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A Tale of Magic #2
A Tale of Witchcraft...
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Middle Grade & Children's (2020)Brystal Evergreen changed the world, but the journey is just beginning...
Brystal and her friends have saved the world from the evil Snow Queen and secured worldwide acceptance for the magical community.
However, when a mysterious new witch arrives at the academy, the celebrations are cut short. As the witch begins recruiting faeries into her rival school of witchcraft, it becomes clear she has dark intentions. And soon Brystal's friend Lucy becomes embroiled in an ominous plot against mankind.
Elsewhere, the fragile peace is on the brink of shattering. Outrage has spread throughout the kingdoms in opposition to the legalization of magic. And, a dangerous and centuries-old clan known as the Righteous Brotherhood has resurfaced, with one goal in mind: to exterminate all magical life forever...starting with Brystal....
The enchanting sequel to the New York Times bestselling A Tale of Magic..., filled with brand-new adventures and a cast of memorable characters, both familiar and new.
Brystal and her friends have saved the world from the evil Snow Queen and secured worldwide acceptance for the magical community.
However, when a mysterious new witch arrives at the academy, the celebrations are cut short. As the witch begins recruiting faeries into her rival school of witchcraft, it becomes clear she has dark intentions. And soon Brystal's friend Lucy becomes embroiled in an ominous plot against mankind.
Elsewhere, the fragile peace is on the brink of shattering. Outrage has spread throughout the kingdoms in opposition to the legalization of magic. And, a dangerous and centuries-old clan known as the Righteous Brotherhood has resurfaced, with one goal in mind: to exterminate all magical life forever...starting with Brystal....
The enchanting sequel to the New York Times bestselling A Tale of Magic..., filled with brand-new adventures and a cast of memorable characters, both familiar and new.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2020
About the author
Chris Colfer
53 books10.7k followersChris Colfer is an Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actor best-known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the FOX television series "Glee".
He is also a New York Times bestselling author whose books include the first three novels in the "Land of Stories" series ("The Wishing Spell", "The Enchantress Returns" and "A Grimm Warning") as well as "Struck By Lightning: The Carson Philips Journal" which is a novelization based on the script he wrote for the film "Struck By Lighting" (Colfer also co-produced and starred in that movie).
He is also a New York Times bestselling author whose books include the first three novels in the "Land of Stories" series ("The Wishing Spell", "The Enchantress Returns" and "A Grimm Warning") as well as "Struck By Lightning: The Carson Philips Journal" which is a novelization based on the script he wrote for the film "Struck By Lighting" (Colfer also co-produced and starred in that movie).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 873 reviews
October 19, 2020
"The only way to fix a curse of the mind is with the mind itself."
Chris Colfer's books are a rare example of celebrity books that are absolutely brilliant.
So, what's this book about?
Brystal and her friends have saved the world from the evil Snow Queen and secured worldwide acceptance for the magical community.
However, when a mysterious new witch arrives at the academy, the celebrations are cut short. As the witch begins recruiting faeries into her rival school of witchcraft, it becomes clear she has dЙark intentions. And soon Brystal's friend Lucy becomes embroiled in an ominous plot against mankind.
Elsewhere, the fragile peace is on the brink of shattering. Outrage has spread throughout the kingdoms in opposition to the legalization of magic. And, a dangerous and centuries-old clan known as the Righteous Brotherhood has resurfaced, with one goal in mind: to exterminate all magical life forever...starting with Brystal....
We all know how much I loved A Tale of Magic because of its LGBT undertones and allegories that were so expertly done.
As much as I loved A Tale of Magic, I loved A Tale of Witchcraft that much more. It dealt with the theme of mental illness, mainly depression. This is a theme that is really close to my heart as depression and anxiety are two things I have dealt with life long.
I loved that Chris Colfer was able to take heavy and abstract themes like insecurity, suicide, suicidal ideations, and more in a more concrete and easy to understand way. This is definitely a dark middle-grade book and you should be wary about letting younger kids read it as it does get pretty heavy, especially in the end.
That said, it has so many amazing themes that I won't go into because I don't want to spoil and this book is worth a read. So go read it.
Overall, this book was heartbreaking and uplifting. Heavy and hopeful and I can't wait to see where this series goes.
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brilliant. absolutely brilliant.
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OMG THERE IS A SYNOPSIS AND IT IS AMAZING!!!!! LUCY, BRYSTAL, AND CO ARE GETTING INTO ALL SORTS OF MAGICAL SHENANIGANS
SQUEEEEEEEEEE
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YASSSSS
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February 24, 2020Oh my gosh. That moment where you buy the first book because the cover of the second is so beautiful and your will power is so weak...
January 5, 2021
This book brought back all those feels I got from the Fantasy MG books. Well, particularly The Land of Stories. You know, when the characters are your age, having adventures and all you want is to be in their place. That's such a good and nostalgic feeling, right? 4.5 stars, because this book deserves it.
And this book was also beautiful. THAT COVER, FIRSTLY. Isn't it SO picturesque?
Sorry to interrupt, but please not that this review is all over the place.
Even though the characters are Mary Sue(s), I loved them, because they're written so well. Brystal is just <3. And Lucy... um, wow. And my feelings for this world and this plot are obvious ;)
I was evaded by the simplicity of the writing which still manages to capture so many emotions. As I said, this book made me feel things.
However, the use of italics is unnecessary and excessive. The only flaw in this whole book.
The plot twists, the foreshadowing, and the cliffhanger are top-notch and clean! I'm not in a rush for the next book, but I certainly can't wait!
And that ending! Lovely.
➵ 𝟺 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜
BR with Anya! Love to read with you, can't wait for more! <3
~ Happy Reading!
P.S. I love Mrs. Vee ;)
A small poster required for school, but I'm proud of it, so I'm sharing it here:
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9/10/20 (just after the book came out in India, and just before I got it): Ahhhhh the cover!! Man, I need it RIGHT NOW! AHHH
It just came out yesterday, and I am betting I'll die if I don't get it. I just read the sample, and I love it so much! I need to get my hands on the third one as soon as possible!
AHHHHHH
And this book was also beautiful. THAT COVER, FIRSTLY. Isn't it SO picturesque?
Sorry to interrupt, but please not that this review is all over the place.
Even though the characters are Mary Sue(s), I loved them, because they're written so well. Brystal is just <3. And Lucy... um, wow. And my feelings for this world and this plot are obvious ;)
I was evaded by the simplicity of the writing which still manages to capture so many emotions. As I said, this book made me feel things.
However, the use of italics is unnecessary and excessive. The only flaw in this whole book.
The plot twists, the foreshadowing, and the cliffhanger are top-notch and clean! I'm not in a rush for the next book, but I certainly can't wait!
And that ending! Lovely.
➵ 𝟺 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜
BR with Anya! Love to read with you, can't wait for more! <3
~ Happy Reading!
P.S. I love Mrs. Vee ;)
A small poster required for school, but I'm proud of it, so I'm sharing it here:
_____________
9/10/20 (just after the book came out in India, and just before I got it): Ahhhhh the cover!! Man, I need it RIGHT NOW! AHHH
It just came out yesterday, and I am betting I'll die if I don't get it. I just read the sample, and I love it so much! I need to get my hands on the third one as soon as possible!
AHHHHHH
April 13, 2021
I really enjoyed this book! Sure, it was a little bit predictable, but it took me on an adventure nevertheless.
I really enjoyed hearing the thoughts of Lucy. In the previous book (A Tale of Magic) I was hoping of being able to know more about her. Sure enough, in this book, it was Lucy's "time to shine."
It was really enjoyable seeing Lucy grow from being a sarcastic obnoxious fairy to a true friend (still sarcastic).
I also enjoyed seeing the conflict in Brystal. It was interesting seeing how one simple curse could affect even the greatest of fairies.
I also thought the villains were quite clever, and I can tell they will put up a great fight in the next book. After all, Brystal and the fairies were barely able to fend them off in this book. They will surely return in the next book.
The plot was a little bit predictable. At first I was completely hooked, but then I started to make some predictions and most of them turned out to be right or close to my thoughts. But thankfully it wasn't too predictable and did not spoil my reading. I still enjoyed it to the full extent. :)
And I will admit there were other things that I was NOT expecting which made me really surprised.
For example, there were some things the author wrote which I found very creative. For example, the world between life and the afterlife, Colfer described is as a forest full of trees and clocks. The theory is kind of complex, but it was interesting to read. I hope I get to hear more about this idea in the next book.
Well Chris Colfer has done it again. I really enjoyed the character growth, the plot and the creativity. Thanks and excited for the next book!
I really enjoyed hearing the thoughts of Lucy. In the previous book (A Tale of Magic) I was hoping of being able to know more about her. Sure enough, in this book, it was Lucy's "time to shine."
It was really enjoyable seeing Lucy grow from being a sarcastic obnoxious fairy to a true friend (still sarcastic).
I also enjoyed seeing the conflict in Brystal. It was interesting seeing how one simple curse could affect even the greatest of fairies.
I also thought the villains were quite clever, and I can tell they will put up a great fight in the next book. After all, Brystal and the fairies were barely able to fend them off in this book. They will surely return in the next book.
The plot was a little bit predictable. At first I was completely hooked, but then I started to make some predictions and most of them turned out to be right or close to my thoughts. But thankfully it wasn't too predictable and did not spoil my reading. I still enjoyed it to the full extent. :)
And I will admit there were other things that I was NOT expecting which made me really surprised.
For example, there were some things the author wrote which I found very creative. For example, the world between life and the afterlife, Colfer described is as a forest full of trees and clocks. The theory is kind of complex, but it was interesting to read. I hope I get to hear more about this idea in the next book.
Well Chris Colfer has done it again. I really enjoyed the character growth, the plot and the creativity. Thanks and excited for the next book!
December 30, 2020
4.5 stars. This was...darker than expected.
A Tale of Witchcraft begins quiet some time were the first book ends; the magical community has been more than accepted back into society. Brystal is treated like a celebrity, but she is now suffering a severe bout of depression. The beautiful new world she has created begins to fray with the rise of the Rightous Brotherhood, an extremist secret society that I can only presume are based on the real-life KKK.
I enjoyed this one more than the first, however, I do think it was not always appropriate for the intended age group - there was some strong swearing, and some scenes a bit too dark for children in my opinion. However, I appreciated the lessons this book taught about mankind, as well as the depicition of depression
Another thing - I think I enjoy these prequels more than the Land of Stories in terms of plot, but the original has more lovable, endearing characters. I find I don't care too much about the characters here, but I am more invested in the story.
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This cover is happiness. True, pure, unadulterated Halloween happiness. With one minor drawback: I have to wait till Halloween???????????
A Tale of Witchcraft begins quiet some time were the first book ends; the magical community has been more than accepted back into society. Brystal is treated like a celebrity, but she is now suffering a severe bout of depression. The beautiful new world she has created begins to fray with the rise of the Rightous Brotherhood, an extremist secret society that I can only presume are based on the real-life KKK.
I enjoyed this one more than the first, however, I do think it was not always appropriate for the intended age group - there was some strong swearing, and some scenes a bit too dark for children in my opinion. However, I appreciated the lessons this book taught about mankind, as well as the depicition of depression
Another thing - I think I enjoy these prequels more than the Land of Stories in terms of plot, but the original has more lovable, endearing characters. I find I don't care too much about the characters here, but I am more invested in the story.
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This cover is happiness. True, pure, unadulterated Halloween happiness. With one minor drawback: I have to wait till Halloween???????????
March 7, 2023
Updated October 12, 2020:
A Tale of Witchcraft is exciting, gripping, magical and amazing. Brystal Evergreen and her friends have saved the world from the Snow Queen and began a new one where magic has become accepted in the community. However, when a mysterious new witch arrives at the Academy for Magic, things turn from good to bad. As the witch starts to recruit faeries to her school, the School for Witchcraft, her intentions become clear. Soon Brystal’s friend Lucy becomes involved in a sinister plot against mankind as the fragile peace is on the brink of shattering. Outrage has spread throughout the kingdoms against magic and a dangerous centuries old clan called the Righteous Brotherhood has returned with one mission, to exterminate all magical life, starting with Brystal. A Tale of Witchcraft is filled with magic, action, adventure, shock, betrayal, friendship, and choices.
Brystal and her friends, now called the Fairy Council have stopped the Snow Queen from destroying the world and created a new one where magic is accepted improving the lives for both mankind and the magical community. However, Brystal is overwhelmed with her role as Fairy Godmother, all the responsibilities that come with it, and sudden thoughts of doubt and mistrust. When a mysterious witch arrives at the Academy for Magic, hoping to recruit fairies to her school, the School for Witchcraft, Brystal’s mistrust in the witch leads her to further doubt in her own ability. Also, Brystal becomes a target of an ancient clan called the Righteous Brotherhood, who have become outraged by the growing acceptance of magic. When Lucy discovers one of Brystal’s secrets, Lucy decides to leave and join the School for Witchcraft however, discovers a sinister plot against mankind and against Brystal.
Brystal and a new friend Seven develop a friendship but discover a plot of the Righteous Brotherhood, only to fall into their trap. Overwhelmed by what and by her emotions, Brystal makes a decision that she hopes will be better for everyone involved. However, Brystal is faced with more shock, discoveries about herself and faced with a deal with Death itself. Lucy brings her discoveries back to the Fairy Council and to the witches only to discover more shocking discoveries. Lucy and friends join together to save Brystal and to stop the Righteous Brotherhood before their plan is unleashed upon the world. Choices are made, sides are chosen, and truths are discovered as war and loss of hope threatens to destroy them all.
Brystal remains a good character and I love her. She tries to do the right thing for everyone even if she ends up carrying the burden. Lucy is great, she has a good heart and tries but she really acts before really thinking things first. Seven is sweet and accepting to Brystal however I was shocked by the ending. The students of the school for witchcraft are fun and interesting each with a unique personality.
