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School of Magic Survival #3
Real Magic
Valerie doesn't like counting on her luck to get her out of bad scrapes, but so far that seems to be all that's keeping her alive.
That and her natural abilities as a magic user, which she isn't ready to trust, either.
Once more, Valerie and the rest of her friends are back at school, but this time she knows something that no one else does. She knows the name of someone who might be able to help them. Might be able to help her stop the war, stop the Pure, stop the magic that could very easily wipe out the entire world.
The problem is that there's no guarantee she survives another encounter with serious magic. Even the woman who came to help her thought that she was better off not doing anything. She should let the fighters fight while she learns whatever she can. She's not strong enough to fight the Pure. None of them are.
Is her luck going to hold out long enough? Or will the Council's machinations and the Pure's ambition finally force her into a confrontation that she might not make it out of?
Class is in session, and Valerie is scrambling to get herself ready for a fight with real magic.
Jump back in now!
That and her natural abilities as a magic user, which she isn't ready to trust, either.
Once more, Valerie and the rest of her friends are back at school, but this time she knows something that no one else does. She knows the name of someone who might be able to help them. Might be able to help her stop the war, stop the Pure, stop the magic that could very easily wipe out the entire world.
The problem is that there's no guarantee she survives another encounter with serious magic. Even the woman who came to help her thought that she was better off not doing anything. She should let the fighters fight while she learns whatever she can. She's not strong enough to fight the Pure. None of them are.
Is her luck going to hold out long enough? Or will the Council's machinations and the Pure's ambition finally force her into a confrontation that she might not make it out of?
Class is in session, and Valerie is scrambling to get herself ready for a fight with real magic.
Jump back in now!
- GenresMagic
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 30, 2019
253 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 4, 2021
Ok if not satisfying conclusion to this series? The door was left open for more though.
I found all the politics of the magic factions and who stood for what both unclear and confusing, but what did it matter really.
Valerie is a good heroine and her supporting cast of four students/fellow students at magic school make for a good story, it was just far too long and uninteresting with the aformentioned politics.
Ok read.
I found all the politics of the magic factions and who stood for what both unclear and confusing, but what did it matter really.
Valerie is a good heroine and her supporting cast of four students/fellow students at magic school make for a good story, it was just far too long and uninteresting with the aformentioned politics.
Ok read.
July 24, 2024
Series review
Harry Potter move over. Valerie is in the house.
Seriously guys. If you're a fan of Harry Potter, you're gonna love this series here:
School of Magic Survival by Chloe Garner.
Book 1 - Surviving Magic - 408 pages
Book 2 - Unveiling Magic - 319 pages
Book 3 - Real Magic - 306 pages
Book 4 - Shadow Magic - 258 pages
Book 5 - Battle Magic - 306 pages
Book 6 - Magic Unleashed - 264 pages
Book 7 - Blood Magic - 380 pages
This is a fast paced, action packed, magic filled story starring a 'normal girl' who suddenly finds herself at a magic school, surrounded by people in awe of her parents, teachers with high expectations and colleagues who resent her. She's suddenly supposed to not only know that magic exists, but also know how to practice it.
And, with the help of a couple of kind teachers, and a great dorm roommate/BFF, Valerie jumps head first into a dangerous world of magic where demons may not be the worst threat, the slightest spells can kill if not properly mastered, and friends may need to be watched more careful than foes. And she does it all flying in by the seat of her pants, winging it with more sheer luck than style.
"I didn't ask for this,"...
"No, you didn't choose any of this, but this is where you are and it's what you are, and now you have to do the best you can."
Valerie is a character any reader will cheer for. And I stayed in her corner up to the very end. But she is not the only thing that turns this series into an addictive page turner.
That's a combination of edge of the seat action, a solid plot full of unpredictable twists, really cool magic and a larger cast of supporting characters that grow before your eyes.
The stakes deepen with each book and just when you think everything will be wrapped up nicely by the end of book 3, the 4th installment comes along, setting the stage for an even larger conflict, raising the stakes higher and sharper than before.
It is impossible to review each book in turn without giving any spoilers, so I'm not even going to try. Because it's best you go into it blind and hang on to your hats for the ride.
The books may not be perfect and the pace may be a tad too slow at times, and yet...
Any series that has you ditch your entire carefully planned TBR to binge-read its SEVEN books one after another from cover to cover until you reach the very end, deserves big fat 5 stars.
That's what School of Magic Survival by Chloe Garner did for me.
So here I am giving you all a little nudge/shove to go ahead and read it too.
Yep. I'm pretty shameless like that when books are involved.
"Own it, wear it."
Harry Potter move over. Valerie is in the house.
Seriously guys. If you're a fan of Harry Potter, you're gonna love this series here:
School of Magic Survival by Chloe Garner.
Book 1 - Surviving Magic - 408 pages
Book 2 - Unveiling Magic - 319 pages
Book 3 - Real Magic - 306 pages
Book 4 - Shadow Magic - 258 pages
Book 5 - Battle Magic - 306 pages
Book 6 - Magic Unleashed - 264 pages
Book 7 - Blood Magic - 380 pages
This is a fast paced, action packed, magic filled story starring a 'normal girl' who suddenly finds herself at a magic school, surrounded by people in awe of her parents, teachers with high expectations and colleagues who resent her. She's suddenly supposed to not only know that magic exists, but also know how to practice it.
And, with the help of a couple of kind teachers, and a great dorm roommate/BFF, Valerie jumps head first into a dangerous world of magic where demons may not be the worst threat, the slightest spells can kill if not properly mastered, and friends may need to be watched more careful than foes. And she does it all flying in by the seat of her pants, winging it with more sheer luck than style.
"I didn't ask for this,"...
"No, you didn't choose any of this, but this is where you are and it's what you are, and now you have to do the best you can."
Valerie is a character any reader will cheer for. And I stayed in her corner up to the very end. But she is not the only thing that turns this series into an addictive page turner.
That's a combination of edge of the seat action, a solid plot full of unpredictable twists, really cool magic and a larger cast of supporting characters that grow before your eyes.
The stakes deepen with each book and just when you think everything will be wrapped up nicely by the end of book 3, the 4th installment comes along, setting the stage for an even larger conflict, raising the stakes higher and sharper than before.
It is impossible to review each book in turn without giving any spoilers, so I'm not even going to try. Because it's best you go into it blind and hang on to your hats for the ride.
The books may not be perfect and the pace may be a tad too slow at times, and yet...
Any series that has you ditch your entire carefully planned TBR to binge-read its SEVEN books one after another from cover to cover until you reach the very end, deserves big fat 5 stars.
That's what School of Magic Survival by Chloe Garner did for me.
So here I am giving you all a little nudge/shove to go ahead and read it too.
Yep. I'm pretty shameless like that when books are involved.
"Own it, wear it."
August 16, 2024
This book is my favourite of the series so far. Not only because Sam and Sam and Jason feature heavily, and I do love Easter eggs from other series, but also because it largely takes place out of school.
The war is ramping up, so the council takes unprecedented steps - to enlist students on the front line to act as cannon-fodder for magic they haven't been taught, and to detain and control Valerie as an asset, or as a lever. But their machinations reveal more than they bargained for, and a rebellion is coming.
The feel of the books grows darker throughout and, while still suitable for any age as regards spice and language, brings in difficult themes and philosophies, which fully satisfies a moderately-intelligent adult looking for a shorter, entertaining read.
The modern prose fits the UF genre as well as the language of the protagonists, the world-building generally relates to the magic use, which is well-described and believable. The characters mature in interesting ways, and the morals of war are critically debated. An excellent book.
The war is ramping up, so the council takes unprecedented steps - to enlist students on the front line to act as cannon-fodder for magic they haven't been taught, and to detain and control Valerie as an asset, or as a lever. But their machinations reveal more than they bargained for, and a rebellion is coming.
The feel of the books grows darker throughout and, while still suitable for any age as regards spice and language, brings in difficult themes and philosophies, which fully satisfies a moderately-intelligent adult looking for a shorter, entertaining read.
The modern prose fits the UF genre as well as the language of the protagonists, the world-building generally relates to the magic use, which is well-described and believable. The characters mature in interesting ways, and the morals of war are critically debated. An excellent book.
January 16, 2020
Wrap up of the series with a slip knot
Valerie feels compelled to do something to stop the war, but recognizes her weakness so she continues training with her circle of friends at the school. Then a series of events occur in which she has little choice but to fight.
