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School of Magic Survival #5
Battle Magic
Winter break is wrapping up and class is back in session at Shadow School.
They weathered their first semester, but nothing is getting easier. Valerie's stretched thin trying to balance all of her responsibilities as student body president, head of a student team, and the overload of classes she inevitably signs up for, but nothing can prepare her for the deception, manipulation, and loss she's going to go through this semester.
Ethan's got a tough road coming, too. Normally, he can just make it all up as he goes along and everything turns out fine, but this semester, he's going to have to put up or shut up, living up to the leadership potential he was always supposed to grow into.
The whole gang is back, the school is filled to bursting, and trouble is coming from every expected direction, as well as a few unexpected ones. Welcome back to Shadow School!
They weathered their first semester, but nothing is getting easier. Valerie's stretched thin trying to balance all of her responsibilities as student body president, head of a student team, and the overload of classes she inevitably signs up for, but nothing can prepare her for the deception, manipulation, and loss she's going to go through this semester.
Ethan's got a tough road coming, too. Normally, he can just make it all up as he goes along and everything turns out fine, but this semester, he's going to have to put up or shut up, living up to the leadership potential he was always supposed to grow into.
The whole gang is back, the school is filled to bursting, and trouble is coming from every expected direction, as well as a few unexpected ones. Welcome back to Shadow School!
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 17, 2021
106 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 15, 2022
I’m hoping book 6 is better written. I mean Valarie memorized the address of Angelsword and now she’s completely forgotten it. The reason for such low stars is because it truly is infuriating when an author forgets the last names of their own characters. Susan and Grant Blake do not share the last name Trent. Please have someone edit (proofread) your books. Also, alpacas and llamas are not the same animal. I was liking this serious but they are making Valerie into more of an ignorant person. Almost like an airhead fumbling through and just gets out of crap by luck. This book really ticked me off after reading the others. I really hope this author did better in the rest of the books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2024
DNF- possible spoilers
I got to 50% of this book and I just couldn't go any further. Forgive me as I ramble on in my irritation.... Valerie becomes more stupid and self centered with each passing page. In her idiocy, she seems to think that sacrificing herself in any and every way possible is the best solution for everyone else. Nobody else gets a say in anything because she's is so all knowing that nobody could possibly know as much as her. Of course, while she acts all knowing with everyone, she then pretends that she knows nothing and acts like she is so martyred. I just couldn't take it anymore.
My first pet peeve came with her conversation with Elton about living in the same dorm. She didn't discuss it with him. She told him she wouldn't live with him. It wasn't even a thing she would discuss with him, because, you know, he's in that relationship by himself. She made him feel inferior to her by his belief that they could be dorm mates when they were19...adults. Then, her sanctimonious self acts as if he's stupid for believing that their relationship could go anywhere when most young people's relationships aren't successful. So, not only have they been dating for 2 years without having any kind of physical intimacy, but now she's basically telling him that they're too young and their relationship won't work out. It was pretty cold hearted. Then there's the fact that everyone else and everything else is more important than him. I honestly don't even know why they are considered boyfriend and girlfriend because there is absolutely nothing to their relationship. Not even a good friendship in my opinion. Valerie is in her own world where in her quest to save everyone she ostracizes everyone. She's a horrible friend and an even worse girlfriend! I understand that she felt that somehow she was more important than she really was, but I'm just over it.
I gave this series up to the halfway mark in this book (5) hoping for things to move and get better. But things are getting progressively more boring. I found myself skimming because I just didn't care about the petty little things happening. Then, Valerie gets kidnapped and I think things will get better. But guess what? Valerie becomes her self righteous self again. She criticizes Vale for trying to save them by stealing a car and breaking into a hotel room so they don't freeze to death. Really? You have KILLED people and you are going to act like those are horrible crimes? And don't get me started on why she would feel badly about killing people in self defense. I'm not saying she has to be happy about it, but it was you or them. Why feel guilty that you chose yourself? Valerie is just annoying now. I hoped her character would grow, but her character only grew worse. There was no maturing. There was no relationship growth. She just becomes a more and more self centered person believing she was the only one who could save the world. You know the saying, "Me thinks thou dost protest too much"? That's how I feel about Valerie. Over and over again she says she just wants to go to school to learn. Yet she always finds herself stepping into the spotlight and believing she can do it all.
I wish I could find out what happens with the plot because it honestly was a good one. But I really don't like Valerie and just can't read anymore about her.
I got to 50% of this book and I just couldn't go any further. Forgive me as I ramble on in my irritation.... Valerie becomes more stupid and self centered with each passing page. In her idiocy, she seems to think that sacrificing herself in any and every way possible is the best solution for everyone else. Nobody else gets a say in anything because she's is so all knowing that nobody could possibly know as much as her. Of course, while she acts all knowing with everyone, she then pretends that she knows nothing and acts like she is so martyred. I just couldn't take it anymore.
My first pet peeve came with her conversation with Elton about living in the same dorm. She didn't discuss it with him. She told him she wouldn't live with him. It wasn't even a thing she would discuss with him, because, you know, he's in that relationship by himself. She made him feel inferior to her by his belief that they could be dorm mates when they were19...adults. Then, her sanctimonious self acts as if he's stupid for believing that their relationship could go anywhere when most young people's relationships aren't successful. So, not only have they been dating for 2 years without having any kind of physical intimacy, but now she's basically telling him that they're too young and their relationship won't work out. It was pretty cold hearted. Then there's the fact that everyone else and everything else is more important than him. I honestly don't even know why they are considered boyfriend and girlfriend because there is absolutely nothing to their relationship. Not even a good friendship in my opinion. Valerie is in her own world where in her quest to save everyone she ostracizes everyone. She's a horrible friend and an even worse girlfriend! I understand that she felt that somehow she was more important than she really was, but I'm just over it.
I gave this series up to the halfway mark in this book (5) hoping for things to move and get better. But things are getting progressively more boring. I found myself skimming because I just didn't care about the petty little things happening. Then, Valerie gets kidnapped and I think things will get better. But guess what? Valerie becomes her self righteous self again. She criticizes Vale for trying to save them by stealing a car and breaking into a hotel room so they don't freeze to death. Really? You have KILLED people and you are going to act like those are horrible crimes? And don't get me started on why she would feel badly about killing people in self defense. I'm not saying she has to be happy about it, but it was you or them. Why feel guilty that you chose yourself? Valerie is just annoying now. I hoped her character would grow, but her character only grew worse. There was no maturing. There was no relationship growth. She just becomes a more and more self centered person believing she was the only one who could save the world. You know the saying, "Me thinks thou dost protest too much"? That's how I feel about Valerie. Over and over again she says she just wants to go to school to learn. Yet she always finds herself stepping into the spotlight and believing she can do it all.
I wish I could find out what happens with the plot because it honestly was a good one. But I really don't like Valerie and just can't read anymore about her.
July 24, 2024
Series review
Harry Potter move over. Valerie is in the house.
Seriously guys. If you're a fan of Harry Potter, you're gonna love this series here:
School of Magic Survival by Chloe Garner.
Book 1 - Surviving Magic - 408 pages
Book 2 - Unveiling Magic - 319 pages
Book 3 - Real Magic - 306 pages
Book 4 - Shadow Magic - 258 pages
Book 5 - Battle Magic - 306 pages
Book 6 - Magic Unleashed - 264 pages
Book 7 - Blood Magic - 380 pages
This is a fast paced, action packed, magic filled story starring a 'normal girl' who suddenly finds herself at a magic school, surrounded by people in awe of her parents, teachers with high expectations and colleagues who resent her. She's suddenly supposed to not only know that magic exists, but also know how to practice it.
And, with the help of a couple of kind teachers, and a great dorm roommate/BFF, Valerie jumps head first into a dangerous world of magic where demons may not be the worst threat, the slightest spells can kill if not properly mastered, and friends may need to be watched more careful than foes. And she does it all flying in by the seat of her pants, winging it with more sheer luck than style.
"I didn't ask for this,"...
"No, you didn't choose any of this, but this is where you are and it's what you are, and now you have to do the best you can."
Valerie is a character any reader will cheer for. And I stayed in her corner up to the very end. But she is not the only thing that turns this series into an addictive page turner.
That's a combination of edge of the seat action, a solid plot full of unpredictable twists, really cool magic and a larger cast of supporting characters that grow before your eyes.
The stakes deepen with each book and just when you think everything will be wrapped up nicely by the end of book 3, the 4th installment comes along, setting the stage for an even larger conflict, raising the stakes higher and sharper than before.
It is impossible to review each book in turn without giving any spoilers, so I'm not even going to try. Because it's best you go into it blind and hang on to your hats for the ride.
The books may not be perfect and the pace may be a tad too slow at times, and yet...
Any series that has you ditch your entire carefully planned TBR to binge-read its SEVEN books one after another from cover to cover until you reach the very end, deserves big fat 5 stars.
That's what School of Magic Survival by Chloe Garner did for me.
So here I am giving you all a little nudge/shove to go ahead and read it too.
Yep. I'm pretty shameless like that when books are involved.
"Own it, wear it."
Harry Potter move over. Valerie is in the house.
Seriously guys. If you're a fan of Harry Potter, you're gonna love this series here:
School of Magic Survival by Chloe Garner.
Book 1 - Surviving Magic - 408 pages
Book 2 - Unveiling Magic - 319 pages
Book 3 - Real Magic - 306 pages
Book 4 - Shadow Magic - 258 pages
Book 5 - Battle Magic - 306 pages
Book 6 - Magic Unleashed - 264 pages
Book 7 - Blood Magic - 380 pages
This is a fast paced, action packed, magic filled story starring a 'normal girl' who suddenly finds herself at a magic school, surrounded by people in awe of her parents, teachers with high expectations and colleagues who resent her. She's suddenly supposed to not only know that magic exists, but also know how to practice it.
And, with the help of a couple of kind teachers, and a great dorm roommate/BFF, Valerie jumps head first into a dangerous world of magic where demons may not be the worst threat, the slightest spells can kill if not properly mastered, and friends may need to be watched more careful than foes. And she does it all flying in by the seat of her pants, winging it with more sheer luck than style.
"I didn't ask for this,"...
"No, you didn't choose any of this, but this is where you are and it's what you are, and now you have to do the best you can."
Valerie is a character any reader will cheer for. And I stayed in her corner up to the very end. But she is not the only thing that turns this series into an addictive page turner.
That's a combination of edge of the seat action, a solid plot full of unpredictable twists, really cool magic and a larger cast of supporting characters that grow before your eyes.
The stakes deepen with each book and just when you think everything will be wrapped up nicely by the end of book 3, the 4th installment comes along, setting the stage for an even larger conflict, raising the stakes higher and sharper than before.
It is impossible to review each book in turn without giving any spoilers, so I'm not even going to try. Because it's best you go into it blind and hang on to your hats for the ride.
The books may not be perfect and the pace may be a tad too slow at times, and yet...
Any series that has you ditch your entire carefully planned TBR to binge-read its SEVEN books one after another from cover to cover until you reach the very end, deserves big fat 5 stars.
That's what School of Magic Survival by Chloe Garner did for me.
So here I am giving you all a little nudge/shove to go ahead and read it too.
Yep. I'm pretty shameless like that when books are involved.
"Own it, wear it."
August 18, 2024
Achieving a fair and representative system of government is hard, even in a school. While their core magics have similarities, the two groups of students both have vital gaps in the way they have been taught - the Council kids having deliberately not been given access to the full spectrum of magic, and the separatist kids having zero knowledge of even basic defense.
But, just as they start to work together effectively, a betrayal leaves Valerie vulnerable to the one person who might have more power over her than she ever dreamed.
This book feels like one battle after another, and yet, it's really not, it's just that the tension does not let up. There's more progression here, and a bit of a paradigm shift when Valerie is exposed to the incredible brain behind the Faithful, leading her to question everything.
Valerie is a great protagonist; she has a perfect mix of skill and confidence and humility and wariness, and she loves to learn. There continues to be no spice or language, if that's reassuring to you, but there is relationship stuff (not the main focus at all but informing the plot a little) with Ethan, whose upbringing with the Council gives us some useful plot points.
Vale is definitely going to bring something extra into the mix, too.
I stayed up till 6 A.M. reading it.
But, just as they start to work together effectively, a betrayal leaves Valerie vulnerable to the one person who might have more power over her than she ever dreamed.
This book feels like one battle after another, and yet, it's really not, it's just that the tension does not let up. There's more progression here, and a bit of a paradigm shift when Valerie is exposed to the incredible brain behind the Faithful, leading her to question everything.
Valerie is a great protagonist; she has a perfect mix of skill and confidence and humility and wariness, and she loves to learn. There continues to be no spice or language, if that's reassuring to you, but there is relationship stuff (not the main focus at all but informing the plot a little) with Ethan, whose upbringing with the Council gives us some useful plot points.
Vale is definitely going to bring something extra into the mix, too.
I stayed up till 6 A.M. reading it.
June 13, 2021
Valerie, Ethan and the cast are back in Chloe Garner’s Battle Magic, fifth in her School of Magic Survival series, and somehow this series still goes strong. There are so many “academy” fantasy novels these days that it’s hard to separate the good from the bad. Well, this series is more than simply good. How about superbly and wonderfully fun stuff? It definitely qualifies, and that’s why it is easy to highly recommend.
May 26, 2021
This has to be one of the most intense , absorbing action packed fantasy series I’ve read in a while.
I’m trying not to do spoilers here but Valerie has her work cut out in this one and I wondered how the heck it was going to pan out.
I was so on the edge of my seat. So intoxicating but in a good way.
I so loved this book and I know you will too.
I’m trying not to do spoilers here but Valerie has her work cut out in this one and I wondered how the heck it was going to pan out.
I was so on the edge of my seat. So intoxicating but in a good way.
I so loved this book and I know you will too.
December 7, 2024
Battle Magic (School of Magic Survival Book 5)
Battle Magic (School of Magic Survival Book 5)😂💝 Absolutely enjoyed this book….. Wow I could not put this book down. I love reading this book I do not want to spoil anything…Cannot wait for more......Definitely recommend this series…..
Battle Magic (School of Magic Survival Book 5)😂💝 Absolutely enjoyed this book….. Wow I could not put this book down. I love reading this book I do not want to spoil anything…Cannot wait for more......Definitely recommend this series…..
November 27, 2021
I spent portions of this book annoyed because the reader knew things that the characters didn’t and they made assumptions and acted on them without verifying. I guess that the author did her work well then!
August 3, 2023
Book 5
Sometimes the errors in vocabulary or in sentence structure truly affected my ability to enjoy this wonderful story. Towards the end I actually became frustrated with making suggestions or corrections so I quit. You really need a better editor.
Sometimes the errors in vocabulary or in sentence structure truly affected my ability to enjoy this wonderful story. Towards the end I actually became frustrated with making suggestions or corrections so I quit. You really need a better editor.
September 6, 2024
Was loving this until...
It suddenly got stupid when 1 person was able to abduct Valerie from school and kidnap her. so disappointing. The story took a stupid turn and didn't get any better after that.
It suddenly got stupid when 1 person was able to abduct Valerie from school and kidnap her. so disappointing. The story took a stupid turn and didn't get any better after that.
December 25, 2024
I basically read this series back to back.
It's a rampaging adventure, and I enjoyed the arcs and world building and problem solving as the books power along. More is made clear as the stories proceed. I really enjoyed the character development.
You really do need to start with book 1 and read the books in order. The story starts when Valerie is 16 and finish when she's around 20.
It's a rampaging adventure, and I enjoyed the arcs and world building and problem solving as the books power along. More is made clear as the stories proceed. I really enjoyed the character development.
You really do need to start with book 1 and read the books in order. The story starts when Valerie is 16 and finish when she's around 20.
January 6, 2024
Nice easy reading series. Nice twists in this volume.
July 23, 2025
Uhhh - oh snap! That ending melted my brain!!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews