Reviews

After getting like 80% through I thought for sure this was self-published, and not exactly in a bad way, it just felt so unedited. To my shock this is from Random House? Like what? There were times a character would suddenly be outside in the yard when they were just in the kitchen (they did not teleport--which I have my issues with) or one of the kids near the end of the book is said to be wearing their uniform, but nowhere else was it mentioned they even have one. This passage especially jolt me out of the story:

(Spoilers btw)
"Taye falls to the ground, writhing in pain.
"Stop!!! Fuckin' stop!"
Professor Kumale's eyes shift to me, and a twisted grin decorates his face. "If you do not want him to kill Taye, take me to the Scroll of Idan."
"I don't know where that shit is!" Taye falls to the ground, writing in pain. "Fuckin' stop!"

Exactly how it was written. There are so many flaws in this small chunk, it was wild, like did no one look over this before it went out? And this wasn't the only place this happened.

Editing aside I found the world building really strange? Like there was no rules except for when they had to be prevented from doing something. They would flail their hands around and boom magically whatever they wanted to appear, to do, spell, hex, it was there. Sometimes they say words. And the teleporting. Constant teleporting.

Which is part of my other complaint about this book. I'm not sure what the age is intended here. It reads middle school, but the characters are in "college", they have sex (ohmygoshhhh the sex scene, kill me---okay that was mean xD but like the romance itself-----I'm gonna be here all day).

The writing itself made it read so young because it would put in things like "AH!!! Sssss!" Like oh he's in pain I see. Or "Donja looks soooooo scared" not dialogue, just a comment in the prose. Or "Taye!!!!!!!!" I screamed for him." like I got that buddy by the amount of exclamation points you used. And my other saved one "I reach my hand into the hole in the wall, pulling back a...a scroll of paper?!" Like it just comes across so young and then it doesn't help he's doing a report on the Louisiana Purchase and playing dodgeball. Like huh? And the constant bam teleport! contributed to the young feeling in a way I can't fully explain.

The romance too was very pls stop, she does not like you like that. And then suddenly she does. Oh wait it was a trap! Oh but it's fine because we still like her?

Oh yeah and then his bizarre reactions whenever anyone around was gay. Like he had never heard it before. And then we get his friend's coming out story but no we don't, we're told we heard it and his response is 'wooow me being a straight man I could never imagine such a thing but so proud of him' which I don't know, was such a strange thing to put in.

That aside I feel like there is a good story here. I just think the writing is lacking. And it can't decide what age its for (does not help that the author compares it to Percy Jackson and Harry Potter which are for younger kids). But the story itself is there and I hope with the second one it can be a bit more substantive on what it is.

There were moments were I was like ohmygosh I can feel how special this would be to be reading and see yourself in the story. And I loved the relationship between the brothers. I feel like if this author keeps going their stories will only get better.

epatrickmaddox's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

sunandaj's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

This book is everything. It's magical, it's historical, it's contemporary. I want to live in this world. And it's really intense. I usually gobble a book in one sitting, this took me a few. But worth every minute. I love the magic university for Black folx, I live the nuances of community but also divisiveness within community. I wanted to know more about the schooling, I wish there had been more about the classes, but that's the only thing I felt was missing from this book. It's gonna take your breath away and you'll be happy to give it. At least that's my exoerience