By Nico
All Olivia wants is to be as remarkable, as magical, as the rest of her family. But despite her best efforts, she can't develop the Tiller magic that makes her family such renowned healers. So, when her older sister invites her to accompany her to Arden’s capital as her apprentice, Olivia's family is certain that this is her only chance to amount to much of anything.
But when Olivia discovers that she's been offered a spot at the new Unicorn Academy—an experimental school that brings together students of all magical disciplines—she sees her chance to find her place. The only problem? Not everyone is convinced that the guilds’ newfound unity is a good idea. And when Olivia’s sister is accused of unicorn poaching, she and the school are caught in the crossfire.
Olivia, with help from her new friends, is determined to clear her sister’s name and uncover the real criminal before the conflict forces Unicorn Academy to close. But the secrets surrounding—and beneath—Unicorn Academy are more dangerous than Olivia imagined, and she soon realizes that learning the truth isn’t just about clearing her sister’s name.
For lovers of middle-grade fantasy who want a series opener that has the feel of an old favorite but with unique twists aplenty to draw you in, I definitely recommend Tangled Magic. The land of Arden was an awesome setting, with lots of intertwined history and magic that felt appropriately layered and deep without ever becoming confusing or info dump-y. Olivia and her friends were quite simply just fun to read about. Too many friendships feel forced, but the ones in this book never do, perhaps because they develop so naturally at the beginning of the story.
Although Tangled Magic is interconnected with a previous series set in Arden, I don’t think you’ll enjoy this book any less by not having read the earlier ones—I didn’t! Plus, I definitely want to go back and read the Unicorn Quest series now that I enjoyed Tangled Magic so much (at least, while I wait for the sequel, which I very much want to read after the ending of this one). I recommend Tangled Magic to readers ages eight and up who are looking for an exciting fantasy series to dig into.
Thank you to author Kamilla Benko for providing an e-copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions here are my own.
All Olivia wants is to be as remarkable, as magical, as the rest of her family. But despite her best efforts, she can't develop the Tiller magic that makes her family such renowned healers. So, when her older sister invites her to accompany her to Arden’s capital as her apprentice, Olivia's family is certain that this is her only chance to amount to much of anything.
But when Olivia discovers that she's been offered a spot at the new Unicorn Academy—an experimental school that brings together students of all magical disciplines—she sees her chance to find her place. The only problem? Not everyone is convinced that the guilds’ newfound unity is a good idea. And when Olivia’s sister is accused of unicorn poaching, she and the school are caught in the crossfire.
Olivia, with help from her new friends, is determined to clear her sister’s name and uncover the real criminal before the conflict forces Unicorn Academy to close. But the secrets surrounding—and beneath—Unicorn Academy are more dangerous than Olivia imagined, and she soon realizes that learning the truth isn’t just about clearing her sister’s name.
For lovers of middle-grade fantasy who want a series opener that has the feel of an old favorite but with unique twists aplenty to draw you in, I definitely recommend Tangled Magic. The land of Arden was an awesome setting, with lots of intertwined history and magic that felt appropriately layered and deep without ever becoming confusing or info dump-y. Olivia and her friends were quite simply just fun to read about. Too many friendships feel forced, but the ones in this book never do, perhaps because they develop so naturally at the beginning of the story.
Although Tangled Magic is interconnected with a previous series set in Arden, I don’t think you’ll enjoy this book any less by not having read the earlier ones—I didn’t! Plus, I definitely want to go back and read the Unicorn Quest series now that I enjoyed Tangled Magic so much (at least, while I wait for the sequel, which I very much want to read after the ending of this one). I recommend Tangled Magic to readers ages eight and up who are looking for an exciting fantasy series to dig into.
Thank you to author Kamilla Benko for providing an e-copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions here are my own.
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