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Arch Mage #2
Second Earth
An ancient force has awakened. And only a brave young girl can tame its destructive power...
After defeating the evil forces that threatened the worlds of the Jent Path, Agnes Ann Cavanaugh has continued her magical studies. But despite her hard work and skilled tutors, she still struggles to master her power while managing her chronic pain. Until her handsome friend Temnon and his shapeshifting cat return, and whisk Agnes with her family to train on a deserted island.
However, her training quickly goes awry when a deadly earthquake forces her to use her powers to save innocent lives from catastrophe. Temnon suspects something sinister may lie at the heart of the disaster. Returning to First Earth, the pair of investigators quickly learn that there is more to these mysterious tremors than meets the eye... and now Agnes's home, Second Earth, is in danger of complete annihilation...
Joining with two brilliant elementals, they travel to Second Earth's core, where they discover a force unlike anything they have ever confronted. A new magic with the power to annihilate entire worlds... or give birth to a new dawn. And as Agnes is catapulted into a dangerous journey through time and space, she soon learns that the fate of a billion souls rests on her shoulders.
If she makes the wrong choice, countless worlds will be doomed--including her own.
Journey to a world of strange creatures, heart-racing adventure, and wondrous magic. Fans of J.A. Andrews and Lucia Ashta and Brigid Kemmerer will love this coming of age fantasy series.
After defeating the evil forces that threatened the worlds of the Jent Path, Agnes Ann Cavanaugh has continued her magical studies. But despite her hard work and skilled tutors, she still struggles to master her power while managing her chronic pain. Until her handsome friend Temnon and his shapeshifting cat return, and whisk Agnes with her family to train on a deserted island.
However, her training quickly goes awry when a deadly earthquake forces her to use her powers to save innocent lives from catastrophe. Temnon suspects something sinister may lie at the heart of the disaster. Returning to First Earth, the pair of investigators quickly learn that there is more to these mysterious tremors than meets the eye... and now Agnes's home, Second Earth, is in danger of complete annihilation...
Joining with two brilliant elementals, they travel to Second Earth's core, where they discover a force unlike anything they have ever confronted. A new magic with the power to annihilate entire worlds... or give birth to a new dawn. And as Agnes is catapulted into a dangerous journey through time and space, she soon learns that the fate of a billion souls rests on her shoulders.
If she makes the wrong choice, countless worlds will be doomed--including her own.
Journey to a world of strange creatures, heart-racing adventure, and wondrous magic. Fans of J.A. Andrews and Lucia Ashta and Brigid Kemmerer will love this coming of age fantasy series.
390 pages, Hardcover
Published January 23, 2020
15 people are currently reading
853 people want to read
About the author
Cami Murdock Jensen
7 books422 followersMulti-award winning author, Cami Murdock Jensen grew up in Spanish Fork, Utah, fostering two passions: science and the fine arts. As a senior in high school, she won the Sterling Scholar in science and cloned DNA to compete on the state level. One year later, she wrote the score for her first children’s musical, "Robin Hood: Tales of Ye Merry Wood", which she later published. She has since dedicated years to teaching, writing, composing, and directing, as well as studying the genetic defect that runs in her family. Cami has six amazing children who have battled leagues of demons and a husband who is a much better hero than any prince.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 5, 2021
Second Earth? Wait a second millennia.
If Journey to the Center of the Earth were to get smashed into 20,000 Leagues under the Sea with a bit of Harry Potter magic and Star Wars technology as new creatures are discovered and new skills learned to meld magic back into Earth 2 to solve evolutionary planetary problems with the solar system baby larva cocoon hideout locations. It may be a challenge to figure out what is happening, but some of the characters are getting well connected.
If Journey to the Center of the Earth were to get smashed into 20,000 Leagues under the Sea with a bit of Harry Potter magic and Star Wars technology as new creatures are discovered and new skills learned to meld magic back into Earth 2 to solve evolutionary planetary problems with the solar system baby larva cocoon hideout locations. It may be a challenge to figure out what is happening, but some of the characters are getting well connected.
May 11, 2020
I enjoyed this book little less than the first, and though it wasn’t as polished as its predecessor, it was still exciting. The science was a little shaky in the beginning, and definitely ended up being very imaginative. A lot of research clearly went into the concepts the author developed, and the prose takes every opportunity to educate the reader about earthquakes, the core, and tectonic plates.
Agnes seemed a little confused in this book, particularly her reaction to the ‘true’ form of the sirens and her shallow understanding of the ‘demon’ in the earth’s core. I expected more layers to her thought process, rather than the knee-jerk, ‘eww, gross’ - particularly as she’s always had to deal with assumptions made about herself due to her appearance. There were two black women in this book, Sempira (who was described as ‘exotic’), and a FBI agent who was simply referred to as ‘agent Amazon’ or ‘the amazon’. To me, this felt tone-deaf, and I was disappointed that Siren prince Rein seemed to know an awful lot about marine life on earth despite never having been there,
Despite this, this sequel was fast-paced, exciting, imaginative like the first, and will greatly be enjoyed by its target audience and by others. Grimmal made less of an appearance than I’d have liked, and Rein was definitely created solely for the purpose of creating some kind of there-but-not-really-there love-triangle (it was a little unclear what the relationship was between Agnes and Temnon in the first part of the book). Magic now also seems to now be more of a poorly-kept secret on Second Earth, but at least Agnes was more the hero this time round and had more space to her own.
Overall, this book is a fun and enjoyable ride!
Agnes seemed a little confused in this book, particularly her reaction to the ‘true’ form of the sirens and her shallow understanding of the ‘demon’ in the earth’s core. I expected more layers to her thought process, rather than the knee-jerk, ‘eww, gross’ - particularly as she’s always had to deal with assumptions made about herself due to her appearance. There were two black women in this book, Sempira (who was described as ‘exotic’), and a FBI agent who was simply referred to as ‘agent Amazon’ or ‘the amazon’. To me, this felt tone-deaf, and I was disappointed that Siren prince Rein seemed to know an awful lot about marine life on earth despite never having been there,
Despite this, this sequel was fast-paced, exciting, imaginative like the first, and will greatly be enjoyed by its target audience and by others. Grimmal made less of an appearance than I’d have liked, and Rein was definitely created solely for the purpose of creating some kind of there-but-not-really-there love-triangle (it was a little unclear what the relationship was between Agnes and Temnon in the first part of the book). Magic now also seems to now be more of a poorly-kept secret on Second Earth, but at least Agnes was more the hero this time round and had more space to her own.
Overall, this book is a fun and enjoyable ride!
January 24, 2020
*I received a free copy of this book from the author via voracious readers only in exchange for an honest review*
After the great story, pacing and characters of the first book I was really excited to get started on this one and I’m happy to say it did not disappoint. The story pulls you in, it’s still just as fast paced and I think that this one may be even better than the first. I’m just going to have to read the next one now!
After the great story, pacing and characters of the first book I was really excited to get started on this one and I’m happy to say it did not disappoint. The story pulls you in, it’s still just as fast paced and I think that this one may be even better than the first. I’m just going to have to read the next one now!
February 11, 2021
She has help save life and now she needs to master her magic but one spell goes wrong. Now they are in a fight to save all life on earth. Something evil is trying to take over and destroy all life on earth. Can they defeat it? Can it be stopped? Can they stop it? See what they need to do
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 23, 2020
Excellent read..Honest review by an ARC reader,I must tell you I was really non-stop reading this book and it was hard to reach the end ,I wanted more , much more great story line ,Fantastic characters, and twists wrapping science and Magic kept me immersed . I suggest this book , and can't wait for the next one.
February 1, 2020
One Hot Ride
It just keeps getting better and better! I love Agnes and all the characters and this new ordeal has me wanting even more. The world's are rich and entertaining and the storyline even more so.
I love how far Agnes has come and watching her magic grow. I am so excited for the next!
It just keeps getting better and better! I love Agnes and all the characters and this new ordeal has me wanting even more. The world's are rich and entertaining and the storyline even more so.
I love how far Agnes has come and watching her magic grow. I am so excited for the next!
November 30, 2021
Better than the first...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2020
What a story. This is the second book and who would believe it’s even better than the first. The characters and the plot are fantastic together.
March 18, 2021
So I read First Earth and couldn't wait to crack open this one. Definitely recommend this series!
There might be minor spoilers but I will be as vague as possible.
You have been warned.
Things I liked:
Agnes and her next stage of growth. She's still learning about her power and it was cool the way the author has you explore it with you.
I liked Rein. I didn't necessarily always like him as a PERSON(lol), but I liked him as a character. He was deep, complex, and interesting to learn about.
I liked Sempira. Again. Very interesting personality.
So overall I loved the depth of these new characters!! They were fun to learn about and get to know.
Also, I loved the descriptions. When they were going down the ocean, I found myself hyperventilating (as I have this fear of drowning...or being in a submarine) but I was tense in a good way. Kept me in my toes and made me read further just because I HAD to know what was going to happen to our heroes.
What I wasn't so much for:
So there was one inconsistency that made me waffle in giving it 4 versus 5 stars. I will be as vague as I possibly can. But again. Minor spoilers. So Agnes physically cannot lie, even by accident. So even if she thinks something is true, she can't lie. I was a little confused when there came an instance of calling something a (certain species) when it was, in fact, something different. I went "oh. I guess surely it must be what she says it is because her magic doesn't usually let her do mess up that way." But then it turned out it was something else. This sounds small, but it had impact on their plan and events/conflict. So I feel misunderstandings could have been easily avoided by this.
This book also did take me a little longer to get into as opposed to the first book, but again, I am a super slow reader so that is probably not an accurate depiction of the pacing. I would just say to anybody who IS a slow reader: keep going because it really hits its stride once they get started on their mission!
Conclusion:
Love this series. It's a great YA if you are looking for something clean and fun to read. The world-building is natural and yet three dimensional--you are always learning new things about the worlds Agnes is getting introduced to.
I'm definitely putting book 3 on my reading list.
There might be minor spoilers but I will be as vague as possible.
You have been warned.
Things I liked:
Agnes and her next stage of growth. She's still learning about her power and it was cool the way the author has you explore it with you.
I liked Rein. I didn't necessarily always like him as a PERSON(lol), but I liked him as a character. He was deep, complex, and interesting to learn about.
I liked Sempira. Again. Very interesting personality.
So overall I loved the depth of these new characters!! They were fun to learn about and get to know.
Also, I loved the descriptions. When they were going down the ocean, I found myself hyperventilating (as I have this fear of drowning...or being in a submarine) but I was tense in a good way. Kept me in my toes and made me read further just because I HAD to know what was going to happen to our heroes.
What I wasn't so much for:
So there was one inconsistency that made me waffle in giving it 4 versus 5 stars. I will be as vague as I possibly can. But again. Minor spoilers. So Agnes physically cannot lie, even by accident. So even if she thinks something is true, she can't lie. I was a little confused when there came an instance of calling something a (certain species) when it was, in fact, something different. I went "oh. I guess surely it must be what she says it is because her magic doesn't usually let her do mess up that way." But then it turned out it was something else. This sounds small, but it had impact on their plan and events/conflict. So I feel misunderstandings could have been easily avoided by this.
This book also did take me a little longer to get into as opposed to the first book, but again, I am a super slow reader so that is probably not an accurate depiction of the pacing. I would just say to anybody who IS a slow reader: keep going because it really hits its stride once they get started on their mission!
Conclusion:
Love this series. It's a great YA if you are looking for something clean and fun to read. The world-building is natural and yet three dimensional--you are always learning new things about the worlds Agnes is getting introduced to.
I'm definitely putting book 3 on my reading list.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2021
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Second Earth
Author: Cami Murdock Jensen
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 19
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 8/10
Of the 19 readers:
18 would read another book by this author.
16 thought the cover was good or excellent.
19 felt it was easy to follow.
19 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 8 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
18 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
18 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“This writer is excellent as she knows how to balance an exciting plot with strong character development. There's plenty happening all the time but there's also moments of reflection (mostly by Agnes) which gave the book a lot of depth, particularly for a young adult novel.” Female reader, age 15
“I loved Agnes in this story. I felt she was strong and brave and developed as the story went on particularly in terms of her powers. I love the ‘earthquake’ plot; I thought that was very clever. And I liked the ‘who can I trust’ mystery which kept me gripped till the very end.” Female reader, age 15
“This is an exciting adventure story packed full of interesting and often flawed characters. The author’s particularly good at describing setting making it jump off the page. I didn't read the first book but I enjoyed this so much I might go and hunt out.” Male reader, age 14
“I liked the mix of science and magic and I felt the book’s pacing was good. I would recommend reading book one first to better get to know the protagonist, but other than that this is a compelling read most teenagers will enjoy.” Male reader, age 14
To Sum It Up:
‘An epic adventure pack full of magical twists and turns. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Second Earth
Author: Cami Murdock Jensen
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 19
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 8/10
Of the 19 readers:
18 would read another book by this author.
16 thought the cover was good or excellent.
19 felt it was easy to follow.
19 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 8 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
18 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
18 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“This writer is excellent as she knows how to balance an exciting plot with strong character development. There's plenty happening all the time but there's also moments of reflection (mostly by Agnes) which gave the book a lot of depth, particularly for a young adult novel.” Female reader, age 15
“I loved Agnes in this story. I felt she was strong and brave and developed as the story went on particularly in terms of her powers. I love the ‘earthquake’ plot; I thought that was very clever. And I liked the ‘who can I trust’ mystery which kept me gripped till the very end.” Female reader, age 15
“This is an exciting adventure story packed full of interesting and often flawed characters. The author’s particularly good at describing setting making it jump off the page. I didn't read the first book but I enjoyed this so much I might go and hunt out.” Male reader, age 14
“I liked the mix of science and magic and I felt the book’s pacing was good. I would recommend reading book one first to better get to know the protagonist, but other than that this is a compelling read most teenagers will enjoy.” Male reader, age 14
To Sum It Up:
‘An epic adventure pack full of magical twists and turns. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
August 11, 2020
This book surprised me, it was a much richer and more nuanced book than I was expecting. Travel to the center of the earth evokes thoughts of cheesy quasi-science stories from the 1800's but this book went in a totally different direction and is so much more than the trek into the treacherous center of the planet. In this reality, earthquakes are not supposed to happen and finding out what is causing the earth's crust to be unstable is very important. The science gets quite fanciful, but this is a universe where magic is real and it was a really cool concept.
In trying to figure out how to deal with the earthquakes, Agnes also learns much much more about her magic and the nature of truth. They story plays out on various different earths and introduces yet more species and conflicts in this already complex reality. The various ways Agnes' truth power was explored and the solutions to the problems Agnes was able to come to made for a fast and intriguing read. There were a couple scenes that felt a little heavy handed with the lesson they were trying to impart, but they were brief and not a dominant part of the book. It went more into the gray areas of what seems ostensibly to be a white power. Ways that the truth can be less than truthful, ways it can be used as a weapon and cut, but also ways that it gives Agnes unique strengths and perspectives on the issues and people she is dealing with.
Book 2 in the Arch Mage series, this book does contain a standalone plot but much of the world building and character development is done in book 1 and would be best enjoyed after book 1. This book has a satisfying ending and plenty of teasers for future books in the series. There is a LOT of potential for some really cool concepts to be explored in this series and I am excited to see where it will go next.
In trying to figure out how to deal with the earthquakes, Agnes also learns much much more about her magic and the nature of truth. They story plays out on various different earths and introduces yet more species and conflicts in this already complex reality. The various ways Agnes' truth power was explored and the solutions to the problems Agnes was able to come to made for a fast and intriguing read. There were a couple scenes that felt a little heavy handed with the lesson they were trying to impart, but they were brief and not a dominant part of the book. It went more into the gray areas of what seems ostensibly to be a white power. Ways that the truth can be less than truthful, ways it can be used as a weapon and cut, but also ways that it gives Agnes unique strengths and perspectives on the issues and people she is dealing with.
Book 2 in the Arch Mage series, this book does contain a standalone plot but much of the world building and character development is done in book 1 and would be best enjoyed after book 1. This book has a satisfying ending and plenty of teasers for future books in the series. There is a LOT of potential for some really cool concepts to be explored in this series and I am excited to see where it will go next.
October 10, 2020
Another exciting adventure with Agnes!
While the first book focused on Agnes learning to accept who she was, this book built on the self acceptance she achieved in the previous book and focused on her journey to overcome doubt. Mixed with a heavy dose of magic and a nice bit of science and geology, this book was a creative twist on Earth’s history. I loved the journey to the core and the discovery of what was hidden deep inside. The Core is one of my favorite movies, and I loved that this book was another adventure that involved a major threat from inside the earth itself.
I also enjoyed the return of favorite characters from book one, the additional new characters, and the search for truth that was at the center of the story. The theme of forgiveness and learning to trust again was also an appreciated part of the story. Very well edited and age appropriate for teen readers: no swearing, mild action violence and scenes of natural disasters, mild romantic content.
While the first book focused on Agnes learning to accept who she was, this book built on the self acceptance she achieved in the previous book and focused on her journey to overcome doubt. Mixed with a heavy dose of magic and a nice bit of science and geology, this book was a creative twist on Earth’s history. I loved the journey to the core and the discovery of what was hidden deep inside. The Core is one of my favorite movies, and I loved that this book was another adventure that involved a major threat from inside the earth itself.
I also enjoyed the return of favorite characters from book one, the additional new characters, and the search for truth that was at the center of the story. The theme of forgiveness and learning to trust again was also an appreciated part of the story. Very well edited and age appropriate for teen readers: no swearing, mild action violence and scenes of natural disasters, mild romantic content.
February 8, 2020
After reading this book, I wanted to write and post this review to share my honest experiences toward the story.
Personally, I think This is my favourite in this series so far. Agnes has gone through so much character development in the first book to make her a stronger and more capable and independent heroine. The story itself was so intriguing, twisting something that seems ordinary, albeit terrifying for us, into the core (literally) of an epic fantasy adventure. There were so many points in the story where everything twisted, and thrillingly turned everything the other way round. All in all, this is an amazing ya fantasy series, and I am looking forward to seeing how the series continues.
Personally, I think This is my favourite in this series so far. Agnes has gone through so much character development in the first book to make her a stronger and more capable and independent heroine. The story itself was so intriguing, twisting something that seems ordinary, albeit terrifying for us, into the core (literally) of an epic fantasy adventure. There were so many points in the story where everything twisted, and thrillingly turned everything the other way round. All in all, this is an amazing ya fantasy series, and I am looking forward to seeing how the series continues.
September 4, 2021
On the surface, Agnes would appear to be the weakest link. After all, other elementals can wield and manipulate, water, fire, earth… well the list goes on. Agnes greatest ally is simply… the truth. Yet, the power found in it perhaps makes her the strongest of the elementals, though she would shrink from such a claim. However, her recent rescue of many worlds tells the truly miraculous story and when second earth faces a new threat literally at its core, she embraces her gift again to save those around her. Yet Agnes is more than just the sum of her elemental power. Agnes brings out the best in those around her. Agnes gives mercy to one person, rather than letting anger decide the day. In doing so, we watch as the true person we knew really existed finally emerges, one who renounces the despicable acts of the past, now stands for what is right, and is finally truly deserving of his royal title. Agnes offers the hand of friendship to another and isn’t afraid to show her vulnerability. In doing so, that individual realizes the true measure of strength and abandons her former distorted image she long held. In the process, giving someone else the chance to have a future that wasn’t possible before. Then continuously, Temnon finds himself inspired by Agnes, falling deeper in love with her each day. It doesn’t seem possible once upon a time he watched her struggle with a simple spell, because the next second she’s the one bringing calm to his panicked spirit and together they are saving their worlds, one person at a time. Who would believe wielding the truth could win the day? Or maybe it’s as much about the wielder of the truth in this case? Perhaps so. Agnes certainly shows that being able to get to the heart, to the truth of the matter many times proves to be the only path to victory.
November 20, 2021
I thought I loved First Earth, but Second Earth somehow managed to be even better! I didn't expect an adventure on our own planet to be more exciting than one in a fantasy world. Second Earth manages to blend fantasy with science in a way that almost makes these events believable for our world. The author did her research, and it shows! The new characters introduced in this book are also very well developed and likeable, and Agnes continues to be a heroine that I can't stop rooting for.
December 6, 2020
A great little epic story. Self doubting heroes. Traitorous friends. Villainous monarchs. Death. And true love awaits. Agnes goes through some rather amazing growth.
Action-packed. Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Haunting. Informative. Page-turner. Romantic. Scary. Tear-jerker. Tragic. Unpredictable. Wonderful characters.
Action-packed. Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Haunting. Informative. Page-turner. Romantic. Scary. Tear-jerker. Tragic. Unpredictable. Wonderful characters.
February 29, 2020
Growing stronger
Book 2 of the series. The urgency of the story continues to grow until a climactic burst. Nice mystery parts to the story. I think I enjoy most the struggles of the main character, Agnes, to learn her magic.
Book 2 of the series. The urgency of the story continues to grow until a climactic burst. Nice mystery parts to the story. I think I enjoy most the struggles of the main character, Agnes, to learn her magic.
December 6, 2021
Amazing!
I really loved this story. It is just as good—maybe better—than the first. I look forward to reading book three! Cami Jensen is an extremely talented story teller. Highly recommend. Happy reading!
I really loved this story. It is just as good—maybe better—than the first. I look forward to reading book three! Cami Jensen is an extremely talented story teller. Highly recommend. Happy reading!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews