Magic Gambit

Hidden World Academy #3

by Sadie Moss

Okay, so things have gotten a little bit crazy around here.

The good news is, we know what we’re up against now.

The bad news? I don’t know if we stand a chance.

Magic Gambit is the final book in the Hidden World Academy series, a medium-burn reverse harem story intended for ages 18+, featuring a sassy human who's a little out of her depth and the three men who win her heart.

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Witches, Fae

362 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2019

Reviews

[BookFiend · Rating 1 out of 5]

Finally finished. I really struggled to get through this one. Lots of repetitive sex scenes that I didn't find sexy, lots of repeated information, and what I felt was a major plot flaw that ruined the underlying premise of the entire series. You can read my spoiler-filled rants in the reading progress below.

Reading Progress

100% - We finally get our neat and tidy wrap up. As far as I can tell, now only Gabbi and Roxie are switching back and forth, so I'm still stuck on the major plot flaw with Kasian earlier in the story. It ruins the whole thing for me, really.
84%- So the world is now ending, because Gabbi and Roxie are in the same world. Again, why was no one concerned when Kasian went to the Dull world?? It just doesn't fit the plot of the book at all.
75% - I was going to say that all the sex has gotten repetitive at this point, but then this gem arrived: "I can feel the orgasm building inside me like a balloon inflating." In what world is that sexy?? Somehow I'm picturing this poor girl turning into Violet a la Willy Wonka right now every time she has sex (yes, I know Violet is a blueberry, not a balloon), and it is seriously not in any way sexy. Even without that imagery, however, inflating like a balloon is never sexy. Have you ever inflated a balloon? They make weird noises, they stretch out all funny before they round out; this analogy makes for some really unfortunate comparisons. And the fact that I keep getting this derailed in a book is telling. Also, after the orgasm inflated like a balloon, it pours through her like a fire - why didn't it whoosh through her like a balloon that lost its string and is flying around leaking out its helium? Don't mix your metaphors! 🤣
57% - I find it disturbing that her boyfriend decided sex was the best way to cheer her up, and that he's using her ability to handle rough sex as evidence for how he knows she can handle being the subject of a world-ending prophecy. And that he ends said sex session by asking if she now feels better. Oh, and this entire sex session is happening right outside a person's home who has already shown she has magical awareness of the grounds surrounding her home when she was able to hear Gabbi calling for help when they were drowning in the quicksand. Ick ick ick. (Oh and then Gabbi hopes that the woman's hearing isn't what it used to be when it becomes clear that her other boyfriends heard her - um, you JUST were able to scream to her when neck deep in quicksand to be saved and she heard you then. Did you think she lost her hearing that quickly??)
55% - Man, it has taken forever to finally come to the "big" reveal that the prophecy is actually about Gabbi. I've been waiting for that since we first learned about the prophecy in the first place.
37% - Wait. WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT. Things had finally started picking up, and I was finally getting into the story, and then a MAJOR MAJOR plot hole appears. You KNOW how disorienting it was for Gabbi to be flipped to the Hidden World out of the blue. You KNOW the Hidden World has to be secret for members of the Dull World, but not one person is going to question having Kasian accompany Gabbi on her trip to the Dull World? No one person is worried about Kasian's twin getting thrust into the Hidden World? No one is going to at least plan to be ready to meet his twin and help him? It is seriously not going to get mentioned at all? (In fact, wasn't this the reason none of the men had gone with her in previous books?) AND Kasian's not going to see him in the flip through? What - he just conveniently doesn't have a twin (though I've been sort of expecting all three guys to conveniently lack twins so they could all flip back and forth with impunity with Gabbi to visit her folks at the end)? This big of an oversight may be a deal breaker for me.
24% - I am glad Gabbi has made a friend in Bianca, but this is getting seriously repetitive.
22% - Oh, we've been reminded again that Bianca killed her boyfriend. What a shocker. Also, why was Gabbi's go to examples of small ivy-covered colleges places like Oxford and Cambridge? This doesn't seem to fit her character's knowledge base (and isn't Oxford rather large??).
18% - I'm annoyed by Gabbi going on and on about having her own magic. I feel like I'm somehow back in Dickensian times where authors are being paid by the word; books are getting stretched out too long. I feel like I'm reading the same couple of pieces of information in different variations over and over again (yes, Bianca, you're a cool chick.).
15% - Oh my god. If I am reminded one more time that Bianca is a tough badass and killed her boyfriend to save everyone, I am going to murder someone. Stop being so redundant!
By the way, I counted - at this point, she's mentioned Bianca killing the boyfriend 5 times, murdering him once, and stabbing him once. Seven mentions in 15% of the story is a lot of mentions. I promise I haven't forgotten that quickly.
5% - does the author not remember the plot of her own book? It was already explained to Gabbi that twins don't die at the same time in the previous book - you know, when people were trying to kill her. Why is she now wondering if killing the twins in the Dull World would kill everyone in the magical world? Keep the plot lines straight unless the goal is to make the MC sound like a complete moron.

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing really surprising about it. I liked the ending. Felt bogged down with sex. Favourite characters were Bianca and Anzac. I liked the story solely for the swapping and the guys, although Gabbi did well coping with everything.

[Megan (BookWifeReviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third and final book in the Hidden World Academy series.

I loved this book. I think each character grew so much in this series. Especially Gabbi. She is so different than the girl she was in the first book. She knows what she wants and she isn't afraid to go for it. I loved that her men didn't put her in a bubble either. They were all amazing.

I liked the way this book ended. It wrapped up the series very nicely. It was a bit of an abrupt ending. But we did get a look 6 months into the future and I loved that!

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it like a 4 star read, but holy sh** the plot holes were more like massive, black holes 🕳

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really unexpected but entertaining. I enjoyed this book.

[Sareena · Rating 3 out of 5]

So. Many. Plot holes. I loved the first two books so much and I'm a little mad about how much a hated this last one. I gave it an extra star just because I loved the other two that much and it made me sad.

Why did no one care about Kasian visiting the Dull World? They were all so pissed at Roxie about what she did to Gabbi but they didn't even so much as mention the fact that Kasian's twin would be in the Hidden World while he was in the dull world with Gabbi. Did they seriously just let the poor dude wander around thinking he was on a weird acid trip or something?

Why did nothing happen to the Dull World when Roxie and Gabbi were both in the Hidden World? Was it because they were both in the Hidden World and that's why it was the only one falling apart? If they had both been in the Dull World would it have been the one falling to pieces? We were never given any sort of explanation as to why the Dull World seemed to be perfectly fine when Gabbi went back to visit her family.

Did Roxie just go back to pretending to be Gabbi at the end? Dean and Gabbi's family obviously knew she wasn't Gabbi but the rest of the world didn't know. Did she actually just go back to college and finish out her degree as Gabbi and then get a job and live in the dull world as her forever? That seems messed up considering Gabbi got to be herself in the Hidden World after everything that happened. It seems a lot like Gabbi got everything and everyone she wanted and Roxie got to be a second-rate Gabbi.

[Shedevilreads Bookstagram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic Gambit by Sadie Moss is a medium-burn paranormal reverse harem romance that I listened to on audio narrated by Sarah Pavelec. This is the third and final book in the Hidden World Academy series.

Sadie did an amazing job on wrapping up the series. I loved the relationship between Gabbi, Cross, Theo and Kasian. I cannot wait to dive into more of Sadie’s book in the future.

Sarah did an amazing job on the narration. She really knows how to bring a story to life. I look forward to listening to more of her work in the future.

I would recommend this book if you like paranormal romances, academy romances, reverse harems, or fantasy romance.

[4foxsake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eeeek!!! Loved it!

Great, great book! I am convinced Sadie Moss cannot write a bad story. With the revelations and tribulations that were wrought in this book, I wasn’t sure I would make it through in one peice, but it was explosive and heart wrenching and so sweet all at once. Definitely a must read series.

[nat _lovestoread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect finale!!! 💖

I'm so sad this series ended, but so satisfied whit this book, is just the perfect finale for Gabbi's and her men story!!! 😍... Action-packed, twists and turns that will keep you on edge, turning pages as crazy, love and romance and, of course, the HEA all of us wanted 💞... I think this is Sadie's best work so far, a MUST read!!! 😍❤️

[Bec · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun and entertaining. I like the trilogy as a whole but wasn't quite as in love with this last book as I had hoped to be, it was a little slower then I liked. Sadi Moss does write some really fun stories and l do look forward to more of her work.

[Heather Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes!

A satisfying end to a pretty great series. All the threads are neatly tied and answers given, plus HEAs abound, just maybe not quite in the way you would expect.

[Raven9308 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me say that Sarah Pavelec impressed me in this series, she will be a narrator I will be adding to my list of good narrators to listen to. I think she did a great job in this final book of the Hidden World Academy series. I really felt the terror, the heartbreak, the tension. It was almost palpable! One of the scenes were everyone was very emotional did hit me right in the feels, especially from the men of the harem. Like I could hear their love and sadness. Great job again to Sarah, would recommend audio with her has the narrator.

In terms of the story, I enjoyed this ending. I think the twist toward the end was a cool concept, after the characters had been separated the whole series I thought the battles were good, and the development with the fae was great! I hope we get more from them in a spinoff. I was happy with how this story played out and the ending. It was a feel good story and definitely felt satisfied with how it turned out. I think again the reason I couldn’t give it a 5 stars for the story because there were some moments that felt like they were forced in (like some of the sexier scenes) but it definitely was an improvement from book 2 which had more of those instances. The story was definitely a 4-4.5 star, on the same level as book 1.

I enjoyed this academy series by Sadie Moss (its not my favorite, Unpredictable Magic takes the cake for me!) and would recommend it to those who love supernatural, esp academy RH series ❤️

[Cassandra Doon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommend: Yes
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
Love Interests: 3 males 1 Female Reverse Harem
World: 2 worlds, magic and Dull World

Plot:

The MC is a Human from the Dull world who is swapped with her twin from the magic world. This is the last book of the series so it holds all the answers and the ending we wanted. The cult manages to capture both the girls and force the to into the magic world together, which causes the world to break. The girls combine their magic and manage to save it. The truth is told to everyone and Gabbie stays in the magic world with her boyfriends and Roxy goes back to the Dull world to study there. They are all happy with there choices and can travel back and forth to visit each others family.


My feelings:
So I did enjoy this one. I was drawn in from the start. It was good to have both girls together and able to communicate. It shed a lot of light onto the characters. The spicy chapters were not as frequent as the last book but where just as entertaining. This book focused on getting to the happy ending.

“Maybe I’m just trying to distract you,” he says quietly. “Maybe I’m trying to drink you in because I don’t have a fucking clue what’s going to happen next, and it scares me. I know it scares you, and I don’t want you to be scared.”

[Jen J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dragged & Dropped

Overall I liked this book, but there are definitely some details that are overlooked or just simply not addressed. There were also details that were just unnecessary dragged out in the book. Pshh… there were points where I just wanted to skip ahead or even quit reading because I just didn’t care about what was happening and just wanted it to end!

SPOILERS mentioned in question form-ish
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How does Gabbie afford to pay for an elite school after being accepted … she obviously doesn’t have the grades for a scholarship.

Also, there’s points where they do, or it’s discussed, that her boyfriends would go to the Dull world with her. Wouldn’t they have twins too?!?

Since Roxie’s now staying in the Dull world does that mean she’s taken on Gabby‘s name at college? Will she be Gabby to the other humans as Roxie doesn’t technically exist?

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

My feelings on this series haven't changed even with this being the last book. The plot progession could have been condensed down to one book. It just felt like the characters were fumbling around and things lined up just right for them without doing anything. A prime example is the pixie dust. They were tasked with finding one of the most rare magical items, and they stumble across it by accident. It just felt like they didn't actually do anything, things just kept happening to them. The plot also became a bit obvious, I kept waiting to be surprised. To draw the plot out this much, I had higher hopes for how intricate it was. It was easy to guess the resolution, and the prophecy interpretation.

[Maria Fernanda G Lechuga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook Review

I had been waiting for this book to come out on audio since finishing the second one, and now all I can say is that i am going to miss these characters and the hidden word so much.
This book was really great, the perfect ending to this trilogy, i had no idea how thing were going to work out for Gabby, her guys, and Roxi, and I love how everything came out to be and everything got into place so everyone could have their HEA they so well deserved.
The book is fast paced, has enough action, and that funny touch that makes things lighter and enjoyable.

Sarah Pavelec continue giving us a great narration with her great performance, making the book really easy and enjoyable to listen.

[Han Spillane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book three of three. A really new take of a storyline! There are two worlds, one full of magic, and another (our world) which is not. Essentially there are carbon copies of everyone on each, and our heroine manages to fall through a manhole into the magical one, and play pretend for a while... well at least while she tried to fugure out WHAT THE HELL?! Honestly really well written, fun circumstances alongside properly scary edge of your seat ones.

High heat, shared shenanigans, sometimes at the risk of losing the plot line - but I am Ok with that :)

Available on Audible as a complete set for just one credit too, which was over 30 hours of steamy magical goodness.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you want in a Reverse Harem

Found this series by accident. Looking for paranormal reverse hereem and came upon this. Dull World Gabbi and Hidden World Roxi swap places. Gabbi has no idea what is happening and what’s worse, has no idea how to get back home. Here enters Kasian, Cross, and Theo. Slowly they find out not only is she not who she says she is but is falling for her. This is where it all begins... great read. Plenty of storyline, sexy time, and action. All 3 books are 300+ pages, editing is good, it’s an exciting read.

[°˖✧˚lindsay˚✧˖° · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh! So it was a plot hole that Gabbi fell into in the first book? There’s just so many, that it must be the case.

Why are we saying the guys can travel to Dull World with her on a whim?! That is what spurred the whole series in the first place! Their magicless twins will be sent to the Hidden World when they go!

Kasian’s was undoubtedly suffering, thrust into a strange land and accumulating reasons to be committed, all while the man himself casually ate a cheeseburger in Dull World, yet the scholar somehow never considered the ramifications of joining Gabbi there?! Aaaaa!

[mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was sadly the last instalment of a fantastic series, and it went beyond expectations, it was action packed, and mind blowing, and full of creepy cult followers! Gabby and her men take on the creepy cult followers and look into the prophecy as they right to prevent its fruition. I loved every moment of this book and was so disappointed when I finished, I wold love to read more about Bianca and the captain of the guard.

[Dora Blume · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing end to the series!

Gabbi and her men are determined to find a way to save the magical world and the dull world from being destroyed. This series is filled with action, adventure, spellbinding magic, and super hot men. Did I mention there were three of them? Yum! I absolutely loved the premise of this series and the subtle play on the classics. Sadie's books get better and better. You have to read every single one if them. Seriously, go do it.

[Noemi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabbi discovers who is aiming for Roxie's life and why Roxie had taken those decisions. Now it's up to Gabbi, her three guys and Bianca, Roxie's best friend, to make sure that Roxie is saved and that the cult doesn't succeed in destroying the world.

I really enjoyed the conclusion to this story.

[Mercy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is a solid three stars which is fine, it was engaging, it was sexy at times and the relationship grew steadily. I even liked the rough sex but I could have abstained from the thought of sex outside with dirty fingers entering clean vagina just creeps me out.
Every loose end was tied up but in some places, it felt a bit far-fetched.

[Fiona Coster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotions

Holy crap what a awesome series. I have laughed out loud scaring family, Cried with Roxie and Gabbi.
Fear and anger at all their plights the guys and Bianca's.
Sizzling love scenes also.
The trouble, tasks, boulders in their way i struggled with them.
Give the series a go 😁💖

[MsRHReviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting read, and a great ending!

I feel anyone who reads this genre can assume what the ending would be, and it's pretty much what any of us would have expected. It of course gives specifics though, and how things ended up 6 months after the conclusion of the main book. :) It was cute, and I love the characters!

[Carolina Malfettano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got me hooked to the very end

Hot, emotional and with a lot of action. It was a whole package with a perfect wrapped up bow. I just wish the the last action scene was a little more suspendió or a little more heroic, but all in all I loved the storyline.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final book in this unbelievably good series. So much trouble putting it down there is so much happening. Will they save the world from breaking? Can they save Roxie? Can her three men save Gabbi? OMG this story is good.

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 49%. This books pacing felt sooooo slow I just didn't feel like slogging through it anymore. Also why was she suddenly able to take one of the guys with her when she went to the dull world? Felt like a huge plot hole, maybe it was explained later but it really bothered me.

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!!

I loved all of the characters and the storyline is so intriguing! The guys are all super yummy and the steamy scenes are super steamy!

[SJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting and dramatic conclusion to a great series