ABANDONED. Fantasy, singing/chanting involved in magic

[Amy]

Hello! So I'm pretty sure this is a real book and not just my mind piecing together bits and pieces of other books into a phantom novel...

- I read it years ago, probably over a decade.
- Intended audience age range is probably MG.
- It's a fantasy book with a magic system that involves singing or possibly chanting. I think rhymes were involved, maybe?
Anyway, the main character (or one of the main characters) is a young person who is going to school to learn the magic but he/she is really bad at it. Like they can't sing, or maybe can't get the right rhythm? I can't remember much of anything except one vague scene of them going to the school and failing at the magic and that was probably pretty early on in the story.
- Fairly certain it was a paperback, and not a very long book.

Any help is appreciated; thank you!

EDIT: Removed reference to a male protagonist as I'm honestly not sure anymore if it was or not. I feel like it was but I'm not certain enough.

[Merrilee]

This happens in the Magicians of Caprona by Diana Wynne Jones. It's part of the Chrestomanci Series. (Sorry am on phone and cannot link.)

[Kris]

The Magicians of Caprona by Diana Wynne Jones for Merrilee's suggestion.

[Amy]

Merrilee: Thanks for the suggestion! I looked through the synopses and Wikipedia article on the series, though, and I don't think that's the one I'm looking for.

I'm fairly certain that the magic system relied completely on singing or chanting a spell, often in rhythm/tune with other people.

Does that help anyone?

[Lou]

Maybe one of the Echorium books?

Song Quest
The Crystal Mask
Dark Quetzal

[Shanna_redwind]

Spellsinger involves singing for spells, but much of the rest of it doesn't really seem to fit.

[Elizabeth]

Could it be Chanters of Tremaris: Singer of All Songs? (sorry can't link from mobile)

[Scott]

Sing the Four Quarters?

[Amy]

Thanks for your suggestions, everyone! Unfortunately so far none of these are ringing a bell or sound from their synopses like they have a protagonist or scene like I described before...

[Lee Anne]

What sort of school was it? Like, medieval fantasy world school, or modern day?

[Amy]

Lee Anne wrote: "What sort of school was it? Like, medieval fantasy world school, or modern day?"

Ahhh I think it was the former though I can't remember any exact descriptions and I don't really trust the images my mind's eye creates.

[☯ DαякєηRнαℓ ❛ ᶜʳᵒᵘᶜʰᶤᶰᵍ ʰᵘᵐᵃᶰ ; ʰᶤᵈᵈᵉᶰ ᵗᶤᵗᵃᶰ ❜]

I'm going to suggest this book. There is no school setting... BUT, the magic DOES rely on being sung. And the words sort of rhyme and sometimes it can come across as chanting.

[Amy]

☯ DαякєηRнαℓ ❛ ᴸᶤᶠᵉ'ˢ ᴸᶤᵗᵗˡᵉ ᴼᵈᵈᶤᵗʸ ❜ wrote: "I'm going to suggest this book. There is no school setting... BUT, the magic DOES rely on being sung. And the words sort of rhyme and sometimes it can come across as chanting."

I don't think that's it... But it does sound good! Thanks!

I think the key part of the plot that I remember is that the protagonist is /really bad/ at the singing/chanting magic in the beginning. As in not just inexperienced, but actually unable to do it correctly at all no matter how hard he tries. I'm guessing later on he probably found out he was meant for something else but I don't actually remember that far into the book.

Does any of that jog anyone's memory?

[☯ DαякєηRнαℓ ❛ ᶜʳᵒᵘᶜʰᶤᶰᵍ ʰᵘᵐᵃᶰ ; ʰᶤᵈᵈᵉᶰ ᵗᶤᵗᵃᶰ ❜]

You're welcome :) I'm sorry it wasn't it.

And no... I'm afraid that's the only book on magic / witches that I've ever come across which involves needing to sing.

But I hope you find it!

[Merrilee]

Just saw that you posted no to Caprona. It doesn't seem like it in the blurb, but all magic is sung/chanted. The main character Tonino cannot do any magic at all no matter how hard he tries. He's from a very successful magical family too. There's a girl from another family that is similar. She can do the magic, but it always goes wrong. (I don't mean to harass you about this book. Just thought I'd clarify why it fits even though it's probably not your book. ;))

[☯ DαякєηRнαℓ ❛ ᶜʳᵒᵘᶜʰᶤᶰᵍ ʰᵘᵐᵃᶰ ; ʰᶤᵈᵈᵉᶰ ᵗᶤᵗᵃᶰ ❜]

You know sometimes different editions have different synopsis. I once came across a book on here, bought it and the synopsis between here and on the actual book was way different.

Could be your book, but you don't recognise it because of wrong edition / different synopsis.

[Amy]

Merrilee wrote: "Just saw that you posted no to Caprona. It doesn't seem like it in the blurb, but all magic is sung/chanted. The main character Tonino cannot do any magic at all no matter how hard he tries. He's f..."

Oooh okay! I'll definitely check that one out. I think this is a case of me having to reread the book before I can tell if it's the one I remember, hahah. Thank you so much for the suggestion!

[Elias]

Shanna_redwind wrote: "Spellsinger involves singing for spells, but much of the rest of it doesn't really seem to fit."

Definitely not Chanters of Tremaris. Calwyn wasn't an incompetent singer.

[Elias]

I've got to know what this is. It doesn't seem like Caprona or Tremaris. I love music-based magic, and will read anything involving it (especially as the book I'm writing has a music-based magic system, and I want to make sure that I don't accidentally rip anything off).

[Leonie]

How about The Soprano Sorceress?

[Summer]

Could it be Wizard's Hall by Jane Yolen?
Here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

[Holly]

This probably isn't it, but Princess Academy by Shannon Hale involves singing magic and a school.

[Brittany]

Book with magic singing could be Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield

[Kris]

Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield for Brittany's suggestion.

[Michele]

Just possibly: Hero from Otherwhere. All magic is done via rhymes; one of the main characters is really good at making up verses on the fly, the other one isn't.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Amy, are you still looking for this or did you find it?

[Rainbowheart]

Still out there, Amy?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Lobstergirl wrote: "Amy, are you still looking for this or did you find it?"

No response, moving to Abandoned.