Review – TwoSpells by Mark Morrison #fantasy #children #magic
Synopsis
Sarah and her twin brother Jon are heirs to an ancient magical realm and its most valuable treasure, an enchanted library. The library endows readers with the supernatural means of crossing into the uncharted inner-sanctum of the second dimension, inhabited with peculiar and sometimes perilous creatures.
The children are emboldened with a wondrous mystical gift that no other being has ever possessed. But fate intervenes and triggers a disastrous inter-dimensional war that disrupts the fabric of time and space spanning multiple universes, tearing destiny a new and savage pathway.
The two must rescue their world from a phantom hybrid alien race controlled by a demented dark-wizard, Jeremy Sermack. They will either assimilate or be exterminated.
Will they be the saviors the prophets spoke of, or will they retreat to the perceived safety of their distant homeland?
Read an excerpt here
Review
People that enjoy fantasy novels just might like this one as it has all sorts of magical beings and a mystery to boot.
The story starts off and we follow Sarah and Jon and a visit to the grandparents. They are intrigued with the farm and everyone that lives there and learn that the dog likes pickles! They are quickly exposed to magical beings and some magic. It is implied that they hold a lot of magical powers themselves but were not raised in that world, so their learning curve is quite steep. I do not remember how old they are (young, perhaps 12ish?) and I would have thought they would be more inquisitive about magic and what they can do, but it is like everyone wanted to hold that information back from the kids.
And then there is the book that has been hidden on the farm thanks to Grandpa’s habit of taking items of interest to him. We are offered a glimpse into the book and its potential powers, but it isn’t really full explained but perhaps that is because no one can read the text?
I felt the like book moved along smoothly for about 2/3 and then it went a bit haywire for me. Many characters were introduced and the library is being inundated with magic from books and evil beings. The story moves quickly, but perhaps too quickly and I felt like there wasn’t a good flow. I’m not sure I really understood what was going on with all the characters and Sarah and Jon were not given a strong introduction to their magic that they could have assisted with what was happening in the library.
The story ends but I don’t think everything is wrapped up (at least not to my liking) so I wonder if there is going to be another book to continue the story?
We give this 3 paws up and this series (if it is a series) has some great potential.
About the Author
Mark was born number seven of eight children in a small town in Ohio. His family moved to Florida where he grew up, met an incredible woman, got married and raised four fantastic children, three boys, and a girl.
Many years later an empty nest left him to his true calling, storytelling. His first remarkable story is about a heroine whose courage and unrestrained personality, like his daughters, breathes passion and fervor into this adrenaline packed fantastical story.