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A review by sj_54
Unnatural Magic by C.M. Waggoner
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book was *chef's kiss* - at the intersection of fantasy, serial killer mystery, solid world-building, and lovably dramatic characters.
Pros:
What really shone were the characters. At first, as each chapter brought new people in, I was worried about getting lost amongst them. But their nuances were so well established that they were distinctive and recognizable (the audiobook narrator also did a FANTASTIC job of the individual voices). While the occasional trope surfaced (clever girl is passed over for academic admission by stuffy old white men, strong buff character is assumed to be male) each character's voice and actions helped mitigate the possibility of cliche.
While I was certainly not expecting it when the first 'f*ck' appeared, the language used helped to both separate the ways of speaking of different characters as well as making it more relatable and believable. But those that don't like strong language, head's up!
The world-building and magic system both showed evidence of a lot of energy and forethought. While it took some time to get acquainted with some terms and names thrown out casually, it did not detract from the story. Personally I thought it was a very clever magic system, but if you're not used to books with brand-new sets of magical rules, it might seem a bit odd or cumbersome at first.
Cons:
The ending was not really surprising? But it didn't take away much from the experience. Just wasn't particularly shocking or unexpected.
Also I want to know how Loga's story wraps up!!! Everyone else gets their happy ending!!!
Pros:
What really shone were the characters. At first, as each chapter brought new people in, I was worried about getting lost amongst them. But their nuances were so well established that they were distinctive and recognizable (the audiobook narrator also did a FANTASTIC job of the individual voices). While the occasional trope surfaced (clever girl is passed over for academic admission by stuffy old white men, strong buff character is assumed to be male) each character's voice and actions helped mitigate the possibility of cliche.
While I was certainly not expecting it when the first 'f*ck' appeared, the language used helped to both separate the ways of speaking of different characters as well as making it more relatable and believable. But those that don't like strong language, head's up!
The world-building and magic system both showed evidence of a lot of energy and forethought. While it took some time to get acquainted with some terms and names thrown out casually, it did not detract from the story. Personally I thought it was a very clever magic system, but if you're not used to books with brand-new sets of magical rules, it might seem a bit odd or cumbersome at first.
Cons:
The ending was not really surprising? But it didn't take away much from the experience. Just wasn't particularly shocking or unexpected.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, and Murder