The Opposite of Magic. Colleen Cowley.

 

The Opposite of Magic. Colleen Cowley.
Review from Jeannie Zelos Book Reviews.
I was contacted by Colleen after she read my review of another fiction book about magic. Having read and been hooked by the sample I was eager to review the whole story. I wasn’t disappointed, its a fabulous read, full of a slow burn romance, spells, magic, battles and mystery.
Like Emily I’ve been fascinated by stories about magic since childhood – and in my heart I’d love to think that actually magic could be real…some people never grow up I guess:) As a child I was convinced I’d be able to fly, or move things with my mind if I just tried hard enough – must have looked slightly mad to onlookers 🙂 I asked my parents for a magic wand once for Christmas, dad said they were very expensive and if he bought me one he’d have no money for presents for everyone else. Silly man! I told him I’d just magic what he needed…..didn’t get one though 😦
Anyway, back to the book…Emily – how I identify with her, and I share the way tech hates her, it hates me too…..She was such a persistent character she made me laugh. I could understand they way her mind worked – at school I was always getting board rubbers thrown at me for day dreaming, or asking questions that teachers didn’t want to answer..so when she kept on at Alex for information he clearly didn’t want to give I was rooting for her, and understood her burning need for answers. I loved the way their relationship changed from one of dislike to love, a real slow burn but welcome change. Also the way he wasn’t some Merlinesque person but an IT worker. What seems less like magic than technology – then Colleen manages to merge them both 🙂 Clever stuff, and opened up the whole plot of danger, disaster, wizards and witches, good and evil, leading to a fast moving, life threatening climax to the ending.

Its a great story, with plots that flow easily, a cast that seem real, and a feeling of magic running through the whole book. There were just the right amount of characters to tell the story, Bernie and Willi – loved them and of course the trio of offensive and selfish evildoers to create the danger needed. Sometimes authors bring in so many different people that they detract from the plot, and I have to keep backtracking to see where they all fit in. Here though colleen has the perfect balance of people needed to tell the story, and it works to create a novel that’s easy to read and fun and enjoyable. I do love a bit of romance in my reading too, and its just perfect here. Enough to add interest but not to dominate the story. To add emotion especially when things go wrong, and to make me feel good at the end 🙂 I love my HEAs. Priced at just £1.94/$3.09 for 252 pages its a bargain.
Stars: great book, cracking read, full five stars.

NB: ARC supplied via author.