The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker

I had high expectation when I started reading this book because it sounded like a wonderful fantasy novel, with a modern twist. I was pleasantly surprised by the expansive fantasy world debut author Emily Croy Barker created. If it weren't for the modern main character that comes from "our world," this book would be lost on the fantasy shelves. What makes it stand out among the other fantasy books is that modern and relatable main character that allows us to discover this fantasy world through her eyes.

Nora is like any ordinary woman living in the United States. She's a grad student that has sort of lost her way with her dissertation topic and like so many 30-something independent women, she's heartbroken because her longstanding boyfriend dumped her to marry his new fling. Somehow, as she's taking a walk in the forest, she finds herself in a new world without realizing it. Attracted by all the splendors her new friend Ilissa offers, she feels prettier and happier than she's ever felt before. The grand parties, the long days of simply relaxing, and the attraction to Ilissia's handsome son allows her to escape her ordinary life and live a grand adventure. However, little does she know that everything is not what it seems and that she's just living some type of illusion. This illusion is really the part I love to hate about the book because Nora is definitely not a thinking woman in this part of the book. She's gullible, allows herself to be pulled this way and that, without any conscious thought. She definitely doesn't have a free thought in her mind at this point. It's almost as if she's brainwashed and you feel like slapping her in the face to wake her up from the fake life she's living.

In comes Aruendiel, a strong magician who's able to shake Nora out of the fake fairy tale and save her probably from an untimely death. Aruendiel is the perfect character, in my opinion. As a magician, he has lived a long time so he definitely has his wise moments, but he's also quick tempered, grumpy, and set in his ways. Having Nora in his life unravels his quiet little life because her modern thinking and her incessant need to learn isn't what her expects of women. In his world, women are usually illiterate, not free thinking and definitely don't see themselves equal to men. The culture is very similar to our world's England 200 or 300 years ago and unprepared for Nora's modernity. The difference in opinions makes Aruendiel and Nora have multiple disagreements since their ways of thinking are definitely not on the same level. So when Nora teaches herself to read and write the complex language of Ors, the magician finally realizes that she may not be as senseless and simple as he originally thought. The dynamics between the two characters is fun to read and Nora seems to know exactly how to get under the magician's skin. Eventually, Aruendiel agrees to take Nora on as his pupil to teach her magic, but little does she know that the art of magic may be her only way to save herself. The hint of romance is definitely there but despite their intelligent minds, the two characters are blinded by social norms.

THE THINKING WOMAN'S GUIDE TO REAL MAGIC is a brilliant and modern fairy tale that warns us about things that are too good to be true, and teaches us that whatever we set our minds to, we can achieve if we practice and study enough. Emily Croy Barker's writing is fascinating, thrilling, and makes us live a wonderful tale of magic, suspense and wonder. The intermingling of Nora's modernity and this fantasy world has created a wonderful epic story. I actually love the slow build up because like any great fantasy novel, the details are what allows us to better understand  and live the fantasy world. Hopefully the author will keep writing about Nora and Aruendiel because their story is far from over, especially with this awful cliffhanger.

Read More

by Tynga at Sunday, August 24, 2014

 Emily Croy Barker, fairy, Fantasy, Fantasy amp; Magic, Magic, magical realism, magician, Penguin, Publisher, Review  1 Person left their mark

✎

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

I've been waiting for a new Sarah Addison Allen book for what seems like forever. I'm a huge fan of her books and all her books are definitely worth reading, including this one. I love the way that she writes realistic stories but includes a little supernatural without over doing it. The magical realism genre is probably one of my favourites because you don't quite know what's real and what's magic. The combination is subtle which makes it mysterious and interesting, while still reading a heartfelt story. Like one of the characters in the book says, "Magic is what we invent when we want something we think we don't have."

LOST LAKE, is about finding one's self, and many of the characters, if not all, end up "waking up" in one way or another. Kate, the main character, is first encountered after she "wakes up" a year and a day after her husband's death. She ends up doing something random, breaking her mother-in-law's rules by taking her daughter on a road trip to visit the place where she had her best summer ever, where she spent her last summer as a child. Kate's vulnerability and insecurity after losing her husband makes her a realistic character, and a likeable one at that. We see her get stronger not only as a person but as a mother and a friend.

The magical realism elements are more subtle in this book than her other ones I think, or at least come later on in the book and creep up on you. I don't want to reveal too much because I strongly believe this book needs to be read with an open mind, without any spoilers.

The setting of the book couldn't be more perfect. Lost Lake is a sort of old cabin/camping ground that used to be an amazing place to spend the summer but has been lost and forgoteen by many except for a few lost souls. The slew of original and eccentric characters add life and energy to the novel and it's kind of wonderful a that they end up finding each other.

If you're looking for an easy, yet heartwarming story, you can pick up any Sarah Addison Allen book. LOST LAKE just happens to be her most recent novel. Personally I hope she keeps writing only stand alone books because I can't see her doing anything else. The ways she builds stories and invents characters, they're only made to be visited once because their mysteriousness would simply be gone if they were to be expanded on event more. One thing is for sure, this author has been on my auto-buy list since she first came out with GARDEN SPELLS. I just hope I can convinced a few more people to pick up her books because I can't be the only one that finds her stories so wonderful.

Read More

by Tynga at Sunday, March 30, 2014

 Macmillan, magical realism, Paranormal, Purchased, Review, St. Martin's  3 People left their mark

✎

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Whenever I try to review a Neil Gaiman book, I'm always looking for the perfect words to do it justice but it so very hard to sum up genius in just a few paragraphs. His typical books usually land in the magical realism genre and THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE is definitely a part of that genre. In this book, there's a chilling quality to his writing that makes you shiver throughout, and it leaves you wondering how close to the truth his magical world really is. Everything is based on real life lessons so it's hard to believe there isn't a bit of truth in his every word.

Despite its paranormal/magical realism genre, the book is really a story about growing up and the blurred lines between childhood and adulthood. Some situations can make children grow older faster, despite their ability to overcome troublesome ordeals.  However, as children we have a tendency to believe anything, even if things are a little bit farfetched, so some of these farfetched and imaginative situations can impact us a great deal. This novel is narrated by a nameless seven year old main character so you really have to question the accuracy of some situations. Are things really happening the way they are narrated or are the facts confused by some little boy’s overactive imagination? That’s the charm of Gaiman’s writing because it makes you question everything, despite your strong grip on reality.

The nameless narrator is a very shy boy who befriends a strange country girl named Lottie Hempstock. After meeting her, things get a little strange. Things get even stranger when he pulls a worm out from a hole under his foot. Disguised as the new housekeeper for his family, the monster (or the flea as Lottie calls it) that haunts the small English town makes his life miserable. He’s the only one in his family that truly sees the evil hiding behind the housekeeper facade and he faces danger when he tries to defy the monster’s orders. He finds help in Lottie and her mother and grandmother, who try to help him as much as possible with their strange and eccentric abilities. As the third generation, Lottie is only 11 years old but she seems wise beyond her years. Together, the old lady, the middle age woman and the eager pre-adolescent make a strange female trio. The whole setting and story is eerie, curious and fantastic, but I was on the edge of my seat until the very end.

For a short book, it had a lot of things to say. From the few Gaiman books I’ve read, after reading THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE, I have to issues saying that he is a master at what he does. He has the ability to write wonderful YA and children’s books (for example Coraline) but I think his talent is best suited for Adult books. Despite it being told from the point of view of a seven year old, I would definitely qualify this book as an Adult book because of some of the themes. Because I like strange books, I really enjoyed this one because it made me believe everything that was happening and pushed the limits of my imagination.

Read More

by Tynga at Sunday, August 18, 2013

 Adult, Harper Collins, Library, magical realism, Neil Gaiman, Paranormal, Review  7 People left their mark

✎