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The Paper Magician #3
The Master Magician
Throughout her studies, Ceony Twill has harbored a secret, one she’s kept from even her mentor, Emery Thane. She’s discovered how to practice forms of magic other than her own—an ability long thought impossible.
While all seems set for Ceony to complete her apprenticeship and pass her upcoming final magician’s exam, life quickly becomes complicated. To avoid favoritism, Emery sends her to another paper magician for testing, a Folder who despises Emery and cares even less for his apprentice. To make matters worse, a murderous criminal from Ceony’s past escapes imprisonment. Now she must track the power-hungry convict across England before he can take his revenge. With her life and loved ones hanging in the balance, Ceony must face a criminal who wields the one magic that she does not, and it may prove more powerful than all her skills combined.
The whimsical and captivating follow-up to The Paper Magician and The Glass Magician, The Master Magician will enchant readers of all ages.
While all seems set for Ceony to complete her apprenticeship and pass her upcoming final magician’s exam, life quickly becomes complicated. To avoid favoritism, Emery sends her to another paper magician for testing, a Folder who despises Emery and cares even less for his apprentice. To make matters worse, a murderous criminal from Ceony’s past escapes imprisonment. Now she must track the power-hungry convict across England before he can take his revenge. With her life and loved ones hanging in the balance, Ceony must face a criminal who wields the one magic that she does not, and it may prove more powerful than all her skills combined.
The whimsical and captivating follow-up to The Paper Magician and The Glass Magician, The Master Magician will enchant readers of all ages.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 2, 2015
About the author
Charlie N. Holmberg
43 books7,829 followersCharlie N. Holmberg is an award-winning, best-selling, and internationally published author of fantasy and romantic fiction. She was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters, who also have boy names. She is a BYU alumna, plays the ukulele, owns too many pairs of glasses, and finally adopted a dog. She currently lives with her family in Utah. Visit her at www.charlienholmberg.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,704 reviews
July 9, 2015
The final book in this series was lucky it caught me on a good day or it would have been a 2 star rating.
- Emery is lovely and I love him;
- Ceony is a twit. Watching her throw herself into stupid situations just got so boring by the end;
- The idea of 'folding' as a magic system was still just so fascinating to me. That was the one part of the series that I can say absolutely was cool and held my attention with no problem;
- The (should be) high drama scenes in all three of the books fell extremely flat for me. I was actually a little surprised when I finished this book. All that build up, for that?!;
- The background story going on there felt pointless.
Overall, the series in it's entirety is a quick and super easy read. I didn't hate it, but I don't see a re-read in the future.
- Emery is lovely and I love him;
- Ceony is a twit. Watching her throw herself into stupid situations just got so boring by the end;
- The idea of 'folding' as a magic system was still just so fascinating to me. That was the one part of the series that I can say absolutely was cool and held my attention with no problem;
- The (should be) high drama scenes in all three of the books fell extremely flat for me. I was actually a little surprised when I finished this book. All that build up, for that?!;
- The background story going on there felt pointless.
Overall, the series in it's entirety is a quick and super easy read. I didn't hate it, but I don't see a re-read in the future.
December 1, 2020
1.5 but rounded up to 2 because I can at least see why other people might like this series. I am clearly not the target demographic.
As usual my reviews contain spoilers so if that bothers you stop reading now.
So I read these books because they're free on KU but I don't think I'll continue with the second series. I don't know. I might. They're short so they help boost my reading challenge goal. I'll think about it.
Every compliment I had for this series went out the window with this one. The first half of the book was Ceony preparing for her Magician exam, which obviously wasn't a source of stress or conflict because she proved in the first two books that she's the greatest magician in the world and is perfect.
Like with the rest of the series the main focus was on the sort of forbidden romance between Magician and apprentice. This book showed it was a real problem and other magicians have fallen for their apprentices and it's a practice that needed to be stopped. So yeah, that's cool I guess.
Most of the book was Ceony preparing for her exam, except not actually preparing because as I said before she's perfect. She's not only perfect and better than any other folder on the planet, despite only being an apprentice, she's finding time to study every other magic discipline and cook and clean and save the world.
The second book built up two villains that appeared to be a force to be reckoned with. The entire world fears them so of course, they can hold their own in a fight. Then again, they never fought Ceony and her mastery of everything ever created. Ceony easily disposed of her big bad guy in the second book but the more dangerous one escaped. I was optimistic cause I thought, at last, there will be some real tension. There will be a moment where Ceony actually faces a worthy opponent and the book has some real conflict instead of just the will they or won't they get together conflict.
Nope! Not only did Ceony track down this at large, all-powerful villain easily, she and Emery walked away in relatively okay health. Even though an excisioner is capable of killing their opponent after just touching them, and even though Ceony and Emery were both tied up and at Siraj's mercy, they somehow never came close to dying. They overpowered him and killed him twice cause he's just that powerful and weak at the same time.
Then there were like two chapters about Ceony passing her magician exam, graduating, and finally being able to date/probably marry Emery.
As usual my reviews contain spoilers so if that bothers you stop reading now.
So I read these books because they're free on KU but I don't think I'll continue with the second series. I don't know. I might. They're short so they help boost my reading challenge goal. I'll think about it.
Every compliment I had for this series went out the window with this one. The first half of the book was Ceony preparing for her Magician exam, which obviously wasn't a source of stress or conflict because she proved in the first two books that she's the greatest magician in the world and is perfect.
Like with the rest of the series the main focus was on the sort of forbidden romance between Magician and apprentice. This book showed it was a real problem and other magicians have fallen for their apprentices and it's a practice that needed to be stopped. So yeah, that's cool I guess.
Most of the book was Ceony preparing for her exam, except not actually preparing because as I said before she's perfect. She's not only perfect and better than any other folder on the planet, despite only being an apprentice, she's finding time to study every other magic discipline and cook and clean and save the world.
The second book built up two villains that appeared to be a force to be reckoned with. The entire world fears them so of course, they can hold their own in a fight. Then again, they never fought Ceony and her mastery of everything ever created. Ceony easily disposed of her big bad guy in the second book but the more dangerous one escaped. I was optimistic cause I thought, at last, there will be some real tension. There will be a moment where Ceony actually faces a worthy opponent and the book has some real conflict instead of just the will they or won't they get together conflict.
Nope! Not only did Ceony track down this at large, all-powerful villain easily, she and Emery walked away in relatively okay health. Even though an excisioner is capable of killing their opponent after just touching them, and even though Ceony and Emery were both tied up and at Siraj's mercy, they somehow never came close to dying. They overpowered him and killed him twice cause he's just that powerful and weak at the same time.
Then there were like two chapters about Ceony passing her magician exam, graduating, and finally being able to date/probably marry Emery.
March 25, 2017
For some reason, Ceony annoyed the crap out of me in this installment.
The annoying things she did were not new, though. What seemed different to me was that, in previous books, when she threw herself into stuff that wasn't her business or was "above her pay grade", you could really kind of understand why. It was a spur of the moment emergency, or her family was threatened.
But in this one, she came off as a smug know-it-all who was doing dumb stuff for no sympathetic reason. She gave the impression of thinking herself god's gift to magic. She seemed to feel that she had the right to "forbid" her lover from doing dangerous things she fully intended to do herself, even though he had far more experience as a magician and an investigator. Screwup after screwup, she willfully ignored good advice.
Maybe it was my mood.
Typically this would fall under the category of something I would try to ignore in reviewing due to it being "what happened" as opposed to "how it was executed", but it's perhaps more relevant to "how" in contrast to the previous novels.
The annoying things she did were not new, though. What seemed different to me was that, in previous books, when she threw herself into stuff that wasn't her business or was "above her pay grade", you could really kind of understand why. It was a spur of the moment emergency, or her family was threatened.
But in this one, she came off as a smug know-it-all who was doing dumb stuff for no sympathetic reason. She gave the impression of thinking herself god's gift to magic. She seemed to feel that she had the right to "forbid" her lover from doing dangerous things she fully intended to do herself, even though he had far more experience as a magician and an investigator. Screwup after screwup, she willfully ignored good advice.
Maybe it was my mood.
Typically this would fall under the category of something I would try to ignore in reviewing due to it being "what happened" as opposed to "how it was executed", but it's perhaps more relevant to "how" in contrast to the previous novels.
April 5, 2020
“I’ve been shot to hell, haven’t I?”
“Language, love.”
I'm gonna be completely honest with you guys and say that, even though I still love this series, the action, the surprising dark turns these books sometimes take, the perfect humor and the magic system with all the magic stuff it comes with, I mainly stayed for the characters and for their romance.
I found myself liking Ceony less and less with every book, but she ended up being okay in the end. I don't wanna strangle her anymore for one, which is a big improvement since The Glass Magician fiasco that turned into a literal walking punch magnet, but she wasn't the sassy and brave piece of cake I adored in The Paper Magician, either.
That being sad, once you got past all her get being petty, reckless and kinda selfish, you could see and appreciate the fact that she could be incredibly sweet, smart, funny and mature when she wanted to, so I guess I'll have to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Emery Thane, on the other hand...
Man, I'm not sure I've ever found a book character I've ever loved as much as I do him. I'm seriously considering the fact that I may be a little in love with him and his OCD quirks for real, to be honest.
I may be also sleep deprived, so don't mind me, but in case you're reading this bunch of nonsense and are pitying me, I suggest to go read these three books and not fall far Mr I-Own-A-Trench-For-Every-Color-Of-The-Rainbow at least an itty bitty bit.
Overall, this book was a great conclusion to a series that I couldn't help but love and that kept me entertained for hours.
Maybe it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat and I still have some answers that will forever remain unanswered, but as I said, the plot wasn't my main priority and I'm pretty happy with what I got.
I'm a little said to say goodbye, but I'm aware that good things are supposed to end before they go stale and, as long as my paper heart beats, I know I'll always have a beautiful story (and a beautiful, awkward Paper Magician) to think back to whenever I feel like it.
August 28, 2018
Full review
It was mostly 'Eh'
What I liked
- honestly, the only thing i really liked was the romance. I loved how cute and PG it was. Especially since they lived together (as apprentice and teacher). It was clear that nothing was going to happen until marriage!! And i loved that they sent each other letters everyday when they were not together! So old school and charming (literally and figuratively)
- Oh, i liked the end too! It didn’t leave me annoyed lol
What i didn’t like
- Ceony started becoming annoying. In previous books, she was constantly running towards danger but at least those were justified. In this, it seemed like she wanted to get herself killed. The bad guy didn’t even care about her at first.
- The author suddenly introduced family drama in this book and it seemed so out of place. It was random and there really was no point to it
- The fighting scene was unsatisfying
Overall, i would say that this book and series in general is okay. It’s fast-paced, it won’t anger you but it also (probably) won’t become your favourite series
It was mostly 'Eh'
What I liked
- honestly, the only thing i really liked was the romance. I loved how cute and PG it was. Especially since they lived together (as apprentice and teacher). It was clear that nothing was going to happen until marriage!! And i loved that they sent each other letters everyday when they were not together! So old school and charming (literally and figuratively)
“You are the kind of woman who makes me believe in God, Ceony”
- Oh, i liked the end too! It didn’t leave me annoyed lol
What i didn’t like
- Ceony started becoming annoying. In previous books, she was constantly running towards danger but at least those were justified. In this, it seemed like she wanted to get herself killed. The bad guy didn’t even care about her at first.
- The author suddenly introduced family drama in this book and it seemed so out of place. It was random and there really was no point to it
- The fighting scene was unsatisfying
Overall, i would say that this book and series in general is okay. It’s fast-paced, it won’t anger you but it also (probably) won’t become your favourite series
February 1, 2016
Eh. I know it's not worth the effort, but I have to rant a little bit. I just rolled my eyes too much while reading this. Authors who do not have enough story or villains should not write a series. Just keep it to one book! It could have even been a good book!!! Anyway, spoiler tag because I'm considerate:
May 7, 2017
1.5/5
This is a slight improvement over the other two, but overall a sore disappointment to what I was expecting. This series is a hot mess. I started The Paper Magician thinking that I'll be thrown into a magical world full of magicians and the like. My problem with the first one is the lack of world building and how 90% of the plot are just flashbacks. My problem with the second one is mainly our protagonist and how she spends full time lusting over her love's green eyes, how the romance overthrew the main plot.
In The Master Magician, Ceony still fucking annoyed me. Her romance with Emery is one of the most horrifying, cringe worthy romances I've ever read up to date (the direction the romance went to in the end is so unrealistic and fanfiction-y).
I did not like how the conflict was introduced 50% into the book. For the first 50%, she was just practicing being an apprentice. That's literally it. I mean, that's essential to Ceony's magicianship but there's too much of it that it wouldn't hurt removing some filler. It's ridiculous.
I also did not like our antagonist. He had no depth. I mean, he had an established motive (to learn Ceony’s secret); but why? Why know her secret? What will he use it for? What, just so that he could rule the world and be a bad guy? Evil motives are not just that simple and I wanted to learn more about it. I wished Saraj had more complexity; he just felt like a fake plot device to move the story along with the conflict. I did not like that and it felt unrealistic.
Despite having a load of filler, I liked how this series ended. Although everything ended too predictably and neatly, I have to say I was satisfied. I was satisfied with the way things turned out in the end (despite a couple of things). The author didn’t take too much time finishing things up and she didn’t do it too quickly. I felt like she tied everything up with a neat bow and finished it. Yes I hated the romance and yes I wished there was more motive to the antagonist but I like how everything just seemed to fit into place by the ending.
Overall, this series was really not for me. Magical and realistic I expected, but I got a cliched romance with an unrealistic antagonist. Well, what can I do about it?
This is a slight improvement over the other two, but overall a sore disappointment to what I was expecting. This series is a hot mess. I started The Paper Magician thinking that I'll be thrown into a magical world full of magicians and the like. My problem with the first one is the lack of world building and how 90% of the plot are just flashbacks. My problem with the second one is mainly our protagonist and how she spends full time lusting over her love's green eyes, how the romance overthrew the main plot.
In The Master Magician, Ceony still fucking annoyed me. Her romance with Emery is one of the most horrifying, cringe worthy romances I've ever read up to date (the direction the romance went to in the end is so unrealistic and fanfiction-y).
I did not like how the conflict was introduced 50% into the book. For the first 50%, she was just practicing being an apprentice. That's literally it. I mean, that's essential to Ceony's magicianship but there's too much of it that it wouldn't hurt removing some filler. It's ridiculous.
I also did not like our antagonist. He had no depth. I mean, he had an established motive (to learn Ceony’s secret); but why? Why know her secret? What will he use it for? What, just so that he could rule the world and be a bad guy? Evil motives are not just that simple and I wanted to learn more about it. I wished Saraj had more complexity; he just felt like a fake plot device to move the story along with the conflict. I did not like that and it felt unrealistic.
