As the world's worst witch, Maddie is mistreated by her own kind. She was born a Defect. Most of her spells blow up in her face, literally... While witches search for the long-lost power of the earth, Maddie spends her time in the science lab. There, she discovers a clue. The only other witness is Jax, a smokin' hot college bad-boy, who Maddie can't decide if she wants to kiss or kill. When the council orders her magic stripped. Maddie's only chance to keep her brain intact is to find the power with the hope that it can fix her. Jax is her one true ally on the journey. The two of them must use their smarts to stay ahead of the witches while they follow a two-hundred-year-old trail to the power of the earth and the truth behind Maddie's defect.
Emily Bybee grew up in Colorado devouring stories of all kinds and began writing at the age of twelve. She went on to get her degree in Environmental Biology before she picked up the pen again and still has a deep love of science.
Her debut book, Fractured Magic, is a paranormal romance about a defective witch. It is the first in the six book Unstable Magic series. She is currently working on projects in multiple genres as well as the next book in her series and a few novellas. Feel free to check out her free prequel to the series, Rebel Magic, on Book Funnel.
I really liked Fractured Magic by Emily Bybee. It's a tale of a witch who is mistreated by her own kind. Why you ask? Well, they deem her the worst witch ever...but is she? Does this warrant their mistreatment of her? The MC, Maddie, is a character that many individuals who relate to. Her character is strong, brave yet annoying and maddening at times, which are signs of a true character. The world that Emily created is quite fascinating, and it kept my attention the entire time. I won't give away the ending...but it's great! I recommend this story to anyone who loves magic and real life situations.
What a lovely YA read for anyone who enjoys this genre. Witches, paranormal and teen angst moments abound! Maddie is our heroine, a sweet high school senior who's never kissed a boy and has just the darndest time pulling off her spells. Being a romance fan, I adored the relationship between Maddie and Jax. It was a sweet romance but still steamy enough for the age of the characters. Their chemistry was great. Highly recommended as an add to your TBR list!
"Mom's warning about them coming for me sped up my pulse. I pushed the fear aside. I'd known it would happen someday. I'd just hoped it would be much later."
Maddie has always been afraid that she'd a Defect. Unlike most young witches, her spells tend to blow up in her face--literally. When Maddie accidentally reveals her powers to Jax, a human Biology grad student, she fears she'd made a mistake that will cost her everything. But with Jax's help and her own talent for science, Maddie begins to suspect that she's uncovered a secret that witches have sought for centuries: the ability to tap into the power of the earth. She and Jax race to find the answers they need--before the Witch Council can find them first.
Ever since Beautiful Creatures came out, I've been a big fan of witches in a contemporary setting. Especially when a witch has a human love interest, which has so many classic Romeo-and-Juliet vibes. Plus, Maddie has all the humor and irreverence that I like in a YA heroine. But my favorite aspects of Fractured Magic were the botany and historical elements! Maddie and Jax have to go on a DaVinci Code-style search for old paintings, botanical recipes, and mysterious plants in order to solve a centuries-old question. I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. And that finale!
This is the first in a series, and I hope the future books have more info on the witch world. It's clear they want to stay a secret from humans, for obvious reasons (ahem, witch trials), but I'd love to learn more about what kinds of spells they can and can't do, more rules for their powers, etc. Overall, an exciting witchy story with a spunky, science-loving heroine and plenty of great action scenes.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first novel I have read by this author. And I must say I was pleasantly surprised. She tackled a quiet common discrimination among our culture today. Discrimination against the physically and mentally challenged (as well as other areas of discrimination) but I choose to address this area as in the novel out protagonist Maddie is considered Defective. I am the mom of 7 with 5 of who would be considered defective to be tossed away! It is so easy to think that someone not like us is not as “good” as we are! Our protagonist has magic but her magic tends to blow up in her face! She spends most of her time in the laboratory trying to find out what has happened to her magic. She need to keep her research hidden so that the Witch’s Council will not order her stripped of what magic she has. She does find a clue to what lies beneath the complications of her magic. But now the Council has ordered her stripped and she must stay ahead of the witches who want to take what little magic she has – as it is hers and when they strip her magic they may just strip her mind! Will she succeed? Will she be able to repair her magic? If she can’t repair her magic will be able to show the other witches that being different does not mean being defective? This is a brilliant read! It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention. The world building is detailed and imaginative. This novel has strong, well developed characters and an interesting story line that keeps you turning the pages. I recommend this novel and would read more novels by this author. . I gave this honest, voluntary review after being given a free copy of the novel.
I am reading Book 1 of this series to prepare for Fatal Magic, Book 2, which I am reviewing for a blog tour very soon.
Are you afraid someone might hear that your daughter sucks at being a witch? They already know I’m a Defect.” “Don’t use that filthy word,” she said, her cheeks shifting from white to red. “Oh no, another scandal for the family.
Maddie has to pass the test for witches or her powers will be taken away, her memories erased, or worse. She doesn't want to end up like her Aunt Clara who is a Drone and does the council's bidding, a magical terminator so to speak. When the handsome and snarky college student, Jax, assists in discovering a clue to her lost power and her secret by accident, she enlists his help to find out more before it's too late for both of them.
The characters are well-developed in Ms. Bybee's first book in the series. Maddie is knowingly frustrated at the belittling and doubts about her abilities as a Defect, but as her confidence increases, the transformation is heroic and oh, so satisfying to watch.
I enjoyed this fast-paced, funny, and suspenseful start to Ms. Bybee's Unstable Magic Series and look forward to reading more very soon!
Fractured Magic is a modern day witch story meshed with a scientific twist. We meet the main character with is practically an outcast in her world as she has the hardest time performing magic, leaving her labeled as a Defect. With the help of her mom, she is still unable to conduct the simplest of spells and pretty much is on the verge of exploding everything in her path. With the council on her trail, she attempts to find out what happened with her magic, and embarks on an adventure to piece the puzzle together and discover the secret to the magic that has been on every witch's mind. This story was a super fast-paced one. From the first chapter, we are thrown into this scientific lab that had me intrigued. And the boy that discovers her society's well-hidden secret just throws her into a spiral. The ending left a wide door for this series. There are tons of nail-biting and literal, body-crushing moments that will leave you bug-eyed and wanting more. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend this one if you love science-y reads with more modern witches and some romance.
I enjoyed this exciting, fast paced YA book about Maddie, a young witch whose spells tend to blow up. She fails her magic final and the Witch Council orders her powers to be taken from her. There is action, intrigue, romance, and a dash of science in Maddie's quest to find out what is behind her supposedly defective power. For a magical thrill, I whole heartedly recommend Fractured Magic.
It was a fun ride into the witch world from the viewpoint of Maddie, who is considered a defect. The read was fast paced and enjoyable. The science aspect grounds the fantastical elements nicely. Can't wait for the next in the series!
I am a fan of paranormal reads and this one was interesting by mixing in a bit of science into it, I thought the characters were strong and an interesting plot, though a bit weird, and enjoyed reading it. Looking forward to the rest of the series- 4 outta 5 stars from me.
Admittedly, I am quite picky about any mystery which has elements of witchcraft, so I was leary. . I loved this book ! The pace was quick, the chapters sharp and the characters strong. A really enjoyable read. !! I shall look forward to the next.
This was an amazing read, which I would say should definitely be on the bestseller list! It is the best book I have read this year, and would recommend it if you are a book-a-holic. Don't start reading it when you have things to do, though! you won't be able to put it down. ;)
I actually read the series out of order, and it didn’t matter a bit. I enjoyed the many twists and turns of this story. Highly imaginative and worth the read. It stands alone but gives hints of what may become.