Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Revenge of Magic (The Revenge of Magic, #1)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The Revenge of Magic

(The Revenge of Magic #1)

James Riley (Goodreads Author)

4.20 · Rating details · 518 ratings · 89 reviews

When long-dead magical creatures are discovered all around the world, each buried with a book of magic, only children can unlock the dangerous power of the books in this start to a thrilling new series from the author of the New York Times bestselling Story Thieves!

Thirteen years ago, books of magic were discovered in various sites around the world alongside the bones of d ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 416 pages

Published March 5th 2019 by Aladdin

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Revenge of Magic, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about The Revenge of Magic

Lists with This Book

Operation Frog Effect by Sarah Lynn Scheerger

Aru Shah and the Song of Death by Roshani Chokshi

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

Middle Grade Novels of 2019

466 books — 504 voters

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Can't Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2019

580 books — 1,798 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.20 ·

Rating details

· 518 ratings · 89 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of The Revenge of Magic (The Revenge of Magic, #1)

Sep 23, 2018 Yasmeena rated it it was amazing

Shelves: owned-read, so-so-so-so-so-good, preordered, owned

my first reread needs to be put on hold because other books (and homework) got in the way ;-;

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

WOW.

WOWOWOOWOWOWOWOWOOW.

I REALLY NEED THE NEXT ONE. LIKE, NOW.

My rating was originally gonna be 4 stars but that—THAT ENDING. FRICK.

Wowwwww.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HOLY S H O O T THE COVER FOR THE SECOND BOOK IS IN MAH BOI JAMES'S WEBSITE

AHHHH IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL

I'M EVEN MORE HYPE I CAN'T WAIT 6 WEEKS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When long-dead magical creatures are discovered all around the world, each buried with

...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Mar 12, 2019 Daniel Shellenbarger rated it liked it

Shelves: modern-fantasy, revenge, neo-lovecraftian, young-adult-juvenile, school-fantasy, alien-invasion

After tearing through James Riley's delightful and oft-hilarious Story Thieves and Half Upon A Time books, I was super-excited to see that he had a third series starting up and got a copy of the Revenge of Magic from the library ASAP. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to its predecessors for me. My biggest problem with the story was that it felt very VERY rote. The story twists and the character arcs practically wrote themselves and the adult characters were all boringly stereotypical. I wi After tearing through James Riley's delightful and oft-hilarious Story Thieves and Half Upon A Time books, I was super-excited to see that he had a third series starting up and got a copy of the Revenge of Magic from the library ASAP. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to its predecessors for me. My biggest problem with the story was that it felt very VERY rote. The story twists and the character arcs practically wrote themselves and the adult characters were all boringly stereotypical. I will say that the opening few chapters concerning Fort (short for Forsythe) and his father and the initial attack was very effective as a set up and Riley's depiction of Fort's subsequent grief and depression feels very genuine. However what followed felt like a terribly generic mash-up of Ender's Game (dog-eat-dog military school for kids who are humanity's only chance against invaders), Harry Potter (school for magic with professors keeping secrets and giving kids impossible tasks and a quest to find all the magical McGuffins), and Lovecraft (well, I mean, the invaders are ancient magic entities of unspeakable power from another dimension with horrific tentacled-bodies who call themselves the "Old Ones," not to put too fine a point on it but that's practically ripped straight from the Cthulhu Mythos). I couldn't decide whether Riley didn't go dark enough or light enough, but I really didn't much care for the emotional attitude of the story. It's not generally fun or funny like his previous books and thus doesn't really feel like a comic adventure fantasy but after an evocative opening it pulls its punches so that a lot of the danger and tragedy feel kind of over-blown (a giant monster sent by unknown attackers devastates the mall in DC and only one guy gets killed?) and it even undermines THAT with revelations later in the story, which means that it doesn't really feel like a horror/revenge thriller, which is probably deliberate, and makes me wonder if it would've done better if he'd wrote this as a darker story for a more mature audience, but this is clearly aimed at middle grade. Without the opportunities for the clever humor that is Riley's strong point or effective horror/revenge themes, what's left is just generic. Not badly written mind you, but also very forgettable. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Mar 05, 2019 Ainsley rated it it was amazing

YES YES YES YES YES

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 17, 2019 Mark Baker rated it it was amazing

Shelves: middle-grade, 2019

It’s been six months since the attack on Washington, D.C. Six months since Forsythe “Fort” Fitzgerald’s world was turned upside down when a giant creature comes up from the ground and destroys many of the monuments there, killing his father in the process. In that time, one thought has kept Fort moving forward – the desire for revenge.

One day, Fort is surprised to be visited by the representatives of a school for magic. Thirteen years ago, four magic books were found and only those born after th ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 09, 2019 Nicole M. Hewitt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, fiction-addiction-read, mg-bookcase

This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction

This book is filled with action and adventure right from the very start, and I flew through it! The story follows Fort, who witnesses his father’s death when a giant claw reaches up through the ground and pulls him under. When he’s offered the chance to learn magic and get revenge on those responsible, he jumps at it. But he soon discovers that things aren’t as simple as they seem and there are lots of people at his ne ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 17, 2020 Jenn (Jenn’s Bookshelf) rated it really liked it

4.5/5
Super great read!! Loved the world building, the magic system, and the plot overall. It was so action packed!!!! I need to get my hands on the next one STAT.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 24, 2020 TJ rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook

The Revenge of Magic was a fast paced, captivating, action packed read that I couldn't put down for more than 10 mintues.

I can't wait to start The Last Dragon ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 24, 2019 Grant rated it liked it

I wanted to like this more than I did. There were a couple of problems that got in the way for me.
1. There was too much yelling. I listened to the audiobook, and the reader was actually yelling and the editor failed to equalize it, leading to a very jarring experience. But every time the reader yelled, it was because the text explicitly stated that the main character was doing so. I may not have noticed it without the audiobook, but it was literally the way the main character responded to anythi ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 20, 2018 Beth Mendelsohn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: edelweiss-arc-s

I received this e-ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The Revenge of Magic is the latest series from author James Riley. Twelve-year-old Forsythe, or Fort, is visiting the Lincoln Memorial with his father when the unimaginable happens! Monsters the size of dinosaurs erupt from the earth. Fort hears a girl’s voice in his head telling him to run but he resists, refusing to leave without his father. Fort’s father is dragged underground by one of the enormous creatures and Fort is co ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 06, 2019 Ariel rated it did not like it

Shelves: mg, scifi

A resounding MEH. This is a mish mash of SF and fantasy. There are alien critters invading the earth. But the only way to fight them is with magical books of power that can only be read by kids which all appeared the same day as the alien critters. Our hero is uniquely angry at the critters for grabbing his father before they disappeared. Anyway, there's a school for kids with nascent magical powers where our hero winds up. Then it turns out the aliens gave us magic back in the day and then took ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 14, 2019 Linda Owen rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult

Monsters, magic, mystery... what else does a reader require? possibly some believability. Too far-fetched, too anti-government, too full of stereotypes. Also, a not-unexpected start to a new series, so an unsatisfactory ending.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 03, 2018 Salma rated it it was amazing

Y'all I actually can't wait for this 😁😁

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 27, 2019 Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* rated it it was amazing

Shelves: middle-school, elementary, essential

The Revenge of Magic by James Riley, 400 pages. Aladdin (Simon), 2019. $18.

Language: G(0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some danger, some fighting)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Fort and his father are visiting the Lincoln Memorial when terrible forces attack and a giant hand drags his father into the underground. After six months of living in a funk, Fort gets an invitation to a very special school – a government-run school to learn magic from books th ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 03, 2019 Heidi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: middle-grade-favorites, middle-grade-fantasy

Fantasy novels remain perennially popular among young readers as well as older readers. I have a special fondness for them myself. At the same time, I've read enough of them that sometimes the plot lines tend to overlap and even blend. It's always refreshing to come across a book that that is creatively different in terms of plot and characters. James Riley's new The Revenge of Magic combines flawed characters with a refreshingly different plot line. I'm more than eager to see where the story go ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 04, 2019 Aeicha rated it really liked it

Thirteen years ago, on a day now known as Discover Day, the bones of magical creatures guarding magical books were discovered. Six months ago a horrific monster emerged from the ground and attacked Washington, DC, killing Fort’s father. Now Fort finds himself a student at a very top-secret school run by Dr. Oppenheimer. At this school, kids born after Discovery Day are taught to harness the magic found within the strange books. Fort soon learns that magic is more complicated than he thought and ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 13, 2019 Jill Jemmett rated it it was amazing

This is a great start to a new middle grade fantasy series!

At first, I thought I could predict what would happen in this book. It reminded me of Rick Riordan stories, where there is a big event that happens to the main character, causing them to find their mysterious powers. However, I couldn’t have predicted the rest of the story!

This story was so exciting. There was a lot more to the story than what happened in this book. There were events leading up to the monster attack at the beginning of t ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 16, 2019 Gmr rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own

Right from the start, the story grabs you by the heart and doesn't let go.

What happens when the world we know is shaken to its core? What happens when we push people too far? They fight back for all their worth. They avenge those that were unjustly taken. They try to resist the darkness of revenge that is creeping into their soul like a thief in the night...but how long they can hold out, remains to be seen. Seriously, there is SO MUCH TO LOVE here, and it's just the beginning! Oh and I don't bl ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Apr 01, 2019 P.M. rated it really liked it

This was somewhat reminiscent of the Percy Jackson series without quite the humor of Rick Riordan. I did enjoy it and will continue reading the series. My favorite character had to be Cyrus of the Clairvoyant Skill. He seemed to be more fully developed than some of the others. My one gripe is with the printing using different fonts. I understand why it was done but found it distracting.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 18, 2018 Lemon Orange rated it really liked it

Shelves: dragons, mythology

hmmm

HMMM

I'm curious to see how this series plays out.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 19, 2019 Zoe rated it liked it

December 18-19, 2019

Needed a quick read while I sit on a waiting list for so many books that will likely be the ones to welcome me into 2020.
That being said The Revenge of Magic being a J novel was still super fun.

If Harry Potter, The Lightning Thief and all the other YAs joined together.
They get sorted into groups based on affinity. There's a trio of bullies a la Malfoy and friends. There's a secret school (not camp) for people who are chosen to focus on these powers. They accept students a ...more

flag Like · see review

May 12, 2020 Avery Humphries rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 4/5 “His father...might still be alive?”

Thirteen years ago books of magic were discovered in various sites around the world alongside strange bones of human...and unknown creatures on a day known as discovery day. Kids as young as those who can read born after 'Discovery Day' can use these books and fill the world with magic again.
On a disturbingly normal day, Forsythe Fitzgerald is vacationing in Washington DC with his wonderful (albeit strange) father when suddenly a strange creature bursts t 4/5 “His father...might still be alive?”

Thirteen years ago books of magic were discovered in various sites around the world alongside strange bones of human...and unknown creatures on a day known as discovery day. Kids as young as those who can read born after 'Discovery Day' can use these books and fill the world with magic again.
On a disturbingly normal day, Forsythe Fitzgerald is vacationing in Washington DC with his wonderful (albeit strange) father when suddenly a strange creature bursts through the earth, attacking everyone around him and destroying the city. Through all this chaos Fort’s Dad is eventually lost to the creature and reported dead...and the only one who died in that attack. Six months later a devastated Fort is visited by the mysterious Dr. Opps who presents an opportunity of justice for his father by inviting Forsythe to a government-run school to learn magic from those same books. Unfortunately, life is no easier at the school where secrets are plentiful. Does Jia, fort’s tutor and frankly only friend, know anything about the attacks? Why does Rachel, a master of destruction magic and bully demolisher, think Fort is out to destroy the school? And who is the expelled girl that not only does fort hear in his head but sees every time he goes to sleep? If no one tells Fort what’s going on in Oppenheimer’s school, he’ll have to find out for himself!

This was a action-filled, suspenseful book but boy was it a wonderful read! I was kept at the edge of my seat and reading late into the night just so I could find out what happens next. The overall story sucks you into a captivating world full of magic and even in the first chapters large event happens, but they don’t seem to slow the story down at all. The book didn’t feel slow and although there was a lot of worldbuilding along the way, it never seemed out of place and actually made the story flow extremely well. The action scenes were my absolute favorite! Riley used a lot of wonderful show don’t tell that kept my heart racing throughout the scenes. The descriptions of creatures such as the “old ones” were creepy and eerily beautiful, so much so I had a clear illustration of what they looked like in my head. As usual, a great author must have great metaphors and similies and I think they were all marvelous. The overall tone did not change much throughout the book and kept the same: serious and desperate. That longing throughout the book was a great story-telling technique that Riley used because it made the story upbeat but not too quick. One thing in particular that I loved in this story was the font-change when Sierra (the voice in Fort’s head) is speaking. Although kind of childish it added a sense of uniqueness and depth to the book that you wouldn’t find if the text was the same throughout the book. One thing that I didn’t really like is how the character-arcs almost wrote themselves, which can be a good thing sometimes but I was expecting a little bit more. The adults also seem extremely stereotypical but the book is focused more on the kids so I’ll let it slide. However, one good thing was I could never predict what would happen next. It was always a surprise that pulled you deeper and deeper into the book! I also love that this book represents so many themes such as grief and the pain of loss, greed, how unusual friendships could be, loyalty, and verbal abuse and casual intertwines them into the story gently and beautifully. One main theme I would like to talk about is grief and the pain of loss that Riley represents so well in this book. Fort, who lost his father, was devastated. I could feel Fort’s pain and anger that eventually bubbled down into sadness (one of the things I greatly appreciated was this transition that you could FEEL; Riley did an amazing job with emotions). Eventually, Fort uses this pain to gain strength to defeat many monsters which I thought was a great parallel to when we eventually realize (when losing someone we love) that they wouldn’t want us to be like this so we use this pain to strengthen us and fight off our internal demons. At times I didn’t really like Fort’s character because of how he dealt with his pain and his reactions to things but with my own personal experiences with death, I understood and frankly, I acted that way as well so I have no right to judge. A wonderful representation of that theme!

In conclusion, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an action-filled mixture of Harry Potter and Ender’s game that deals with themes of loss and friendship. As well as anyone who wants a satisfying read that would keep you on the edge of your seat every single chapter.

...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 25, 2020 Sammie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

You can find my full review on my blog, The Writerly Way, here.

James Riley came up in my quest to read more middle grade, since we have his Story Thieves series, and that’s pretty popular among our young readers. What I didn’t realize is that he’s working on a new series … which is this one. You saw that coming, right?

The Revenge of Magic starts an action-packed, fast-paced adventure series. Pro: Magic exists. Con: Only children can use it. Oh, and there’s a giant beast attacking Washington, You can find my full review on my blog, The Writerly Way, here.

James Riley came up in my quest to read more middle grade, since we have his Story Thieves series, and that’s pretty popular among our young readers. What I didn’t realize is that he’s working on a new series … which is this one. You saw that coming, right?

The Revenge of Magic starts an action-packed, fast-paced adventure series. Pro: Magic exists. Con: Only children can use it. Oh, and there’s a giant beast attacking Washington, DC, like you do.

My Thoughts:

- This opens with a really touching scene between Fort and his father, who, as it turns out, is a professional at dad jokes and embarrassing his son. All of us parents can only aspire to be as pro as he is. I thought this opening was particularly effective, because a lot of the inner turmoil of this book (heck, this series) revolves around Fort’s despair at losing his father and the connection between the two of them. Normally, I might be annoyed that a character is introduced just to disappear, but I can’t even be mad, because his father is just such a great character.

- Magic books means a mysterious magic riddle, right?! Because what’s one without the other? It may come as absolutely no surprise that I love slightly veiled prophecies in poem form. And no, I can’t really go into more detail on my suspicions as to what parts of this riddle mean. Suffice it to say that what I found particularly interesting are the different types of magic and the sorts of things the characters can do with them. Not all magic is created equal, after all. And not all magic is quite as it first appears, either, which was neat. I thought the magic system in this was pretty neat. There’s not a lot of explanation behind it just yet, but that’s part of what the book world is still trying to figure out.

- This book tackles some really deep themes of revenge and justice, which I thought were handled well. Fort is a bundle of contradiction and emotion. He walks a very thin line between revenge and justice for his father being lost in the attack on DC. He obviously wants to punish whoever’s involved … but to what avail? I thought it was interesting to watch him grapple with this.

- The side characters in this are just a riot. I didn’t know what to make of them at first, but they definitely grew on me. Cyrus is probably my favorite, the sole remaining Time student, sent from England. Jia and Rachel are also particularly wonderful, for different reasons. They’ve worked hard to get to where they are, and they’ll take no crap, thank you very much.

- Fort may be the lead character here, but he’s far from the chosen hero I originally expected when I picked this up. Actually, he’s more of an accidental hero, which I find all the more fascinating. I was even more surprised to find that there’s nothing particularly impressive about Fort at all. I mean, that’s sort of the appeal of him, isn’t it? Instead, it’s really the females who carry this cast and have most of the power in this, which was such a nice change! Here, we get three super powerful women. Though they all have different backgrounds, different powers, and different motivations, it was nice seeing them come together and taking charge, for a change, instead of being relegated to wilting flowers in the corner.

- James Riley starts his author’s note at the end of each of these books with a super cute and funny comment about the ending of the book and what’s in store for the next one. I confess: I normally don’t read author’s notes. Yes, I’m a monster. I definitely read these author’s notes, though, because this was just so cute. I love the snark and the humor in them, and I don’t recall seeing any other author do this. It was definitely appreciated and got me all the more excited to read the next book! ...more

flag Like · see review

Jun 03, 2020 Anita McDivitt Barrios rated it it was amazing

Shelves: middle-grade, fantasy

This first book was an instant HIT with my 15-year-old son. As he put it, "action all the time, Mom." This is unusually high praise from him. He devoured it over the Christmas break and got a goodly start on the second book, as well, before school started and reading for fun came to a screeching halt, replaced by the Honors English assigned-novel for the quarter (snooze).

Fort's on a trip to The Mall in Washington, D.C. with his Dad when horrific creatures break out of the ground next to the Wash This first book was an instant HIT with my 15-year-old son. As he put it, "action all the time, Mom." This is unusually high praise from him. He devoured it over the Christmas break and got a goodly start on the second book, as well, before school started and reading for fun came to a screeching halt, replaced by the Honors English assigned-novel for the quarter (snooze).

Fort's on a trip to The Mall in Washington, D.C. with his Dad when horrific creatures break out of the ground next to the Washington Monument . They grab his Dad and pull him under the Earth. A strange voice tells Fort to "Run!" but he -- and only he -- resists it, while all the other visitors and tourists walk single-file away from the disaster, unharmed.

He blames himself for not getting to his father in time to save him. He blames whoever it was who took over his mind and told him to run. He blames whoever set those things loose in D.C. to begin with.

All this blame adds up to a LOT of anger and a determination to DO something about it. Rescue his Dad. Find out who took over his mind. Get the person who let those creatures loose.

So when he's whisked away to the Oppenheimer School to learn magic, he's not interested in anything but Combat Magic -- none of this Healing gunk he's apparently got an affinity for. He wants to hurt someone and save his father.

He never loses this resolve, not even as he learns the voice in his head was a fellow student, trying to save everyone. Or that another deceived and misguided student let them loose in the first place. Or that the creatures are just agents, mind-controlled by the all-powerful Old Ones, who are scheming to take over the Earth.

Fort still thinks he can Do something to save his Dad and mete out little payback in the process. And that is the main difference between Fort and everyone around him. He never gives up.

I won't spoil the ending, or the plot twists. This is a true magical romp, a fasten-your-seatbelt and keep-your-hands-and-arms-inside roller coaster of a read! (I'm buying this one.)

Wheeeeeeeeeeeee! Enjoy!

Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.mystrikingly.com/
...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 11, 2020 Mark Buxton rated it really liked it

My name is Fort, and I lost my father six months ago. We were visiting Washington D.C. when a huge creature erupted from the earth and pulled him back underground. I was devastated and despondent until I met Dr. Opp. I learned that four books were excavated thirteen years ago, and they can train children to perform magic. Those born on Discovery Day are the most powerful, so I'm not sure why Dr. Opp has invited me to his top-secret school. However, this opportunity has broken me out of my funk a My name is Fort, and I lost my father six months ago. We were visiting Washington D.C. when a huge creature erupted from the earth and pulled him back underground. I was devastated and despondent until I met Dr. Opp. I learned that four books were excavated thirteen years ago, and they can train children to perform magic. Those born on Discovery Day are the most powerful, so I'm not sure why Dr. Opp has invited me to his top-secret school. However, this opportunity has broken me out of my funk and gives me hope. I must learn the magic of Destruction, so I can punish the monsters that took my father. I'll make them suffer slow, painful deaths! The school is not what I expected, and I don't understand the looks I get from teachers, students, and guards. Why would I be invited here if everyone wants me gone?

It might just be my taste, but this book ended up being much more than I expected. A twelve-year-old learning new abilities wasn't anything new, but the whole scenario surrounding the conflict reeked of creativity. For some reason, only children born after Discovery Day could learn magic, and each student was required to focus on one type of magic. Fort seemed incompetent, but he was getting mental help from an unknown source in order to pass an impossible test. Students learned spells from books, but the spells could only be viewed one at a time. The book forced them to master one spell before moving on to the next. Clearly, there was more to Fort than met the eye. He only had one real friend throughout the story, although a couple of other students reluctantly helped him along the way. The big mystery for me was why the school director thought Fort might kill everyone. He was an unremarkable boy, so what was the problem? The book's resolution presented a possibility about the monster attack that I suspected from the beginning, although I have no idea why it might have occurred. Overall, I recommend you give this book a shot, as I've already checked out its sequel, The Last Dragon. ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 19, 2019 Pam rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, sci-fi-fantasy, netgalley-prereads

I received an electronic ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
I've enjoyed Riley's other series and feel his writing has taken a more mature tone in this one. This is clearly for middle school level readers rather than elementary.
A secret magic school exists to stop the "old ones" from returning and destroying humanity. It came about after odd excavation sites turned up dragons with human riders holding books of magic. The scientists discovered that only children b ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 22, 2020 R.W. Moore rated it really liked it

James Riley is in a unique category in my house. Somehow, a couple of years ago when I was reading the Story Thieves series to my son, he got in his head that all James Riley books need to be read together. At the time of writing this review, he is 11 years old and a fairly good reader, yet he didn't read this book, despite the fact that I had purchased it the day it came out and it sat in our bookshelf for months.

So finally I got around the reading it to him, and he really enjoyed it. My son b ...more

flag Like · see review

Jun 30, 2020 Andria rated it liked it

Shelves: adventure, fantasy

The premise is interesting and the way that they categorized the magic is definitely different. There were some vague similarities to Harry Potter and other series that are similar. However, it was very different with the military setting. There were some things that pushed the boundaries of me being able to suspend myself within the story. For example, you would not be able to have kids waiting in line to use two spell books since spells initially have to be read in order to be used until they ...more

flag Like · see review

Jan 09, 2020 Danielle rated it it was ok

This book was difficult to get through. It was quick but it was hard to focus on.

The MC was angry ALL. THE. TIME. and that doesn't look like that's going be letting up any time soon, what with the way the book ended. It's exhausting reading that and feels very one note and flat. The majority of the side characters had more depth then the MC and that's not saying much. I know this is a middle grade novel but come on; kids are complex too.

That being said, the ages everyone was supposed to threw ...more

flag Like · see review

Apr 28, 2019 Laura Mauro rated it liked it

*I got this book for review for my honest thoughts* I gave this 3.5 stars for review*
I really enjoyed this read. I really loved the school setting and the world that this story was set in. I was impressed with the characters arcs and how this book went in a direction I did not expect of predict. I really liked how this book focused on one characters POV minus for a few situations. I thought the end of this book was bit rushed and had a massive info dump towards the end. I really am excited for b ...more

flag Like · see review

May 07, 2019 Hannah Belyea rated it really liked it

Months after his father is taken by one of the mysterious creatures that attack D.C, Fort is invited to a school where he will learn magic capable of defeating the beasts - but when he begins learning all of the dark secrets lingering at the academy, he finds himself questioning his place as the threat of another attack looms. Riley has begun what is sure to be an action-packed thrill ride that will keep readers on their toes. What sort of spells will it take for Fort to get his revenge on the c ...more

flag Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Fantasy Mid-Grade Book about magic taught to kids from an ancient book in order to combat monsters emerging from the ground. [s]	4	15	Apr 09, 2020 09:18PM