Magic Time

Magic Time #1

by Marc Scott Zicree, Barbara Hambly

For rising young lawyer Cal Griffin, it's just another day in the Big City--until the lights go off...for good. Suddenly packs of pale crouched figures are stalking the darkened subways, monsters prowl Times Square, and the people all around Cal are...changing. Similar weirdness is happening everywhere, from the dank, cold heart of a West Virginia coal mine to a remote lab in South Dakota--where a team of government scientists has unwittingly invited something catastrophic into the world--to the highest levels of power in Washington, D.C. And Cal Griffin is not the only one struggling to comprehend the surreal, devouring chaos surrounding him--nor the only one who will be forced to accept a new role in this brave new world of nightmare and wonder. For the forces bled from the stilled machines are fueling a consciousness both newly born and ancient--and more than one unlikely hero will be needed for the titanic battle between the darkness and the light.

This first collaboration between talented writers Marc Scott Zicree and Barbara Hambly is the beginning of an innovative fantasy series. An enthralling and entertaining read, Magic Time mixes supernatural forces and elements of classic epic-quest fantasy with modern technology and contemporary themes in a fascinating "What if?" scenario that presents a world where science is turned on its head as magical forces -- and strange new creatures -- blossom in its place.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Post Apocalyptic, Young Adult

448 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This will be a rather short review as this is a very disappointing book. While it should have been(I believe) a good read. It takes place over a goodly spread of areas and characters...

That said while as I said "it takes place" over a good spread of places and characters, very little actually does "take place". The first quarter or so of the book simply intros people and wanders around the world in which "we" (they) live, sort of.

When the big Event comes down we basically go no where. This is like one very long very extended introduction. Personally I don't intend to force myself through another LOOOONNNGGG SSSLLLOOOWWW moving series of books. To each their own of course. If you like the book enjoy.

Not for me however.

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is not a bad book, it is very much a "beginning" one; the first 100 pages are entirely devoted to introducing numerous characters, most of whom have no interaction with one another so far. When the Ginormous Disaster occurs we go through each characters reaction and struggle, which is realistic but not that exciting to read, especially as the nature of the disaster is clear to the reader sooner than it is to the characters.

[Athena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Barbara Hambly collaborated on only this of the total 3 Magic Time novels, much to the detriment of the series, which has the odd conceit of a different collaborator with M.S. Zicree for each book. #1 is clearly a 'beginning the trilogy' book with perhaps a bit too much telling & not enough showing. No matter: the dialog is crisp, the plot an interesting twist on the popular 'End Of The World As We Know It' theme, and Hambly's elegant writing clearly stands out where allowed, though not nearly often enough. In her hands the characters resonate realistically with some of them clearly and easily waiting for full development in the next novels. I grew to care about them and succumbed to the true magic cast by all hardworking, talented authors.

The problem is that Hambly did make this an enjoyable read and to say that's a problem with a book is a sad comment on a series. I was eager to follow these characters' stories, so painstakingly established here in #1, and that's where the Magic Time series loses any whisper of enchantment whatsoever. The writing for the rest of the series is mediocre at best and abysmal at worst. I can't decide if the remaining books were roughly written and poorly edited or if the writing alone was so high-schoolishly poor that some beleaguered editor somewhere gave in to gibbering exhaustion and the publishers went to press hoping no one would notice.

Don't start this series unless you want to stop with #1: the rest isn't worth checking out of the library.

[Doris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the concept of this story, but it seemed that it was overly concerned with making sure all the many characters were introduced at the beginning. It begins with a ho-hum task by an agent, we later learn of the President of the United States, who is fleeting around looking for an unidentified something.

A good part of the rest of the story leads to finding her and her "something", but it meanders through a cast of characters as it details the breakdown of government and modern life in the aftermath of a government funded project gone awry. Aid project somehow manages to undo the laws of physics, causing mutations which for the most part really aren't all that bad, just scary.

The missing agent, a search for truth, and purpose, and sanity in the new worldview, all could have been blended into an excellent re-rendition of the story told by Aldous Huxley in Brave New World, but instead meanders down a path that clearly heads towards a sequel without really wrapping up the initial story.

Disappointing.

[Don · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another end of the world as we know it fantasy. The book is slow to start due to introducing quite a number of characters and it really drags along much of this. It takes some time to really make a lot of sense out of what is going on. By the end of the book, the reader is made very aware of what is going on and the story has come together very well.

Not a bad read (listen for me), but not anything 'standoutish' either. The slow start makes it difficult to stick with and this is what makes it a 2 rather than a 3 rating.

[Paul-Baptiste · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a 'recommended by the library' book I didn't know what to expect and so looked up some reviews before diving in. It gets a lot of negative reviews, but most of these seem based on the opinions that a) this is not a true Barbara Hambly book (It's not. She's a collaborator with Zicree.), b) there are too many characters (People! This isn't The Wheel of Time series or Romance of the Three Kingdoms. You can keep track of ALL the characters on your fingers. Hardly a cerebral challenge...), or this book just sets up book two (It's the first book in a series. I don't see the problem.).

While the book has a slow start, I felt that the character and plot development were well done and led naturally into the interaction of the various players.

I am looking forward to book two.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the concept of this book, and with recent world events, have been thinking about it a lot lately. What if the lights, batteries, and even guns went out permanently, but people had the power? It was conceived as a 2 hour TV pilot, co-written by a writer / producer of "Sliders" and "Star Trek". It could be a good TV series. BUT... Why can't a WRITER come up with more descriptive words than the all encompassing one that begins like "fudge"? Even if he's painting a scene with miners or white trash dragons. There are other ways to say it. Those scenes wouldn't make it to network television as written. Otherwise, it reads like a tv show with scene changes and reveals. The second one was better

[Fantasy Literature · Rating 2 out of 5]

Magic Time is the first book of a fantasy trilogy helmed by Marc Scott Zicree. This book is co-written with Barbara Hambly. Each of the subsequent books in the series is written with a different writer. Magic Time was published in 2001, and it is not aging well.

I had a difficult time getting through Magic Time. It narrowly missed achieving Did Not Finish status. When I did finish it I realized that all this book did was set up Book Two.

Zicree’s book is a post-apocalyptic fantasy in the mode of The Stand and Swan Song, although the cause of the cataclysm that brings magic into our world springs from a covert government experiment gone wrong. With very little warning, ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...

[Myke Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

This caught my interest enough, but the problem I have with books intended to be television shows is that there is way too much superfluous description. I understand why it happens, but it makes me feel like there's a lack of story, just visual stuff.
Anyway, it kept me wanting to know the full story, so I read on.

[A.M.]

Was listening to the audio book (read by Armin Shimerman, who has a surprisingly pleasant narrator voice, I kinda wish he'd done more of this sort of thing)
... but, well, nationwide disaster, everything in chaos, nobody knowing what's going on, how long it'll last, or how to deal with it ... started hitting a little close to home, y'know?

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this book in an used book store around 10 years ago. I have read it so many times it will soon be a tape bound book. Took many years, and the purchase of a kindle, to finally read the rest of the series. None of the books have ever disappointed me. I go back and re-read them all the time.

[Kell Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ordered this book as it had one of my favorite tropes - magic returns to a modern day setting and the involvement of one of my favorite fantasy writers, Barbara Hambly.

The book is written like a disaster movie—lots of quick cuts between a wide variety of characters as they adjust to the slowly changing world.

There are three major story lines:
In New York, Cal Griffin works at a legal firm with his malicious ‘dragon’ of a boss, Ely Stern. When the magic hits, Stern changes into a dragon, and Cal’s sister, Tiny, changes into a translucent (perhaps fairy) being. Cal’s storyline is about survival in a New York that’s falling apart without technology. He dreams of a magic sword (and finds one in a junk heap later). When the draconic Stern kidnaps Tina, Cal challenges Stern to get her back.

There’s a government plot line when touches on how the magic returned because of experiments with ‘The Source’. The President McKay isn’t sure what’s going on, and needs information held by CIA agent Jerri Bilmer, who vanishes after her introductory chapter. Later on, the government plot line is picked up by Agent Shango, searching for Bilmer’s secret notes from a crashed plane.

In West Virginia, a group of miners start to transform into troll-like beings while in the mines, and on the surface, a cat-lady develops cat powers.

All the stories would be interesting in greater details, but the sheer volume of characters, and the quick-cut style of jumping between made it hard for me to engage. I’d have preferred to stay in New York with Cal’s plot line (hero vs dragon in the crumbling New York would have been amazingly iconic, especially when contrasted with the battered employee versus arrogant boss in their mundane lives.) I did like the peeks of magic returning, such as farmer growing magical crops and people spontaneously getting telekinesis and fireball powers.

Overall, the book entertained me and I didn't set it aside at the first quarter mark. I'm also interested to see how the next book reviews the source of the magic, but it's nothing I'll rush out to get.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bunch of people struggle to survive after something changes the world forever.

3.5 stars - I am a fan of old school apocalypse that begins by introducing a slew of characters and slowly builds toward the bad thing and then the characters gradually coming together. I loved the first half of this book. Then the second half stumbled a bit for me. I didn't like or really care about half of the people including the one who is supposed to be the main 'good guy'. The portion I most liked was the coal miners, a mile underground, who have to make it up with no power. I still mostly enjoyed this and I'm up for trying the second book in the series.

[Pauline · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel sets up some interesting problems and an interesting mystery, and includes some interesting characters, but by the end explains and resolves little. Obviously one has to read the next book in the series to find out what is going to happen, but I doubt that I will. It's bad enough that the second book in a series often feels like just a bridge from the first to the third, but the first book needs to be able to stand by itself for me to want to read more.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite passage: And it had all been betrayal, in the end. It had all been to protect the people who thought that the risk of this- this horror, this catastrophe- coming to pass was less important than getting power.

[Loren · Rating 2 out of 5]

It starts off very slowly. There is a lot of set-up and background in this book.

[Doc Opp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magic time set in the present and chronicles the aftermath of a government experiment that goes awry and changes the rules of physics. This both disables a lot of modern technology, and allows new magical effects to be realize. Most of the book is excellent, but the author is clearly not completely comfortable with the style yet, and so there's chapter by chapter variability in quality. I have wanted to read the sequels for some time, but keep forgetting to look for them when I go to the bookstore. I hear that the rights to this book have been bought for an eventual movie production, although I'm not sure how well it would translate to the big screen.

[Lavonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this audio book at the library, mainly because it was read by a man who had played a character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is a typical, "end of the world" novel, but I liked it. I always enjoy stories where characters from various parts of the country end up joining together to fight the "Big Bad". Once again, I was sucked into a story that I did not realize was the first of many parts. (I really have to start checking that before I start reading these stories.) It was not the best novel of the apocolypse I have read, but it was good enough to be entertaining. I'll be looking for the rest of the series.

Writing: C+
Narration: A-

[Cortney · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea is good, but the execution is kind of... meh. I wasn't super fond of any of the characters, and I feel like there were one or two storylines too many. This is one of those books that jumps around between a few different groups of people, which I'm ok with when it's done well. But I don't think this was done very well. As far as I could tell there was zero reason for the group from New York to be included. All the other groups were connected in some way, but the New Yorkers weren't. Maybe if I'd been invested in any of the characters I would have felt differently, but as it stands I have no interest in reading any more of this series.

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book had a lot of promise when reading the synopsis. Unfortunately most of it did not come to pass. The beginning is way too slow and I feel there were too many characters unnecessarily introduced all in a row. They do not all join up until right near the end.

Many subplots are too predictable. Almost didn't finish the book and I doubt I would have if I was reading it rather than listening to the audiobook version.

I listened to the audiobook and it had so many overtapings that were very obvious due to different harshness to the voice. It was distracting to say the least.

Won't be finishing the series...

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff! Technology no longer works, some people are changed so their external appearance matches their inner nature. A lawyer, the lawyer's changed sister, a man who teeters between genius and madness and a woman with mad survival skills start traveling cross-country trying to find out what caused the Magic Time.

Well written, kept my interest the whole time. All three books in the series were good, but this first was the best.

[Clarice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a reread. I kind of love it though. Storyline being that something has happened that has taken away electricity and is changing people into all sorts of supernatural creatures and giving them powers, etc. etc. Still it has good and interesting characters and a bit of a quest story going on. I think it was meant to be a tv show, but got turned into a book instead. Regardless, it's fun and part of a trilogy thus the reread.

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is almost a re-write of King's "The Stand" and I'm OK with that. Not that "The Stand" was bad...because surely it was NOT, but because it had the same "umph" in it that captured my interest and forced me to push on to the next chapter. There were a few moments that seemed hacked and others that were wonderful. Maybe this came from the collaboration? Still, it was a fun read and I look forward to giving the next in the series a try.

[Eric Franks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mentioned before in my review of On A Pale Horse how this book kind of showed me how you don't necessarily need a fantasy setting to introduce fantasy elements to a story. In this work the author describes what might be termed a magic apocalypse. The setting throughout the book changes from modern East coast to a more fantastical version as people slowly start to mutate and the quality of the land changes in response a science induced magical explosion. It's an interesting idea anyway.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

One day the earth changes. Power machinery of all kinds fail. Planes fall from the sky, guns don't work. No one knows what is happening. And some people are changing. Assorted people come together and try and find the source of it.

A pretty good story with some really interesting characters and strong fight scenes.

But the book is obviously the start of a series and leaves so many unanswered questions....

[LucidStyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Hambly shows herself once again to be an amazing writer. The storyline is at once entertaining and gut-wrentching, with beautiful descriptions of setting and exceptional displays of character reactions and emotions. It grabbed me from the very first line, "Cal Griffin dreamed chaos." This book is a very good ride, meaningful, and complete (in the sense that the first of a trilogy can be complete!).

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a day of change brought about by secret military forces and ancient powers not fully understood. When the switch is thrown, the lights go out all over the world, leaving a new dark age to be repopulated with human survivors, including those who were once human. Follow a small group of these survivors on their journey for answers.

[Michael Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book preview sounded great. It was actually quite entertaining. Lots of characters, all intertwined. Unique mix of science fiction and fantasy. I was hoping for a bit more raw survivalism. Luke-warm anticipation for book two. Hopefully, it won't have as much character introduction and it can dive into the action.

[Charisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea what to expect when I started this book, and for a good many chapters in I still didn't know, but I was liking the characters, so I kept on until BAM! Apocalypse. Definitely a book worth picking up and checking out. I don't really like the title much, because it makes it sound a little cheesy, but the story is anything but cheesy. I can't wait to read the sequel!

[Eric Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good read that suffered mostly from the fact it's an introductory book and spends a good deal of time establishing characters. Not a bad thing really and it's necessary but while it introduces the characters it never really connects them to the reader. That just may be me then. Certainly not going to stop me from going to the next novel in the series.