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A Darker Magic
Three people find their lives in danger when a ghostly magician haunts them with visions of an extraordinary, deadly magic show he originally staged in 1936.
184 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
3 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Michael Bedard
40 books20 followersMichael Bedard was born and raised in Toronto. His novels include Stained Glass, A Darker Magic, Painted Devil, and Redwork, which received the Governor General’s Literary Award and the Canadian Library Association’s Book of the Year Award for Children. He has also written several acclaimed picture books, including The Clay Ladies, which received the Toronto IODE Book Award. His biography, William Blake: The Gates of Paradise and his picture book Emily attest to his interest in poets and poetry.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 26, 2012
I picked this up because recently I unknowingly read its sequel, The Green Man. I found that book to be confusing and rather vague about the dangerous magic it was describing and I was hoping that this book would shed some light on that. Unfortunately, all reading this did was raise more questions, and introduce numerous continuity errors between the two books.
The most egregious to me, which really ruined the whole experience, although it might come off as nit-picky, was the chronological setting. The premise is that a supernatural magic show occurs in a train depot in this particular town (geographical setting also unclear, though I suspect Britain or New England) every time August 8th falls on a Saturday. This is said to have already happened in 1936 and 1964. Consulting a virtual calendar, I find this data to be accurate and determine that this book takes place in 1992, although it was written in 1987. Okay. The next time this event could happen after that is 2020. However, in the sequel, a character who is approximately 13 years old is now "an old lady" with heart problems. In 2020, she would be 41, which is stretching "old lady" to quite an extent. It's more likely that the date is another 28 years later, but there's nothing to suggest a futuristic world. In fact, there's nothing to suggest that book could even take place in 2012 (complete lack of cell phones, computers, etc. even by teenagers...) It ended up just being frustrating.
If one was able to overlook that, one would next be confronted with the dullness and confusion of this plot. Miss Potts attended the 1936 show and now she's having dreams about it. Emily Endicott gets sucked in to the investigation. Neither of them uncover anything much of interest in their search, and most of the action of the book centers on descriptions of Emily's irritating younger siblings. The clock ticks inexorably toward August 8th, and the climactic final scene, which isn't climactic at all because Emily passes out and pretty much nothing happens. Boring.
The most egregious to me, which really ruined the whole experience, although it might come off as nit-picky, was the chronological setting. The premise is that a supernatural magic show occurs in a train depot in this particular town (geographical setting also unclear, though I suspect Britain or New England) every time August 8th falls on a Saturday. This is said to have already happened in 1936 and 1964. Consulting a virtual calendar, I find this data to be accurate and determine that this book takes place in 1992, although it was written in 1987. Okay. The next time this event could happen after that is 2020. However, in the sequel, a character who is approximately 13 years old is now "an old lady" with heart problems. In 2020, she would be 41, which is stretching "old lady" to quite an extent. It's more likely that the date is another 28 years later, but there's nothing to suggest a futuristic world. In fact, there's nothing to suggest that book could even take place in 2012 (complete lack of cell phones, computers, etc. even by teenagers...) It ended up just being frustrating.
If one was able to overlook that, one would next be confronted with the dullness and confusion of this plot. Miss Potts attended the 1936 show and now she's having dreams about it. Emily Endicott gets sucked in to the investigation. Neither of them uncover anything much of interest in their search, and most of the action of the book centers on descriptions of Emily's irritating younger siblings. The clock ticks inexorably toward August 8th, and the climactic final scene, which isn't climactic at all because Emily passes out and pretty much nothing happens. Boring.
March 23, 2025
Whenever I see Avon Flare on the spine of a book on the shelves at Half Price Books in the horror/sci-fi/fantasy section, I automatically grab it.
If the cover and the blurb are interesting and the copy is in good condition, I purchase it.
This book is a middle grade book as the main character is said to be a teenager on the back. I would round that up to meaning at least thirteen about to be fourteen.
What else is described on the back is sort of loosely correct.
Published in 1987, we get the book from three perspectives in the third person narration.
The main character is Emily Endicott, who has three younger siblings that have banished her to the slightly quieter basement. Her dad is working on making models for the new railway museum to be built at the old train depot.
Second, we are introduced to Miss Potts, an older and unmarried schoolteacher who is one of Emily's teachers before the summer. She is cleaning out her classroom and when she reaches one desk, she finds an old playbill, a flyer for a magic show.
Everything printed on it stops the woman in her tracks because she has seen it before. The same magician with the same date of August the 8th at the same place: the old, abandoned railway depot.
Yet the show she saw was fifty years ago when she was only ten years old.
The third character is a boy named Craig Chandler though his involvement in the story is not as important as those of Emily and Miss Potts. On the last day of school, he was given a map by the new boy in his class. His name is Scott Renshaw, and he is a very quiet boy who never answers questions in Miss Potts' class yet always has a charming smile on his face.
The map leads Craig to where Scott lives and soon the boys trade off visiting each other at their homes. Scott shows up in Craig's garage almost out of nowhere with a very good magic trick and the next time Craig is at Scott's, he finally notices all the books about magic on his shelves.
Some books are very old and fragile and filled with strange, terrifying and fascinating things.
Miss Potts calls the numbers of every student who sat in the desk where she found the handbill of the magic show. One is Scott, where no one ever answers the phone, and Emily who she urges to meet her as soon as possible.
Miss Potts tells Emily that on that night fifty years ago, the magic show was filled with things that later gave some children nightmares. The closing act involved a boy she knew named Freddie who participated in the trick where it appeared his head was cut from his body by the magician, Professor Mephisto.
The next day the magician disappeared and three months later, Freddie fell off a train trestle and died...of a broken neck.
A very creepy kind of story that is reminiscent of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. A Darker Magic is one of those gateway books to lead you into horror that is a bit more visceral yet still has all the tones of a campfire story out in the woods to run a chill up your spine.
If the cover and the blurb are interesting and the copy is in good condition, I purchase it.
This book is a middle grade book as the main character is said to be a teenager on the back. I would round that up to meaning at least thirteen about to be fourteen.
What else is described on the back is sort of loosely correct.
Published in 1987, we get the book from three perspectives in the third person narration.
The main character is Emily Endicott, who has three younger siblings that have banished her to the slightly quieter basement. Her dad is working on making models for the new railway museum to be built at the old train depot.
Second, we are introduced to Miss Potts, an older and unmarried schoolteacher who is one of Emily's teachers before the summer. She is cleaning out her classroom and when she reaches one desk, she finds an old playbill, a flyer for a magic show.
Everything printed on it stops the woman in her tracks because she has seen it before. The same magician with the same date of August the 8th at the same place: the old, abandoned railway depot.
Yet the show she saw was fifty years ago when she was only ten years old.
The third character is a boy named Craig Chandler though his involvement in the story is not as important as those of Emily and Miss Potts. On the last day of school, he was given a map by the new boy in his class. His name is Scott Renshaw, and he is a very quiet boy who never answers questions in Miss Potts' class yet always has a charming smile on his face.
The map leads Craig to where Scott lives and soon the boys trade off visiting each other at their homes. Scott shows up in Craig's garage almost out of nowhere with a very good magic trick and the next time Craig is at Scott's, he finally notices all the books about magic on his shelves.
Some books are very old and fragile and filled with strange, terrifying and fascinating things.
Miss Potts calls the numbers of every student who sat in the desk where she found the handbill of the magic show. One is Scott, where no one ever answers the phone, and Emily who she urges to meet her as soon as possible.
Miss Potts tells Emily that on that night fifty years ago, the magic show was filled with things that later gave some children nightmares. The closing act involved a boy she knew named Freddie who participated in the trick where it appeared his head was cut from his body by the magician, Professor Mephisto.
The next day the magician disappeared and three months later, Freddie fell off a train trestle and died...of a broken neck.
A very creepy kind of story that is reminiscent of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. A Darker Magic is one of those gateway books to lead you into horror that is a bit more visceral yet still has all the tones of a campfire story out in the woods to run a chill up your spine.
June 20, 2016
Feb. 1/11
Read this in Grade 8. I remember liking it and I've been searching for it for years so it must have made an impact on me. Plan to read it again.
Dec 11/11
Found it!!!!!!
Ok so read this for a second time. Found it less interesting than I did in grade 8. It was written a little strange. The chapters alternated between Ms. Potts, Emily, Craig, and the Children's Magic Show. At times I forgot who was talking. I just wasn't attached to the story. I did like the mysterious element of finding out about the magic show and who Scott Renshaw was. But that is about it.
Read this in Grade 8. I remember liking it and I've been searching for it for years so it must have made an impact on me. Plan to read it again.
Dec 11/11
Found it!!!!!!
Ok so read this for a second time. Found it less interesting than I did in grade 8. It was written a little strange. The chapters alternated between Ms. Potts, Emily, Craig, and the Children's Magic Show. At times I forgot who was talking. I just wasn't attached to the story. I did like the mysterious element of finding out about the magic show and who Scott Renshaw was. But that is about it.
July 8, 2021
Obviously such a small book took me forever to read because it wasn’t very interesting.
Long drawn sentences If they are your thing this is another book to add to your collection then!!!
If your looking for a great read that’s exciting don’t pick this up!!! YAWN 🥱
Long drawn sentences If they are your thing this is another book to add to your collection then!!!
If your looking for a great read that’s exciting don’t pick this up!!! YAWN 🥱
January 2, 2022
I love Michael Bedard's books, but I would have liked this one more if I had any real fascination for magic, which I confess I don't. I do remember being fascinated as a kid by The Amazing Kreskin, who was a mind reader. Fun fact: His TV show was produced in Canada though he is from NJ.
February 7, 2024
Very tense horror story. I really liked it right up to the end when it fell flat for me. But I am not really the audience for horror. I find it too neat.
The other thing that is very good indeed is that all the children in this book are poor and under familial strain, and their conditions depicted well, but that is not at all what the story is about, nor is any of it changed.
The other thing that is very good indeed is that all the children in this book are poor and under familial strain, and their conditions depicted well, but that is not at all what the story is about, nor is any of it changed.
August 17, 2025
I love this book! It's the descriptions, and past rushing forth, creating illusions of reality of what was and is mixed with the now. I always struggle not to read this novel in one sitting.
October 15, 2016
Despite the fact this was written for a middle-grade audience, I liked this book. The characters were distinct and though this was a horror, it was never gory or over the top. I kind of felt sorry for Emily, living in such crowded quarters with all those boisterous siblings, but I think that was probably what made her strong. I think of all the characters we were introduced to, she was the most appealing. Craig was also an interesting character, with his persistence in seeking out Scott. The situation they found themselves may not have been unique, but it was well done and I liked the use of the blue magic books. I also liked the resolution that didn’t tie up every loose end but left you wondering.
July 2, 2013
A good story but a bit forced by the end. You can tell that this book came earlier in Bedard's portfolio than others. If I remember correctly, this was his first novel. Still the story captures your attention from the beginning. Bedard plays with time, and the points of view of various characters. For some this might be confusing, especially near the end, but it seems to go with the theme and suspense of the story line.
Worth a read, but probably not a story I'd reach for again and again.
Worth a read, but probably not a story I'd reach for again and again.
October 6, 2009
Wasn't clear.........between past and present and it just frankly wasn't a good book in my opinion.
sorry...
sorry...
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews