Spellhacker

by M.K. England

From the author of The Disasters, this genre-bending YA fantasy heist story is perfect for fans of Marie Lu and Amie Kaufman.

In Kyrkarta, magic--known as maz--was once a freely available natural resource. Then an earthquake released a magical plague, killing thousands and opening the door for a greedy corporation to make maz a commodity that's tightly controlled--and, of course, outrageously expensive.

Which is why Diz and her three best friends run a highly lucrative, highly illegal maz siphoning gig on the side. Their next job is supposed to be their last heist ever.

But when their plan turns up a powerful new strain of maz that (literally) blows up in their faces, they're driven to unravel a conspiracy at the very center of the spellplague--and possibly save the world. No pressure.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, LGBT, Science Fiction, Queer, Young Adult Fantasy, Audiobook

1 pages, Audio CD

First published January 21, 2020

About the author

M. K. England grew up on the Space Coast of Florida watching shuttle launches from the backyard. These days, they live on a micro-farm in rural Virginia packed with video and board games, plants, D&D books, Star Wars memorabilia, and their preschooler's giant personality. They're probably covered in dirt right now. MK is the author of ten novels for kids, teens, and adults and a forthcoming interactive novel with Choice of Games. You can find them at mkengland.com.

For the latest news, you can subscribe to my irregular newsletter updates at mkengland.substack.com. I'm also on instagram (rarely, @mk_england) and on tumblr more informally (mkengland.tumblr.com)

(Just FYI, I don't accept friend requests because Amazon is weird about reviews but follow me on social media above and we can hang out there!)

Reviews

[M.K. England]

EDIT: Content notes can be found on my website at www.mkengland.com/writing#spellhacker



I'm so thrilled to announce my second stand-alone book with HarperTeen, SPELLHACKER! It's the story of a heist gone wrong in a futuristic world with magic, starring a girl named Diz who is basically a cactus secretly filled with marshmallow. Diz is joined by her NB childhood friend Remi (who she is definitely not dating), her fierce bestie Ania, and her dad-friend Jaesin. I love the magic system, setting, and found family dynamics in this book, and I hope you do, too! ✨

To show you how much the editor of this book just totally gets it, here's her quote: "This book is a kick-ass page-turner of a genre mashup that was a thrill to work on and, I hope, even more of a thrill to read! Diz IS a cactus secretly filled with marshmallow and she's GOT JOKES and I love her, even though she would not know wtf to do with that or any feeling 😇"

It's true. Diz and feelings are broken up tbh.

FAQ about SPELLHACKER:

Q: Is it space?
A: Nope! It's a futuristic world with magic, so it's fantasy with some hi-tech.

Q: Is it a series?
A: Nope! Standalone. Read without fear of cliffhangers.

Q: Is it queer?
A: Uh. It's me. So *sips tea* yes, dear, quite. Queer (primarily sapphic) MC, non-binary love interest, bi secondary character, widowed lesbian bakery owner, elderly science husbands. ALL THE QUEER.

I can't wait to tell you more about this book as details become available. First word always goes to my newsletter subscribers! Wanna be in on that? Sign up at bit.ly/MKEnews.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got this in January Faecrate, just not for me. Going to be dropping some book boxes at some point.

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[h o l l i s · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've not really had the best luck with queer fantasy lately and that is such a shame. Here is another story that has a great concept that just didn't quite win in execution. But unlike another recent read, at least I didn't hate this one? And also, unlike that same book, at least this author prefaced the novel with definitions for the magic system?

And speaking of the magic system, it felt.. new. The fact that not everyone could use it, and there were different levels of ability, but there didn't seem to be any classism or jealousy between those who could and couldn't was an interesting mix. The world, too, had a unique feel. I just didn't love the characters? The plot, and the Big Bad, seemed a little.. thin? I don't know. Potential was there, and I enjoyed England's debut, so I kept pushing on. But this just wasn't a win.

This does seem to be a standalone, however — just like their debut — so it might be worth checking out if you like fantasy and queer representation and heists.

** I received an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

---

This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.

[solanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was an absolute delight. also, have I mentioned it features gays on a heist??

—☆—

“Yeah, I know, I’m a bit of a disaster. But hey, aren’t we all? Doesn’t mean we can’t fly.”

Spellhacker follows Diz, an 18 year old techie who runs an underground business with her motley crew of friends, making some extra cash on the side by siphoning maz for their clients. The group is finally ready to go on their separate ways after having completed their very last heist, anxious to move on from the dangerous gigs and into the next chapter of their lives — or, rather, most of them are. The problem is, Diz ends up getting a last-minute offer that seems far too good to pass up and decides that taking on one more job can’t hurt.

What could possibly go wrong?

I went into this book assuming it would be on the light, entertaining side and wouldn’t delve into anything too serious. And honestly? Having adjusted my expectations before I’d so much as given Spellhacker a second glance really saved this read. I don’t say this as a criticism at all but if you’re searching for a sci-fi keen on intricate technology or profoundly developed worldbuilding, Spellhacker probably isn’t for you. However, if you’re on the lookout for adventure, found family and humorous banter, I can’t recommend this enough.

One of this book’s best qualities is, without a doubt, its cast of characters. Knowing that the found family trope is one of my very favourites, it’s no surprise that these disaster queers were a joy to follow. Diz is reckless and impulsive but fiercely caring, protecting her loved ones through thick and thin. In addition to our fiery protagonist, we have Remi, the love interest that Dez has not-so-subtly fallen for, Jaesin, the dad of the group, and Ania, Diz’s headstrong best friend. There were a couple of characters that could’ve been a tad more fleshed out but in general it’s a relatively minor complaint of mine and all four of them were still loads of fun!

I’d also like to say that the casual diversity in this is exquisite. Remi is non-binary (!!!), there are mutiple queer/BIPOC side characters, mentions of headscarves and, in the author’s very own words, “elderly science husbands”. Elderly science husbands. If that doesn’t convince you then I truly don’t know what will.

There were, however, a few things I didn’t totally love about this. I think what most hindered my enjoyment of Spellhacker as a whole was the plot. It was entirely predictable. Although I appreciated how fast-moving the storyline was, I did find myself hoping for a higher level of intrigue or at the very least a few surprise twists; within the first fifty pages or so I’d already guessed the relatively obvious turns of events which ended up somewhat spoiling the story’s fun. Also, everything was so easy. The problem-solving seemed entirely too convenient for my taste and didn’t make me inclined to give any of the novel’s events much credibility.

Another thing I’d have loved to see in more depth was the worldbuilding. This book is set in a futuristic world that blends both technology and magic but… we aren’t really given explanations as to how the two elements interact with one another or with the world?? Like, why can some people manipulate maz while others can’t? How does the maz aptitude testing actually work? How does the MMC control the distribution of maz? I feel as if I’m left with far too many questions and too few answers, making this alternate universe feel rather flimsy and half-baked.

While I didn’t end up liking Spellhacker quite as much as I did M. K. England’s first novel, The Disasters, there’s still lots to love. Overall this was a highly enjoyable read and I can’t wait to see what the author will come up with next!

—☆—

[pre-review 20/11/06]

y’all !! gays on a heist !!!

[Gem (The Creepy Geek) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty good. I enjoyed it but it was a bit predictable and just overall ok. I enjoyed the representation, the friendship group and the plot but nothing really amazed me. There's nothing bad about it and I did enjoy it, just not enough to give it four stars.

Wow what a rambling review to nowhere! :P

[Fanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spellhacker is riding on a magical substance called maz against the backdrop of scientific support so it does blend the two genres of fantasy and science-fiction very well. Portraying a diverse set of characters, from POCs to LGBTQ+, with a great intention and a normalized manner of pure existence instead of justification is commendable: lesbian, gay, non-binary characters along with the mention of brown skin and headwraps. Definitely a magnetic choice for those who love squad stories overlayed by a heist mission and its consequences, and set in a futuristic yet slightly dystopian world. However, the predictable plot and lack of surprising twists or revelations should be considered before picking it up.

January 15, 2020: kinda disappointed. rtc.

November 21, 2019: a futuristic world with magic and hi-tech? diversely queer rep? a heist story? I'm super excited to read this as part of a blog tour! Received a digital copy via Edelweiss.

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was everything I ever could have wanted and I'm shook

Found family? Check!
Disaster queers? Check!
Idiot main character who you can't help but love? Check!
Commentary on climate change? CHECK!
Cool magic? Check!
Fast-paced exciting plot? Check!
Adorable slow burn love interest? Check!
Plot twists that will leave you shook? Check!
Lots of feelings? Check!
Banter, banter, and more banter? Check!!

I could go on I'm sure, but I think you get the gist. Now go read the book!!

[Quill&Queer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun book. Magic meets technology and perfect pacing as Diz and friends find themselves on the run after what was supposed to be one last, easy heist. When the story starts there's clearly the start of a rift happening between the friends as everyone but Diz plans to leave the city Kyrkarta in search of a better life, and Diz feels completely abandoned.

Diz was such a flawed and complex character, clearly torn between extreme anxiety of wanting anyone to be close to her, but wanting human connection too. I shipped Diz and Remi heavily, their relationship was more realistic than I would normally see in a YA book. It's a hard task to pin down the genre of this book, but I would choose Dystopia, due to the realistic/futuristic setting and controlling Government.

The plot, admittedly, gets fairly basic and is predictable. The way magic (Maz) is used felt completely new to me and I loved the idea of teenage hackers, syphoning Maz and selling it on so they can afford their future plans. There was big reveals that were completely unsurprising unfortunately. The diverse characters, their relationships and their problems made this story well worth reading. There's even a non binary character, the first time I've seen myself represented in a book.

I did feel that the ending was left wide open for a sequel, so hopefully that will be announced by the end of the 2020. (sobbing from 2024) I felt connected to this family and I want to see what they get up to next, hopefully changing the entire world and taking down the evil MMC Corporation. I should rate this a 4 because of plot predictability but I have such a soft spot for this book it's getting a full 5 and going on my Best Of 2020 list.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spellhacker is a fantastic mix of fantasy and science fiction. I can tell you right now it is going to be a pain deciding whether to put it in our YA fantasy or YA Sci-fi section but the pain will be worth it to share this adventure of a novel with our readers. Tech hackers, best friends, diverse romantic relationships, conspiracy theories, magic literally woven with technology and gadgets, explosions, heists and enough action to keep you glued to the pages, M.K England seriously delivers with this fabulous book.

Diz‘s world as she knows it is ending. Her best friends, who, aside from a cousin, are the only family she has since her parents died in the Spellplague that killed thousands, are moving away from their home to new jobs, new Universities. They have time for just one final job, siphoning maz from the tightly controlled supply MMC maintains. But when the job goes horribly wrong, the four friends have to run for their lives, especially when MMC look set to use their mini disaster to cover up the fact they have been secretly mining a new strand of very dangerous maz. To save themselves and clear their names they will have to save their city also.

Spellhacker is such a fun adventure. It’s a combination between a heist novel and fantasy quest, with a bunch of cool tech thrown in. The world in Spellhacker feels almost futuristic - almost dystopian as the destruction caused by maz and the spellplague could easily reflect the natural disasters and impacts of climate change in our own world. Magic, rather than replace or prevent technology, has been neatly intertwined and it makes so much sense. I know readers who frequently ask me for fantasy books that make sense and have scientific backings will love Spellhacker.

M.K. England consistently presents a range of diverse characters in her novels, and they are leading, well developed characters, not merely placeholders. Diz is already dreading the day her three best friends leave her behind. She is still grieving the death of her parents and holding Remi at arms length, not exploring what they might truly mean to her. As they pull their last job, make a big discovery about their world and the maz, the four friends also explore the relationships between them and the strength of their friendship.

I do hope there will be a sequel. While this first book leaves readers with a satisfying ending, the four friends have just begun their adventure and I would love to see what they get up to next.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an early version of this book, and let me tell you -- you're in for an absolutely wild ride!

THE TWISTS! THE TURNS! The amazingly loveable characters and their fabulously real and dear friendships!

The world is new and cool, the magic and tech blend is expertly executed, and you are not ready for the ending, ya'll.

