publisher: Atheneum
pages: 553
source: my bookshelf
series: A Resurrection of Magic #2
appeals: dark fantasy, mystery, magic,
content: violence, swearing (about 10 f-bombs which I did not think were needed in the context of the story and didn't fit into the world created--really irritated me)
thoughts:
I have a split opinion on this book.
On the one hand--
I enjoyed the mystery. This is a long book and I was interested in it enough to finish it in just a few days. I wanted to know what was going on, who was really who, and what the heck was going to happen before the end.
There are two stories being told, one of Hapt and his experiences in magic school, and the other of Sadima, who lives hundreds of years before Hapt and is there at the beginning of the resurrection of magic, long before the magic school is founded and back when magic was feared and magicians were put to death. The intersecting of the two stories is so awesome. I am impatient for the last of the trilogy to come out so I can see how they will finally come together. Much to my frustration, there is no pub date for A Resurrection of Magic #3. Which means it will be a long wait.
On the second hand--
This book is slooooow. It takes FOREVER for anything concrete to happen. Hapt spends most of his time trying to build relations with the other boys in the school, which is practically impossible and is mostly internal with tiny interludes with the other boys. The other part of his time is spent trying to figure out magic, which is not a fast process. It takes him an eternity to figure things out. At times it was down right boring. But when his story was going so slow, Sadima's really picked up, and vice versa--when Sadima's was slow, then Hapts would get interesting.
I ended up skimming large chunks.
In conclusion--
Interesting, but way too long. I do want the conclusion of their stories--the ending was rather surprising and I'm left hanging
summary:
Sadima, Franklin, and Somiss, driven out of Limòri by a suspicious fire, are living in a cave hidden within the cliffs that overlook the city. Somiss is convinced the dark passages of the caves were the home of ancient magicians, and his obsession with restoring magic deepens. Sadima dreams of escape -- for her, for Franklin, and for the orphaned street boys Somiss has imprisoned in a crowded cage. Somiss claims he will teach these boys magic, that they will become his first students, but Sadima knows he is lying.
Generations later, Hahp is struggling to survive the wizards' increasingly dangerous classes at the Limòri Academy of Magic. He knows the fragile pact he has forged with his secretive roommate, Gerrard, will not be enough to put an end to the evil. It will take all the students acting together to have any chance of destroying the academy. Building trust, with few chances to speak or plan, will be almost impossible, but there is no choice.
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