A review by readwithmekt
The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Ceony has always wanted to be able to do magic. When she is given the chance to learn, through an anonymous donation, she will stop at nothing to be the best. She has her heart set on learning a specific type of magic but she is told that she must go into Folding magic, to say she is disappointed would be an understatement. Then she meets her teacher, Magician Thane, not the best first impression. Ceony will start her adventure of learning what it means to be a Folder and what the future can hold in store for her. 

I loved this book. I could not put it down. I had hoped to read it in one day but my schedule did not allow for it. Charlie N Holmberg does an incredible job of building magical worlds and bringing everything together. 

Ceony is fast witted, smart and daring. She knows her own mind and initially that leaves her closed off to having new experiences. She is quick to learn and adjust her thinking though, and it allows for the world of paper magic to fully open to her. I loved the snarky comments that she made throughout the entire book. While she is confident in herself and knows that she is capable of doing many different things she also seeks approval and compliments from those she believes are above her in ranking. 

Magician Thane is delightfully quirky. I love a good quirky character and it has been a minute since I have come across one that I love so much. He has his own way of doing things and is unlikely to be swayed by what others will think or say. I adored the interactions between Thane and Ceony. Their banter was incredible.

I do not want to spoil anything but the adventure that Ceony goes on is incredibly written. I loved all the twists and turns and how it showed many sides to every character. I loved the detail and the emotion that reading through the experience evoked. 

This was a fast and short read. I thought it was fast paced and there was not a lot of downtime in the book. For the first book in a series it did an incredible job of pulling me in from the first chapter. I found myself invested not only in Ceony but also in Magician Thane. I am very excited to continue reading this series and see what additional adventures await them. 

Have you read Paper Magician? Did you like it?