then the main character (pov) tends to repeat things over and over that we already know (I have no magic, my sisters bullied me, I've done this a million times before, etc.) It ends up coming across as whiny and boring. Personally any parent that encourages children to bully each other, any school that does, and any society that tolerates, even encourages that much dissension is on the verge of collapse anyway.
Those are the parts that cost a couple of stars here. For the good stuff, the story is interesting. I got hooked enough to read despite the annoyances above. I'm curious about the past society and what happened to it and about how Cats power will play out. All the stuff that's original to the story works well. Also I am not sure if the author is familiar with the Jester/Fool/Tarot Card 0 myth/iconography but whether he is or not it works really well with this story. I enjoy that and it makes me even more curious what he'll put in for the background of the lost empire.
March 19, 2017
Hints of a unique hidden in a magic school story.
Fans of Schooled in Magic series will love this story. Cat is a magically disabled 12 year old who is forced to go to a magic boarding school with her two siblings in the hope she gets her magic. Despite her age she has the mentality of a 16 year old. This as the only thing about the main character that didn't quite click. She was very peceptive, studious, and intelligent for a 12 year old. I guess I didnt mind as an older reader though. However she does have the slight immature attitude here and there when it comes to having school enemies and some of the reactions and inner thoughts she has occasionally.
Supporting characters are interesting enough. Rose makes a good friend, Isabella makes a good enemy, sisters are fine. Bella and Alana and Cat make a unique triad- for sisters they are nothing a like.i didn't care for them at first, but I like that they started to change. I'm actually interested in the dad as a character. I'd like to see what he gets up to in his world.
It was a good start to a potentially great series. I am most excited about learning more about the world around Cat. But having read Christopher's SIM series, I know he likes to take it slow and build the world slowly. I don't mind this one bit. He has already teased things here and there in the story about what could come in the future. I will 100% buy the next in the series.
Fans of Schooled in Magic series will love this story. Cat is a magically disabled 12 year old who is forced to go to a magic boarding school with her two siblings in the hope she gets her magic. Despite her age she has the mentality of a 16 year old. This as the only thing about the main character that didn't quite click. She was very peceptive, studious, and intelligent for a 12 year old. I guess I didnt mind as an older reader though. However she does have the slight immature attitude here and there when it comes to having school enemies and some of the reactions and inner thoughts she has occasionally.
Supporting characters are interesting enough. Rose makes a good friend, Isabella makes a good enemy, sisters are fine. Bella and Alana and Cat make a unique triad- for sisters they are nothing a like.i didn't care for them at first, but I like that they started to change. I'm actually interested in the dad as a character. I'd like to see what he gets up to in his world.
It was a good start to a potentially great series. I am most excited about learning more about the world around Cat. But having read Christopher's SIM series, I know he likes to take it slow and build the world slowly. I don't mind this one bit. He has already teased things here and there in the story about what could come in the future. I will 100% buy the next in the series.
October 28, 2017
The Zero Blessing(The Zero Enigma Book 1) Review
Dear Christopher, I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters are outstanding and realistic. I'm glad you separated your stories and wrote a new series. I'm happy that you refrained from using crude language and other juvenile references in this book, keep it up. Teens should be able to read your stories because they are outstanding. I highly recommend reading this book and series to anyone interested in reading a great story. Thanks for the entertainment!
Dear Christopher, I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters are outstanding and realistic. I'm glad you separated your stories and wrote a new series. I'm happy that you refrained from using crude language and other juvenile references in this book, keep it up. Teens should be able to read your stories because they are outstanding. I highly recommend reading this book and series to anyone interested in reading a great story. Thanks for the entertainment!
June 18, 2017
A great twist to magic
This book was a fresh twist on the everything is wonderful through magic genre. It shows a girl, Cat, who had to survive in a magical world with no magic. This forces her to use her mind and think outside the box. When she discovers her true ability, she is then prepared to capitalize on it and thrive in the magical world. I can't wait to see how it continues. Hurry up and write the sequel.
This book was a fresh twist on the everything is wonderful through magic genre. It shows a girl, Cat, who had to survive in a magical world with no magic. This forces her to use her mind and think outside the box. When she discovers her true ability, she is then prepared to capitalize on it and thrive in the magical world. I can't wait to see how it continues. Hurry up and write the sequel.
February 2, 2022
If you remove all sentences in some way saying "I am worthless, I can't do anything", the book would be 1/3 shorter. If you remove all that says same thing more then twice, you would lose another 1/3 of the book.
Author have really annoying tendencies to repeat same thing again and again, and again, and then again, and again, some more again, and again and then again, and still again, and again, and again, and... you got the idea...
Author have really annoying tendencies to repeat same thing again and again, and again, and then again, and again, some more again, and again and then again, and still again, and again, and again, and... you got the idea...
July 8, 2017
That was an engaging read. Clearly doesn't fit within the Schooled in Magic series because the premise is somewhat the opposite. Nice twist on the single non-magic user theme. A few small distractions: one spell-corrected word (!) and a few minor details lifted straight from the other series. The one-liner dig at Harry Potter was fun.
February 23, 2018
4 Stars, I liked this book and as it is a lot like Harry Potter bit it is different enough that it does not seem like a ripoff. I will continue with the series.
April 28, 2019
I enjoyed this book more than I expected to (and more than I enjoyed this author's other series, "Schooled in Magic"). It's also a bit like the Harry Potter series in that it chronicles the journey of a special person through a magical school. It is very unlike the Harry Potter series in what happens. It is clearly not just a rip-off.
I think what made this book good is (a) good, interesting characters, and (b) a well-thought-out system of magic. One of my complaints about Harry Potter, and to a lesser extent this author's "Schooled in Magic" series, is that the magic doesn't make any sense. There is no logical coherence to the system in Harry Potter at all; not even the people in the system understand it. In the "schooled in magic" series, apparently the people in the system seem to be able to predict what a spell will do (it's more like engineering), but we aren't told anything about it, at least as far as I have read, and the ending comes completely unexpectedly. Here, from the very beginning, we get a bit more of a glimpse into how it works--just a glimpse, but it was a lot more satisfying than the completely random stuff that happens in Harry Potter, or the less random but still completely unpredictable other series from this author. We can see how this could have happened, and why this ending happened and not some other--and yet, the ending is surprising enough to be avoid being predictable. (Ok,, from reading the cover you could have predicted that the protagonist solves her problem of lack of magic, but I don't think I could have predicted exactly how, and that's one of the things I found especially interesting.)
I think as Christopher Nuttall continues to churn out books (at an amazing pace), his characters have been getting more interesting. The protagonist here has a problem, a very serious problem, that I can understand and sympathize with--and, by the end, she has a solution, of an unexpected sort, that leads to a whole series of other problems which the remaining books in the series expand on. She's a likable enough character, but flawed in some ways.
Part of the dynamic of this book that makes it interesting are the flaws: the three sisters don't get along well, for very understandable reasons, but towards the end of the series they begin to grow enough to not be spiteful. The protagonist is obviously flawed, but flawed in a totally understandable way. I don't think I'd make some of the decisions she made, but I can certainly understand why she would have made them (I'd have made different flawed decisions).
Like Harry Potter, there are bullies at this school, and they're pretty nasty. (What is it about these English schools?) But it's worse than that, because the protagonist's sisters have been treating her like crap for a long time at home too. But the antagonist, the bully Isabella, turns out to be much more interesting than, say, Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series, who is all bad and no good. In a later book in this series, Nuttall takes here and makes her the protagonist of another story in which she basically is redeemed. I've seen this sort of thing in several of Nuttall's books, and I really like the idea that the antagonists aren't simple characters. (That's later in the series, but even in this book, you do get attempts at reconciliation.)
Finally, another thing I liked about this series and I absolutely hated about Harry Potter is that the protagonist herself is actually responsible for the ending--there is no deus ex machina (Dumbledore doesn't come in and save the day in a completely unexpected way). It's all the protagonist's work, and you can understand exactly how she struggled through it and grew enough to do it.
The one thing this book and this series does NOT have that Harry Potter did well is humor. These characters are serious, and there aren't lots of ludicrous magical accidents--the magical system is worked out well enough that arbitrary slapstick things don't happen.
I think what made this book good is (a) good, interesting characters, and (b) a well-thought-out system of magic. One of my complaints about Harry Potter, and to a lesser extent this author's "Schooled in Magic" series, is that the magic doesn't make any sense. There is no logical coherence to the system in Harry Potter at all; not even the people in the system understand it. In the "schooled in magic" series, apparently the people in the system seem to be able to predict what a spell will do (it's more like engineering), but we aren't told anything about it, at least as far as I have read, and the ending comes completely unexpectedly. Here, from the very beginning, we get a bit more of a glimpse into how it works--just a glimpse, but it was a lot more satisfying than the completely random stuff that happens in Harry Potter, or the less random but still completely unpredictable other series from this author. We can see how this could have happened, and why this ending happened and not some other--and yet, the ending is surprising enough to be avoid being predictable. (Ok,, from reading the cover you could have predicted that the protagonist solves her problem of lack of magic, but I don't think I could have predicted exactly how, and that's one of the things I found especially interesting.)
I think as Christopher Nuttall continues to churn out books (at an amazing pace), his characters have been getting more interesting. The protagonist here has a problem, a very serious problem, that I can understand and sympathize with--and, by the end, she has a solution, of an unexpected sort, that leads to a whole series of other problems which the remaining books in the series expand on. She's a likable enough character, but flawed in some ways.
Part of the dynamic of this book that makes it interesting are the flaws: the three sisters don't get along well, for very understandable reasons, but towards the end of the series they begin to grow enough to not be spiteful. The protagonist is obviously flawed, but flawed in a totally understandable way. I don't think I'd make some of the decisions she made, but I can certainly understand why she would have made them (I'd have made different flawed decisions).
Like Harry Potter, there are bullies at this school, and they're pretty nasty. (What is it about these English schools?) But it's worse than that, because the protagonist's sisters have been treating her like crap for a long time at home too. But the antagonist, the bully Isabella, turns out to be much more interesting than, say, Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series, who is all bad and no good. In a later book in this series, Nuttall takes here and makes her the protagonist of another story in which she basically is redeemed. I've seen this sort of thing in several of Nuttall's books, and I really like the idea that the antagonists aren't simple characters. (That's later in the series, but even in this book, you do get attempts at reconciliation.)
Finally, another thing I liked about this series and I absolutely hated about Harry Potter is that the protagonist herself is actually responsible for the ending--there is no deus ex machina (Dumbledore doesn't come in and save the day in a completely unexpected way). It's all the protagonist's work, and you can understand exactly how she struggled through it and grew enough to do it.
The one thing this book and this series does NOT have that Harry Potter did well is humor. These characters are serious, and there aren't lots of ludicrous magical accidents--the magical system is worked out well enough that arbitrary slapstick things don't happen.
March 15, 2024
Caitlyn Aguirre is the only magic-less person in her family in a world where magic is power and as a triplet, she was supposed to be extra strong. Resigned to her life as a zero, Caitlyn is dismayed to learn her parents are sending her to Jude's Sorcerous Academy with the hope that she'll overcome her magic problem. Or die trying.
This book sucked me into the story and I was all there for Caitlyn. The despair she felt regarding her magic and her position in society was terrible and I rooted for her as she pushed the bounds of her mind and creativity in finding a solution. She could be petty and jealous and envious at times but she was also brave and honourable and quick witted and I loved her.
On the other hand her family just sucks. Like her sisters were terrible but they were also twelve. Her parents and other adult figures though were disgusting. Although she seems to accept being turned into a frog and the target of all magic - I hated it. It seemed like she was being tortured and all adults and her own parents were turning a blind eye. It just made me mad.
I was glad she met Rose. I was a little unhappy with her fierce envy and jealous at the beginning of their friendship but she's also twelve and missed out on magic - I get it. Rose was fantastic. She was level headed and smart and loyal and I loved that her and Caitlyn develop a fierce and steadfast friendship.
But the bullying in this book is intense and I hated it. It seemed like every time Caitlyn turned around she was being punished for ridiculous things and like no one ever stepped in. The limits were so wide it was ridiculous. It just seemed like they were basically given free reign to kill, maim and torture. It made me anxious to read and I think that's honestly why I couldn't rightly give this book 5 stars. The whirlpool of emotions just made me feel sick.
That said, the world building was really interesting and I loved the focus on inventing and learning and testing the limits of magic. The plot was predictable with all the familiar elements of a magic school but the execution was strong and delivers a unique take on an old idea.
A worthwhile read for anyone after a progression fantasy or a magical school setting. 4 stars.
This book sucked me into the story and I was all there for Caitlyn. The despair she felt regarding her magic and her position in society was terrible and I rooted for her as she pushed the bounds of her mind and creativity in finding a solution. She could be petty and jealous and envious at times but she was also brave and honourable and quick witted and I loved her.
On the other hand her family just sucks. Like her sisters were terrible but they were also twelve. Her parents and other adult figures though were disgusting. Although she seems to accept being turned into a frog and the target of all magic - I hated it. It seemed like she was being tortured and all adults and her own parents were turning a blind eye. It just made me mad.
I was glad she met Rose. I was a little unhappy with her fierce envy and jealous at the beginning of their friendship but she's also twelve and missed out on magic - I get it. Rose was fantastic. She was level headed and smart and loyal and I loved that her and Caitlyn develop a fierce and steadfast friendship.
But the bullying in this book is intense and I hated it. It seemed like every time Caitlyn turned around she was being punished for ridiculous things and like no one ever stepped in. The limits were so wide it was ridiculous. It just seemed like they were basically given free reign to kill, maim and torture. It made me anxious to read and I think that's honestly why I couldn't rightly give this book 5 stars. The whirlpool of emotions just made me feel sick.
That said, the world building was really interesting and I loved the focus on inventing and learning and testing the limits of magic. The plot was predictable with all the familiar elements of a magic school but the execution was strong and delivers a unique take on an old idea.
A worthwhile read for anyone after a progression fantasy or a magical school setting. 4 stars.
August 2, 2021
แฟนตาซีโรงเรียน การค้นหาตัวเอง coming of age นางเอกไม่เก่ง โดนแกล้ง
ในโลกแฟนตาซีที่คนส่วนใหญ่มีพลังเวทย์ ยิ่งเกิดเป็นฝาแผดพลังเวทย์ยิ่งส่งเสริมแข็งแกร่ง เคทลิน เด็กสาว 1 ในแฝดสามที่เกิดมาในครอบครัวจอมเวทย์ที่ทรงพลัง พอเกิดเป็นแฝดสามทำให้ครอบครัวคาดหวังว่าลูกๆทั้งสามจะเต็มไปด้วยพลังเวทย์และพรสวรรค์ พี่น้องอีกสองคนของเคทลินต่างมีพลังเวทย์และพรสรรค์ แต่ตัวเธอกลับไม่สามารถสำผัส หรือใช้พลังเวทย์ได้แม่แต่น้อย ในขณะที่พี่น้องร่วมท้องอีกสองคนต่างเก่งกาจในการใช้เวทย์ขึ้นทุกวัน ผลัดกันใช้พลังสาบเธอเป็นกบ เคทลินกลับไม่สามารถทำอะไรได้เลย แต่ถึงอย่างนั้นพ่อและแม่ก็ยังเชื่อมั่นในตัวเธอ และเชื่อว่าสักวันพลังของเธอจะตื่นขึ้น เพราะทุกครั้งที่เธอโดนสาบให้เป็นกบ หรือโดนพลังเวทย์เสกใส่ เธอมักจะคลายพลังเวทย์นั้นได้ก่อนพี่น้องของเธอเสมอ แต่ตัวเคทลินไม่เชื่อว่าตัวเองมีพลังเวทย์
พออายุครบ 12 ปี พ่อกับแม่ตัดสินใจส่งลูกทั้งสามเข้าโรงเรียนจอมเวทย์ โดยหวังว่าโรงเรียนจะช่วยให้เคทลินใช้พลังได้ในที่สุด เคทลินจะเอาตัวรอดในโรงเรียนได้มั้ย เธอไม่มีพลังเวทย์จริงๆเหรอ
รีวิว
เป็นวรรณกรรมเยาวชนนอกกระแสที่สนุกมาก เขียนดีมาก เราจะได้ติดตามเรื่องราวของสาวน้อยเคทลินที่มีแต่ทฤษฎี แต่ไม่มีพลังเวทย์มาปฏิบัติพยายามเอาตัวรอดในรั้วโรงเรียน พยายามค้นหาพรสวรรค์ของตัวเอง เคทลินมีความพยายามที่เกือนเด็กอายุ 12 เพราะถูกพี่น้องดูถูกมาตลอด เธอจึงมีภูมิกับการกลั่นแกล้งในโรงเรียน แต่ถึงอย่างนั้น ก็มีหลายๆครั้งที่มีความคิดแบบเด็กๆออกมา ซึ่งเราว่ามันเป็นเสน่ห์ทีเดียว เพราะทำให้สมจริงๆขึ้น มีการตัดพ้อโชคชะตาว่าทำไมเธอไม่เหมือนพี่น้อง ไม่เหมือนคนอื่น ความรู้สึกไม่ได้รับการยอมรับ แต่ก็ไม่เคยยอมแพ้ พยายามหาทางพิสูจน์ตัวเองให้พ่อแม่ยอมรับตัวตนของเธอให���จนได้ เป็นเล่มที่เปลี่ยนบรรยากาศจากตัวเอกเก่งๆ มาเจอเด็กน้อยที่เต็มไปด้วยความพยายาม สนุกค่ะ เพลินมากๆเลย
ในโลกแฟนตาซีที่คนส่วนใหญ่มีพลังเวทย์ ยิ่งเกิดเป็นฝาแผดพลังเวทย์ยิ่งส่งเสริมแข็งแกร่ง เคทลิน เด็กสาว 1 ในแฝดสามที่เกิดมาในครอบครัวจอมเวทย์ที่ทรงพลัง พอเกิดเป็นแฝดสามทำให้ครอบครัวคาดหวังว่าลูกๆทั้งสามจะเต็มไปด้วยพลังเวทย์และพรสวรรค์ พี่น้องอีกสองคนของเคทลินต่างมีพลังเวทย์และพรสรรค์ แต่ตัวเธอกลับไม่สามารถสำผัส หรือใช้พลังเวทย์ได้แม่แต่น้อย ในขณะที่พี่น้องร่วมท้องอีกสองคนต่างเก่งกาจในการใช้เวทย์ขึ้นทุกวัน ผลัดกันใช้พลังสาบเธอเป็นกบ เคทลินกลับไม่สามารถทำอะไรได้เลย แต่ถึงอย่างนั้นพ่อและแม่ก็ยังเชื่อมั่นในตัวเธอ และเชื่อว่าสักวันพลังของเธอจะตื่นขึ้น เพราะทุกครั้งที่เธอโดนสาบให้เป็นกบ หรือโดนพลังเวทย์เสกใส่ เธอมักจะคลายพลังเวทย์นั้นได้ก่อนพี่น้องของเธอเสมอ แต่ตัวเคทลินไม่เชื่อว่าตัวเองมีพลังเวทย์
พออายุครบ 12 ปี พ่อกับแม่ตัดสินใจส่งลูกทั้งสามเข้าโรงเรียนจอมเวทย์ โดยหวังว่าโรงเรียนจะช่วยให้เคทลินใช้พลังได้ในที่สุด เคทลินจะเอาตัวรอดในโรงเรียนได้มั้ย เธอไม่มีพลังเวทย์จริงๆเหรอ
รีวิว
เป็นวรรณกรรมเยาวชนนอกกระแสที่สนุกมาก เขียนดีมาก เราจะได้ติดตามเรื่องราวของสาวน้อยเคทลินที่มีแต่ทฤษฎี แต่ไม่มีพลังเวทย์มาปฏิบัติพยายามเอาตัวรอดในรั้วโรงเรียน พยายามค้นหาพรสวรรค์ของตัวเอง เคทลินมีความพยายามที่เกือนเด็กอายุ 12 เพราะถูกพี่น้องดูถูกมาตลอด เธอจึงมีภูมิกับการกลั่นแกล้งในโรงเรียน แต่ถึงอย่างนั้น ก็มีหลายๆครั้งที่มีความคิดแบบเด็กๆออกมา ซึ่งเราว่ามันเป็นเสน่ห์ทีเดียว เพราะทำให้สมจริงๆขึ้น มีการตัดพ้อโชคชะตาว่าทำไมเธอไม่เหมือนพี่น้อง ไม่เหมือนคนอื่น ความรู้สึกไม่ได้รับการยอมรับ แต่ก็ไม่เคยยอมแพ้ พยายามหาทางพิสูจน์ตัวเองให้พ่อแม่ยอมรับตัวตนของเธอให���จนได้ เป็นเล่มที่เปลี่ยนบรรยากาศจากตัวเอกเก่งๆ มาเจอเด็กน้อยที่เต็มไปด้วยความพยายาม สนุกค่ะ เพลินมากๆเลย
July 21, 2018
Wow, that was surprisingly good. I had read book 1 of the author's other series, Schooled in Magic, which I thought was okay, with the idea being interesting but didn't seem to capture/retain my interest. When I first saw this by the same author (as pointed out from a comment/review I saw here), I ignored it, but I was getting really bored with nothing to read so I picked this up lol. This book gives the MC a unique ability, both in the context of the story, and in literature as a whole imo, as it's not something that you come across often. The MC is powerless, but by being powerless is granted power. Very nice. It wasn't clear from the beginning, but it was hinted at enough so the reveal was satisfactory and enjoyable.
Odd thing to note though, the MC, Caitlyn, and her parents/family are explicitly stated to be dark-skinned a few times throughout the book, yet Rose, Caitlyn's common-born friend is pale. MC and her family are basically nobility, which implies staying indoors to some degree, yet they have dark skin? Would be fine, as it could be genetic, but Rose, who is common-born and worked at a farm all her life, which likely included outdoor work all day, is pale. Logically, she would have developed a pretty heavy tan, making her skin darker than Caitlyn's. Not a huge issue really, race or skintone isn't important to the story, and it's not brought up often (unlike Arcane Ascension series' homosexuality of the MC), just thought it was odd.
Overall, quite a nice read.
Odd thing to note though, the MC, Caitlyn, and her parents/family are explicitly stated to be dark-skinned a few times throughout the book, yet Rose, Caitlyn's common-born friend is pale. MC and her family are basically nobility, which implies staying indoors to some degree, yet they have dark skin? Would be fine, as it could be genetic, but Rose, who is common-born and worked at a farm all her life, which likely included outdoor work all day, is pale. Logically, she would have developed a pretty heavy tan, making her skin darker than Caitlyn's. Not a huge issue really, race or skintone isn't important to the story, and it's not brought up often (unlike Arcane Ascension series' homosexuality of the MC), just thought it was odd.
Overall, quite a nice read.
May 15, 2018
This is a lot like the bookworm series, even using the same terms. Difference is the agegroup meaning it is not as dark, but still the core is the same. People with lots of power bullying those who don't. Bookworm showed the trauma and anger of people who get turned it frogs and such. This book shows the frustration and points out that MC is still a very privileged person who servants money and resources.
MC is a Zero meaning she can not use magic, she finds way around this though and hits back at the bullies, she is not the chosen on, but she does find a talent that so far she can only do. There is not big bad, or demon lord bad guy. Just a girl and her 1 friend Rose trying to get by.
My problem with the books and others like it is the reliance on bullying and social/political climbers. In a school that turns a blind eye to or encourages bullying many people should be dead, or someone snaps an kills others. A society like this would have broken a long time ago. Also how can on build a network of friends at that school. Those "friends" would turn on each other first chance they get. and they did for one character. Wars would be breaking out all the time because nobles remember the years they spent getting bullied.
This could have been handwaved away by saying powerful Wards prevented dangerous spells from being used or lasting too long. But School-life magic books seem to need bullying to drive conflict and emotion.
MC is a Zero meaning she can not use magic, she finds way around this though and hits back at the bullies, she is not the chosen on, but she does find a talent that so far she can only do. There is not big bad, or demon lord bad guy. Just a girl and her 1 friend Rose trying to get by.
My problem with the books and others like it is the reliance on bullying and social/political climbers. In a school that turns a blind eye to or encourages bullying many people should be dead, or someone snaps an kills others. A society like this would have broken a long time ago. Also how can on build a network of friends at that school. Those "friends" would turn on each other first chance they get. and they did for one character. Wars would be breaking out all the time because nobles remember the years they spent getting bullied.
This could have been handwaved away by saying powerful Wards prevented dangerous spells from being used or lasting too long. But School-life magic books seem to need bullying to drive conflict and emotion.
April 13, 2020
All in all, it is an interesting young-adult fantasy book. It centers around the non-magical girl in a magical family, one bullied by her two magically gifted sisters. The family's status depends on their magical ability, so her parents try to bring out her dormant abilities. Little do they know, she's a "zero", but she brings an inquisitive mind, an incredible amount of forbidden family knowledge and sheer grit to her new magical school.
Forget Quidditch. They have the kids take magical dueling lessons. They don't just buy wands. They are expected to learn to make potions and magical items, and the main character has a gift for it. And she learns what a blessing her lack of magic is in her society.
This book is the start of a series. Set in a medieval world, it hints at a major magical apocalypse, though the fact that there is lost knowledge is common knowledge. I think the entire series is a fun read, though I haven't read the later books where the main character is betrothed to a childhood crush to end a feud between their houses.
Forget Quidditch. They have the kids take magical dueling lessons. They don't just buy wands. They are expected to learn to make potions and magical items, and the main character has a gift for it. And she learns what a blessing her lack of magic is in her society.
This book is the start of a series. Set in a medieval world, it hints at a major magical apocalypse, though the fact that there is lost knowledge is common knowledge. I think the entire series is a fun read, though I haven't read the later books where the main character is betrothed to a childhood crush to end a feud between their houses.
March 18, 2017
Well-crafted YA-style fantasy about a girl with no magic (in a world where everyone has some) who is sent to an elite magic-academy boarding school. One of her dorm-mates is a Capulet (their families are rivals for influence or position at court) who picks on her - something more serious when it the bully can turn her into a frog and she can't defend or retaliate. The protagonist herself in interesting and engaging - and of course there is something special about her, or the book would have been short. As it was, the book was not short, but I read it in one sitting.
The read was enjoyable, but it fell in the literary-junk-food category. The school is embedded within a completely-generic medievaloid society. The plot is driven by heavy-handed plot devices (the heaviest being the protagonist's admission into the school). The school and the magic borrow heavily from the author's much-better book "Schooled in Magic", but are not-nearly-as-well fleshed out. (The author himself identifies SiM as Zero-Blessing's birthplace.) The SiM borrowings may have been a disadvantage, as they enabled the author to dash this book off without worrying enough about the scaffolding.
If you haven't read the author's "Schooled in Magic", read that instead. If you have, consider this book a spin-off.
The read was enjoyable, but it fell in the literary-junk-food category. The school is embedded within a completely-generic medievaloid society. The plot is driven by heavy-handed plot devices (the heaviest being the protagonist's admission into the school). The school and the magic borrow heavily from the author's much-better book "Schooled in Magic", but are not-nearly-as-well fleshed out. (The author himself identifies SiM as Zero-Blessing's birthplace.) The SiM borrowings may have been a disadvantage, as they enabled the author to dash this book off without worrying enough about the scaffolding.
If you haven't read the author's "Schooled in Magic", read that instead. If you have, consider this book a spin-off.
April 16, 2018
Caitlyn is a young girl with two sisters. She also is the daughter of a royal who is a powerful magic-user. Expectations for her were high. Wouldn't she be a powerful magic-user also?
Nope. Nada. Turns out she has no magical abilities at all.Zero. So, naturally, her parents send all three to a noted magic-user school. Unless she can hide her non-abilities she will become a perfect target for bullies.
Things, of course, don't go well for her for a good while. This is a school where hexing other students and turning them into frogs, etc, is not only tolerated but encouraged.
Not the most positive environment for her. That is, until she uncovers what her true ability is. An ability that could make her one of the most valuable people in that world. Assuming she survives the school. A very good read.
Nope. Nada. Turns out she has no magical abilities at all.Zero. So, naturally, her parents send all three to a noted magic-user school. Unless she can hide her non-abilities she will become a perfect target for bullies.
Things, of course, don't go well for her for a good while. This is a school where hexing other students and turning them into frogs, etc, is not only tolerated but encouraged.
Not the most positive environment for her. That is, until she uncovers what her true ability is. An ability that could make her one of the most valuable people in that world. Assuming she survives the school. A very good read.
March 26, 2020
This books was better than I thought it was going to be. Usually young adult fiction is is not my thing, although there are some really good ones out there. The Scythe series for instance is a really good series and the fact that it is YA is a side note. I came into this series with some low expectations, I was thinking "Okay, yet another Harry Potter clone", but I was pleasantly surprised. While it is standard fare The Chosen One goes to wizard school, there are some interesting twists in the story. I am usually pretty good and figuring out plots twists before the characters in the book do, but in this case, the author fooled me completely until the main character figured it out herself, which pleased me, I enjoy it when an author gets one over on me. Good book, well worth the read, especially if you like YA stories.
August 12, 2022
Magical school is one of my favorite tropes and large sections of this book satisfied the everlasting thirst of reading about students learning and experimenting magic.
I've already read a few series where the main character has low/zero magical talent in a world full of magicians. This one had some similarities (especially at the start), but the rest was an interesting take on this trope.
The stakes were all mostly personal, and the author did a good job with different characters despite the book being first person single POV.
What I didn't like were the initial chapters with almost every paragraph showing how being a Zero affected Cat and how very bitter she was. It wasn't a pleasant read. Thankfully, she found a friend who helped each other. I loved some of the teachers. But the school as a whole needs some serious overhauling, I wouldn't have lasted a few hours there.
I've already read a few series where the main character has low/zero magical talent in a world full of magicians. This one had some similarities (especially at the start), but the rest was an interesting take on this trope.
The stakes were all mostly personal, and the author did a good job with different characters despite the book being first person single POV.
What I didn't like were the initial chapters with almost every paragraph showing how being a Zero affected Cat and how very bitter she was. It wasn't a pleasant read. Thankfully, she found a friend who helped each other. I loved some of the teachers. But the school as a whole needs some serious overhauling, I wouldn't have lasted a few hours there.
January 4, 2019
Review for audiobook format.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. Saskia Maarleveld has provided the perfect voice for the characters. I found myself trying to listen as much as possible; during house work, out walking, any chance I could find. Usually, I keep my audiobooks for traveling in the car, not this time. I even continued (I am shocked with myself) onto the second book right away. Another thing I very rarely do.
Caitlyn is a misfit in the world of magic. She tries very hard to stay out of the way of her sisters and a curmudgeon old aunt. She finds herself heading to a school for magic and finds nothing but trouble, hexes, and bullies. Oh, and her family and their magic come from a famously prestigious line, which makes matters worse for Caitlyn.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. Saskia Maarleveld has provided the perfect voice for the characters. I found myself trying to listen as much as possible; during house work, out walking, any chance I could find. Usually, I keep my audiobooks for traveling in the car, not this time. I even continued (I am shocked with myself) onto the second book right away. Another thing I very rarely do.
Caitlyn is a misfit in the world of magic. She tries very hard to stay out of the way of her sisters and a curmudgeon old aunt. She finds herself heading to a school for magic and finds nothing but trouble, hexes, and bullies. Oh, and her family and their magic come from a famously prestigious line, which makes matters worse for Caitlyn.
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