Magic, Monsters, and Me

The Magicals Alliance

by Timoteo Tong

Sixteen-year-old Elijah Delomary wants to be a normal boy, riding his skateboard, reading his favorite books, and playing with his familiar, Boxey. His mother expects him to practice magic and fight the monsters who are hurting ordinaries, but he’d rather spend time with his new best friend, Austin.

As their friendship deepens and an old nemesis—Devlina, the Queen of the Gloom—threatens to destroy the universe, Elijah has to decide what’s more magic, family, or love?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

451 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 6, 2023

About the author

Born and raised in Burbank, California. Living in SF currently. Timoteo was always fascinated by magic, the battle between good and evil, monsters, heroes and gods and goddesses. Timoteo loves Vans, Cheese Pizza, Pepsi, long naps, plants and reading LGBT YA books.

Reviews

[Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~]

World building is clunky, stilted and jam-packed, especially the prologue. Then the first chapter switches to first-person POV, which worked a tad bit better, but this is just too YA for me.

[Scott Garrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so much fun! I like how Timoteo mixes the magical world with the growing pains of teen who is still trying to find himself and come to terms with his sexuality. It was a great blend of the real and the magical. I really like Austin, and I think that he is perfect for Elijah. I also thought I was going to dislike Delvina just because she's the bad guy, but I actually enjoyed her character a lot. She brought a ton of comedic relief. It was interesting to see a sort of friendship develop between Elijah and Delvina. I would chuckle when she was say something about destroying the universe and then turn around and give Elijah life advice. My friend Timoteo did a fabulous job on his debut novel, and I cannot wait to read the continuing story of Elijah and his friends! I highly recommend!

[Theresa Derwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

At sixteen, Elijah - a "mixed race magical" just wants a normal life with his cute, cuddly Octopus of Death; a soft toy given to him when he was young. He wants to kiss boys, survive the bedlam of puberty and become an architect.
He does not want to get up before five in the morning for a rigorous training session and hours of classes aimed at making him the perfect heir of his famous magical family.
He is a Delomary * his ancestral name * and an Encantreino; his magical skills and type.
His job is to fight the coven of monsters - werewolves, vampires and the like.
As it is, he's becoming distant from his best friend Bran Wong, who is busy kissing girls and playing soccer. Plus he is hardly getting any sleep with his mom's punishing schedule for him, never mind the changes his body is going through. At least he had his doggo familiar Boxey to keep him company.

With the prologue and the first chapter at magic camp, we get a great deal of exposition, and it feels like a lot. From the different dimensions and earths, to the various magical users and the villain Devlina.
However, whilst the exposition is a little clunky in parts, not feeling quite natural, the world building is fantastic. This rivals Percy Jackson in its creation and inherent mythologies. And I love the fact that most of the main characters are BIPOC.

Elijah, with his bright shock of red hair, his insecurities and the weight of the world on his shoulders is a great character, but he's overworked by his neurotic mom and he's lonely.
What he needs is the perfect partner, someone he can tell he's gay and who can ease his loneliness.
We met him in the prologue.
It's Austin Kang, ridiculously tall and cute. And Bran's cousin.

Throughout the book we learn a bit about Elijah's absent father, who has PTSD from the Gulf War, though he doesn't seem the most responsible of parents.
Whilst it's great this is covered, there's a few flashbacks that again feel too much like expositions; more like tell, than show.
And Devlina is a bit of a cliche, but given this is YA it works.
Despite that, there's a lot of humour in Elijah's interactions with Devlina.
I did enjoy the glimpse back in time to Dirk Delomary and his origins, a fascinating journey.
Tong definitely has potential and with a stronger edit this could've been a great book.
As it is, it's a good novel, the romantic leads are great characters and as already mentioned the diverse and magical worlds Tong has created definitely stand out.
I look forward to seeing more of these adventures.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I debated giving this one star, but I think there is some potential.

Plot: Where was it? For a 400+ page book, this felt very shallow and chunky. Very anti-climatic and with a lack of direction. Granted, it ended on a cliffhanger, but it took way too long to get there and to know where it was going, and even then, it was uncertain and not in a good way.

World Building: This had so much potential, and I think it still does. There is something there, and hopefully, in the second book, it gets a little less scattered. Tong spends a tremendous amount of time introducing the world they've created, to the point where even with the index and glossary, it is information overload and confusing. My biggest gripe is that all this world-building went nowhere. I think some of it could have been saved for future books and would have made it easier to follow. Also, for a book with magic and monsters in the title, this felt more like a drama. While the world-building is definitely there, and they talk about it constantly, there is barely any actual magic, and the monsters are fleeting.

Character Development: I thought the adults and supporting characters were really well-written and consistent. Devlina, I liked her character and arc a lot, too. I think Elijah's dealing with his sexuality, first love, and outside pressures (aka his mother) was spot on and relatable. However, I think the music/songs, which I can appreciate, seem a bit forced and clunky at times and, in my opinion, all over the place and contradictory to his other traits. Trying so hard to make Elijah "edgy," and I wasn't buying it. I despised the "Kangy" nickname. Cringe. This leads me to Austin, who, for the most part, I liked, except when he was a bit possessive. It is just not a trope I like, and I feel like Elijah wouldn't like it either.

[Felix Kurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is everything! A queer YA coming-of-age love story with monsters!
Rezension aus Deutschland vom 1. September 2024
A secret society of fighters defending the oblivious human world from monsters. At the center of it lives teenager Elijah, heir of the richest and most influential family on earth.
He’s crushed under the weight of expectations and feels alone in his unloving family. Everybody demands perfection from him and Elijah fears that they will never accept that he yearns to kiss other boys.

Author Timoteo Tong takes his time to dive deeply into the emotional depth of Elijah’s struggle with his society, sexuality, and family.
This book ends on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to start reading part two!

[Trish Skywalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to GRR for this arc!
I really enjoyed this book; it was an interesting magical system with two boys coming of age at its center.
Elijah Delomary is sixteen year old boy living in Burbank, and in many ways he’s different from his peers. He has fire engine red hair, his mother has planned out his whole life, and he thinks he might like boys. Oh, and he’s a magician who fights monsters from another realm.
When Austin Kang moves to town, Elijah is intrigued by both his magic and his looks. As they get to know each other, Elijah discovers that not only do they have lots in common, but Austin is also incredibly kind and funny.
Elijah really struggles with coming to terms with being gay. He’s from a very powerful and influential family, and his life has already been mapped out for him. The other kids at school already bully him and he doesn’t want it to get worse. Add in some family members who are nothing short of homophobic, and Elijah can’t quite get passed what this all means for him.
I really enjoyed how the characters really did feel and sound like teenagers. The dialogue and Eli’s inner monologue were spot on. Austin is about the cutest thing on the planet and I hope he ends up happy!
-YA Magical fantasy
-Coming of age
-First boyfriends
-Cliffhanger

[Mir Jak · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading the blurb, I was really looking forward to this book ....... however, it didn't quite happen. It was hard to understand the world building/background - felt like I was missing a prequel or previous chapter or something. And then the interactions between the characters felt stilted and bland....... and the ongoing storyline/plot was just bizarre.....and as for the teenage angst (coming out etc)..... that was kinda anti-climatic and his Mom's reaction.....sheesh...... I did finish it...barely....don't know if I'll continue with book # 2.

[Maryann Kafka · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the age of fifteen Austin Kang Jr., lives a semi-normal teenage life. His parents Cecilia and Austin Sr., are still in love and Austin hopes one day it will be the same for him with a special someone. He lives in a comfortable mansion on North Sunset Canyon Drive. The house has very good feng shui and it centers their family and keeps them safe and grounded. His passions in life are: playing soccer, listening to grunge music like his father, and as a Coaugelus fights the Coven and finding a special boy. He loves saving Ordinaries from monsters. But what he loves most of all is hunting monsters to keep them all safe. His favorite cousin is Barn Wong but they are more like brothers. Barn and Austin hope they will both get to train at the Dau Xha, the dojo with Daumo Maurso the sensei. Austin’s mother just would like Austin to take a break from the monsters and be a boy and have fun. As teenagers go he’s pretty normal.

Meeting up with Barn turns Austin’s little orbit in a spin. He really takes notice of the red-haired boy with freckles that’s with Barn. He’s the most beautiful boy in the world Austin has ever seen and he wanted to be circling him forever.

Elijah Delomary, is sixteen, he yearns to have a normal life. He’s also an Encantreino. He lives with his mother Belinda and sister Tory. His mentor is his Aunt Christine. But his mother rules his life. She puts so much pressure on him. She has a ten year plan all set for him and has all types of activities scheduled, even tap dancing. It hardly leaves any time for Elijah to do what he wants. Of course, he does everything she wants with fear. If he does anything wrong he would tarnish or destroy the family name and his brand. He misses his father, Lawrence, and feels he’s to blame for his father leaving. Even though his Uncle George has stepped up and has supported Elijah, he still has a yearning to connect with his father. His mother is a Magical and his father is an Ordinary and in the beginning the relationship was fine but the difference in opinions caused problems. He was often bullied in school because of his red hair and the status of the Delomary name. He’s friends with Ordinaries: April, Kevin, Gina, Tina, Letitia and his cousins Tyrone and Tyrell. They knew his secret of hunting monsters. He has a stuffed octopus by the name of Ocho and a retriever named Boxey, his familiar. He has a passion for grunge music, loves to read poetry, fiction and favored mysteries. He misses his best friend Barn Wong whose a Coaugelo. Things were starting to change as they grew. Elijah attends the Summer Camp for Magicals, where he gets to see Aurmiddo. The camp for Magicals is in a Dimension and they speak the Old Language. To attend the travel takes them seven thousand years to the future and across six dimensions.

When Elijah has a first kiss with Aurmiddo, it sends him into a panic. Boys do not kiss boys, especially in Elijah’s case. It would definitely destroy his family name. When he finally meets Austin and they have a first kiss, it sends Elijah into a whirlwind of overthinking. Will he be able to handle all the pressures that are put upon him, along with Austin and this newly found sexuality?

Timoteo Tong certainly brings the imagination to a high level with the creativeness of “Magic Monsters & Me”. The world building is amazing, especially the time spent at camp in a different dimension. The history of Elijah’s great-great grandfather, Dirk Delomary, is a highlight in this novel. I commend the author for so many fabulous descriptions of this new world of magic and monsters. It’s also a blend of
multilingual and cultures that make this novel outstanding. There’s a “Glossary” to help explain: Land, Organizations, Leaders and Dimensions. But the author does’t stop there. They provide so many more explanations throughout the novel about: XAQ2, PlasmX, Zuqoe, Xem Sen Ou ancient martial arts, Gloom, Old Language, Anti-Coven League, Patricians, Old Earth in the seventh dimension, Coaugelus, Enccantreino, Magicals, and Ordinaries that live in the light and are the Shimmering, the Pacificmenta, and so much more.

I really liked Austin and Elijah as a young teenage couple facing their coming out, dealing with their sexuality, homophobia, bullying and Old Earth rules. It also reflects the dysfunction in Elijah’s family, especially when it comes to parents, versus the loving family of Austin. Elijah is surely under so much stress just from the burden of carrying the family name and all of his responsibilities. Austin is a beautiful soul, he’s funny, carefree, understanding and is the perfect support for Elijah.

One character to really watch for is Delvina. She’s wicked and funny but she becomes an ally for Elijah. She’s also has some very important advice that she shares. After all she’s in love with Zid’dra.

I highly recommend “Magic, Monsters & Me” even though it’s YA do not let that turn you away. This is a first time read for me from Timoteo Tong, with this debut novel and I was not disappointed. It’s entertaining, fun, with a little danger, plenty of action, heart break, growing pains and first time love. For me, “Magic, Monster & Me” has a high potential as a series. I’m curious to find out what Timoteo Tong has planned for Elijah and Austin, next!

[Ulysses Dietz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magic, Monsters and Me (Magicals’ Alliance 1)
By Timoteo Tong
Published by NineStarPress, 2023
Four stars

Elijah Delomary is a typical teenage boy attending Burbank High School.

Well, no. His family is the richest family in the country. His mother, Belinda Delomary, is the CEO.

His family is also Magical, and Elijah is the heir apparent to both the family enterprise and its ancient magical lineage. At sixteen. This may be why the dedication of the book is “to everyone who grew up with the weight of the universe on their shoulders.”

This is not the Los Angeles we know. In this universe the world is called the Shimmering, and beneath its surface is a seething world of darkness and evil known as the Gloom. Aside from managing vast conglomerates all over the world, the Delomary family also defend the Shimmering from the monsters who escape from the Gloom with some regularity and try to destroy Ordinaries (i.e. normal people who don’t know about magic).

Elijah—who is short and has red hair—lives in a vast mansion in Burbank with his mother Belinda, her sister Christine, his uncle-by-marriage George Wong, and their son Barnhard Wong—who is both Elijah’s cousin and his best friend. Elijah, being groomed by his mother for his future role in the company, is relentlessly busy, with hardly a moment to himself.

Then Barn’s cousin from Hong Kong, Austin Kang, appears on the scene, when his family moves to Burbank to take up undercover assignments fighting the Gloom on behalf of the Magical Alliance. Austin is tall to Elijah’s short, jock to Elijah’s nerd. Instantly they find many things in common, despite their differences. Any half-aware reader knows love at first sight when they see it. But, of course, in Timoteo Tong’s universe, things are not so simple.

Tong has given us a world in which mundanity and fantasy intermingle seamlessly—at least to the Magical community. It is a highly bureaucratic magical world, and in its own way not unlike the corporate world Elijah’s mother handles with such ruthless efficiency. The author makes great use of unfamiliar languages, depicting a magical cosmology unlike anything we’ve ever heard of. Once you get used to it, it’s fascinating and, oddly enough, understandable.

The real plot, however, is not really about the monsters who keep trying to kill people; or about the underworld goddess, Devlina, who is unhappy with her marriage to the ruler of the Gloom, and keeps visiting Elijah to cajole and complain. The core story of the book is Elijah’s falling in love with Austin and inability to fully accept the fact that he’s gay and unhappy with his life.

I’ve never read a young adult romance like this. The calculated bizarreness of the setting is narrated with a flat-footed teenage angst that I found weirdly resonant—somehow reminding me of my own teenage years (a very long time ago). There is real anguish here—as Elijah struggles with his sexuality (there is no sex in the book at all) and his profound misery at his driven mother’s inability to show him love. He tries to connect with his absent father, which (to say the least) doesn’t help.

There’s a good deal of off-kilter humor in this book as well, and Austin Kang’s character (who is blessed with loving, supportive parents) is delightful and wise (in a sort of goofy teenage way). The crazy mixture of magic and normal keeps the reader amused and slightly unbalanced.

If I had any complaint at all, it’s the cliffhanger ending, which forced me immediately to start book 2.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sixteen-year-old Elijah Delomary wants to be normal but he is anything but that. His mother schedules every minute of the day with magic lessons, sports and variety of other things. He is also dealing with an identity crisis after sharing a kiss with a boy at camp. He is bullied at school, but does find time to fall in love. If all that is not enough, he has to battle Devlina, Queen of the Gloom, who wants to destroy his world. He finds himself losing parts of himself as he strives to find a balance. He knows he has to make a decision soon to balance his life.

Coming of age is never easy. Elijah and Austin, his boyfriend, face things like how to be gay and how to grow into a man and really how to survive all the changes life is throwing at them. Both of them have something special that allows them to battle the monsters of the world. While he adept at that, Elijah has a tendency to run from his other issues and to overthink. He lacks a positive self-image while Austin is able to accept himself. In many ways the two boys are opposites and yet together, they complement each other beautifully. But adults in Elijah life say things that make him question who and what he is. This amazing story left us on a cliff hanger and I know I want that other book soon.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tong does an amazing job building a unique magical world that blends with our own, while capturing the struggles of being a teen and trying to figure out your place in the world expertly. Elijah is facing some personal challenges that some teens may be able to relate to, even if the darker, more magical side of things is something they aren't. Family expectations can feel absolutely crushing, magical or not - plus the pressure of wanting to fit in and figure out who you are without forcing yourself into a box at the same time. The story itself has good pacing, and I loved all the characters, even the ones I probably wasn't meant to. There were some fun and surprising twists added in, and my only real complaint is that there are times when it feels like a lot of information being dumped on you. That said, this is a great book for YAs who like magic, a little love, and some unexpected friendships found along the way.

[Meghan Reads MM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked many things about this book. I think the hardest part to keep ahead of was the lingo. It was a blend of multilingual (Filipino, Spanish, Portuguese?) and fantasy. I'm one of those people who sort of speaks in my head, so I was never sure what pronunciation to go with. Plus I think the use of the term "brand" was used instead of reputation or image. Those were pretty much the biggest obstacles for me.

MCs and core friends were charming, quirky, weird, sweet. The parental relationships were a tiny bit unrealistic but not enough to detract overall.

I was terribly sad for the primary MC since he had a lot of self-hate going on, but I have hopes for the second book to make some headway there. Teen years are tough no matter what and all the extra obstacles don't help one bit. Hang in there, kiddos!

[Kala B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first time reading Timoteo Tong. I have mixed feelings about this book. It started off with me being very excited to read it to confusion and slight bewilderment. As it stands I’m giving it 3 stars.

I believe we are following Elijah as he deals with his family name, monsters, the magical world, and his sexuality. Adding high school into the mix certainly helps matters much either. I found it a little difficult to keep up with the story’s flow. One moment we are with Elijah next we jump to his past, or back to how his ancestors became important. There was no way to disconcert when this was going to happen. It was just random jumps at random times.

I really did like the characters. I have to go back and reread the story to make sure I understood the plot line. I’m probably going to update this review at a later date.

[Juniper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story showcases a variety of intriguing characters and themes— Elijah is coming to terms with who he is, what he wants for himself, and how his own individual truths don’t align with the expectations of his powerful family/controlling mother. There’s the crush on his new best friend, the compelling Austin, to navigate, plus the whole using magic to save the world from existential threats thing— it’s a lot for anyone, and the book does a lovely job of weaving together the trials and tribulations of being a teenager with the perils and strains of trying to save the entire universe. Immersive and interesting in all the best ways— well worth a read.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teenaged Elijah Delomary has several secrets. First he secretly battles vamps and other evil creatures to protect humans. Second he kissed a boy at camp and liked it and he’s sure that isn’t good for him since he’s family is prominent and he’s sure others will hold that against him and his family. Third he has a new friend and he’s secretly crushing on him. Elijah struggles with coming to terms with being gay and his feelings for his bff Austin. Add in a wild, evil sorceress named Devlina who wants to wipe out the earth (she has some compelling reasons why she should—misogyny, homophobia, racism) —i liked her a lot. Good stuff.

[Chris Kilkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and fresh take on the world of fantasy literature, grounded as it is in a very specific location, greater Los Angeles, filtering the lives, loves and experiences of gay teens through the city's expansive environs - teens who turn out to be the magical protectors of the world! Inventively creative (Devlina where are you on my worst days?!?), fast-paced, heartfelt and hugely funny (I lost count how many times each page made me laugh reading this book!) I couldn't put it down. When I finally did I consoled myself knowing another chapter in Mr. Tong's universe of delightful magicians is surely to come soon! Great reading for all ages.

[b00ks_in_nature · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world building is clunky and essentially info dumped during the first couple of chapters. I realize it’s a YA book, but the writing is juvenile. It was so hard to get into. The story loosely follows a concept, but jumps all over randomly. After 27% I skimmed the rest of the book, which ends on a cliffhanger. I will not be reading the next one.

[Kado · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly a great concept with some intriguing world building. However the writing is fairly juvenile at the beginning tho I say it improves later in the book. But the plot still jumps over the place and the ending was lackluster as there wasn’t much of a resolution that was satisfactory. I did find the deeper conversations between characters to be really touching.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a fantastic and wonderful reading experience! This is my first book from this author and will definitely not be my last. A wonderful coming of age story about two young men. I really love Elijah and Austin. Great writing and an overall unique story!

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elijah and Austin are wonderful characters to spend time with in this novel about coming of age and trying figure out how to come out and I can't wait to see them mature and their relationship deepen. The other elements in the book, the magical and paranormal elements, the world building to support them, Elijah's best friend Bran, his opponent Devlina and his parents are all interesting and well drawn too. I'm looking forward to reading book two.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He is 16 and all he wants is to spend his time doing what 16 year old boys do. Unfortunately his mother wants him to follow her and use magic and fight the monsters. He is getting closer to his best friend and things may get hot between them. What will he do? Will he refuse his mother wants? Will he take a step into a relationship with them? See just how it will all go