The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg | Blog
Publisher/Year: 47North | September 1, 2014
Pages: 224
Series: Book 1 in The Paper Magician Series
Genre: YA Fantasy
Format: ebook
Source: ARC via Netgally (Thanks!)
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. That did not sway my opinion in the least.
Shannan’s Summary
Ceony has just graduated from magic school with the hopes off becoming a smelter, only to be told she has to join the ranks of Paper Magicians: the least favored of all magics. Once bound to paper, she’ll never have any other magic.
Giving up the fight, and coming to grips with her fate, she studies under Magician Emerry Thane, and starts to accpet that Paper may not be as bad as it seems, bringing paper animals to life and causing Gardens that won’t wither and snow that won’t melt.
Ceony’s studies are brought to a halt though when an Excisioner, someone who has bonded to flesh (which is forbidden), steals Thane’s heart straight from his chest.
Hoping she can find a way to save her teacher and her studies, she chases after the Excisioner, only to be trapped,literally, inside the heart of the man she’s trying to save.
Summary (From Goodreads)
Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she’s bonded to paper, that will be her only magic…forever.
Yet the spells Ceony learns under the strange yet kind Thane turn out to be more marvelous than she could have ever imagined—animating paper creatures, bringing stories to life via ghostly images, even reading fortunes. But as she discovers these wonders, Ceony also learns of the extraordinary dangers of forbidden magic.
An Excisioner—a practitioner of dark, flesh magic—invades the cottage and rips Thane’s heart from his chest. To save her teacher’s life, Ceony must face the evil magician and embark on an unbelievable adventure that will take her into the chambers of Thane’s still-beating heart—and reveal the very soul of the man.
First Off…
Again, another book cover that caught my eye, of course the title helped too. It was such a intriguing notion that I had to request it, and was super excited when I was approved.
Thoughts:
I can not believe how quick of a read this was! I flew through this book, the story was so fast paced I didn’t realize I was at the end till I was there. Early on I connected the way the story flowed to Howl’s Moving
Castle. The story just held that quickness and simplicity in a way that just connects you to the book quickly. The story doesn’t spend a lot of time explaining everything you need to know about the world, you just pick up hints here and there till you’ve pieced everything together. I thought it was such a clever idea to make Origami a form of magic (yes I immediately tried folding animals after reading the book.) And if I could have a dog like Ceony’s I’d be set. It was a great start just drawing you into the magic of paper and the world Ceony lived in, but then out of no where the plot thickens when the Excisoner shows up.
I obviously didn’t really read the summary because this took me by a complete surprise. Of course Ceony ran to his aid and got in over her head. But then the book turns into this odd telling of the past, present, and future, and without ever interacting with Thane, Ceoney and the reader gets to completely know him.
Ceony was awesome. I loved that she worked hard for the life she wanted and wasn’t going to give up, no matter what was thrown at her. Thane was the crazy eccentric, and I always love those characters when they’re done well. Thane’s character was no exception. His and Ceony’s dynamic was a good break from the typical YA Dystopian relationships I had been reading in abundance before this book. This relationship, while it had it’s moments, didn’t have the overly dramatic moments, it was just simply there.
10 Second Summary:
- Fast Paced Story: It’s a shorter book and the story is well written and fast paced. You’ll be at the end before you know it.
- Get some origami squares ready: Holmberg does such a good job of making paper seem magical, you’ll want to fold your own flock of paper birds.
- Great Characters: You’ll quickly fall in love when Ceony and Thane. They each quickly become distinctive characters that you care for immensely.
Loved this book so much. Hardback all the way.