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Magic #1
Magic's Design
They were destined to save the world from an ancient evil.
Talos is a magic wielder, born into the mage guild of firecrafters. As an agent of the Overworld Police, he has come from a secret land to protect Earth from magicians intent on enslaving humanity.
Mila has always had the gift of healing. But this very modern woman never realized that her skill was born of an ancient magic that only firecraft can fully unlock.
Together, Tal and Mila discover that the source of their powers is in unity. Love's shining light might burn them alive protecting the magic of the world, but if the Tree of Life dies, and all the magic in the world is extinguished… will it matter?
Talos is a magic wielder, born into the mage guild of firecrafters. As an agent of the Overworld Police, he has come from a secret land to protect Earth from magicians intent on enslaving humanity.
Mila has always had the gift of healing. But this very modern woman never realized that her skill was born of an ancient magic that only firecraft can fully unlock.
Together, Tal and Mila discover that the source of their powers is in unity. Love's shining light might burn them alive protecting the magic of the world, but if the Tree of Life dies, and all the magic in the world is extinguished… will it matter?
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 3, 2009
12 people are currently reading
450 people want to read
About the author
Cat Adams
18 books728 followersThis is the pen name of Cathy Clamp and C.T. Adams (co-authors of the Thrall trilogy and the Sazi series published by Tor). They created this name to write under to make it easier for new fans (or old) to find them on the book shelves.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/catadams
http://us.macmillan.com/author/catadams
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 26, 2020
I’ve had this on my shelf for awhile and I’m pretty sure it was given to me. I picked it up for the r/fantasy ‘s book bingo (romance square). I didn’t really expect myself to like it, but was going to read it anyway. I’m disappointed that they probably won’t write another one
I was wrong. I really enjoyed this book. It’s not an “omg wow everyone needs to read this” book, but it’s a fun feel good read. I loved the incorporation of Ukrainian egg dying and making it a magic gift. I liked how the author(a) included her job, even though they made it part of the plot.
I felt like the last 3rd was rush and could’ve used some reworking. Also, instalove. Blech.
I was wrong. I really enjoyed this book. It’s not an “omg wow everyone needs to read this” book, but it’s a fun feel good read. I loved the incorporation of Ukrainian egg dying and making it a magic gift. I liked how the author(a) included her job, even though they made it part of the plot.
I felt like the last 3rd was rush and could’ve used some reworking. Also, instalove. Blech.
October 18, 2014
This was a did-not-finish book for me. I just didn't like how the characters are described. "She was a size fourteen, but her best friend was a delicate size six." I am so tired of reading about characters who don't like their weight.
Then it turns out her grandmother had magic powers, and the heroine's been having seizures her whole life. But really, it's some kind of magic.
I stopped reading there. It just didn't grab me.
Then it turns out her grandmother had magic powers, and the heroine's been having seizures her whole life. But really, it's some kind of magic.
I stopped reading there. It just didn't grab me.
April 13, 2015
Review Courtesy of: Books That Hook
3.5 stars
Rich with Ukrainian folklore, Magic’s Design is an interesting story about a woman named Mila who has to learn how to use her magic in order to save two worlds (ours and a world under ours) from being destroyed by an evil mage. At the heart of the story is the blooming romance between herself and Talos, a man from the underground world.
I thought the premise and mythology were great. I had some problems with the actual execution. The plot and pacing were fine, but the way information was presented to the reader was confusing and jumbled at times. There is so much information to learn at the beginning of the book; it’s like information overload, especially since the authors confuse the reader by using multiple names for the same thing or person.
A lot of times the word choices left me wondering what had actually happened. I was able to visualize the settings well, but not the actions of people. There were also times in the book where information conflicted. One thing was said, then something else was said that went against what had been said earlier.
Also regarding word choices, I think the book suffered from no one checking the fine print, so to speak. Little details didn’t fit. For example, when Mila and Talos were in the underground world, one of them said something about “up here.” Wouldn’t it be “down here” if they are underground? This kind of small detail is easy to overlook, but I found many of these types of problems throughout the book.
Another problem I noticed was that the writing tended to slip into present tense. The majority of the book was written in past tense, but it occasionally shifted to present tense. I don’t think this was intentional.
One thing I did like was how the relationship between Mila and Talos followed a natural progression. They weren’t forced or rushed into love.
So, overall, I really liked the story idea, but I didn’t think it was written as well as it could have been. While most of the problems were minor, it did make it harder for me to get through. It took until about fifty percent of the way into the book before I really got into what was happening to the characters.
I am on the fence about if I should recommend it. If you like books about mages and magic, mixed with a love story, give it a try for yourself.
3.5 stars
Rich with Ukrainian folklore, Magic’s Design is an interesting story about a woman named Mila who has to learn how to use her magic in order to save two worlds (ours and a world under ours) from being destroyed by an evil mage. At the heart of the story is the blooming romance between herself and Talos, a man from the underground world.
I thought the premise and mythology were great. I had some problems with the actual execution. The plot and pacing were fine, but the way information was presented to the reader was confusing and jumbled at times. There is so much information to learn at the beginning of the book; it’s like information overload, especially since the authors confuse the reader by using multiple names for the same thing or person.
A lot of times the word choices left me wondering what had actually happened. I was able to visualize the settings well, but not the actions of people. There were also times in the book where information conflicted. One thing was said, then something else was said that went against what had been said earlier.
Also regarding word choices, I think the book suffered from no one checking the fine print, so to speak. Little details didn’t fit. For example, when Mila and Talos were in the underground world, one of them said something about “up here.” Wouldn’t it be “down here” if they are underground? This kind of small detail is easy to overlook, but I found many of these types of problems throughout the book.
Another problem I noticed was that the writing tended to slip into present tense. The majority of the book was written in past tense, but it occasionally shifted to present tense. I don’t think this was intentional.
One thing I did like was how the relationship between Mila and Talos followed a natural progression. They weren’t forced or rushed into love.
So, overall, I really liked the story idea, but I didn’t think it was written as well as it could have been. While most of the problems were minor, it did make it harder for me to get through. It took until about fifty percent of the way into the book before I really got into what was happening to the characters.
I am on the fence about if I should recommend it. If you like books about mages and magic, mixed with a love story, give it a try for yourself.
January 19, 2017
2.5 stars?
This was just barely interesting enough to keep me reading instead of DNF'ing it. Neither Mila or Tal was all that interesting, possibly her grandmother was the most interesting character. I did want to see about the underworld and the magic system, but mostly that turned out to be a mess.
It wasn't a terrible book, but it was kind of blah. Stick with the author's other work instead.
This was just barely interesting enough to keep me reading instead of DNF'ing it. Neither Mila or Tal was all that interesting, possibly her grandmother was the most interesting character. I did want to see about the underworld and the magic system, but mostly that turned out to be a mess.
It wasn't a terrible book, but it was kind of blah. Stick with the author's other work instead.
February 27, 2010
Boring. Could not get interested in the characters. Quit reading after 60 pages. I usually love this writing team(cathy clamp and c.t. adams) but this was not up to their standards. Pass on this one and enjoy one of their other books.
April 5, 2009
It started off moderately interesting, took a turn into confusing, and then seemed to lose steam. I didn't care a bit about any of the characters, and I found the plot confusing rather than interesting. So I quit.
April 5, 2012
I felt kind of indifferent about this book practically the whole way through. The characters were okay, the writing sub-par, and the content too much for my liking. It could have been an interesting story, but it just couldn't get there.
August 14, 2012
I love Cat Adams' other books. So, every so often, I pick this one up. Then I remember that I really hate it, and I put it back down again.
Please, skip this one and go with the Blood Singer books.
Please, skip this one and go with the Blood Singer books.
January 9, 2010
Amazon preorder
April 4, 2015
This book was well thought out, and had a blend of action and story throughout. The characters were also relatable. I wish more of their books were like this one.
Read
May 20, 2016Interesting
Different from her other books but still a good read. characters are all well formed and world was fully believable..
Different from her other books but still a good read. characters are all well formed and world was fully believable..
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews