Luck Maker

Kismet Academy #1

by Sarah Biglow

Careful what you wish for…

Mae Lin Zhou has struggled to live up to her father’s expectations all her life. She wishes just once she could make him proud, and when her dying grandmother chooses her to carry the family’s ability to make luck, she thinks this is her chance. If she can learn to control her new power.

Whisked away to Kismet Academy, Mae Lin finds herself thrust into a world of djinn, leprechauns, and wishers. Everyone seems so confident in their gifts and their place, leaving her feeling lost and alone until she finds an ally in leprechaun outcast Siobhan and a potential boyfriend in fellow wisher Lee.

But there is something sinister calling to Mae Lin, the lure of a long buried secret on the grounds of the academy. One her grandmother warned her about in her last fortune-- an angry djinn more powerful than any before him with a vendetta against her family. And he just might make Mae Lin break the one rule at Kismet Academy: never say I wish.

212 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2022

About the author

Author also writes under S.E. Biglow

Sarah is a USA Today Bestselling author as well as a licensed attorney and works for a state agency in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. When not working on her next novel or reading the latest installment of one of the many series she follows, she is busy watching TV and running a TV recap blog with her friend. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and son.

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Reviews

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to Kismet Academy a place with djinn, leprechauns, and wishers. We meet Mae Lin Zhou who carries the family’s ability to make luck. It’s a great introduction to this incredible World full of magic, mystery, murder and twists and turns and secrets. It’s a great start and I look forward to reading more.

[Christina Luberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have some mystery and a world of Paranormal. Mae Lin Zhou is struggling being accepted, but when her grandmother dyes and passes on her ability, she is sent to Kismet Academy. She is a newbie, learning. What is going on with the gifts given her? What is calling her? What are the secrets?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book one of the Kismet Academy series and the main character is Mae Lin Zhou, whose life changes completely when she sees her grandmother killed in their family restaurant. As her gran died in front of her she spoke to her and then a strange feeling seemed to travel up her arms and into her. Her gran used to write the sayings for their fortune cookies and Mae Lin would help by putting the slips of paper inside the cookies. She is looking forward to going back to college but then gets a visitor who tells her she has magic, her gran’s magic was passed on to her and she now has wish making magic, and she needs to learn how to use it safely! She is whisked away to Kismet Academy for a tour and learns she won’t have to pay any fees and everything will be provided for her, as she is a legacy. Her grandmother attended the academy with the current dean of the academy. Two weeks later term starts and she is placed with a horrible rich girl called Lani, who wants nothing to do with her and forces her out of their dorm room whenever she can. Mae Lin knows absolutely nothing about magic or her legacy and has a lot to learn, including the most important rule, don’t say ‘I wish’!
She manages to make one friend, Lee, who is a fellow wisher, and then the ostracised Siobhan, a female leprechaun when all are male normally! The only odd thing is Mae Lin hears a voice asking her for help, which no one else can hear. The voice she finds out, is from something locked up in a crypt in a forbidden part of the academy grounds. Siobhan follows her across to the crypt when Mae Lin tries to follow the voice, having to save her when a trap gets triggered. Unfortunately, they are also caught by the dean and almost expelled. Instead they get magical anklets which don’t allow them anywhere near the crypt. All they can do is try and research the rumours about the crypt and try to figure out what is locked away in it and why. They reach the spirit locked away and find out it is a djinn, someone both the dead and her gran knew well! A very powerful djinn, who was locked away for the safety of all and Mae Lin is trying to get him out. Lee is also mixed in with their plans and this time they have to figure out how to avoid the traps within the crypt. But nothing is quite as it seems and someone is out for the power of the djinn and family expectations to live up to, to worry about as well. She is about to be betrayed by someone close to her and must do something everyone says she shouldn’t, if she is to stop the traitor! Saying the words I wish, can have serious ramifications, but we will have to wait for book two to find out what happens next! Year one has ended with a bang and Mae Lin still has a lot to learn in this new world of magic. There are dangers around every corner that she isn’t even aware of! I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Rebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the moment I met Mae Lin Zhou, I felt her struggle—the weight of expectations, the fear of not measuring up, and the desperate hope that maybe, just maybe, she could finally make her father proud. Luck Maker by Sarah Biglow isn’t just a fantasy novel; it’s an emotional journey about finding your place in a world that seems determined to make you feel like you don’t belong. And honestly? I was hooked.

Kismet Academy is the kind of magical school setting I live for—brimming with mystery, hidden dangers, and a student body that includes djinn, leprechauns, and wishers. Mae Lin, suddenly thrust into this world, struggles not only to control her new gift but to figure out who she is in the midst of it all. Her friendship with Siobhan, a leprechaun outcast, was one of my favorite aspects—two outsiders finding strength in each other. And then there’s Lee, the charming wisher who offers a spark of romance and something almost safe in a world that’s anything but.

But lurking beneath the friendships and newfound magic is something much darker—the pull of a secret Mae Lin was never supposed to uncover. The ominous warning from her grandmother, the angry djinn with a vendetta against her family, and the one unbreakable rule she might be forced to break… it all adds up to a story that kept me flipping pages late into the night.

What I loved most about Luck Maker is how it blends personal growth with high-stakes adventure. Mae Lin isn’t just fighting external battles—she’s grappling with self-doubt, legacy, and the temptation of power. And the tension of knowing she might accidentally unleash something terrifying? Absolutely addictive.

If you love academy settings, rich mythology, and stories where the heroine must fight both destiny and her own fears, Luck Maker is your next read. Just remember: never say I wish… unless you’re ready to face the consequences.

[cleo ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A fast paranormal mystery read following Mae Lin, who gets thrust into a world of magic after the murder of her grandmother. Attending Kismet Academy along with other djinn, leprechauns, and wishers (like herself) to learn to hone her magic, vowing to investigate the murder of her grandmother, she starts hearing a mysterious voice calling to her, calling out for help, leading her to an off-limits place to strike a risky bargain.

It's definitely very fast-paced, short and to-the-point scenes/chapters revolving around Mae Lin's life at the Academy - magic lessons, making friends and enemies, investigating the mysterious voice, and going from knowing nothing at all about magic to being competent. The highlights for me were the friendships Mae Lin forged - particularly with Siobhan, a female leprechaun. And Siobhan especially stole the show for me, being a kickass shuriken-wielding girl, and there's definitely more to her story, more depth to her that I'd love to see explored.

I enjoyed the mystery element and how it's all very wrapped up in/tied to Mae Lin, having a very personal stake here. The twist was also well done - not too out of the blue, since there were just enough little pieces for me to believe it yet still be a little shocked.

The magic aspects felt a little weak to me, though; I couldn't properly get a sense of how each species' magic worked, or how magic in general worked here.

All in all, it's a good, fun, fast paranormal book with an academy setting (so of course, if you love that, this is for you) and a nice mystery element to it.

[Douglas Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is often hard to live up to your family's expectations, something our heroine knows first hand. So when she gets her opportunity to make her father proud, she is not going to fail, even if the odds are stacked against her.

This is book one of the series, so all good there.

This is a young adult urban fantasy story with an academy setting. Paranormal academy stories are pretty common these days, but this one definitely stands out for the rest. How? Our lead is an oriental character with luck magic. That makes this fresh and interesting right from the start.

The story itself is well written and easy to read with a well developed and unique setting. The characters are also well done and diverse, providing an intriguing cast. The plot moves at a good pace and involves a nice dose of mystery, intrigue and action. Overall, this was a great introduction to the world and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Luck Maker's Story . . .

Mae Lin Zhou was always trying to please her father. She wanted him to be proud of her accomplishments. When her grandmother died, she became the one to make luck, an ability carried in her family line, she believes this is her chance to prove herself. But she would need to use what she learns to find a way to track down the man she thought she had seen as he murdered her grandmother.

She goes to Kismet Academy where she can learn to control her power. She is among djinn, leprechauns, and wishers as she tries to fit in. But there is an evil presence luring her, despite the warning her grandmother had given her. An angry and powerful djinn who can destroy her family seeks vengeance. All he has to do is get her to say “I wish”... Will she give in? Will she exhibit weakness? Or find a strength to do what is right?

[Aurora R · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the Introduction to the Kismet Academy Series I was surprised to have learned how much my expectations were exceeded as I was eager to find out what happens next as Mei Lin navigates a whole new, academic high pressure setting where students and teachers a-like shun a character or two for their own individual differences like not knowing a founding principle of alchemy, or being humiliated publically for getting the answer the way the professor would have liked you to do and that contininous feeling of being "broken" while navigating life's trials where your suddenly realizing just how much of a voice you can have when there are people who are relentless in trying to take away your power; the one you were just given/and or discovered by the way!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Annalisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mae Lins grandmother died passing on her powers to Mae lin. She doesn't know how to use them so she is enrolled in kismet academy. Someone is calling out to her and compelling her to help them. This is an original and intriguing academy read. I got hooked in the first few pages. It mixes a mystery with the paranormal and I love that. The twists I didn't see coming and that made it more exciting. It's a dynamite book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several books written by Sarah Biglow; she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of her books.

This is the first book in the Kismet Academy Series; it is a stand-alone short story. The story is about Mae Lin Zhou; she has always done as her father expected. When her grandmother was dying she chose her to carry on the family’s ability to make luck but also putting her against an angry djinn with a vendetta against her family.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Book 1 of the Kismet Academy series. And a great start to the series.

'...an angry djinn more powerful than any before him with a vendetta against her family. And he just might make Mae Lin break the one rule at Kismet Academy: never say I wish.'

The characters were very complex and complicated and compelling. Plot was intriguing and exciting and well paced. World building was excellent and impressive. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story that introduces Mae Lin and what happens when she discovers that her family has magic and she now has it due to her grandma's death. And off she goes on an adventure at an academy with other magic makers and makes friends and enemies. Add in a mystery and a murder and get a good story. And the twist at the end was fun. Enjoyed this quick read and look forward to what comes next due to how this one ended. Good characters and a light easy read.

[Tahnia Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missing her grandmother, Mae Lin leaves campus for summer break, arriving at the family restaurant only to find her Nai-Nai dead and a male with a red aura standing there. After the funeral, Mae Lin makes a wish which brings the Dean of Students from Kismet University. This story contains betrayal and plenty of action, ending with a cliffhanger. Very highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ez C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good start to a series. Very paranormal academy style -mean girl, outcast friends, betrayal, ambiguous mentor person. Looking the crime solving angle. Shows a lot of promise. Will be waiting to read follow up.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderfully done story, it was a great plot and I enjoyed getting to know the characters. I appreciated the use of POC and LGBTQ characters it felt like a natural thing instead of just shoehorned in.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Christina Bowling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a little different from what I usually read, but I really liked it for the most part, and thought it was interesting.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

interesting start to a new series that has magic and mystery ; Mae Lin gets powers when her grandmother dies.

[Leslie Twitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luck Maker was a great read. I loved the djinn, leprechaun and wish granters. I couldn't put this down. Does end on a cliffhanger. And Lee..... oh my stars.