The Striding Spire

Modern Magick #3

by Charlotte E. English

Fresh from an involuntary crash course in the Stranger Arts, I've a new mystery on my the inexplicable reappearance of a particularly fantastic magickal species. Which is great, don't get me wrong. Rescuing magickal beasts is what we do around here. But the Dappledok Pup hasn't been seen since the seventeen hundreds; so how did we find one, alive and kicking, over two hundred years later? And this beast has a talent for sniffing out treasure, no less. Happenstance? Maybe not. Is there something sinister afoot? And what does any of this have to do with an unusually perambulatory tower? Aided by a talking book, a spriggan with a taste for vintage fashion and the best Waymaster in the business, nothing can stop me from finding out the truth. Can it?

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Urban Fantasy

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 27, 2018

About the author

English both by name and nationality, Charlotte hasn’t permitted emigration to the Netherlands to change her essential Britishness. She writes colourful fantasy novels over copious quantities of tea, and rarely misses an opportunity to apologise for something. Spanning the spectrum from light to dark, her works include the Draykon Series, Modern Magick, The Malykant Mysteries and the Tales of Aylfenhame.

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Striding Spire (Modern Magick, #3)
by Charlotte E. English
This book in the series has an adorable pup! Of course it's thought to be extinct but our duo had found one in poor shape during a mission. Who was responsible for this? This question and more quests were on the duo's list to solve. I think one of my favorite characters is the House! Humorous and witty, great plot, characters, unique fantasy, and now a cute fantasy pup! Got this series from Chirp when it was on sale!

[Arnaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still going strong

Absolutely loving the original topics the author comes up with in each volume. Every single one touches on something unique, yet continues precisely where the previous one left off. Very well done. I'm definitely a big fan of the duo Ves and Jay, knowing full well there's a lot more to these characters with the other regular ones gyrating around them :-)

[David Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Modern Magick series is fast becoming a favourite of mine. Short and informative chapters make these books such an easy read and the plot keeps you hooked easily.

This is an ongoing series so I do strongly suggest you read the previous books before starting this one.

So we are back with Ves and the Society for Magickal Heritage and things are starting to heat up. We start to learn more about the decline of magic in the world but also the history behind the magic..both good and bad…secrets are waiting to be discovered.

I really enjoyed the character development and its great to see each character get their own share of page time so the focus isn’t always on Ves.

Another thing I really like about the style of the tale is real life touch added to Ves and her growing infatuation with Baron Alban from the troll court. This mix of development with the main plot and her personal development just makes Ves more real..more human.

This book is all about the build-up..magical creatures long forgotten have returned.. buildings are disappearing and reappearing but why and who’s behind it...did I mention theres also a dragon? albet quite a ncie one.

Many questions get half answers in this tale..it just leads to more and more questions which for me certainly hooked me in to buy the next book.

It’s another classic tale from Charlotte who certainly knows her target market well. Her writing style continues to keep me engrossed with fantastic use of words that engages the reader and is suitable from teens up easily.

The Striding Spire is a fun tale and the series has lots of promise. I’m starting to see a bigger picture emerging but the author keeps you in the dark and only reveals tit bits as we go along to tantalise the taste buds.

I’ve high hopes for this series..don’t let me down Ms English!

If you are looking for a good fantasy book then I can't recommend anyone more highly than Charlotte E. English. 

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐
Although I really enjoyed this installment of the Modern Magick series, and devoured most of it in one sitting, I didn't love it as much as the second book: Toil and Trouble.

Not going to lie, I started getting a little annoyed by the word "emphatic" halfway through the book 😂😂 however the writing felt much more natural and believable this time round. I didn't find some of the words as forced and try-hard this time around.

Although, the quest / adventure was interesting and the novel ended in a really interesting plot point (making me want to read the next one ASAP!). And I'm still LOVING these characters! I'm really invested in the way English is showing how their relationships develop.

[Steven Tryon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confound you, Charlotte, this book is far too short. Which is to say, I enjoyed it thoroughly and want to know What Happens Next. The story line is improbable, except that it works marvelously. (Charlotte has a habit of doing this.) The characters are zany and delightful, as usual. Ves and Jay are quite the team.

Highly recommended.

[BRT · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a series of four short stories,in an ongoing serial series, in one book. The Road to Farringale, Toil & Trouble, The Striding Spire, and The Fifth Britain. It's a light, enjoyable series about a British Society whose purpose is to preserve & protect the magic that is dying out. Definitely young adult, perhaps even middle school or higher level elementary readers would enjoy this. Being that these are so short and the remaining episodes in the series are available for free on the author's website, I'm loath to purchase any more.

[Soirbleu · Rating 3 out of 5]

There comes a time in most love affairs when one begins to feel that the object of one's affection is not, perhaps, as glowingly perfect as one imagines. If one is lucky, one discovers still *liking* the other person, although with a lesser level of adoration. Sadly, for me, that point may have happened in my idolization of Cordelia Vesper, better known as Ves -- the heroine of the Modern Magick series.

Before I continue, I need to preface this with a little context. I am more than a bit of a Luddite -- I would rather have the feel of a solid book in my hand than a brightly lit screen which is pretending to be a book. I don't (or rather, didn't) like ebooks -- until Charlotte English. I read my first book on my iPhone because Ms. English offers a free starter library of her ebooks if you ask. I read the first “Tales of Alfenhame” and I was hooked. I began plowing through her other books, loving most of them, and eagerly awaiting each new one. I started reading ebooks because of her. And of all her books, the “Modern Magick” series has been my favorites. So when I say I didn't love Modern Magick 3, it is with a great deal of reluctance. More to the point, it is in the context of loving the other works of Ms. English, and also loving the other Modern Magick books. And I still enjoyed this one.

So. Modern Magick 3: The Striding Spire starts off well enough, with a date with the mysterious and appealing Baron Alban. There is a reappearance of a cute magickal creature from the second book... a creature which causes more trouble than one would expect. But I began to suspect Ves of being a Snob... the sort of snob who has a problem with public schools (mentioned in book 2), and cares enough about her appearance to begin to seem shallow. I found her obsession with clothes annoying rather than endearing; the other characters seemed a bit checked out, and I thought in general the third book in the series was lacking the grand sense of adventure and mystery the other two had from the start. Also, the color purple -- yikes! We have a purple-disguised pet, a purple dragon, a purple fire, a purple-warded room (or more than one?)... it went on. Towards the end of the book, this is in fact brought up -- but it seemed both that purple was the only color descriptor ever mentioned, and that it was mentioned in excess. I began to grit my teeth every time something else was “purple.” Argh!

So that was the bad. But on the good, Bill's successor ("Mauf") is well fleshed out and manages to be different as a character than Bill, while retaining Bill's quinessential features; we got to see a troll city, learn more about Dappledoks, and finally get presented with another mystery towards the end of the book. Indeed, the last couple chapters seemed to revitalize, giving me hope for the next one! The last few chapters had the level of energy I have come to expect; there were some surprising turn of events, and both Ves and Jay began to seem like their old, adventuresome selves. So maybe this was a lull. I still enjoy this series more than any fantasy I have read in years, and despite being a mixed bag the quality overall remains high. And I will probably still rush to read anything Ms. English puts out.

[Soirbleu · Rating 3 out of 5]

There comes a time in most love affairs when one begins to feel that the object of one's affection is not, perhaps, as glowingly perfect as one imagines. If one is lucky, one discovers still *liking* the other person, although with a lesser level of adoration. Sadly, for me, that point may have happened in my idolization of Cordelia Vesper, better known as Ves -- the heroine of the Modern Magick series.

Before I continue, I need to preface this with a little context. I am more than a bit of a Luddite -- I would rather have the feel of a solid book in my hand than a brightly lit screen which is pretending to be a book. I don't (or rather, didn't) like ebooks -- until Charlotte English. I read my first book on my iPhone because Ms. English offers a free starter library of her ebooks if you ask. I read the first “Tales of Alfenhame” and I was hooked. I began plowing through her other books, loving most of them, and eagerly awaiting each new one. I started reading ebooks because of her. And of all her books, the “Modern Magick” series has been my favorites. So when I say I didn't love Modern Magick 3, it is with a great deal of reluctance. More to the point, it is in the context of loving the other works of Ms. English, and also loving the other Modern Magick books. And I still enjoyed this one.

So. Modern Magick 3: The Striding Spire starts off well enough, with a date with the mysterious and appealing Baron Alban. There is a reappearance of a cute magickal creature from the second book... a creature which causes more trouble than one would expect. But I began to suspect Ves of being a Snob... the sort of snob who has a problem with public schools (mentioned in book 2), and cares enough about her appearance to begin to seem shallow. I found her obsession with clothes annoying rather than endearing; the other characters seemed a bit checked out, and I thought in general the third book in the series was lacking the grand sense of adventure and mystery the other two had from the start. Also, the color purple -- yikes! We have a purple-disguised pet, a purple dragon, a purple fire, a purple-warded room (or more than one?)... it went on. Towards the end of the book, this is in fact brought up -- but it seemed both that purple was the only color descriptor ever mentioned, and that it was mentioned in excess. I began to grit my teeth every time something else was “purple.” Argh!

So that was the bad. But on the good, Bill's successor ("Mauf") is well fleshed out and manages to be different as a character than Bill, while retaining Bill's quinessential features; we got to see a troll city, learn more about Dappledoks, and finally get presented with another mystery towards the end of the book. Indeed, the last couple chapters seemed to revitalize, giving me hope for the next one! The last few chapters had the level of energy I have come to expect; there were some surprising turn of events, and both Ves and Jay began to seem like their old, adventuresome selves. So maybe this was a lull. I still enjoy this series more than any fantasy I have read in years, and despite being a mixed bag the quality overall remains high. And I will probably still rush to read anything Ms. English puts out.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd round up (4, not 3), if the ending were a bit more resolved.

Some cool things happen in this installment. I'd round up to 4 if the ending had a little more closure, and a few fewer still-not-answered questions. That's not to say that a phase of the action isn't completed, and some possibly magickal-world-changing answers gained.

Ves gets to visit a picture-perfectly elegant Troll city, in an initial interlude with the charming Baron Alban. Then the investigation leads to an isolationist, secretive Spriggan Dell. A dimwitted dragon (who happens to be purple, Ves's favorite color) proves both obstacle and ally.

I like the way books and history are valued throughout the series, and how Ves is conflicted by the laws condemning the adorable, innocent Nose-for-Gold Dappledok pups to extinction because how *people* misuse their ability.

"Bill Two", the new talking codex, chooses his own name, Gallimaufry ("Mauf"), and reveals that not only has he absorbed the full contents of the Society's library, but also many volumes which remain in lost Farringdale. (I'm mentioning this, because I was confused at first re. how Mauf knew things from between the 16th century and Bill's recent awakening, unlike Bill's limitations before.) If you read my review of MM2, you know I was hesitant to accept him, but Mauf has developed his own personality, and won me over.

I did guess in general terms what the Dappledok explanation would involve. I think it was back when they heard the chronology of selective breeding for the pups. Think of the Southern Continent of Pern.

There's plenty of action, with guards, fire, and heights, not to mention rules getting in the way. There's a leak to try to identify at Home, too, don't forget, which brings an unusual Truthseeker to the Society.

I'm eager to see where the story goes from here, with the unusual instructions Milady gives at the end.

Now, I do need to mention errors. Not only was "trawled" used for "walked" *again* (though in this case it *coincidentally* kind of works, in the sense of going through rooms searching for someone), there were also *several* occurrences of I-should-be-me, always in compound objects ("...Jay and I"), twice in chapter 12, and once more in chapter 14 (all the same day's writing, perhaps??). I wish Ms. English would learn to test for subjective vs. objective case by removing the other person, which makes the error obvious in each one of these sentences.
Oh, also, the last paragraph of About This Book gives the wrong title (presumably a copy-&-paste error).
Finally, in what is either a continuity error or my overlooking a mention, at location 274, Jay discusses a fact that Ves just found out, and AFAIK has thus far shared only with Miranda (the one in charge of caring for magickal beasts).

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ves was left with a rather unusual animal at the end of book 2, and it’s not only magickal, vanishingly rare, but the features on her pup were bred out of it centuries ago. She and Jay are sent off to visit the Spriggan enclave who bred the creatures in the first place to ask some serious questions: how? Who? Why?
888
Oooh bonus, a date with Baron Alban… breakfast in the troll city. Ves is super pleased that the pancake servings are troll sized.
Weirdly, Bill2 - a copy of the talking book who insists he have a different name ie. Maufrey - says the Spriggans bred eight different magickal creatures but all of them were bred by two brothers. And one of them had a habit of disappearing, and coming back with things he shouldn’t have. They found the litter in the disappearing house … maybe something else moves. I dunno … like a striding spire, eh?
Actually, that’s a really good point about time travel and the good vs bad of bringing things back.
4 stars
And in the box set there is an extra story about how Ves befriended flying unicorns with a paper pack of chips.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me say first that I LOVE this author's books. I have read books in several different series from her and very much enjoyed all of them. Charlotte E. English has a wonderful way with characters, and writes stories that are clever, sweet and dramatic all at the same time AND which have plenty of the cheeky humour the Brits are so famous for.

All that to preface the fact that this particular book, while still quite enjoyable wasn't one of my favourites from this author.

The story is book 3 in a series and it was good. The continuation of earlier plot-points in the prior books was connected and I still love these characters, but I wasn't quite as fully engaged in the plot as with the earlier books.

I still love this author and look forward to continuing to read more of her books in future.

[Susan Zoch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this story. I have to it was a fun story. This was a third in a series and they do rely on each other to get the full enjoyment but they are entertaining. I do want to continue with the series to find out what happens next.

This story was looking into where the animal they found at the end of the previous story. Of course this leads to more and more of the magical world and issues therein. It's just plain fun.

[Berita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glad to be finished. Entertaining and witty from time to time, long-winded and scattered at other times. Not a favourite of mine, even though it has a talking book and everything. A little to chatter-box'y and little to low on progress.

Sad to say I didn't really cared about the characters either.

[Sue Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great installment of the adventures of Ves and Jay. Thoroughly enjoyable and with new interesting species and characters as well as appearances from regular bit part players.
This ends more like the 2nd in a trilogy than a descreat part of a series. I expected a couple more chapters but that could just be because I am eager to find out more.

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Seriously loving this series and the world it's set in. The story is also fantastic. That and the characters really make for a light-hearted and fun read. I'm always disappointed when I'm done - all the more so when the books have been fairly short.

[Voirrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The saga continues. We have a mysterious treasure seeking dog, another enclave of magical beings - and the possibility of time travel...

I enjoyed this episode as much as the previous ones - but feel this might be the point to take a break for now.

[David Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories are so full of fun and whimsy! They're really great for sitting back and giving your mind a little vacation.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again the language is a bit overly descriptive and flowery - it could do with a bit of editing out but the premise is very good and it's starting to develope into a very good series.

[Boneist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magic, mayhem, dells and a shiny tower... what’s not to like?

[Jo Ericksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging series with some humor.

[Malischa Nijenhuis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Het is dat ze lelijke koffers hebben. Anders had ik ze graag in de kast hebben staan. Wat een gave serie

[Teddi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this series may end up on my favourites list. Onto the next!

[Clarissa Gosling · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pup is such a cutie and I can't get enough of this series.

[fiona marlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully Magick Read

With each book it's been 'must read next one'. Already love these books. They're all coming on holiday with me !

[Naticia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think I realized how connected all the stories would be - the plot (and stakes) just keep growing and expanding. So glad there are many more to read!

[JJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read with engaging characters. I enjoyed this!

[Kimmo S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Viihdyttävää jatkoa Toil and Troublelle. Edellisessä tarinassa löytyneen taikakoiran salaisuutta selviteltäessä paljastuu yhä uusia yllätyksiä. Mukana myös Archie, vähän pieniaivoisempi lohikäärme.

[Charlie]

Fun series

Just enough temptation to continue without creating a cliff hanger end. Each book so far has its own conclusion and threads of an overarching story line.

[Elyse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fresh story ideas that definitely differentiate this from HP series. Loved the magickal buildings, as well as the novel pup that becomes a companion for the team.

Next!