Despite having a load of filler, I liked how this series ended. Although everything ended too predictably and neatly, I have to say I was satisfied. I was satisfied with the way things turned out in the end (despite a couple of things). The author didn’t take too much time finishing things up and she didn’t do it too quickly. I felt like she tied everything up with a neat bow and finished it. Yes I hated the romance and yes I wished there was more motive to the antagonist but I like how everything just seemed to fit into place by the ending.
Overall, this series was really not for me. Magical and realistic I expected, but I got a cliched romance with an unrealistic antagonist. Well, what can I do about it?
February 15, 2016
This series was so bad I can't even believe I finished it. I think it's actually the first time I really have nothing good to say about a book since I've joined goodreads. It's apparently okay to have racist and sexist themes if it's in the 1700's and the author made a weak qualifier for her villain choice in book one? Sorry, but HECK NO. The gender norms were awful, but add the fact that the only significant character that was a person of color was a villain psycho killer and you have some of the worst books I've ever read. I kept thinking the author would redeem herself by the time I got to the end of the series, but nope. Not to mention that the author's pacing never improved and the characters were insanely one dimensional.
September 10, 2019
Oh my god this series was so perfect. A dash of magic, a dash of romance, and one cranky magician who won my heart (or at least warmed it a LITTLE) when a really awesome thing happened and he...smiled.
Things that have to happen in this book in order to resolve the series:
1) Ceony needs to take magicians test
2)Saraj (bad guy) needs to be dealt with
3)The relationship needs to either happen or not
-Did these things happen? Read to find out!
I can't really review book 3 without giving away spoilers but if you are looking for a few quick reads with magic, action, and one brave magician (or two or three)...grab these books!
Hands off Emery though cause he is MINE❤
Things that have to happen in this book in order to resolve the series:
1) Ceony needs to take magicians test
2)Saraj (bad guy) needs to be dealt with
3)The relationship needs to either happen or not
-Did these things happen? Read to find out!
I can't really review book 3 without giving away spoilers but if you are looking for a few quick reads with magic, action, and one brave magician (or two or three)...grab these books!
Hands off Emery though cause he is MINE❤
October 4, 2018
3.5 stars
Unfortunately,poor Ceony kept getting hit with a progressively larger TSTL stick as the series progressed.
Unfortunately,poor Ceony kept getting hit with a progressively larger TSTL stick as the series progressed.
June 3, 2015
This was kind of the perfect ending to this series. Part dangerous and part frivolous, full of magic and just enough romance. And that ending...sigh. :)
February 9, 2016
All three of these books are decent books. Definitely worth a read, but my four stars are for a highly creative and really neat magic system. Very Sanderson of her to create such an interesting one. Not "OMG best book ever" status, but also not "can't believe I wasted three books worth of reading time" status either.
April 13, 2024
I enjoyed this book - I liked the characters and the magical world Holmberg has built. This book seemed shorter than the others. Not as much going on and a very abrupt ending. I would have like to read more about her master magician test and Ceony's reaction to the ending. We've been through so much with these characters, that I'd like more than a glimpse of "after."
May 21, 2018
Welcome to review #3 in the series, "Mandy drinks a lot of scotch and then tells you how she really feels."
I pre-ordered book 3 because I was pretty stoked to see how Ceony's story would progress after she learned some hard life lessons. The Master Magician was alright, but I kind of expected more from it. This girl is now the only person alive who can switch between any of the magical bents which exist in the world. And what does she do? Makes some paw pads for her puppy and decorates her bedroom, whilst reading up on the other bents in secret. On one hand I'm really pleased she didn't just become the Ultimate Master of all magical bents without the legwork, but on the other hand she really didn't do anything earth shattering either.
What Ceony did do is: (non spoiler version: annoy the crap out of me).
I really, really enjoy the styles of magic, the schools of magic, the way they practice their bents and the limits they work within. All really cool stuff. That gets the majority of my 3 stars. I had higher hopes for what Ceony would get up to, but instead we seem to be stuck in amateur-sleuthville. I guess I expected more, because I think this series had the potential to be on a higher level than who-dunnit fantasy.
With that being said, I'd like to see Holmberg use the worldbuilding in another story with unrelated characters. There seems to be a lot of room to play in this world and she has a solid foundation. Update: She did it!! We've got another story in the same universe, eee! The Plastic Magician is out and ready for you to read NOW! AND IT IS AWESOME.
Really, for all my moaning and groaning I did enjoy myself. I am sure you will too.
I pre-ordered book 3 because I was pretty stoked to see how Ceony's story would progress after she learned some hard life lessons. The Master Magician was alright, but I kind of expected more from it. This girl is now the only person alive who can switch between any of the magical bents which exist in the world. And what does she do? Makes some paw pads for her puppy and decorates her bedroom, whilst reading up on the other bents in secret. On one hand I'm really pleased she didn't just become the Ultimate Master of all magical bents without the legwork, but on the other hand she really didn't do anything earth shattering either.
What Ceony did do is: (non spoiler version: annoy the crap out of me).
I really, really enjoy the styles of magic, the schools of magic, the way they practice their bents and the limits they work within. All really cool stuff. That gets the majority of my 3 stars. I had higher hopes for what Ceony would get up to, but instead we seem to be stuck in amateur-sleuthville. I guess I expected more, because I think this series had the potential to be on a higher level than who-dunnit fantasy.
With that being said, I'd like to see Holmberg use the worldbuilding in another story with unrelated characters. There seems to be a lot of room to play in this world and she has a solid foundation. Update: She did it!! We've got another story in the same universe, eee! The Plastic Magician is out and ready for you to read NOW! AND IT IS AWESOME.
Really, for all my moaning and groaning I did enjoy myself. I am sure you will too.
September 26, 2018
Plot ~ Concept: ★★★★☆
~ Execution: ★★☆☆☆½
Pacing: ★★★☆☆
Writing style: ★★★★☆
Characters: ★★★☆☆
World: ★★★★☆
Enjoyment: ★★★☆☆
Cover: ★★★★☆
Pros:
○ The whole trilogy —while somewhat frustrating— is addictive.
○ I read the trilogy in 3 days. My reading challenge appreciates it.
○ I like Ceony some of the time, but then she goes and does something that makes me roll my eyes.
○ Emery, Magician Aviosky and even Bennet — albeit we don’t see much of him.
○ It had some lovely moments, such as: “When one believes in oneself, even the extraordinary is possible.”
Cons:
○ What was supposed to be the actual plot fell quite flat.
○ The romance took front and centre stage, and felt like a crutch throughout the book.
○ Predictability is a theme throughout the entire trilogy for me.
○ Ceony not telling anyone and going off on her own multiple times, despite everyone’s advice to stay put grew to be tiresome and predictable. You can’t use the same formula repeatedly in all 3 books.
○ The pacing dragged, and the trilogy could’ve easily been a duology.
Overall rating: ★★☆☆☆½
September 11, 2016
Verdict: Disappointing.
In book one, Ceony journeyed through a stolen heart and learned to love an intelligent but reserved man.
In book two, we learn more about Gaffers and other magics in an action packed sequel.
What happened in book three?
All I know is I just didn’t care about any of it.
In my opinion, Ceony crosses the line from a strong willed woman, to a rude, reckless, and unreasonably stubborn woman. She talks down to others with a self-righteous attitude, and then ignores perfectly sound advice. Her intentions are good, and she clearly cares about her family and wants to help, but that doesn’t really justify the way she treated people.
What bugged me about this book was the general lack of motives. Ceony has very little reason to risk her life the way she did, and is pretty lucky that most of the book glided along without any real stakes or sacrifice. I even found myself asking why Ceony and Emery are in love. Emery is easy to adore, but there’s not much chemistry between the two. What does Emery love about Ceony? What makes him more than just a mentor or friend?
We also meet Ceony’s sister in a random side plot that adds no value to the book. I get the sense it was thrown in to buff out the pages.
The real motive conundrum is the villain. Saraj Prendi is a terribly bland and underdeveloped. What does he want? Who knows. He says his life don’t revolve around Ceony, but author practically admits he has no motives when we’re told it’s just a game to him. He also stands out as the only ethnically diverse character… although he happens to be a stereotypical villain who makes comments like “you English” followed by the most absurd comments about what all English supposedly are. It’s a little cringey to be honest.
I still enjoyed the vintage style of the writing, but I found myself bored with the slow pace. It took until 50% for anything substantial to happen, and even that was over within a few page flicks. It generally lacked the spark from the first in the series.
I get the feeling that book 3 wasn’t really part of the author’s plan. Book one was the core of the idea, and book 2 allowed us to spend more time with Ceony. Book 3 ties all loose ends in a way that made me not care about them anymore… Perhaps all it needed was more time, more ideas?
I’m glad this series is over. Still, I’d like to read another book from this world. I think there’s a lot to play with that the author hasn’t touched yet. But to dive into another Holmberg trilogy, I’m going to need convincing that there’s more than just part one up her sleeve.
Source: Bought the kindle version.
Blog:ScookieReviews
In book one, Ceony journeyed through a stolen heart and learned to love an intelligent but reserved man.
In book two, we learn more about Gaffers and other magics in an action packed sequel.
What happened in book three?
All I know is I just didn’t care about any of it.
In my opinion, Ceony crosses the line from a strong willed woman, to a rude, reckless, and unreasonably stubborn woman. She talks down to others with a self-righteous attitude, and then ignores perfectly sound advice. Her intentions are good, and she clearly cares about her family and wants to help, but that doesn’t really justify the way she treated people.
What bugged me about this book was the general lack of motives. Ceony has very little reason to risk her life the way she did, and is pretty lucky that most of the book glided along without any real stakes or sacrifice. I even found myself asking why Ceony and Emery are in love. Emery is easy to adore, but there’s not much chemistry between the two. What does Emery love about Ceony? What makes him more than just a mentor or friend?
We also meet Ceony’s sister in a random side plot that adds no value to the book. I get the sense it was thrown in to buff out the pages.
The real motive conundrum is the villain. Saraj Prendi is a terribly bland and underdeveloped. What does he want? Who knows. He says his life don’t revolve around Ceony, but author practically admits he has no motives when we’re told it’s just a game to him. He also stands out as the only ethnically diverse character… although he happens to be a stereotypical villain who makes comments like “you English” followed by the most absurd comments about what all English supposedly are. It’s a little cringey to be honest.
I still enjoyed the vintage style of the writing, but I found myself bored with the slow pace. It took until 50% for anything substantial to happen, and even that was over within a few page flicks. It generally lacked the spark from the first in the series.
I get the feeling that book 3 wasn’t really part of the author’s plan. Book one was the core of the idea, and book 2 allowed us to spend more time with Ceony. Book 3 ties all loose ends in a way that made me not care about them anymore… Perhaps all it needed was more time, more ideas?
I’m glad this series is over. Still, I’d like to read another book from this world. I think there’s a lot to play with that the author hasn’t touched yet. But to dive into another Holmberg trilogy, I’m going to need convincing that there’s more than just part one up her sleeve.
Source: Bought the kindle version.
Blog:ScookieReviews
December 24, 2017
I'M SWOONING GUYS. FUDGING SWOONING.
I loved everything about this book, this series, and I can't believe it's over. I'm depressed. I want another book right now. In my lovely, small, child-like hands because I can't accept that kind of ending. NO, I need more. I want more.
I see and know that there is going to be a fourth book, The Plastic Magician but I want more of Ceony and Emery right now! I wanted to read about their wedding, their family growing, and the whole shebang. That is why I can't accept that kind of sweet ass ending. Sorry, I just really can't.
Okay, so the ending was amazing. The beginning was amazing. The whole middle part was freaking amazing as well. Long story short: THE WHOLE ENTIRE GOD DAMN BOOK WAS ACA-MAZING!
October 16, 2016
«¿Cuantos hombres pueden decir sinceramente que una mujer ha caminado por su corazón? Pero yo puedo. Y si, me aceptas, me gustaría que te quedaras ahí.»
Reseña -> http://thewordsofbooks.blogspot.com.e...
Ohhh me ha encantado el final! En general ha sido una trilogía que me ha sorprendido y divertido mucho con las aventuras de Ceony y el Mago Thane y sobre todo por la forma tan original de tratar la magia.
Reseña -> http://thewordsofbooks.blogspot.com.e...
Ohhh me ha encantado el final! En general ha sido una trilogía que me ha sorprendido y divertido mucho con las aventuras de Ceony y el Mago Thane y sobre todo por la forma tan original de tratar la magia.
June 8, 2015
This was definitely my favorite of the series.
Ceony is still as headstrong as ever. Some of the decisions she makes aren't that bright, but they're somewhat understandable. The moments with Emery were sweet, but of course I wanted more.
Loved the action in this one. The entire last third of the book was captivating and the only way the ending could have been better was if it were longer.
I'm already looking forward to binge reading these.
Ceony is still as headstrong as ever. Some of the decisions she makes aren't that bright, but they're somewhat understandable. The moments with Emery were sweet, but of course I wanted more.
Loved the action in this one. The entire last third of the book was captivating and the only way the ending could have been better was if it were longer.
I'm already looking forward to binge reading these.
October 1, 2015
Ahhhhhhhhhh OMG swooooooooonnnn
So much swooooonn
This book was so amazingly good.
Ahhhh I can't get over it. I have butterflies and I'm so giddy and I'm like a teenage girl right now. THAT ENDING THO!
So so so so great
So much swooooonn
This book was so amazingly good.
Ahhhh I can't get over it. I have butterflies and I'm so giddy and I'm like a teenage girl right now. THAT ENDING THO!
So so so so great
February 4, 2017
I really enjoyed this trilogy! I'm actually a little sad that it's over. I thoroughly enjoyed the character of Ceony. At the beginning she seemed a little shy and apprehensive but in reality she was tough and pretty sure of herself. She was a genuine heroine. I also found myself immersed in the unique magic of being able to manipulate paper, glass, fire etc. Such unusual magic and interesting spells created a very creative story!
August 31, 2015
A pleasant end for a pleasant series.
June 11, 2015
I enjoyed this book, but I was also a bit disappointed because it seems to weakest of the trilogy, and it's always a bit of a downer to go out that way.
The story opens roughly two years after the last ends, and Ceony is preparing to take her Magicians test. Meanwhile, the relationship between her and Emery has been developing, which we see in little moments they have together, which were nice.
But, of course, things can't be that easy. Emery sends Ceony to another magician to finalize her training and to take the test, to get around any questions of bias, and, meanwhile, Saraj escapes from prison and Ceony lives in fear that he will come to find her and hurt her and those she loves.
The problem is that both of these plots felt sort of bleh. I never felt any real suspense from the Saraj storyline. Ceony kept purposely throwing herself into danger, and it would've been much better if . The final scene of that storyline was ok, but I still never really felt that there were any real stakes on the line.
As for the test, when . Anyway, it seems more a manufactured way to separate Ceony and Emery for a time, so that Ceony could go off and get herself into trouble.
That said, the ending was sweet, and there were some nice sweet moments between Ceony and Emery, but I think I would've liked more on that front, too.
Ultimately, it wasn't a bad story, but it just felt too rushed... too thin. Not a bad book, but it could've been more.
The story opens roughly two years after the last ends, and Ceony is preparing to take her Magicians test. Meanwhile, the relationship between her and Emery has been developing, which we see in little moments they have together, which were nice.
But, of course, things can't be that easy. Emery sends Ceony to another magician to finalize her training and to take the test, to get around any questions of bias, and, meanwhile, Saraj escapes from prison and Ceony lives in fear that he will come to find her and hurt her and those she loves.
The problem is that both of these plots felt sort of bleh. I never felt any real suspense from the Saraj storyline. Ceony kept purposely throwing herself into danger, and it would've been much better if . The final scene of that storyline was ok, but I still never really felt that there were any real stakes on the line.
As for the test, when . Anyway, it seems more a manufactured way to separate Ceony and Emery for a time, so that Ceony could go off and get herself into trouble.
That said, the ending was sweet, and there were some nice sweet moments between Ceony and Emery, but I think I would've liked more on that front, too.
Ultimately, it wasn't a bad story, but it just felt too rushed... too thin. Not a bad book, but it could've been more.
October 18, 2015
I'm afraid I didn't enjoy this book at all. It was just one of those books that I wanted to get out of the way as quickly as possible because I had already started the series and felt obligated to do so. It was such a huge disappointment for me after thoroughly enjoying the first and second parts of this trilogy. The excitement was gone, the exhilarating mystery and adventure disappeared, the strong and clever protagonist became obnoxious and silly, and the beautiful romance turned into lame drivel.
I was so enamored by the whole Jane Eyre romance from The Paper Magician. I loved the magical storyline, and was intrigued by the big reveal at the end of The Glass Magician. However, it seems that Charlie N. Holmberg opted not to delve too deep into any of that and instead gave us yet another irritating killer out to get Ceony and Emery and Ceony making yet more bad decisions and running around on her own trying to save the world.
Add to that her sister. Yes, I know. You're thinking "what sister?". Well that's what I was thinking too. Holmberg saw it fit to add another storyline on the side that has to do with Ceony's sister suddenly rebelling and hanging out with a bad crowd. A storyline that added nothing to the overall plot.
Overall a huge disappointment, I literally scanned through the whole thing because I was not invested in any of the characters and couldn't bring myself to care what happened to them. Ceony and Emery lost their magic. The magic was lost in this one.
I was so enamored by the whole Jane Eyre romance from The Paper Magician. I loved the magical storyline, and was intrigued by the big reveal at the end of The Glass Magician. However, it seems that Charlie N. Holmberg opted not to delve too deep into any of that and instead gave us yet another irritating killer out to get Ceony and Emery and Ceony making yet more bad decisions and running around on her own trying to save the world.
Add to that her sister. Yes, I know. You're thinking "what sister?". Well that's what I was thinking too. Holmberg saw it fit to add another storyline on the side that has to do with Ceony's sister suddenly rebelling and hanging out with a bad crowd. A storyline that added nothing to the overall plot.
Overall a huge disappointment, I literally scanned through the whole thing because I was not invested in any of the characters and couldn't bring myself to care what happened to them. Ceony and Emery lost their magic. The magic was lost in this one.
August 2, 2020
This series started of really nice with the Paper Magician, but in this third book, The Master Magician, Ceony seriously started to annoy me. Her tricks maybe weren't exactly new - rushing into danger and just hoping that everything will work out in the end just to name something - but I would have expected her to have some growth in the series. After all, she is about to finish her apprenticeship.
She is rather a bit too special, with her figuring a way around one of the main points of the magic system - being bound to a certain type of material. This however, is only the side quest in this novel, which was sort of a shame because the real villain wasn't so interesting.
Still, it was a nice and quick read - a snackbook I would call it. And I really liked the idea of transferring magic into paper by origami.
She is rather a bit too special, with her figuring a way around one of the main points of the magic system - being bound to a certain type of material. This however, is only the side quest in this novel, which was sort of a shame because the real villain wasn't so interesting.
Still, it was a nice and quick read - a snackbook I would call it. And I really liked the idea of transferring magic into paper by origami.
June 10, 2015
This series started out with such promise and I loved Volume I, The Paper Magician, so much I immediately went out to read Volume II, The Glass Magician. However, Volume II devolved, as so many speculative fiction books do, into battles and conflicts with very little character development or depth to the plot once all that started.
Volume III started out as good as Volume I did, but then it also devolved in much the same way as Volume II did. As much as I liked the creativity and detail with which Holmberg rendered the magical elements of this series, the characters, plot and subplots leave a lot to be desired.
No spoilers, here, but I'll end by saying I couldn't have been more disappointed in the ending than if I had been reading a fairy tale from the 1950s, which I heartily dislike. To say it is "retro" would be too kind.
If you like lots of pseudo-drama, heroines without an ounce of sense and a lot of hubris, superficial and stereotypical relationships and minor characters that hardly matter, trite plot sequences, but with a lot of details about magical skills, this is a book you'll like. Otherwise, skip it.
Volume III started out as good as Volume I did, but then it also devolved in much the same way as Volume II did. As much as I liked the creativity and detail with which Holmberg rendered the magical elements of this series, the characters, plot and subplots leave a lot to be desired.
No spoilers, here, but I'll end by saying I couldn't have been more disappointed in the ending than if I had been reading a fairy tale from the 1950s, which I heartily dislike. To say it is "retro" would be too kind.
If you like lots of pseudo-drama, heroines without an ounce of sense and a lot of hubris, superficial and stereotypical relationships and minor characters that hardly matter, trite plot sequences, but with a lot of details about magical skills, this is a book you'll like. Otherwise, skip it.
March 10, 2017
Uuuuuuggghhhh.
I'm glad to be done with this series. I forgave the first book of too much because the story was so strange and interesting and Emery Thane was so appealing.
But uuuuuuggghhhhh. Ceony was never a good character. None of the characters were, really (except, maybe, Thane). They were so flat. And nothing anyone did made any sense. Ceony was full of nonsensical contradictions, and not in a fun or cute or clever way. Her decisions and actions just straight up Made No Sense.
These books glorified and romanticized the HELL out of the Woman's Place in the Kitchen as well. Not in a historically accurate way. Not in any kind of justifiable way. Just in a sexist way. There were so many things in these books that were racist and sexist. It's really distressing to think of young girls reading this and having those bits unconsciously sink into them.
I have so many thoughts on this writing style (bad) and these characters (bad) and the story-telling (bad), but... I'm done. I'm done with these books and I don't want to waste any more energy on them. I spent the last 100 pages of this book just shouting at it every time something stupid happened.
Good riddance.
I'm glad to be done with this series. I forgave the first book of too much because the story was so strange and interesting and Emery Thane was so appealing.
But uuuuuuggghhhhh. Ceony was never a good character. None of the characters were, really (except, maybe, Thane). They were so flat. And nothing anyone did made any sense. Ceony was full of nonsensical contradictions, and not in a fun or cute or clever way. Her decisions and actions just straight up Made No Sense.
These books glorified and romanticized the HELL out of the Woman's Place in the Kitchen as well. Not in a historically accurate way. Not in any kind of justifiable way. Just in a sexist way. There were so many things in these books that were racist and sexist. It's really distressing to think of young girls reading this and having those bits unconsciously sink into them.
I have so many thoughts on this writing style (bad) and these characters (bad) and the story-telling (bad), but... I'm done. I'm done with these books and I don't want to waste any more energy on them. I spent the last 100 pages of this book just shouting at it every time something stupid happened.
Good riddance.
January 14, 2018
So I'll be honest, I didn't read the entirety of this book. I read about 50% of it, and skimmed the rest.
I really love love love the characters and the world, but I really didn't care as much about the conflict. I would have just as much rathered read a story about a girl studying magic, with a romance. I didn't need the sort of action aspects. So I overall pretty much skimmed through the middle section and read the beginning and end to completion.
I liked the conclusion of this story, and actually cared about Ceony and Emery more than I pictured. I loved them and their growth and development, and think their relationship is adorably beautiful.
I am definitely glad to have read these, and really ended up enjoying them. I hope to one day have my own copies of them so I can reread them and, now that I know the ending I won't need to skim.
I really love love love the characters and the world, but I really didn't care as much about the conflict. I would have just as much rathered read a story about a girl studying magic, with a romance. I didn't need the sort of action aspects. So I overall pretty much skimmed through the middle section and read the beginning and end to completion.
I liked the conclusion of this story, and actually cared about Ceony and Emery more than I pictured. I loved them and their growth and development, and think their relationship is adorably beautiful.
I am definitely glad to have read these, and really ended up enjoying them. I hope to one day have my own copies of them so I can reread them and, now that I know the ending I won't need to skim.
February 4, 2017
Review of the entire trilogy:
I think the fans of HP series would love this trilogy,for its amazing magic world.The plot and the characters are average,they're not that appeal me,but I do love the paper folding things and those incredible paper creatures. > < My favorite part of this trilogy is Ceony and Emery's romance,they're really adorable <3.Perhaps the movie version would be better than novels.(I mean, the plot might be more exciting and interesting when turning into a movie.> <)
I think the fans of HP series would love this trilogy,for its amazing magic world.The plot and the characters are average,they're not that appeal me,but I do love the paper folding things and those incredible paper creatures. > < My favorite part of this trilogy is Ceony and Emery's romance,they're really adorable <3.Perhaps the movie version would be better than novels.(I mean, the plot might be more exciting and interesting when turning into a movie.> <)
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