Preorder this book ASAP

[Alexx (obscure.pages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spellhacker is one of my most anticipated releases this 2020 and I adored reading it! It’s absolutely delightful! With queer characters everywhere and a fast-paced and fun story, you just can’t help but enjoy this book!

Good writing
The writing style is good! Spellhacker is told in the first person point of view and that really allowed me to get to know the main character and see the story unfold the way she saw it. The tone is light and fun, but it can also get exciting or thrilling and even emotional.

Memorable characters
There are a lot of memorable characters in this book.

Diz, the main character, is great. She’s hilarious and talented, but also very insecure and maybe a little bit emotionally stunted, too. She had bad experiences in the past, which makes it understandable that she’s afraid of letting herself feel. Still, there were moments that I was frustrated at her. Fortunately, she redeemed herself and I loved her character development! I also loved that I was sucked into her thoughts and feelings. Reading the story through her perspective was exciting!

The minor characters are also memorable. Remi is too precious for this world, Jaesin is such a dad, and Ania is amazing! I loved the dynamic between all four of them (hooray for found-family tropes!), and in a way, I can relate to Diz and her fear of parting ways.

And yes, there are numerous queer characters in the book and it’s absolutely delightful to read about them and know that it’s perfectly normal in their world.

Fast-paced and fun plot
Spellhacker has a fast-paced and a fun plot. I remember reading only the first chapter, and there were already action and adventure. I loved that!

The plot also touched on some points that made me more invested in the story, e.g. anti-capitalism, frequent natural disasters on their planet (which can be likened to global warming). There are some plot twists that were a little predictable for me though, so it wasn’t much of a surprise but I still managed to enjoy it.

Romance is also a significant part of the story, and y’all there was definitely a lot of pining. The chemistry was good and I couldn’t help but root for that pairing!

Awesome world-building
I also loved the world-building in this story. The author created such an interesting world, one filled with magic and science but also riddled with natural disasters. Would have loved to know more about their planet though. There were different fictional countries and cities mentioned, but there weren’t much details about them. A map would have been a nice addition as well!

(This review was first published on Enthralled Bookworm as part of the Spellhacker Blog Tour hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club.)

[Kal ★ Reader Voracious]

DNF @ 35%

This is a quirky and queer read and I'm so bummed that this book didn't work for me!

I actually really enjoyed the first 20% or so, but once I realized the bulk of the plot hinged on miscommunication as a plot device... it kind of was all I saw. The number of times that the main character inner monologues about her not wanting her friends to leave, but not saying anything about it??? I can't chalk all of her Bad Decisions and silence up to being 18 and simply making mistakes, and it was grinding to read about the lengths someone would go to NOT share feelings. I get abandonment issues. I understand feeling scared of vulnerability. But it just can't connect with Soz despite having similar issues.

I am so sad, but this is definitely a me thing, not a bad book. I am sure many people will love this one, but I couldn't get over the narrative style.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me an eARC via Edelweiss of this book in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. Quotations are taken from an unfinished proof and are subject to change upon final publication.

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[USOM · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this book from Edelweiss. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

Found family, standing up when others would stay silent, and all the queer magic, Spellhacker is a story that celebrates resistance and love. Featuring a queer MC, nonbinary love interest, bi side character and some other smaller but adorable queer characters, Spellhacker is a story of choosing with whom we will take a stand. The world building in Spellhacker is magical, colorful, and detailed. Even though I would probably be an awful magic user, there's something infectious about the power, the color, and the tension.

Diz is a fantastic main character. I related to her feelings of being left behind, of not knowing how to tell the people we love most to stay. That feeling of wanting to voice our deepest desires, but being so deeply afraid of rejection. Of the ones we love not choosing us. Diz feels, in some ways, powerlessness in the face of disaster and change. Throughout Spellhacker, Diz has to figure out how to face her fears.

full review: The world building in Spellhacker is rich. Talking about the wealth disparity of Maz and corporate control, Spellhacker transports us to a magical world.

[Mhairi · Rating 5 out of 5]

No sophomore slump for M.K England's new book. I adored all the Final Fantasy vibes in this amazing novel as well as the prickly lead Dizzy. It's a standalone I would love to read more of, just like Disasters. 😭

[kelly {BookCrushin} · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spellhacker is the queer sci-fi fantasy book you've been waiting for! There is a wild magic system, inventive tech, high stakes, heists, and at the very heart of it, found family and love. I absolutely speed through this book and I think it's a damn good time.

READ the full review at BookCrushin.com

[K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger warning: death of a parent (in the past), violence, explosions.

So here's the thing: I *adore* The Disasters, so I was really anticipating this because that was so much fun. Uuuuuuunfortunately, while I really enjoyed the heist element of this story, I...struggled with this. A decent chunk of why, I suspect, is the term "maz". There's magic in this world - fourteen different types of it. And magic is known as maz. All of the types of magic end in "az". Terraz. Wataz. Aeraz. And honestly? It was full-body-cringe territory for me.

I never entirely understood how the magic system worked. I never entirely got my head around the world full stop. I never really felt like I cared about the characters in any detail. So ultimately, this was...fine. But it took me an ENTIRE WEEK to read it and that's practically unheard of for me. Sigh.

[Sara (A Gingerly Review) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to come


----

1/23/20: Listening to the audio this time and I regret nothing.

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an action packed thriller set in a land where technology and magic were amalgamated beautifully.

Once magic (maz) was freely available, an earthquake brought about a spellplague and a corporation which took advantage. Now maz was sold to a select few who could afford. Diz and her friends siphoned of this maz and sold it to their clients. A job gone bad and the maz blew up on their faces, they knew they had to act fast.

My first book by author M. K. England, this was a complete fun of a ride. Diz and her friends had a sarcastic camaraderie happening which was humorous at times. Diz as a main character was likable, tough with moments of vulnerability. Having lost her parents in an earlier catastrophe, her friends were her entire life. She did what had to for survival.

The author's writing conveyed the excitement in the words. This was one big adventure filled with action and intelligence. Magic was weaved in beautifully enhancing the technology. I loved the author's power of imagination to make the story larger than life. Worldbuilding was quite a joy to read especially on the heists that she took up.

The only niggles I could feel were some dialogues and narration could be sharper. But the last few chapters totally made up for it. They were a rollercoaster where everything came to a zenith. The author caused my breath to hitch at some of the action scenes... Whew.. I was exhausted at the end of this fabulous ride.

[Hannah (Hannah, Fully) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review going live on the blog at midnight EST because UBB doesn't want to get along with block editor.

The author/publisher provided a free copy of the book for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a review copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore do not affect the opinion or content of the review.

I love heists in books. We've got a group of people (each who are talented AF), something goes wrong (oop--) and then they're scrambling to fix things. Sometimes there's a character or two (or more) pining for another character and we just want to smush/protect them.

And it's definitely the case with Spellhacker by M.K. England, which follows Diz and her friends (Ania, Jaesin and Remi) as they take on one last job that ends up backfiring horribly in their faces. It's never happened in the two years they've been running their side business. There's magic (known as maz) and seriously cool technology involved, and that's usually a good recipe for me to enjoy the book. Provided that something explodes, of course, but don't tell anyone.

Which I did... for the most part. Spellhacker is a bit difficult for me to rate since a couple of issues throughout ruined some of my enjoyment.

Two Things in Spellhacker I have issues with:
(There were more, but they're minor.)

The magic system
I probably wouldn't have noticed it if Kal from Reader Voracious never mentioned it, but the moment she asked, I kept noticing... and not just the name. I keep thinking formaz is pronounced like "form ass." (Maybe that's just my sense of humor trying to get through the parts of the book I struggled with.)

But what I got really confused about were the differences between techwitch and spellweaver (kind of got an idea, still confused) and just how it worked... which I kept thinking of how dust works in RWBY. It's most likely a very inaccurate depiction, though.

The miscommunication
I noticed this faintly at the beginning few chapters and didn't let it bother me too much. In fact, it pretty much slipped my mind until Kal brought it up. At times, it did get pretty damn irritating and I just wanted to shove Diz in front of a certain character like the many chances she had throughout the book. And there are a lot of chances.

Two Things I definitely didn't have an issue in Spellhacker:
Or maybe just minor issues and they turned out to be good things in the end (after I thought about it).

Diz's narration
Diz is one of those characters I found absolutely annoying at first but slowly grew on me over the book. She's bitter and salty and full of sass; she's pretty much 95% angst teenager who wants things to go her way. She also sucks at communication big time; every time she wants to say something, she chooses not to. Even if she's called out by her friends, it takes a while before she actually comes out with it.

I hardcore relate. 💯 Mood.

The friendships
Honestly, if it were just Diz, I likely would've DNFed Spellhacker early on. I definitely thought about doing it a few times, but I also enjoyed Ania, Jaesin and Remi's friendship with Diz enough that I figured it was worth suffering through. That, and their humor plus dramatic flair to their last job that somehow became more complicated than they wanted.

Overall Thoughts
Spellhacker definitely isn't my favorite novel of 2020. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. There were a few things that I enjoyed, but there were others that made reading this less enjoyable than I hoped. I wouldn't pick up Spellhacker if you're looking for a novel that is high-stakes, nonstop heist action. But I would definitely give M.K. England's latest novel a chance if you enjoy an angsty, quirky main character with friendships and found family.

This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun fun fun

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, shout out for LGBTQ representation! In this story, it's more the norm to be queer than straight and I loved it. Second, the found family aspect was fun and sweet. M.K. England is great at putting together a misfit group of kids with a strong bond that makes me happy.

The magic system was interesting and I have some questions still. Why can only some people use magic? If it comes from the earth, why can't everyone harness it? And why are there different levels of magic use? It was almost a bit too nice, I would think people would be jealous of magic users and highly skilled users, like Remi, would be highly valued and form an upper class. I guess in this fantasy people are just better than that lol.

Diz was an interesting character and sometimes she made it difficult to like her. She held back her feelings and a couple times treated her family poorly. I wanted her to open up and tell them that she wanted to go with them and was afraid of being left behind.
Jaesin and Ania were great, the mom and dad of the group that keep everyone in line. I loved having Remi too, a non-binary, kick ass magic user. They're cute and the relationship with Diz added some drama.

The narration for the audiobook was pretty good and the story moved quickly. The family aspect was well done and the ending is satisfying.

[lapetitepritt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟

Before we begin, a little disclaimer: I am part of the Spellhacker Launch Crew and I was provided with an e-ARC of the book via Edelweiss+, but I want to make sure that you know that neither of these two circumstances have affected my rating nor will influence my review in any way.
Usually, when I start writing a book review I know what I am going to say, more or less, and I already know what rating I gave to the book on Goodreads. This time is different, because ever since I have finished the book I have been thinking about it, without really knowing my feelings about it. It was a quite pleasant but somewhat weird journey. I have settled on a 3.5 out of 5 stars by now, but it took me forever to decide.
Let’s start by saying that I don’t think I have ever read anything similar to Spellhacker, genre wise. It is a blend of sci-fi and fantasy and I knew that before diving into the book, but I didn’t know what to expect.
The first thing I can say about the book is that in the beginning, the main character Diz is unsufferable. She is exactly what an angsty teenager is like in my mind. Not that I am that much older than her, but sometimes her reasoning was so childish I felt like I could be her grandmother. She is a very needy and angry person, who snaps at everyone if things don’t go as she wants them to go.
The problem is: she gets angry when people do things she doesn’t want them to do, even though she does not tell them not to do said things. For example, the main thing she is pissed about is the fact that her friends are moving to another city without her. Diz could go with them, but doesn’t want to and she wants her friends to stay, but she never tells them. One of the characters actually asks Diz to tell them to stay and Diz doesn’t say a single word. I mean, I get that. I really do, I am the first one who does not tell other people what bothers me, but you can’t stay angry at them if they don’t read your mind.
In the first part, this trait of Diz’s personality was overdone, in my opinion. If it had been a little less stressed, I would have enjoyed this book a lot more, because it is actually one of the few complaints I have about it.
I think it is also because I had loved Nax (the main character from M.K. England’s other novel The Disasters) so so so so so much. He was one of my favourite characters from the book and I was expecting to love Diz just as much. It is probably my fault, because you should not compare characters from two different books, but sadly that is what happened.
During the course of the book, anyway, Diz has grown up and softened a little bit and that I very much appreciate.
On the other hand, I have loved all Diz’s friends. My favourite was definitely Remi, the love interest in the story. They are non binary and, obviously, since the author themself is non binary, it was perfectly written. It is very well woven into the story, without making a big deal out of it, and I always appreciate that in a YA novel or in a novel in general.
There were also many other LGBT+ characters and it was never shown as something strange or out of the ordinary, as so many times happens in literature. It should always be this easy and I want to give the biggest shout out to M.K. England for always knowing how to amazingly insert LGBT+ characters, without making their queerness the focus of the plot. Thank you so much, it is so beautiful to witness.
I also love how the main cast was so diverse in every sense of the word and how they were all different in attitude and personality and yet they were a perfect portrait of friendship. The only thing that bothered me was how many times it was underlined that one of them was rich and the other three were not. Diz spends an enormous amount of time at being bitter because Ania is a rich girl, even though Ania never does anything to make her friends feel like they are not worth her time or whatever Diz thinks. Diz should just calm down a little bit and aknowledge that everyone is different and that not all the world is against her.
Just the biggest corporation in her futuristic world, that is.
The world builing was a little bit difficult for me to get into, but when I got used to it I could recognise it was really well thought out and I loved the science and magic blend, even though at the beginning I was really confused on how magic worked. After a while I got really invested in it and I have also created a tag on the different kinds of magic.
The plot was very interesting, but I have predicted almost all the plot twists. That is not uncommon for me, I tend to guess from the beginning how some things are going to end up happening, but probably in this case some of them were really predictable for everyone. If you read the book and you don’t guess, let me know so that I can update my review.
All in all, I would still recommend this book to people who are looking for an entertaining read, but The Disasters will forever be in my heart. I would also recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a genre-crossing novel and to people who love reading diverse books. If you love heists, very YA plots and creative world buildings, I am sure you will enjoy this book more than I did.

[Izzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 Stars*
(Thank you to my Mum for typing this for me).
This sci-fi/ fantasy book follows the main character Diz and her 3 best friends who run a illegal maz (the magical substance in their world) syphoning business. When they unexpectedly discover a new type of maz they are thrust into a world of conspiracy and secrets.
What I Liked:
- Characters. This book includes one of my favourite tropes which is a tight knit friend group. In this group were Diz, Remi, Jaesin and Ania. Diz is closed off and reckless but loves her friends with a passion. I loved Remi the most, they were non binary and also (magically) chronically ill and they were a really layered and interesting character and I enjoyed all of their scenes, especially those with Diz. I also loved how casually diverse this group of characters was, it was refreshing to see so many different identities represented and without discrimination.
- Plot. This had a fast moving and entertaining plot, meaning I didn't get bore at any point. I appreciated the fact that the stakes were high and I felt the characters and the world were really in danger. There were many elements to the plot including a heist, major world changing conspiracy and secret identities.
What I Didn't Like:
- Development. To be fair to MK England this was just one book with a great deal to pack in but there were quite a few elements which were not developed fully enough for me. While Diz and Remi were well developed characters, the others just didn't have enough room to be fully fleshed out, and while the magic system was interesting it did seem a little vague and unclear at times. I think if there had been more time to expand on these issues it would have significantly increased my rating.
Overall this was a fun and adventurous novel that would have been improved if it was a duology. I had a great time reading this and I look forward to seeing what is written next.

[Kate (Reading Through Infinity) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

TWs: terminal illness, death of parents.

Despite having owned a copy of The Disasters for about a year, I ended up reading Spellhacker first and I enjoyed it once it got going. This is an urban fantasy romp where magic, or "maz", is a purchasable commodity. I loved the found family elements and the subtle challenges to capitalism.

The magic system could have been developed further and I felt the plot wasn't always cohesive, but the final fight scenes were pretty great. There was a twist at the end that I saw coming, but MK England still carried it off well despite the slight predictability.

I'm in two minds about the dialogue because some sections were laugh-out-loud funny and razor sharp, but others were cringey? But the main thing that sold this book for me was the diversity and LGBTQ+ characters. Remi is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, Diz is queer (possibly pan or bi, but I can't remember if it's specifically defined), and several of the characters are from low-income backgrounds. Wealth and social mobility are discussed within the context of 'maz' and power. On the whole this was a fun, entertaining adventure, and I'll happily pick up The Disasters when I have the chance, and anything else MK England writes.

[OTAKU READS · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS WAS SUCH A FUN BOOK. WHILE I DIDNT HAVE MUCH EXPECTATIONS FROM IT AS I HAD NOT BEEN ENJOYING MUCH YA FANTASY WHILE THIS ONE HAS THINGS LIKE ANGRY,INDECISIVE,HOT TEMPERED MC , COMMUNICATION ISSUES, PREDICTABLE PLOT THERE ARE STILL OTHER THINGS I QUITE LIKED THE WORLD BUILDING MIX BETWEEN MAZ AND DAILY LIFE. EVEN HOW IT PLAYED INTO PEOPLE’S LIFE AND CITIES CONCEPT WHICH I QUITE LIKED.I ALSO LIKED HOW MC HAD FACED CONSEQUENCES AND WAS NOT FORGIVEN EASILY. THE LAST ACTION SCENE WAS DONE SO WELL IT REMINDED OF MANY SCI-FI MOVIES I DO THINK THIS CAN BE A VERY GOOD SCI-FI MOVIE 🍿

[Tilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

Spellhacker is a YA fantasy standalone that is full of magic, adventure, hacking and interesting characters. It felt like a mash up of Ready Player One, the grishaverse and Into the crooked place but not as good. Basically 4 young adults (around 18yo) find something wrong with the leading powers and try to fix it/save the world. It's been done alot and it was decent but sadly didn't blow my socks off.

I loved the magic known as maz, it was unique and probably one of the few things I wouldn't change. The magic was threads that could be manipulated to form different spells. Some people could naturally use it and others had to pay an arm and a leg to get tech to work the magic. The magic also came from below the earth's crust. It was interesting and carried the weight of what was a rather boring and predictable storyline.

The characters were mixed. Diz the main female character was fun, fiery and interesting. Fantastic with tech and coding and she and her love interest Remi (a nonbinary character and an incredible spellweaver) were an interesting combination to watch with very different personalities. Remi was probably my favourite character. They were powerful yet humble, sick yet strong. I had alot of appreciation for their character. The other 2 in the group Jaesin and Ania could have gone missing and I probably wouldn't have noticed...they were rather boring.

Overall the worldbuilding and magic was excellent, the plot was a little boring and the characters were mixed. So 3 stars sums it up perfectly!

Please note that I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Dany]

3.5 stars

Another enjoyable sci fi from M. K. England. I loved disasters and this book was no less amazing.

Spellhacker pretty much reminded me of disasters in the story telling , twists and majority of the plot device.

Spellhacker follows Dizzy and her friends while commiting their last heist before college & real life starts. Since the entire book follows Dizzy's PoV , we couldn't get a clear picture on what she looked like except she has half shaved head and lots of hair in the other half. I would've loved to get a lot of description on Dizzy like we got for the others.

The one time heist they plan goes terribly wrong . They're wanted by the entire country and the corporation that's running Kyrkarta. The heist part is honestly small and loads of the book is adventurous roadtrips and lying low.

As much I loved the relationships between the four of them and the conversations , it felt like the book does lack something major. It feels like a sequel to Disasters.

Full review will be posted in the blog closer to the publishing date.

I received the e-ARC from HarperTeen and Edelweiss for my honest opinions.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spellhacker by M.K. England is a solid new YA LGBT+ sci-fi fantasy. It isn't quite as great as their previous release, The Disasters, but there's a lot to love. I will always enjoy the found family trope and this is a great example of it. The magic system is very unique and inventive and there are even cool gadgets and tech. In the end, though, I had more questions about certain elements than I would have preferred. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a pretty decent job, but there were a few moments when it was difficult to differentiate between characters.

[Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

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This was soooo good.
I loved the concept of the power/magic that is advancing them but also killing them off at the same time.

I loved the Trans voices in this!

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a RIDE. This book was so much fun, and such an interesting concept, all wrapped up in a standalone format.

Highly entertaining with a great cast of characters. Would recommend.