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Gift of the Unmage

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Gift of the Unmage
By Alma Alexander
Enos, 2007. 389 pgs. Chapter book.

If any book could be called the complete opposite of Harry Potter, this is that book.

A celebrity from the moment of her birth, Thea is the seventh child of two seventh children. By all rights she should be one of the most powerful mages ever born. Much to the embarrassment of herself and her powerful parents, Thea shows not the faintest glimmer of magic. It looks like she will have to attend The Wandless School, a unique institution that teaches its students how to get along without magic in a completely magical world.

Overall I found this book enjoyable. Though it was a little slow getting started, I was soon drawn into the story as it got going. Once Thea got to The Wandless School the plot became even more exciting. I do wish I could have learned more about the school and Thea’s fellow students. This group of friends don’t really show up until the last third of the book, so there wasn’t much time to focus on their backgrounds. Of course, this is only the first book so I guess there is plenty of series left to flesh out more about these extremely interesting kids who each have a different reason for attending a school completely devoid of magic. I look forward to reading future installments.

Kids who love the Harry Potter and Charlie Bone series will find this a fascinating read.
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curlyq said…
I thought this was a fun book. The beginning is a tad slow but then it picks up. I love the imagery that describes the magic involved. The ending is a little bizarre but I liked the different take on this magical tale.
September 5, 2007 at 1:49 PM
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