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In the Name of Magic
Nonmagical people are being demonized and falsely blamed for Magnifico’s economic problems after Queen Vivian’s bloody rise to power. But politics very quickly becomes more than abstract views to argue when secret police wolves are deployed throughout the country to kill those born without magical abilities.
Seventeen-year-old Maximillian’s best friend Katherine is one such nonmagical person. In a bid to keep her safe, Maximillian turns to the queen’s estranged younger brother, a man thought to be dead until recently.
Prince Stefan is nineteen years old and has been in hiding from his family for years. He has no desire to resurface in the political world, but Maximillian must convince him that the country needs him before it is too late.
Seventeen-year-old Maximillian’s best friend Katherine is one such nonmagical person. In a bid to keep her safe, Maximillian turns to the queen’s estranged younger brother, a man thought to be dead until recently.
Prince Stefan is nineteen years old and has been in hiding from his family for years. He has no desire to resurface in the political world, but Maximillian must convince him that the country needs him before it is too late.
185 pages, ebook
First published October 22, 2018
1 person is currently reading
27 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 21, 2018
Having found many of NineStar Press' inclusive LGBTQIA+ fantasy books to be pretty solid, I thought this sounded like another great read, and it turned out to be exactly that. Although based in a fantasy world known as Magnifico, Bedell explores, within the context of the story, some prevalent real-world issues. This, for me, is what sets this novel apart from the rest. It pits non-magical people against those who have magic at their disposal in a violent and bloody dystopian world, and it is possible to draw parallels between this conflict and those between different religions. races and orientations that are sadly too often observed in reality.
There are some very well executed concepts in this novel, but what certainly stood out most for me was the masterful characterisation. It's really quite difficult to believe that this is the author's debut as the character, both likeable and unlikeable, are beautifully drawn, and because of this, I found it easy to get drawn into the story and invested in the outcome for the characters. Amongst the topics the book explores are LGBTQIA+ issues, discrimination, tyranny, oppression, abuse of power, love, economics and politics. Emotive, well-written and action-packed, with a warning for graphic violence, this was a thoroughly enjoyable fantasy. I feel this will be particularly appreciated by readers who loved Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen series. I look forward to checking out Bedell's future publications.
Many thanks to NineStar Press for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
There are some very well executed concepts in this novel, but what certainly stood out most for me was the masterful characterisation. It's really quite difficult to believe that this is the author's debut as the character, both likeable and unlikeable, are beautifully drawn, and because of this, I found it easy to get drawn into the story and invested in the outcome for the characters. Amongst the topics the book explores are LGBTQIA+ issues, discrimination, tyranny, oppression, abuse of power, love, economics and politics. Emotive, well-written and action-packed, with a warning for graphic violence, this was a thoroughly enjoyable fantasy. I feel this will be particularly appreciated by readers who loved Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen series. I look forward to checking out Bedell's future publications.
Many thanks to NineStar Press for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
November 7, 2018
A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review
Ninestar Press has a lot of brilliant LGBT+ Fantasy books, so I was really excited about “In the Name of Magic”. Sadly, it was a huge let-down.
The only interesting thing in the entire book was the idea that it was non-magical people being persecuted by magicals. Usually, it’s the other way round. But I still don’t know why the non-magicals were so hated. It takes only a few months till they’re held in concentration camps and killed quite openly. But why??? The whole story about the hatred of non-magicals essentially read like a badly written historical novel about WW2, with “Jews” swapped for “people without magic”. It doesn’t help that I really don’t like books about WW2.
Since this was obviously inspired by WW2, some pretty horrible things happened. But the characters were all extremely blasé about it. I mean, Katherine finds the bodies of her gruesomely murdered parents. Her reaction? “Oh dear.” A few pages later, she’s busy thinking about whether or not to dump her boyfriend. Seriously?
Maximillian was horrible. He keeps insisting how he’s a good son and always obedient and so on. All the while, he’s lying to his parents, sneaking around, drinking alcohol, and some other pretty horrible stuff, and he never ever has to face the consequences of his actions.
Stefan was just a poor little rich kid. We are told he had a horrible childhood and decided to run away from home. And the most horrible thing we learn is that his sister got more presents than he did. Oh, woe me.
There is zero world-building. All we learn about magic is that it exists. It’s sort of implied that it’s hereditary, I guess, but that’s it. How does it work? Do you need somebody to teach you? Do you learn this stuff at school? The magic seemed to have no influence on the world itself. Not that we learn all that much about that either. Big chunks of the plot just didn’t make sense. If you can teleport, why do you need cars?
And oh my gosh, the writing style. It was just so weird. “He elevated his eyebrows.” “He beamed his eyes.” Really? This was practically screaming for an editor. After a while, I just skipped paragraphs and only read the dialogue, which was tolerable.
When I told a friend about this book, she said, “So, essentially, the very first idea the author had for this book had potential, but the whole rest was just plain bad?” And that’s a pretty adequate summary. I suppose the ending (which I thought made no sense) calls for a sequel. But not with me, thank you very much.
The cover by Natasha Snow is a bit generic and doesn’t really fit the story. It looks more like a post-apocalyptic setting.
Ninestar Press has a lot of brilliant LGBT+ Fantasy books, so I was really excited about “In the Name of Magic”. Sadly, it was a huge let-down.
The only interesting thing in the entire book was the idea that it was non-magical people being persecuted by magicals. Usually, it’s the other way round. But I still don’t know why the non-magicals were so hated. It takes only a few months till they’re held in concentration camps and killed quite openly. But why??? The whole story about the hatred of non-magicals essentially read like a badly written historical novel about WW2, with “Jews” swapped for “people without magic”. It doesn’t help that I really don’t like books about WW2.
Since this was obviously inspired by WW2, some pretty horrible things happened. But the characters were all extremely blasé about it. I mean, Katherine finds the bodies of her gruesomely murdered parents. Her reaction? “Oh dear.” A few pages later, she’s busy thinking about whether or not to dump her boyfriend. Seriously?
Maximillian was horrible. He keeps insisting how he’s a good son and always obedient and so on. All the while, he’s lying to his parents, sneaking around, drinking alcohol, and some other pretty horrible stuff, and he never ever has to face the consequences of his actions.
Stefan was just a poor little rich kid. We are told he had a horrible childhood and decided to run away from home. And the most horrible thing we learn is that his sister got more presents than he did. Oh, woe me.
There is zero world-building. All we learn about magic is that it exists. It’s sort of implied that it’s hereditary, I guess, but that’s it. How does it work? Do you need somebody to teach you? Do you learn this stuff at school? The magic seemed to have no influence on the world itself. Not that we learn all that much about that either. Big chunks of the plot just didn’t make sense. If you can teleport, why do you need cars?
And oh my gosh, the writing style. It was just so weird. “He elevated his eyebrows.” “He beamed his eyes.” Really? This was practically screaming for an editor. After a while, I just skipped paragraphs and only read the dialogue, which was tolerable.
When I told a friend about this book, she said, “So, essentially, the very first idea the author had for this book had potential, but the whole rest was just plain bad?” And that’s a pretty adequate summary. I suppose the ending (which I thought made no sense) calls for a sequel. But not with me, thank you very much.
The cover by Natasha Snow is a bit generic and doesn’t really fit the story. It looks more like a post-apocalyptic setting.
May 14, 2021
A Joyfully Jay review.
2.5 stars
This story is a heavily fictionalized retelling of the Holocaust in a world where magic exists, but color doesn’t. Everything in the kingdom of Magnifico is black or white. There is no color and no one knows why. No one cares, either, since there are more pressing concerns, like the public execution of the King and Queen in order for their daughter, Vivian, to inherit the crown. It’s a public spectacle and Maximilian, his friends, and most of the city are present to watch and cheer as heads roll and blood spills. But the blood is too much for Maximilian who walks away, only to run into a mysterious masked figure who happens to be none other than the missing prince, Stefan.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
2.5 stars
This story is a heavily fictionalized retelling of the Holocaust in a world where magic exists, but color doesn’t. Everything in the kingdom of Magnifico is black or white. There is no color and no one knows why. No one cares, either, since there are more pressing concerns, like the public execution of the King and Queen in order for their daughter, Vivian, to inherit the crown. It’s a public spectacle and Maximilian, his friends, and most of the city are present to watch and cheer as heads roll and blood spills. But the blood is too much for Maximilian who walks away, only to run into a mysterious masked figure who happens to be none other than the missing prince, Stefan.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
December 11, 2019
After following Chris Bedell on Twitter and playing several Twitter author games with him, I was eager to pick up In the Name of Magic.
Magnifico is a nation ruled by a monarchy and populated by both magical and non-magical people. Times are hard, as the economy has tanked following the end of a brutal war with the goblins in the neighboring country. In a direct mirror to the 2008 recession and the 2016 USA election, Princess Vivian steals the throne, murders her royal parents, and blames non-magical people for the economic problems. During these turbulent times, Maximillian and his friends hope they can keep their heads down and survive. Unfortunately, fate has a lot in store for them. Katherine's non-magical parents are killed by the Queen's wolves and she is forced into hiding. Maximillian finds and falls for Vivian's brother, the lost Prince Stefan. Everyone questions their friendship with Taylor when he starts spouting fascist, racist nonsense.
As you can tell from the summary, In the Name of Magic deals with many heavy topics, and I love how Bedell embraces the fantasy genre's ability to mimic and mirror real world happenings. Locking up people because they are Jewish or queer or neurodivergent or brown or immigrants is just as ridiculous as locking up people for not being able to magically toast bread with their hands. Many of Maximillian and Taylor's conversations have played out over social media, as once solid friendships strain and snap. In addition, the characters truly act their ages. Sometimes, Maximillian makes irrational decisions, but he's eighteen and stressed from hiding his friend from murderous police wolves. The youthful romance between Maximillian and Stefan feels organic, and their chemistry sparks off the page.
Other reviewers have noted Maximillian's generally laid back attitude and narration. His character did remind me of The Dude from The Big Lebowski, if the character was stuck in a magical dystopia. It does jar with the bleakness of Magnifico and the dire situations. On the other hand, it feels like a realistic coping mechanism. I don't really know what to make of it.
All in all, a solid read for those who want some reality in their fantasy. Have fun, friends.
Magnifico is a nation ruled by a monarchy and populated by both magical and non-magical people. Times are hard, as the economy has tanked following the end of a brutal war with the goblins in the neighboring country. In a direct mirror to the 2008 recession and the 2016 USA election, Princess Vivian steals the throne, murders her royal parents, and blames non-magical people for the economic problems. During these turbulent times, Maximillian and his friends hope they can keep their heads down and survive. Unfortunately, fate has a lot in store for them. Katherine's non-magical parents are killed by the Queen's wolves and she is forced into hiding. Maximillian finds and falls for Vivian's brother, the lost Prince Stefan. Everyone questions their friendship with Taylor when he starts spouting fascist, racist nonsense.
As you can tell from the summary, In the Name of Magic deals with many heavy topics, and I love how Bedell embraces the fantasy genre's ability to mimic and mirror real world happenings. Locking up people because they are Jewish or queer or neurodivergent or brown or immigrants is just as ridiculous as locking up people for not being able to magically toast bread with their hands. Many of Maximillian and Taylor's conversations have played out over social media, as once solid friendships strain and snap. In addition, the characters truly act their ages. Sometimes, Maximillian makes irrational decisions, but he's eighteen and stressed from hiding his friend from murderous police wolves. The youthful romance between Maximillian and Stefan feels organic, and their chemistry sparks off the page.
Other reviewers have noted Maximillian's generally laid back attitude and narration. His character did remind me of The Dude from The Big Lebowski, if the character was stuck in a magical dystopia. It does jar with the bleakness of Magnifico and the dire situations. On the other hand, it feels like a realistic coping mechanism. I don't really know what to make of it.
All in all, a solid read for those who want some reality in their fantasy. Have fun, friends.
October 25, 2018
I’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC and the chance to read and review this book.
I really, really wanted to like this book, it sounded so interesting. I mean, it had it all: politics, magic, lgbt+ and an evil queen, but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.
Some of the things that happened in this book were really shocking, but the characters hardly even cared at all. That was really unfortunate, because if the characters had had a proper reaction to these things it would have been very interesting to read about. But most of the time they just got on with their lives, and it felt like their love life was more important to them, than the atrocities going on around them.
This was part of what made it really difficult for me to connect with any of the book's characters, and while reading the novel I found that I actually didn’t care much for the main character or most of his friends (he also made a lot of decisions that I just couldn’t agree with).
I did however quite like Raquel and princess Anastasia, and though we don’t get to know them very well, I was curious about what would happen to them.
Unfortunately, I found there to be too much of the main characters internal monologue in the story, and I often felt like this tried to dictate how the reader was supposed to feel about the events and characters. This made it more difficult for me to get into and enjoy the story, and I generally felt like too much was ‘tell’ and not enough ‘show’ in the novel.
The premise was very interesting though, and although I didn’t like this book I can definitely see why other people might. So if you do think that In the Name of Magic sounds interesting and like a book you would enjoy, I would definitely recommend you to give it a chance.
I really, really wanted to like this book, it sounded so interesting. I mean, it had it all: politics, magic, lgbt+ and an evil queen, but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.
Some of the things that happened in this book were really shocking, but the characters hardly even cared at all. That was really unfortunate, because if the characters had had a proper reaction to these things it would have been very interesting to read about. But most of the time they just got on with their lives, and it felt like their love life was more important to them, than the atrocities going on around them.
This was part of what made it really difficult for me to connect with any of the book's characters, and while reading the novel I found that I actually didn’t care much for the main character or most of his friends (he also made a lot of decisions that I just couldn’t agree with).
I did however quite like Raquel and princess Anastasia, and though we don’t get to know them very well, I was curious about what would happen to them.
Unfortunately, I found there to be too much of the main characters internal monologue in the story, and I often felt like this tried to dictate how the reader was supposed to feel about the events and characters. This made it more difficult for me to get into and enjoy the story, and I generally felt like too much was ‘tell’ and not enough ‘show’ in the novel.
The premise was very interesting though, and although I didn’t like this book I can definitely see why other people might. So if you do think that In the Name of Magic sounds interesting and like a book you would enjoy, I would definitely recommend you to give it a chance.
October 22, 2018
I really wish I could have liked In the Name of Magic more than I did. The premise sounded great, and I opened the book expecting a ripping good read. Sadly, I didn't get it. I wanted to give the book a fair chance, so I pushed through to the end, but it was a struggle to make myself finish. The problem was not the idea, which could have worked brilliantly, but the writing, especially as relates to character development. There was no chemistry in any of the relationships, all of which felt forced, unrealistic and which sprang up out of nowhere. The dialogue was often stilted and unnatural, and the way characters reacted in certain situations was nothing short of bizarre. [SPOILER ALERT] If you'd found of the mangled bodies of your parents, who'd been brutally murdered, would your reaction be to say nothing but 'Oh dear' and then to be concerned about whether you should dump your boyfriend only a few pages later? [END SPOILER ALERT] There was no real tension or emotion. So many terrible events took places, but they just seemed to wash over the characters as if nothing had happened. I had other gripes about plotting and pacing, too; however, I don't want this review to feel too much like an onslaught of complaints. To end on something positive, I would say that the story's premise is good. I liked the idea of the magical vs. non-magical debate as a metaphor reflecting current issues in society, and I enjoyed the concept of the police wolves and detention centres, and their resonance with WWII concentration camps. Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with the book overall, and therefore I can only give it two stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley.
July 13, 2020
The good:
The premise: hero with magic and a budding sense of social justice; handsome, noble prince companion; diverse cast of friends; intriguing and potentially nuanced world, complete with goblin war and fairly detailed interrogation of the relationship between economic insecurity and prejudice.
The not-so-good:
The dialog (fairly wooden) and the narrator’s interiority (same). Some clumsy, too-convenient plot devices (hello locket, dropped on page 2, with tell-tale initial and pics of the royal family inside, I’m looking at you).
The takeaway:
Honestly, I love the idea of this novel so much, but it feels more like a collection of moving parts, not quite moving correctly, than a single, functioning narrative. That said, the premise is really good, and I was invested enough at the end to want to know what happened after the cliffhanger.
*I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily composed an honest review
The premise: hero with magic and a budding sense of social justice; handsome, noble prince companion; diverse cast of friends; intriguing and potentially nuanced world, complete with goblin war and fairly detailed interrogation of the relationship between economic insecurity and prejudice.
The not-so-good:
The dialog (fairly wooden) and the narrator’s interiority (same). Some clumsy, too-convenient plot devices (hello locket, dropped on page 2, with tell-tale initial and pics of the royal family inside, I’m looking at you).
The takeaway:
Honestly, I love the idea of this novel so much, but it feels more like a collection of moving parts, not quite moving correctly, than a single, functioning narrative. That said, the premise is really good, and I was invested enough at the end to want to know what happened after the cliffhanger.
*I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily composed an honest review
August 4, 2019
I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I wanted to read this book because the concept throw me for a loop when I first saw the description. It was the magical people going after the non-magical people. I was not sure why they were so much of a threat but I did enjoy the world creation and the uniqueness of the characters. I want to see what else could happen in this world. There is a few more things I want to say about this book but that would give away more of the good parts.
October 22, 2018
Received from Netgalley. I liked the story, liked the plot and most of the characters. Max is a tough one coz at some points I found him arrogant. Kinda feel sorry for Stefan with that ending. I liked the way the magic works without any needless chants. Towards the end it felt a bit superhero. Fast paced, contains death, violence and romance.
May 31, 2020
This was an okay read. I found the characters a bit too unbelievable at times with how they would react to what just happened. This could have been better if there was a bit more attention paid to the characters.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 10, 2020
I loved this YA magical fantasy. This was very interesting and I got so immersed in the characters. Definitely looking forward to a sequel
dnf
October 22, 2018Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this novel!
DNF: 60%
I wanted to love this book so much, it had everything I look for; magic, fantasy, romance and diversity. Unfortunately, this novel wasn't for me.
Normally, I am a super fast reader, but this took me nearly 2 weeks to get to around the 60% mark. I didn't connect to, or particularly like, any of the characters, especially Taylor and Max.
I did really like the relationship between Stephen and Max, but there were only a few glimpses of them together and I felt like they needed a bit more relationship development between them.
Some shocking things happened in this book, which would have been extremely gripping had the characters even cared about what was going on. I felt like everyone took the things that happened with a pinch of salt, brushed it all under the carpet and wouldn't take it seriously enough, they were so blasé about everything and therefore the whole storyline lacked tension and suspense for me personally.
I loved how Max's parents, especially his mum, were so involved throughout the novel. Like in many YA/NA books nowadays, parents always seem to be absent, that's not the case with this book.
I found there to be too much internal monologue on Max's part and it took away from the story and what was actually happening.
I didn't agree with most of the decisions Max made, for example, (POTENTIAL SPOILER) drugging his parents so he and his friends (including Katherine who is a fugitive) could go to the royal masquerade ball and have a party.
I felt like this had so much potential, I love the storyline and plot idea and I am so sad that this ended up not being my cup of tea.
Overall, I can see why people would love this and while it wasn't for me, I would definitely recommend trying this out if it sounds like something you would enjoy!
DNF: 60%
I wanted to love this book so much, it had everything I look for; magic, fantasy, romance and diversity. Unfortunately, this novel wasn't for me.
Normally, I am a super fast reader, but this took me nearly 2 weeks to get to around the 60% mark. I didn't connect to, or particularly like, any of the characters, especially Taylor and Max.
I did really like the relationship between Stephen and Max, but there were only a few glimpses of them together and I felt like they needed a bit more relationship development between them.
Some shocking things happened in this book, which would have been extremely gripping had the characters even cared about what was going on. I felt like everyone took the things that happened with a pinch of salt, brushed it all under the carpet and wouldn't take it seriously enough, they were so blasé about everything and therefore the whole storyline lacked tension and suspense for me personally.
I loved how Max's parents, especially his mum, were so involved throughout the novel. Like in many YA/NA books nowadays, parents always seem to be absent, that's not the case with this book.
I found there to be too much internal monologue on Max's part and it took away from the story and what was actually happening.
I didn't agree with most of the decisions Max made, for example, (POTENTIAL SPOILER) drugging his parents so he and his friends (including Katherine who is a fugitive) could go to the royal masquerade ball and have a party.
I felt like this had so much potential, I love the storyline and plot idea and I am so sad that this ended up not being my cup of tea.
Overall, I can see why people would love this and while it wasn't for me, I would definitely recommend trying this out if it sounds like something you would enjoy!
October 11, 2018
Politics, oppression,tyrannical monarchy,discrimination and love are all included in this magical novel. Non-magical people vs magical people pitted against each other in this Dystopian world. Chris Bedell did well with bringing the various characters to life and bringing a emotional political story to your heart.
January 21, 2019
Interesting read. There were times I was loving this book and other times I wished the characters would all die. I will reserve my judgement until reading the next book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews