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Step into Magic
(Portals to Whyland #1)
by
Not special. Not chosen. But she’s got magical shoes.
14-year old Karina doesn’t know what she wants, but knows what she’s found—fascinating silver shoes. Fascinating, dangerous, and potentially evil. On the upside, they do bring cool visitors. When a princess invites her to go to Whyland, of course she accepts. There’s that little “let’s destroy the shoes” detail she’s not ...more
14-year old Karina doesn’t know what she wants, but knows what she’s found—fascinating silver shoes. Fascinating, dangerous, and potentially evil. On the upside, they do bring cool visitors. When a princess invites her to go to Whyland, of course she accepts. There’s that little “let’s destroy the shoes” detail she’s not ...more
ebook, 292 pages
Published
July 30th 2018
by Day Leitao
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Start your review of Step into Magic (Portals to Whyland #1)

"Never accept invitations to alternate worlds from strangers."
Step Into Magic written by Day Leitao captivates readers into a fresh, otherworldly kingdom of forbidden magic. This is a perfect read for fans of The School for Good and Evil and The Fairyland Series.
It follows an ordinary girl named Karina who bought silver shoes in a garage sale. When an enigmatic woman appeared in her bedroom looking for the shoes, Karina realized that her shoes were something special. Just then, another two girls ...more
Step Into Magic written by Day Leitao captivates readers into a fresh, otherworldly kingdom of forbidden magic. This is a perfect read for fans of The School for Good and Evil and The Fairyland Series.
It follows an ordinary girl named Karina who bought silver shoes in a garage sale. When an enigmatic woman appeared in her bedroom looking for the shoes, Karina realized that her shoes were something special. Just then, another two girls ...more

Wonderfully entertaining book. A real step into fantasy that doesn't let the reader down. Loved this an look forward to the next in the series.
...more

Karina buys a pair of shoes at a garage sale (yard sale) and soon finds there is something a bit odd about them. When a mysterious woman appears in her room one night trying to obtain the shoes followed by two young girls Karina is left wondering if she is awake. Soon though she follows the girls, Cayla and Ayanna, into Whyland - a world at war.
This book probably has one of the best openings I have read in a while. It instantly grabs you and brings you to Karina - the main character - and you ha ...more
This book probably has one of the best openings I have read in a while. It instantly grabs you and brings you to Karina - the main character - and you ha ...more

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Step into Magic is the first book in the middle grade fantasy series, Portals to Whyland by author Day Leitao. I thought Step into Magic was a solid first book in the series. In some ways, it was solidly in the middle grade category,, but in other ways I did think it was a little busy for a middle grade book, but I will get more into that in a bit. Step into Magic was a fun story about our main character Karina who f ...more
Step into Magic is the first book in the middle grade fantasy series, Portals to Whyland by author Day Leitao. I thought Step into Magic was a solid first book in the series. In some ways, it was solidly in the middle grade category,, but in other ways I did think it was a little busy for a middle grade book, but I will get more into that in a bit. Step into Magic was a fun story about our main character Karina who f ...more

I received a free code for Step into Magic from Audiobooks Unleashed. This did not affect my rating in any way.
When Karina finds an attractive pair of silver shoes at a yard sale, she has no idea of the adventure that’s in store for her. She follows princesses to another world, where she learns many things about herself.
This book was so fun and easy to get into. I loved the characters, the plot, and the writing style. All I have to say about the narration is it was way too slow, but speeding it ...more
When Karina finds an attractive pair of silver shoes at a yard sale, she has no idea of the adventure that’s in store for her. She follows princesses to another world, where she learns many things about herself.
This book was so fun and easy to get into. I loved the characters, the plot, and the writing style. All I have to say about the narration is it was way too slow, but speeding it ...more

Karina's world is changed forever when she finds a pair of shoes at a yard sale. They turn out to be magical shoes that are evil. She finds herself in another world looking to destroy the shoes before people can find her and take the shoes to use for evil.
I found this story to be quite adorable. The characters were really sweet. The storyline flowed very nicely. It was well put together. I think many teenagers and young adults will really enjoy the story. It's very age-appropriate.
I'm not going ...more
I found this story to be quite adorable. The characters were really sweet. The storyline flowed very nicely. It was well put together. I think many teenagers and young adults will really enjoy the story. It's very age-appropriate.
I'm not going ...more

They were just a pair of second-hand silver shoes. Karina had no interest them in whatsoever. So why did she feel compelled to go back and buy them? And why did she feel so protective towards them?
But there was something sinister about these silver-shoes. Something evil. Suddenly Karina finds herself in another dimension. If she wants to be free of the shoes and go home, then she must destroy them.
Step into Magic (Portals to Whyland #1) by Day Leitao is a cleverly crafted tale about the fall of ...more
But there was something sinister about these silver-shoes. Something evil. Suddenly Karina finds herself in another dimension. If she wants to be free of the shoes and go home, then she must destroy them.
Step into Magic (Portals to Whyland #1) by Day Leitao is a cleverly crafted tale about the fall of ...more

I really enjoyed this story. There was continually enough mystery and suspense that I wanted to keep going and find out what would happen next and what was really going on. You were never totally sure who is the good guy and who is the bad guy, or are some of them kind of good and kind of bad...? That made it fun.

The opening of the book drew me in. I really thought I will like the main character Karina. Who has never experienced a shopping trip where you are not sure if you want to buy something until you are at home and regret not getting it?
Unfortunately, the MC is then a bit undecided and contradictive. E.g. she is very logical and scientific but never scrutinises all the new things around her, instead she just does what all the people who suddenly pop up in her bedroom want from her. Also, convincing ...more
Unfortunately, the MC is then a bit undecided and contradictive. E.g. she is very logical and scientific but never scrutinises all the new things around her, instead she just does what all the people who suddenly pop up in her bedroom want from her. Also, convincing ...more

So who could resist an invitation to have an exciting adventure in another world and be back before breakfast? But then the adventure seems alarmingly difficult – even before things start going wrong. Everyone has secrets, and it's by no means easy to tell friend from foe or right from wrong. Or, for that matter, technology from magic. Seeing the story from different points of view adds to the complication. Karina is a very believable young girl who does her best in difficult circumstances. An a
...more

This book was very difficult for me to get into it. For several days I tried and tried. Finally at about 35% ish, I made a break through and started enjoying it some. It needs another proofing with several errors throughout.
I enjoyed the story itself. I honestly couldn't connect with any of the characters. No one wants to talk about magic, yet nothing is really explained.
Overall, it is quite action-packed with a surprising ending.
I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review. ...more
I enjoyed the story itself. I honestly couldn't connect with any of the characters. No one wants to talk about magic, yet nothing is really explained.
Overall, it is quite action-packed with a surprising ending.
I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review. ...more

It was ok... i don't know if I just wasn't your target audience or what. It was pretty hard to follow till i got about half way through. I found myself asking how stupid can you get. ( with the choices that the girls constantly made) then it seems like you hit your word count and went into wrap up mode. story finished and wrapped up in 1 chapter or less. There were some positives ... pretty cool idea with the way things worked in other relm but you never went into the nuts and bolts ... did the
...more

For a full review please visit http://www.awindowtomysoul.com/step-i...
I loved reading this book. It's full of small secondary stories and has friendship, a little of romance, adventure, magic and some hilarious parts. I guess I should add that if you're of the kind that likes to get an explanation for everything, this may not be your book as lots of things just seems to happen. Anyway, this is just book I so there's plenty of time for getting this answers.
Day does an incredible job describing e ...more
I loved reading this book. It's full of small secondary stories and has friendship, a little of romance, adventure, magic and some hilarious parts. I guess I should add that if you're of the kind that likes to get an explanation for everything, this may not be your book as lots of things just seems to happen. Anyway, this is just book I so there's plenty of time for getting this answers.
Day does an incredible job describing e ...more

Have you ever found a treasure at a garage sale and walked away but then you go back and you get that treasure not quite sure why it called to you. Well that what happens to our main character Cayla she find the treasure of magic shoes and she off on adventure to destroy them and save a world she never knew existed. This was a fun story.

I enjoy fairy tales, adventures, and quests. After spending many years reading stories like The Magic Tree House series, The 39 Steps series, and A Series of Unfortunate Events, I find myself hooked on these types of books full of adventure and other worlds. This story was very enjoyable. A young girl is attracted to a pair of shoes which turn out to be magical and her adventure begins. I think young readers will enjoy this book as much as I did.

When Karina buys a pair of silver slippers at a garage sale and gets more than she bargained for. Strange visitors turn up in her bedroom and eventually, she follows 2 young girls into another world. The magic slippers are evil and must be destroyed. Cayla and princess Cayla leave on foot for a long trek to the witches lair and get help from Cayla's friend Darian. No need saying that multiple obstacles will appear on their path.
This is a nice and clean adventure story for under 16-s, despite the ...more
This is a nice and clean adventure story for under 16-s, despite the ...more

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I enjoyed Step Into Magic. I read the books out of order, book 2 then book 1. Therefore, they can read as stand alone or out of order.
Step Into Magic is a cute YA fantasy. Karina is not chosen or special. It could have been anyone, yet she ended up with special "magic shoes" and some visitors. Young women from different dimensions go on a quest. Who is good? Who is evil? Who do they trust? What side is who on? Things may not be as they appear, there are s ...more
I enjoyed Step Into Magic. I read the books out of order, book 2 then book 1. Therefore, they can read as stand alone or out of order.
Step Into Magic is a cute YA fantasy. Karina is not chosen or special. It could have been anyone, yet she ended up with special "magic shoes" and some visitors. Young women from different dimensions go on a quest. Who is good? Who is evil? Who do they trust? What side is who on? Things may not be as they appear, there are s ...more

Step into Magic literally.
The first few lines of the book truly captured my attention. Perhaps half way through I got a bit overwhelmed with the number of new characters and not sure if they will be apart of the next installment. The main character Karina, at times can be a bit annoying. I’m sure the narrator plays a part in that as well. The narration was mediocre and I struggled with her narration. I had to increase the speed of narration to 2.0 so that the voices wouldn’t be a distraction to ...more
The first few lines of the book truly captured my attention. Perhaps half way through I got a bit overwhelmed with the number of new characters and not sure if they will be apart of the next installment. The main character Karina, at times can be a bit annoying. I’m sure the narrator plays a part in that as well. The narration was mediocre and I struggled with her narration. I had to increase the speed of narration to 2.0 so that the voices wouldn’t be a distraction to ...more

What more could you ask for but to go to another world and take an adventure? I think this is a good book for young preteens or teens. It has action and adventure for a young person to enjoy. The narrator does a good job bringing the story to life with words. I really enjoyed it even if it was for a younger set. I would recommend to my granddaughter in about two years.

A Great novel which will is targeted at Young Adults(not me) but this does not mean anyone will not enjoy this book.
The characters are excellent, the storyline and ideas are interesting and engrossing (I will not be buying any silver shoes) and the narrator is excellent brings everything to life.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
The characters are excellent, the storyline and ideas are interesting and engrossing (I will not be buying any silver shoes) and the narrator is excellent brings everything to life.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

I've got to say, starting a book with a pair of magical shoes definitely caught my attention. Portal stories are also always a lot of fun.
Karina is drawn to a pair of shoes that cause havoc on the life of a friend who borrowed them, brought a witch from another world, then brought two princesses who took Karina (and her shoes) back to their world with them.
The book is non-stop adventure, as you would expect in a middle-grade book. However, it is completely confusing. The army is trying to take d ...more
Karina is drawn to a pair of shoes that cause havoc on the life of a friend who borrowed them, brought a witch from another world, then brought two princesses who took Karina (and her shoes) back to their world with them.
The book is non-stop adventure, as you would expect in a middle-grade book. However, it is completely confusing. The army is trying to take d ...more

I offered to review this audiobook because I am such an an avid reader but also almost exclusively audio due to my schedule. Because of this, and the fact that a bad narrator can destroy a great series, I can be very critical of narrators. Especially when books have a single narrator required to speak with different voices for multiple characters. Most cannot do it without having some errors where they use the wrong 'voice' for the wrong character. Marlies Dubois does a great job in narrating th
...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

This is the first book in a series, I had gotten the second book first which stated it could be stand-alone, and in a way could have been, but with this book, it filled in gaps that was missing in the second book that had left me wondering.
This is a great series, especially if you get them in their proper order.
So the story starts off without a big amount of backstory on where the shoes came from or the dance scene, you only really get some bits and pieces. Karina is asked to go to another real ...more
This is a great series, especially if you get them in their proper order.
So the story starts off without a big amount of backstory on where the shoes came from or the dance scene, you only really get some bits and pieces. Karina is asked to go to another real ...more

This was a fun book, but the narrator drove me crazy. At times she sounded like a teenager, which worked well for the teenage characters, but did NOT work well for the adult males. She has some really irritating accents as well. She pronounces several words very interestingly, such as “girls-es” when speaking of something belonging to a group of girls. Overall, I’d rather not listen to her again.
The story itself is pretty good. It is definitely geared toward teens or preteens. The adventures of ...more
The story itself is pretty good. It is definitely geared toward teens or preteens. The adventures of ...more
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🪄 Magic, 💜 heart, 🗡️ action, and 😆 fun!
Find me at dayleitao.com
Day Leitao believes in the power of stories, the power of characters, and she writes books with heroes (of both genders) finding their own magic and opening their hearts. Of course, there's also the banter and all the shenanigans that happen when personalities collide. 😂

Originally from Brazil 🇧🇷, she lives in Montreal, Canada ...more
Find me at dayleitao.com
Day Leitao believes in the power of stories, the power of characters, and she writes books with heroes (of both genders) finding their own magic and opening their hearts. Of course, there's also the banter and all the shenanigans that happen when personalities collide. 😂






Originally from Brazil 🇧🇷, she lives in Montreal, Canada ...more
Other books in the series
Portals to Whyland
(3 books)
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