This time, however, she has backup. Not only her family & her circle, but some new acquaintances as well. (Apparently, it's a series crossover, though this author is new to me so I'm not familiar with it)
Overall, I liked the story, though I would have liked a more conclusive ending. It wrapped up their here & now with a positive, hopeful direction, but the future is left open-ended.
*Clean romance level: sweet kisses, nothing graphic, though Ethan & Valerie briefly discuss the possibility of sex, & Valerie figures it will happen eventually when the time is right
Sneak peek has a reference to an adult's "sex hangover" but nothing graphic
Valerie feels compelled to do something to stop the war, but recognizes her weakness so she continues training with her circle of friends at the school. Then a series of events occur in which she has little choice but to fight.
This time, however, she has backup. Not only her family & her circle, but some new acquaintances as well. (Apparently, it's a series crossover, though this author is new to me so I'm not familiar with it)
Overall, I liked the story, though I would have liked a more conclusive ending. It wrapped up their here & now with a positive, hopeful direction, but the future is left open-ended.
*Clean romance level: sweet kisses, nothing graphic, though Ethan & Valerie briefly discuss the possibility of sex, & Valerie figures it will happen eventually when the time is right
Sneak peek has a reference to an adult's "sex hangover" but nothing graphic
August 3, 2023
A little too much of the chosen ones being invincible.
I like how the other four are also useful here- Ethan with his political training, Sasha with medicine, Hanson with- not sure magically, but good at friendship, and Shack with magic. Still, when this bunch gets to it, you have the whole ministry and all the Pure scrambling! Even Valerie's oh-so-amazing mother can't keep up!
And then of course you have Valerie's grandma versus her grandpa versus Ethan's Dad, and it becomes a lot more personal, but I like how the political plot was crafted to make it seem real with multiple forces rather than a simple good versus evil fight.
Also, Sam and Sam coming in is nice, but it adds to Valerie's extra superpowered support system again... How come the bad guys aren't half as good?!
I like how the other four are also useful here- Ethan with his political training, Sasha with medicine, Hanson with- not sure magically, but good at friendship, and Shack with magic. Still, when this bunch gets to it, you have the whole ministry and all the Pure scrambling! Even Valerie's oh-so-amazing mother can't keep up!
And then of course you have Valerie's grandma versus her grandpa versus Ethan's Dad, and it becomes a lot more personal, but I like how the political plot was crafted to make it seem real with multiple forces rather than a simple good versus evil fight.
Also, Sam and Sam coming in is nice, but it adds to Valerie's extra superpowered support system again... How come the bad guys aren't half as good?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2024
Great storyline.
I’m loving this series, but I seriously wish they’d proofread the books before letting them go to print. Lots of errors with wrong words (thing instead of think, for example), punctuation errors mostly. I wish they’d separate chapters…or I suppose they are breaks between chapters…with an asterisk or something in between….you’ll be reading and suddenly the characters are somewhere else in a different conversation and you have to backtrack to see WTH happened. This might seem inconsequential to some people, but it takes away some of the reading pleasure.
I’m loving this series, but I seriously wish they’d proofread the books before letting them go to print. Lots of errors with wrong words (thing instead of think, for example), punctuation errors mostly. I wish they’d separate chapters…or I suppose they are breaks between chapters…with an asterisk or something in between….you’ll be reading and suddenly the characters are somewhere else in a different conversation and you have to backtrack to see WTH happened. This might seem inconsequential to some people, but it takes away some of the reading pleasure.
February 4, 2020
Loved this story. Plenty of magical action here. It’s easy to forget that the characters are teenagers as they handle complex and difficult scenarios remarkably well. Valerie and her friends gel to become a force to be reckoned with. You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family. This story makes you wish you could . Plenty of action and twists in the storyline.
Most entertaining fantasy tale.
Very much appreciated and recommended.
Most entertaining fantasy tale.
Very much appreciated and recommended.
March 30, 2020
OMG. I loved this book. I think I liked this one more than the others. There were some twists that I did not expect. And more characters were brought in that I did not realize there are other books about them in this same universe. Will be checking those out. Loved how they all worked together. The dynamic of their little group. Loved the ending but hope there is another book. When I looked I could not tell if there was. I will check again later.
May 6, 2024
While I’m enjoying this series, I still don’t like how young the characters are. The plot is good, but everything is ruined because we have to worry about who’s watching the “kid” (our FMC.). There is no physical intimacy other than brief kisses. As a matter of fact, in this book our FMC actually tells her male interest that she will not sleep with him. Again, I say that age detracts from this book. I could stop reading, but I still want to know what will happen.
May 5, 2025
DNF at just past 50%. This whole series is drier than the Atacama Desert in Chile, and I can't take anymore. In addition to the dryness, none of the characters have any personality at all. This book, in particular, has a ton of errors such as no opening quotations, making the novel difficult to read in some spots. There are so many good books out there, and after giving this one the "old college try," I can't waste anymore time attempting to get into and enjoy this author's style of writing.
November 30, 2020
I did enjoy the series but at times felt it was too crowded with the conversations being drawn out and repetitive. Which if it was real life I guess we would talk like that.
The story was interesting and new for me. The idea of magic being done like that very interesting and I found myself wishing this was a movie as well so I could see it. Overall it was a good series and glad I read it.
The story was interesting and new for me. The idea of magic being done like that very interesting and I found myself wishing this was a movie as well so I could see it. Overall it was a good series and glad I read it.
June 19, 2024
Great Story!
I really like this series. The character development is thin on some of the less prominent characters is thin. My biggest thought throughout the series is how much better it could be with a good editor fixing grammar and cleaning up other issues. Publishers should be hotly fighting to add this series to their catalog!
I really like this series. The character development is thin on some of the less prominent characters is thin. My biggest thought throughout the series is how much better it could be with a good editor fixing grammar and cleaning up other issues. Publishers should be hotly fighting to add this series to their catalog!
May 26, 2020
Excellent read!
I highly recommend this action packed adventure and the amazing series in which it is. I like the way Garner show the 3 sides of the conflict, and the kick butt way these characters deal with their problems. Enjoy!
I highly recommend this action packed adventure and the amazing series in which it is. I like the way Garner show the 3 sides of the conflict, and the kick butt way these characters deal with their problems. Enjoy!
December 27, 2021
Real Magic, the third book of the School of Magic Survival series, is an ebook I borrowed through Kindle Unlimited (KU). A nice, satisfying ending for the series, although the writer was repetitious in some instances. A good story.
December 7, 2024
Real Magic (School of Magic Survival Book 3)
Real Magic (School of Magic Survival Book 3) 😂💝 Absolutely enjoyed this book….. Wow I could not put this book down. I love reading this book I do not want to spoil anything…Cannot wait for more......Definitely recommend this series…..
Real Magic (School of Magic Survival Book 3) 😂💝 Absolutely enjoyed this book….. Wow I could not put this book down. I love reading this book I do not want to spoil anything…Cannot wait for more......Definitely recommend this series…..
December 25, 2024
I basically read this series back to back.
It's a rampaging adventure, and I enjoyed the arcs and world building and problem solving as the books power along. More is made clear as the stories proceed. I really enjoyed the character development.
You really do need to start with book 1 and read the books in order. The story starts when Valerie is 16 and finish when she's around 20.
In this instalment she bumps into the people from the sam and sam books.
It's a rampaging adventure, and I enjoyed the arcs and world building and problem solving as the books power along. More is made clear as the stories proceed. I really enjoyed the character development.
You really do need to start with book 1 and read the books in order. The story starts when Valerie is 16 and finish when she's around 20.
In this instalment she bumps into the people from the sam and sam books.
March 4, 2020
Awesome read
Loved this. I wish that it continued. I love finding new authors and being pulled into their new world of thrilling adventures
Loved this. I wish that it continued. I love finding new authors and being pulled into their new world of thrilling adventures
May 30, 2020
Great series
I really enjoy reading this series. Cannot wait to read the next book. I highly recommend this book and serjes.
I really enjoy reading this series. Cannot wait to read the next book. I highly recommend this book and serjes.
January 6, 2023
love this series
This series has been great so far and I am looking forward to following the Sam and Sam series too
This series has been great so far and I am looking forward to following the Sam and Sam series too
January 6, 2024
Fun series. Quick reads with a compelling story line.
February 8, 2024
Another…
…well written story. I am a fan and completely convinced this author is doing what she was gifted to do.
…well written story. I am a fan and completely convinced this author is doing what she was gifted to do.
April 16, 2020
Enjoyed the series overall. I will say book 1 was my favorite. I thought the ending of the series felt open but that’s just how I felt. Great read overall
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews