Wicked is Her Smile

The School of Necessary Magic #5

by Judith Berens, Martha Carr, Michael Anderle

Alison, the Drow princess can’t even make it back to the School of Necessary Magic for her junior year without tripping across trouble hunting for her.

Underground bullet trains, battles with dark magic, growing dragons, Louper tournaments, school dances and job fairs. Growing up a magical can be tough on a social life.

Thank goodness she’s got her friends beside her.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

222 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 27, 2018

About the author

Judith Berens is a figment of your imagination, made up of the fevered brainpower of Michael Anderle and Martha Carr, fueled by a lot of people helping them out - as well as all of you, The Fans. Great stories mixed with a lot of great readers equals more adventures to follow.

Reviews

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wicked Is Her Smile - a review by Rosemary Kenny

I'm not sure whose smile is wicked (maybe one of the two female co-authors?), but it's still a good title for the 5th book in the School of Necessary Magic Series, by Judith Berens, Martha Carr and Michael Anderle.
As in the previous 4 books, the MC is Alison, ward of James Brownstone and partner Shay. She and her friends, Izzie (another MC in this story), Peter and Michael are also playing their part in supporting Alison, a Drow princess, who, like them is enrolling in her junior year at High School - the eponymous School of Necessary Magic, a Hogwarts-like academy with a motley crew of students and teachers of all kinds of magic from many different backgrounds (including paranormal ones!).
The main theme of the novel is the battle of good vs evil, as Dark Wizards invade the School in a bold attempt to seize Izzy, who's remembering more and more about her secret past. this is their second attempt as they also tried during the Christmas holidays, when Izzie was at Alison's home with the Brownstones.
A number of grammar and other editorial mistakes deter a perfect score, as this issue has been raised before. Also having to read all the books (preferably in order) to get a flow of continuity could work out expensive, when there's not a great deal taking place for the length of the book.
Nevertheless, the three great authors know their stuff in other tales in the Oriceran and Kurtherian Universe-set series', so perhaps a change of editor will do the trick for this series or any subsequent ones.

[Ari (Head in a Book) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wicked is her smile is much better then its predecessor, strong is her hope.
I'm confused about who is on the cover however, Izzie does not have that colour hair and Alison's hair is not completely white yet. Also the titles are really confusing, what does this have to do with the main girl characters?

Trouble increases for Alison and Izzie but they don't know which one is being targeted or both of them, also Alison literally discovers that she can see the future yet never uses this ability again or in the Alison Brownstone series.

There was alot of action and louper :(
Louper was something I skipped every time.

[Frank Bertino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trouble, Trouble, Trouble

Trouble follows Alison and Izzie all over. Which one is being targeted, or is it both? I enjoy this series and this book is no exception. I like the action, humor, and romance. I look forward to the next book.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot thickens...

It's wonderful being back with Alison and the gang. It's fascinating seeing Izzie and Alison discover more about their powers and themselves. Martha brings together info about the different students in an interesting manner. I enjoy the little side stories that show us more about who the students are.

(PS: No fair! I want a short story explaining why the gnomes wear what they do!!!)

[Charles Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wicked Is Her Smile

Wow! Started with a bang and ended on a presipace. Learning, sports, danger, and combat, oh my! Well written, great characters, and fun. You must join Alison and Izzie in their Junior year at the Academy. Thank you Judith and Michael for this delightful book.

[Bonnie Dale Keck · Rating 2 out of 5]

kindle unlimited, says in various places book/s by Judith Berens, Martha Carr, Michael Anderle; not sure how much Anderle contributes to this series as I know he does, alone, Brownstone and {maybe alone} Shay ones, but maybe he does some of this one. I debated giving this one what gave series last time, a 1, but it's been a few days and other books after so unclear to specifically {exactly, not in general} why didn't like it. As one reviewer said, writing left much to be desired, more outline than finished story, too much jumping around reiterating what happened in last book/chapter. What reviewer did not mention was fact there were so many errors, from spelling to punctuation {or lack of} to sentences and thoughts that didn't end full, as if part had been erased then not corrected {and I did reset my reader, many times, to make sure it was not size of my usual font, but smaller and smaller NO difference to things being missing}. There were more minor issues such as there for their, etcetera, but also bigger continuity issues between something that was one way last book or previous chapter of this book now being contradictory.

As for those who complain about my review, commenting on my reviews, will repeat for the ones that still aren't getting it; I am legally blind AND I am not writing a BOOK. The purpose of MY review is to tell why *I* did or did not like it, not why or why YOU did/not & not to try to bash me into changing my review {NOT happening}, so again my opinion, more than valid points/proof, and since I have been reading Carr's books since she started putting ANY of them out, yes, I am an expert on what does and does not 'work' and whether one or more of her books feel 'rushed' in writing. The Oriceran universe as well as Anderle's separate books have 'JIT' {Just In Time} readers, and assume {very well could be wrong about this part} at some point have 'beta' readers {who SHOULD catch the continuity and other issues but have NOT} and then 'ARC' {advanced reader copy} should be catching spelling, grammar, etcetera, issues and anything missed still. They evidently do all the books as they are being readied, not by type or series, and very well could be one of too many issues, because for good contituity, it should be a smaller section of books. So for Leira they should really be separate, then as a group maybe Brownstone, Shay, and Allison, and all of Anderle's sci-fi or other type books need to totally have different readers if that is what is causing such a number and type of errors and issues to keep slipping through. I believe that all other Oriceran Universe books, since they don't or very rarely cross over to Leira ones except for Brownstone/Shay/Alison, should be separate team readers, too.

They are supposed to be having a type of change to Leira soon {no spoilers, it is in the back of the last book if have to know} and also another story arc {or 2} for Alison/school of necessary magic, but with Brownstone and Shay books in the mix, those definitely need to be handled separately, to catch all problems. Carr told me to hold in/on, there were changes of various types coming up soonish, so I'm hanging in, no matter what comments I get by those tho think they need to rewrite MY PERSONAL reviews to suit THEM. I'm only concerned with the book/s, try being that way. As for the long list of books, that is because I am horrible at names/titles so needed way to keep them straight and make sure read/reviewed them, in order if possible. I have had 'helpful' marks/remarks for that as well, so someone complaining about the list is just finding non-issues, me and others find it useful. The blurb, if accurate, is enough to remind me about the entire book if I've already read it, as well.



Alison, the Drow princess can’t even make it back to the School of Necessary Magic for her junior year without tripping across trouble hunting for her.

Underground bullet trains, battles with dark magic, growing dragons, Louper tournaments, school dances and job fairs. Growing up a magical can be tough on a social life. Thank goodness she’s got her friends beside her.

An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (The School Of Necessary Magic)
Dark Is Her Nature 1
Bright Is Her Sight 2
Wary Is Her Love 3
Strong Is Her Hope 4
Wicked Is Her Smile 5

I Fear No Evil series
Kill The Willing 1
Bury The Past, But Shoot It First 2
Reload Faster 3
Dead In Plain Sight 4
Tomb Raiding PHD: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (I Fear No Evil Book 5)

just by Anderle {but goes with I Fear No Evil books by him and Carr}
An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone series
Feared By Hell 1
Rejected By Heaven 2
Eye For An Eye 3
Bring The Pain 4
She Is The Widow 5
When Angels Cry 6
Fight Fire With Fire 7
Hail To The King 8
Alison Brownstone 9

The Leira Chronicles -- The Revelations of Oriceran
Quest For Magic - Prequel to Waking Magic (0.5) {this one was later put in with book 1 copies as prelude type}
Waking Magic 1
Release Of Magic 2
Protection of Magic 3
Rule of Magic 4
Trick or Troll: The 2017 YTT Halloween Special (4.5)
Dealing in Magic 5
Christmas at Estelle's: The 2017 YTT Christmas Special (#5.5)
Theft of Magic 6
Enemies of Magic 7
Guardians Of Magic 8

Rewriting Justice
Justice Served Cold 1
Vengeance Served Hot 2
Bounty Hunter Inc 3
Beware The Hunter 4

also does Midwest Magic Chronicles {The Revelations of Oriceran}
The Midwest Witch 1
The Midwest Wanderer 2
The Midwest Whisperer 3
The Midwest War 4

I do NOT read ANY of the 'other' oriceran sets, tried each of them for 3 or 4 books, just no interest.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This year, at the School of Necessary Magic, things are getting more intense.

Not only have Alison and her gang got to start thinking about what they want to do once they leave the school forever, but they also have far more responsibilities pressed on them, to go with the greater freedoms they have.

But, for both Alison, and Izzie, there's a darkness growing ever closer to them both, that neither girl can understand, and they are drawn ever closer, as things start to happen both in the school, and outside it.

But with all this darkness and gloom, the only thing that keeps them smiling, is their friend Dorvu, the Silver Dragon, who is growing bigger by the very minute!

But, what can the girls do, when they discover dark wizards are planning to wreak havoc on both the school, and on one of them?

This was a much more exciting book than the previous one, as good as that one was to read.

All of the gang are becoming ever more protective of each other, and as supportive of each others decisions, hobbies, and practices but, more than this, they're determined to help their headmistress to keep the School going!

There are secrets unravelling, and a traitor within the school, and each one of the gang are determined to keep each other safe.

The plot is definitely coming to a head, at last, and I'm looking forwards to finding out just what it's about.

But, having checked my reading list, it seems I'll have to wait a little, as I'll be going back over to James' series, TUMB, and book number 11: 'Fatal Mistake', for my next read.

That title sounds quite worrying, so I'm going to finish this review, and get on with reading it and, once I'm done, I'll catch you on the flip side, to let you know what I think of it!

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 They Were The Perfect Combination To Help The Dragon Grow Stars

Wicked Is Her Smile is the fifth book in The School Of Neccessary Magic series by "Judith Berens".

While there was definitely new information in this book, especially compared to previous ones, there still wasn't a concise enough progression to the story. While Izzie has remembered a lot of her hidden memories, and faced off against the dark wizards at least once, overall it's been very frustrating getting here.

I wish there was more character development. We barely get beyond surface level with even the main friend group around Izzie and Alison. There's also the very limited time, or information, we're given on Dorvu's experience and growth. I feel like these two authors missed far too many opportunities to further the story of the School of Neccessary Magic and this group of children as they grow up there. It makes it seem like they have a very limited view of High School style magical YA books.

It also doesn't make sense, especially given how much I know of Mara from the Leira Chronicles series, that she's coming as so incompetent to not even check the one very obvious hole in their defenses for magical sabotage.

And finally, Jason is simply far too obvious to not have already been caught. There are so many instances like this in this series that it's such a letdown. That paired with all of inconsistencies makes this a very frustrating read.

[Kirsten Ensman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pepsi is way better than coke which has nothing to do with the story

I'm really struggling with the reason Jennifer showed up for Junior year. She only makes a few very few appearances in the book. Seems like she was not necessary at all. Jason was the most obvious plant for the black wizards which makes the fact that everyone is scratching the heads wondering who the plant is totally ridiculous. Again a character that really was not necessary and didn't really add to the story. That being said I liked most of the other parts of the story. Dorvu to the rescue. He totally rocks as a protector and dragon. Still wondering how the headmistress and Horace knew the girls were in trouble. The scene with the car brakes going out priceless. The simulations that everyone were trying to best were hilarious especially going over the cliff and blowing up along with the other scenes. I enjoy the books but I'm struggling with being left hanging on too many things. It just feels like an idea pops in someone's mind and it gets added whether it makes sense or not. So why do I give you all the stars? I laugh on occasions. I'm entertained. I'm curious to keep on reading especially since I read the series where Alison is grown first. So despite my questions and other issues all in all I enjoy the book.

[Gretchen · Rating 2 out of 5]

You try and try becuz characters, but...

Bloody help me. A story with a bit of promise. 4 books in, only hanging becuz of characters. But dear gosh what a MESS. Storylines and dialogue that just end up.....
Possibly climactic scenes...outright avoided. This one was the lady straw. So, you have Peter. Smart kid. On a misdion to make the best of a crap story about a school parking lot. He (amongst SO many beforwme him) overhears DARK WIZARDS plotting an evil plot. Does he run and tell others? No. Because every other character has conveniently seen/overheard Evil Plots of Destruction, Dark and Evil magic to be used nefariously to undo this powerful school! Durrrrr...nothing. nada. Zilch. As Peter hears these dark lords of power scheme to overthrow a School of commanding presence that has stood for hundreds of years, Peter decides to maje the best of what he csn, given the new yellow lines and spaciousness of the school's parking lot. Dark wizards, WHAT? Entire BS of this series. Simplistic writing, zero focus, point of view? HA! Uh uh. Waste of what could beban a amazing storyline instead ofva really, really bad Harry Potter not-even-close-enough-to-be a wannabe

[Mike Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Hogwarts worthy tale

A magical school filled with magical students of many different races based in the Virginia countryside. Cast of characters that include A group of students that are the main characters throughout the series. A headmistress a groundskeeper a dark magic teacher a dragon and the continuing battle of good versus evil light versus dark and even a sneaky untrustworthy student sneaking around behind everyone causing trouble. Follow Alison and easy and the rest of the gang as they make their way through the school year and all of the adventures they meat. There is even a magical sport involved although not on broom sticks. You will definitely be entertained by this series and it is a very entertaining read. Check it out

[Diane Diorio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving the “dynamic duo “

So the Alison and Ozzie duo is fantastic combined with everyone’s favorite dragon. The school is still in danger Ozzie is remembering more the teenagers in love brings back my own teenage love that I’m still in love with today so those feelings the girls keep feeling I can relate to and Jason was guilty wish he wasn’t but sometimes a Rose is a Rose can’t wait for the next story

[Nicholas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, there is little special about Wicked is Her Smile. With confusing action that seems connected to an overall (Barely existent) plot, there is only a fairly average disconnected story about a magical school and the students daily lives.

Overall, worth it for the backstory behind the next School of Necessary Magic series about Raine Campbell. Hopefully worth it for the main follow up series of Alison Brownstone post school.

[Trae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

Wonderful book! Izzy and Allison really start to find themselves even more. The stakes are higher as Izzy's memories return.
My one complaint is Driver's Ed. Most high school juniors are 16 turning 17, not 15 turning 16. For some reason it bothered me, so I subtracted a star.

[Tracey Byrnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Need more, please!

Another welcome volume in Alison and Izzie’s stories as they enter their junior year at the School of Necessary Magic. I’m waiting to see which happens first: Izzie regaining her memories, Alison learning a ton more about her Drow heritage, or Dorvu surprising the hell out of everyone by doing something totally unexpected.

[Jim Guldner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slowing movement as the stories move forward

I remain interested in the resolution of Izzie's, Allison's, and the others stories, but this one seemed to drag a little. A pretty good group effort with interesting takes on both their world and links to how we might look at their world.

[Linda T Waldron-Inman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Izzy's memories are surfacing

The dark families are still trying to close/ruin the school. They are after Izzy because she is a Jasper Elf like Leira Berens. If they can't turn her to the dark side they will destroy her. Izzy has been hidden while at school. She thinks she is an orphan. The memories of her parents are her dreams.

[JOE TAVARES · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this series is addictive!

We have all had experienced books we can't put down. This entire series is addictive not only can you not set the book down , you find it can dam near impossible to wait for the next book to be released.

Enjoy

[Bobby Childers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alison and Izzie are badass to the core

Alison and Izzie's powers are increasing rather quickly and Izzie is beginning to remember things from her past. This book just keeps getting better and better as the series continues...... can't wait for the next book.

[Lois Alston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, exciting

Loved everything about this story. The opening scene is outstanding, so much strength and purpose in one so young. They are all growing into such strong individuals with strong moral compasses. The stories are a joy to read.

[Diane Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alison, Izzy and Dorvu!

Exciting read, story is moving forward in a measured way; I do wish it would progress a bit faster. This is a good YA book which should be read in sequence with the others.

[Douglas Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I have said before great time

Like any good saga you always wounded what is coming over next. The combination of action and Allison growing., Along with Issue's learning about her tire past. All topped off with the normal high school growing pains, you have a great day.

[Ann Zdunczyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Izzie is remembering more

Izzie and company are in their junior year. They have to learn to do things the human way. The dark wizards are looking for her. They both end up fighting the dark wizards along with others. Read to find out what happens.

[Wanda binz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story continues fantastically

This is a great series that continues to hold your attention and worry about the sleep you are losing but you don’t care the books are so good you can’t stop.

[Dick SantaCruz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dumb Are Her Book Titles

This series was just good enough to keep reading but not anything to get too excited about. The characters were a little flat and unreal. A little too good.

[〰️Beth〰️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can wait for Senior year

Enjoyably but a little choppy at times. Hope the different plot lines connect in next book. Looking forward to see Lizzie vacationing with Brownstone and Shay....do I smell bbq and pizza?

[Rayandsarah White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Love this series. Great books for young and old alike. Think Harry Potter with a magic kick start. Stands well on its own but better if you have read the series. Would love to see this as a tv series

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

So much potential but the execution is really low quality. Reads like a draft where bits and pieces are tossed out but never explored. I’m to the point of just pushing through the series in the hope that at least some of the dangling elements are tied up by book 8.

[Traci R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jr. Year!

Our group of kids are back at school and learning new magic. The girls and the boys have new roomies, hope that turns out well for them. Izzie is remembering more from her past. Dark wizards are getting bolder! Looking forward to the next installment!!

[Lobstergrenyahoo.Com · Rating 1 out of 5]

Blahh

This is book five finished it skipped over pages just to get to end got bored book is going nowhere for me not continuing series 2 books left but nope I'm done giving this a shot