Overall A Tale of Witchcraft was amazing. Chris Colfer is great. I just love his books. They are so creative and I’m immediately drawn into the books. Characters remain great, plot is awesome, story is gripping and everything is just magical. I love the few references that were tied to the Land of Stories. The ending left with questions that I must know and I also wonder if the next book will connect more to the timeline to the Land of Stories. I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Updated Feb. 7, 2020:
A Tale of Witchcraft is exciting, gripping, magical and amazing. Brystal Evergreen and her friends have saved the world from the Snow Queen and began a new one where magic has become accepted in the community. However, when a mysterious new witch arrives at the Academy for Magic, things turn from good to bad. As the witch starts to recruit faeries to her school, the School for Witchcraft, her intentions become clear. Soon Brystal’s friend Lucy becomes involved in a sinister plot against mankind as the fragile peace is on the brink of shattering. Outrage has spread throughout the kingdoms against magic and a dangerous centuries old clan called the Righteous Brotherhood has returned with one mission, to exterminate all magical life, starting with Brystal. A Tale of Witchcraft is filled with magic, action, adventure, shock, betrayal, friendship, and choices.
Brystal and her friends, now called the Fairy Council have stopped the Snow Queen from destroying the world and created a new one where magic is accepted improving the lives for both mankind and the magical community. However, Brystal is overwhelmed with her role as Fairy Godmother, all the responsibilities that come with it, and sudden thoughts of doubt and mistrust. When a mysterious witch arrives at the Academy for Magic, hoping to recruit fairies to her school, the School for Witchcraft, Brystal’s mistrust in the witch leads her to further doubt in her own ability. Also, Brystal becomes a target of an ancient clan called the Righteous Brotherhood, who have become outraged by the growing acceptance of magic. When Lucy discovers one of Brystal’s secrets, Lucy decides to leave and join the School for Witchcraft however, discovers a sinister plot against mankind and against Brystal.
Brystal and a new friend Seven develop a friendship but discover a plot of the Righteous Brotherhood, only to fall into their trap. Overwhelmed by what and by her emotions, Brystal makes a decision that she hopes will be better for everyone involved. However, Brystal is faced with more shock, discoveries about herself and faced with a deal with Death itself. Lucy brings her discoveries back to the Fairy Council and to the witches only to discover more shocking discoveries. Lucy and friends join together to save Brystal and to stop the Righteous Brotherhood before their plan is unleashed upon the world. Choices are made, sides are chosen, and truths are discovered as war and loss of hope threatens to destroy them all.
Brystal remains a good character and I love her. She tries to do the right thing for everyone even if she ends up carrying the burden. Lucy is great, she has a good heart and tries but she really acts before really thinking things first. Seven is sweet and accepting to Brystal however I was shocked by the ending. The students of the school for witchcraft are fun and interesting each with a unique personality.
Overall A Tale of Witchcraft was amazing. Chris Colfer is great. I just love his books. They are so creative and I’m immediately drawn into the books. Characters remain great, plot is awesome, story is gripping and everything is just magical. I love the few references that were tied to the Land of Stories. The ending left with questions that I must know and I also wonder if the next book will connect more to the timeline to the Land of Stories. I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Updated Feb. 7, 2020:
June 12, 2021
I have long been a fan of Chris Colfer, first in his television career, and more recently as an author of this genre of books. In fact, it was my son, Neo, who got me interested in them and I am eternally grateful. Colfer paints a wonderful picture of the nursery rhyme/fairytale world and keeps the reader on their toes throughout. Now that she's taken on a powerful position, Brystal Evergreen is trying to promote the wonders of magic to all four kingdoms. However, there is a push to quash it amongst an old and established organisation that will stop at nothing to neutralise anyone who chooses to practice magic. Brystal must work to stay one step ahead of this group, while also determining who has been targeting members of the royal family to gain access to the throne. Meanwhile, a young and impressionable Lucy Goose is pulled into joining a new network of witches who want to hone the skills of faeries to practice witchcraft. Lucy accepts the invitation and soon learns that not all is as it seems, putting her in the middle of an awkward situation. As sinister powers rise, someone will have to come to save the day... and Prince Charming is nowhere to be found! Colfer's books may be geared to the younger reader, but they can be enjoyed by those of all ages. This is truly another winner for all who are intrigued.
After a great deal of effort, Brystal Evergreen has risen to become the magic academy's administrator, along with the fancy title of Fairy Godmother. Brystal is pleased to see that magic has not only become accepted across the Four Kingdoms, but widely practiced. The academy is booming and Brystal cannot help but be happy, allowing her some time to attend her brother's wedding. While she's away, one of the other instructors, Lucy Goose, is approached by a mysterious woman who speaks about a new academy that is starting; one that will show the intricacies of witchcraft. Unable to turn away from the challenge, Lucy agrees to attend and hone her skills in this other form of magic.
Meanwhile, an organisation lurks in the shadows, steeped in tradition and honour. The Righteous Brotherhood sees itself as the protectors of all things that are good and has made it their goal to eradicate magic from all kingdoms, at whatever cost. The best way to do that is to find Brystal and remove her from her position of power. With the upcoming nuptials, it would seem the perfect opportunity to remove Brystal and cause chaos in equal measure.
While Brystal is enjoying the wedding, she meets a young royal, Prince Gallivant. who is seventh in line for the throne. He aptly chooses the moniker, Seven, and has turned the excited Brystal into a smitten fairy godmother. While Brystal and Gallivant are getting closer, they are thrust into a tornado of worry, as the Righteous Brotherhood strikes and tries to take the godmother's life. Instead, a member of the royal family is killed and Brystal is beyond worried about what this means for magic around the kingdoms.
Lucy has been learning a great deal about witchcraft and trying her best to make an impact, even though those around her at the academy are not sure she can handle it. While Lucy is determined, she's not naive to what is going on and soon discovers that all this training is not meant to make her a more well-rounded fairy, but to sharpen skills of witchcraft that can only have detrimental effects on the magic community as a whole. Lucy must decide what to do before it's too late, risking life and limb to protect what she feels is right.
As Brystal is targeted for her proficiency in magic, she gets pulled into the middle of a horrible plot to bring down the royals. She is forced to choose the right path and stay one step ahead of those who would see her fall. It is sure to be a harrowing feat, but what fairy tale works well without a few twists and turns throughout? Colfer has pure magic in his veins as he creates this formidable series that is sure to impress many.
Chris Colfer is spot-on with his depictions throughout this piece, pulling the intrigued reader in with the opening pages and never letting the thread of the discussion go from there. While the themes may be better suited to a younger audience, the nuances are pure entertainment for readers of all levels. This book will, as many do, offer something different for each person who picks it up, which only adds depth and wonder to the piece. Each reader will pull something different from the story, allowing the discussion to be both fruitful and varied.
Colfer develops his characters really well and keeps the reader wanting to delve deeper to understand them. While Brystal Evergreen is surely a strong character, there are others who complement her well throughout. Colfer's use of some well-known characters from fairy tales (with a spin and a twist) keeps the story light and intriguing, while also entertaining throughout. It is the best way to write, as it mixes humour and insightfulness in equal measure. There are a number of characters who have emerged for this sequel and whose presence would be great as things continue to progress. Colfer has an amazing way with development, as can be seen in all the books he's written over the last few years.
The story may not have been challenging to read, but it was certainly worth the time invested. The characters are on point, the plot moves along well, and there is, as mentioned before, entertainment value at many levels for the curious reader. I was highly impressed with how the narrative kept things clipping along. With chapters of various lengths, the reader was able to get fully invested at times, while racing through the story at different points, hoping to get to the juicier bits. There's surely something for everyone in this piece and I am eager to see what else Chris Colfer has to offer in the coming years, as he has surely found his niche with this type of book.
Kudos, Mr. Colfer, for another winner. I am happy to find a book that can impress Neo and also have me wanting to find more for us both to enjoy!
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March 25, 2020
I NEED THIS. 😭
February 20, 2021
4.5 stars
AHHHHH
Read at your own risk:
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I am just... This book was an amazing sequel to a Tale of Magic and I honestly love Chris Colfer's writing so much. I gave its book 4.5 stars because sometimes I was just a little bit confused about where we were in the book and stuff like that. I loved the characters and all the personalities. I loved the female representation in this book. The main characters went through a fantastic journey of self-love and finding friends. This book just had so much thought put into it and I definitely would recommend this to anybody who is going through tough times or just wants a little female representation in their life.
BYE!!
AHHHHH
Read at your own risk:
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I am just... This book was an amazing sequel to a Tale of Magic and I honestly love Chris Colfer's writing so much. I gave its book 4.5 stars because sometimes I was just a little bit confused about where we were in the book and stuff like that. I loved the characters and all the personalities. I loved the female representation in this book. The main characters went through a fantastic journey of self-love and finding friends. This book just had so much thought put into it and I definitely would recommend this to anybody who is going through tough times or just wants a little female representation in their life.
BYE!!
October 30, 2020
Despite saving the world and helping the magical community gain worldwide acceptance, Brystal and her friends are faced with new issues when a new witch sets up her own rival school of witchcraft, a dangerous clan known as the Righteous Brotherhood resurfaces with the goal to eradicate all magical life, and Brystal herself is plagued with disturbing thoughts that send her into a spiral of negativity.
I really enjoyed this book, and though it was technically middle grade and written in a simplistic manner, it was still highly enjoyable and entertaining. There is just something uniquely special about Chris Colfer’s writing, which captures your attention while filling you with giddy happiness, and this fast-paced adventure did not disappoint!
While The Land of Stories series was a light-hearted series which cleverly incorporated different fairy tales into the story, this prequel series, provides a unique insight into what the magical world was once like before magic was widely accepted, and tackles more darker issues such as injustices, equality and prejudice against the magical community.
I love how the backstories of different characters from The Land of Stories have been included, and I especially loved reading from Brystal (the Fairy Godmother), and Lucy (Mother Goose’s) perspectives. Their characters are both so inspirational, and I love reading about Brystal’s kindness and willingness to help others no matter what, and Lucy’s wild, witty character which added a humorous touch to the story. The new characters introduced in this book such as the witches, Seven, and Mistress Mara were all incredibly unique to the story as well, and Mistress Mara’s backstory and dark motives in particular, were really interesting to read about.
I liked how the issues of injustice and equality were tackled, and it was interesting reading about how deep the prejudice was against the magical community in this oppressive world. In this book, the characters themselves struggled to find acceptance within themselves and their lives, and it was especially interesting reading about Brystal’s struggles to fight her inner demons and overcome the negativity and darkness in her life both mentally and physically. This book had a great, inspirational message about fighting negativity and doing your best to hold on to hope even in the darkest times.
Overall, this was a highly enjoyable sequel to A Tale of Magic, which was inspirational and uplifting, and I would highly recommend this series, along with The Land of Stories series. I loved how this book showed the importance of fighting and overcoming negativity in our lives, and I’m looking forward to continuing the rest of the books in the series when they’re released sometime in the future.
5/5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, and though it was technically middle grade and written in a simplistic manner, it was still highly enjoyable and entertaining. There is just something uniquely special about Chris Colfer’s writing, which captures your attention while filling you with giddy happiness, and this fast-paced adventure did not disappoint!
While The Land of Stories series was a light-hearted series which cleverly incorporated different fairy tales into the story, this prequel series, provides a unique insight into what the magical world was once like before magic was widely accepted, and tackles more darker issues such as injustices, equality and prejudice against the magical community.
I love how the backstories of different characters from The Land of Stories have been included, and I especially loved reading from Brystal (the Fairy Godmother), and Lucy (Mother Goose’s) perspectives. Their characters are both so inspirational, and I love reading about Brystal’s kindness and willingness to help others no matter what, and Lucy’s wild, witty character which added a humorous touch to the story. The new characters introduced in this book such as the witches, Seven, and Mistress Mara were all incredibly unique to the story as well, and Mistress Mara’s backstory and dark motives in particular, were really interesting to read about.
I liked how the issues of injustice and equality were tackled, and it was interesting reading about how deep the prejudice was against the magical community in this oppressive world. In this book, the characters themselves struggled to find acceptance within themselves and their lives, and it was especially interesting reading about Brystal’s struggles to fight her inner demons and overcome the negativity and darkness in her life both mentally and physically. This book had a great, inspirational message about fighting negativity and doing your best to hold on to hope even in the darkest times.
Overall, this was a highly enjoyable sequel to A Tale of Magic, which was inspirational and uplifting, and I would highly recommend this series, along with The Land of Stories series. I loved how this book showed the importance of fighting and overcoming negativity in our lives, and I’m looking forward to continuing the rest of the books in the series when they’re released sometime in the future.
5/5 stars
October 8, 2020
OOHHHHHHHHH I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I finished it from start to finish today and using math that I read two pages a minute for this book, I know it only took me 3-4 hrs to read it. But I did take breaks to eat and such so actual life it took me longer but I still started and finished it today!!! Now let me get onto my book because I just rambled there haha. So let's start with awwwwww Seven, you're such a sweet guy. How I liked you so much when I met you... For those of you who read that spoiler, you know how much I screamed, and good job for you to read that. I completely recommend the book. I've seen those memes where you read a book and it shows that the reader screams and throws the book at the wall and then recommends it to a friend. That's what I'm doing right now haha. But I love the book still! READ IT! Oh and nice job for reading and sitting through my whole review of this book haha.
November 15, 2020
Brystal smiled at her friends. "Hope," she said. "And I don't know about you, but I'm tired of letting people use my emotions to control me. So from now on, we're going to starve whatever misery they try to cause us. We're going to fight sadness with laughter, we're going to fight loneliness with friendship, we're going to fight anger with gratitude, and we're going to fight fear with hope. Because as long as we keep fighting, and as long as we keep our hope alive- the Brotherhood won't stand a chance."
What a beautiful ending to this beautiful book.
A Tale of Witchcraft is such a wholesome book filled with so many positive messages. It deals with anger and sadness, hope and joy, depression and recovery, love and hate. Its characters are believable and flawed and full of life. They support each other in their darkest moments and help overcome hate from society.
I was really impressed by the strong friendships. A lot of books have the backstabbing betrayal stuff. Even though the group did have some falling outs, they always came back with a strengthened bond.
Brystal (aka Fairy Godmother now) is a compassionate young woman with lots of stuff on her hands. Even though she helped change the world to be more accepting of magic, she has to deal with more threats, both physical and mental. Her mental health spirals downward rapidly because of all the pressure on her, but she doesn't seek help for herself. I was happy that her depression was addressed, showing us not everyone has the perfect life we think they have, and also her path to recovery.
Lucy Goose (aka young Mother Goose) has a nice sized role in this book. She's funny and sarcastic and I loved reading her snarky remarks. Lucy happens to be turned to witchcraft for a short while and it was pretty laughable as to how that turned out.
The new problems in A Tale of Witchcraft were also pretty relevant to today, such as cults and terrorist organizations like the "Righteous Brotherhood." They are all men who want to destroy Brystal's (female) work and all magic. Basically crazy patriarchy.
There was a teensy-weensy bit of romance that actually involved the plot. I loved how it Colfer wrote it in and how it turned out. (SO good)
A Tale of Witchcraft is a great story that made me feel like the inside of a toasted marshmallow- warm and sweet. Just makes me so happy, something pure that doesn't come up often. The underlying messages and themes are to be taken to heart. I loved every word in it and am dying to read the next one. (okay not really but y'all know what I mean:D
What a beautiful ending to this beautiful book.
A Tale of Witchcraft is such a wholesome book filled with so many positive messages. It deals with anger and sadness, hope and joy, depression and recovery, love and hate. Its characters are believable and flawed and full of life. They support each other in their darkest moments and help overcome hate from society.
I was really impressed by the strong friendships. A lot of books have the backstabbing betrayal stuff. Even though the group did have some falling outs, they always came back with a strengthened bond.
Brystal (aka Fairy Godmother now) is a compassionate young woman with lots of stuff on her hands. Even though she helped change the world to be more accepting of magic, she has to deal with more threats, both physical and mental. Her mental health spirals downward rapidly because of all the pressure on her, but she doesn't seek help for herself. I was happy that her depression was addressed, showing us not everyone has the perfect life we think they have, and also her path to recovery.
Lucy Goose (aka young Mother Goose) has a nice sized role in this book. She's funny and sarcastic and I loved reading her snarky remarks. Lucy happens to be turned to witchcraft for a short while and it was pretty laughable as to how that turned out.
The new problems in A Tale of Witchcraft were also pretty relevant to today, such as cults and terrorist organizations like the "Righteous Brotherhood." They are all men who want to destroy Brystal's (female) work and all magic. Basically crazy patriarchy.
There was a teensy-weensy bit of romance that actually involved the plot. I loved how it Colfer wrote it in and how it turned out. (SO good)
A Tale of Witchcraft is a great story that made me feel like the inside of a toasted marshmallow- warm and sweet. Just makes me so happy, something pure that doesn't come up often. The underlying messages and themes are to be taken to heart. I loved every word in it and am dying to read the next one. (okay not really but y'all know what I mean:D
Want to read
May 24, 2020Colfer is amazing! This needs to come out now!!!!! If this is anything like the first, I won't be able to put it down!
March 25, 2021
So. That just happened.
1. WHY DOES THE LOVE INTEREST HAVE TO BE THE BAD PERSON HUH??
2. Smh. Brystal is literally the same person as Alex. Smart, nerdy, impressionable, and insecure.
Literally everything else is good. 3.5 stars.
1. WHY DOES THE LOVE INTEREST HAVE TO BE THE BAD PERSON HUH??
2. Smh. Brystal is literally the same person as Alex. Smart, nerdy, impressionable, and insecure.
Literally everything else is good. 3.5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2020
Second book read for #tistheseasonathon and I really enjoyed it! I kind of wish there was more to the story though but hopefully there's a book 3??
I did read this one in one day and it was a quick middle grade and love reading from the new character's pov!(:
I did read this one in one day and it was a quick middle grade and love reading from the new character's pov!(:
January 15, 2021
*Sorry GR deleted my original review*
~~~4 Stars~~~
I liked this book. I have been reading Colfer's books for 7 years and the nostalgia of his writing never fails to excite me. I will say the plot struggled a bit over the course of the book and I found myself skipping over pages. The ending didn't feel complete, but then again, it is setting up for another book so I can't be too mad about it. For being a middle-grade book it has yet to leave me bored. I will keep reading Colfer's new books and hope that Goodreads adds the hardcover edition of this book as an option.
It's been confirmed in my mind, Xanthous is very, very gay and I won't have a word against it. I love the characters in these books and I fall even further into my love for them with every chapter I read.
~~~4 Stars~~~
I liked this book. I have been reading Colfer's books for 7 years and the nostalgia of his writing never fails to excite me. I will say the plot struggled a bit over the course of the book and I found myself skipping over pages. The ending didn't feel complete, but then again, it is setting up for another book so I can't be too mad about it. For being a middle-grade book it has yet to leave me bored. I will keep reading Colfer's new books and hope that Goodreads adds the hardcover edition of this book as an option.
It's been confirmed in my mind, Xanthous is very, very gay and I won't have a word against it. I love the characters in these books and I fall even further into my love for them with every chapter I read.
October 2, 2020
This is the first book in the Land of Stories series I've given a rating other than 5 stars. I just felt this was kind of... bland? I wasn't super invested until the end, and I wanted more origin stories from major players in the original series. I am excited for the next book, as the seeds were planted for the subject of the next book, and I am definitely intrigued! I do still love this series and this world, though I don't think this prequel series will ever live up to the original series.
November 9, 2020
This book was AMAZING! I love the specialties that the witches have because they are so creative and unique. But let me just get this out. WHY DID SEVEN HAVE TO BETRAY BRYSTAL!?!? He was so perfect for her..... or so we think. Did Seven even like The Tales of Tidbit Twitch? Anyway, I liked how some of the book was from Lucy’s perspective, and that we could read (hear?) her inner thoughts. Also, no wonder she doesn’t fit in with the fairies, because she’s a witch! But I have no problem with that. I mean, Stitches, Sprout, and Beebee are all witches. I kind of predicted that Mistress Mara had some scheme going on, and at first I thought that the other witches were in on it (not including Pip). I do think it was a BIT weird that the witches guessed that Mistress Mara was the Daughter of Death and then they just happened to be right... But it was kind of cool that Brystal got to go to the space in between life and death. Also, Brystal is The Fairy Godmother (like, the one from The Land of Stories series)! I was kind of thinking that through A Tale of Magic... but I was also kind of like... “Does that time line really fit?” Also, I feel like they mentioned TFG’s real name in the main series but when I think back I guess not. And I was very confuzzled about the timeline part so I looked it up and I guess TFG is 150 yrs. old in The Land of Stories... god that’s old. I do kind of wish they had said something about like, WHO Brystal ends up marrying, you know? Like, who Alex and Conner’s grandfather is? Maybe in the next book because... YES! The book left off on a cliffhanger! Ok well that’s the end of the review thanks for reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2021
this book lost the magic that a tale of magic... and the land of stories had. maybe my reading taste is evolving or something, but this book was disappointing, like some of the other books i read this year. 2020 has been a year of disappointing books. anyways, this book didn’t feel very magical; rather, it felt pretty dull. the characters didn’t really have that much character too them, maybe except for brystal. i literally don’t remember the witches and their names/looks/special abilities. i didn’t like the writing style; idk if it’s just me noticing things as i get older, but the writing wasn’t very good, and i’m not sure if it’s always been that way since i read the land of stories series in like fourth-fifth grade? idk. i guess i liked the idea of the plot, but it just wasn’t pulled off well. it was kinda boring. and it felt like this book was trying to be funny with its jokes but failed. the plot twists weren’t surprising at all. i kinda just found myself trying to read as quickly as i could in order to finish the book. i considered stopping reading after about 100-150 pages, but i didn’t, and i regret that. overall, this book just gave me a bad vibe. i guess something good about this book was brystal’s negative thoughts being relatable/realistic? not sure how i feel about them being a curse, but i did find them relatable since i do experience similar negative thoughts. sorry for being so harsh with this unorganized review though lol i really loved the land of stories, it was just this one book :) i don’t think i will be continuing to read this series though :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2021
I love this series and can't wait for the next book!
January 21, 2023
Brystal kini mengambil alih tugas Puan Weatherberry dalam Sekolah Magis. Dia yang digelar Fairy Godmother kini mendapat perhatian dunia dan banyak melakukan misi membantu manusia. Namun hal ini tidak disenangi beberapa pihak. Usaha dilakukan bagi menjatuhkan Brystal sekaligus melenyapkan sekali lagi amalan magis.
Perkara yang paling susah untuk kita lawan adalah diri kita sendiri. Pemikiran kita. Andai perkara negative sudah mula meracuni minda, ia akan makan diri secara perlahan-lahan andai tidak dicari penawarnya. Kesian melihat betapa sukarnya Brystal untuk menepis hal-hal negative yang datang dari pemikirannya sendiri.
Antara yang SH suka dalam naskah ini adalah keakraban hubungan Brystal dan rakan-rakannya. Walaupun ada masa bergaduh, ada masa menjauhkan diri namun mereka saling menyokong satu sama lain.
Kekuasaan adalah racun bagi yang terlalu menginginkannya. Mereka sanggup melakukan apa sahaja untuk memastikan kuasa berada di tangan mereka.
Perkara yang paling susah untuk kita lawan adalah diri kita sendiri. Pemikiran kita. Andai perkara negative sudah mula meracuni minda, ia akan makan diri secara perlahan-lahan andai tidak dicari penawarnya. Kesian melihat betapa sukarnya Brystal untuk menepis hal-hal negative yang datang dari pemikirannya sendiri.
Antara yang SH suka dalam naskah ini adalah keakraban hubungan Brystal dan rakan-rakannya. Walaupun ada masa bergaduh, ada masa menjauhkan diri namun mereka saling menyokong satu sama lain.
Kekuasaan adalah racun bagi yang terlalu menginginkannya. Mereka sanggup melakukan apa sahaja untuk memastikan kuasa berada di tangan mereka.
February 4, 2021
Ahhhh what a book! If and when ever i make a list of my favorite books, this one and its prequel will go right next to harry potter series.
A Tale of Magic has been completely individual novel. You can read it without any background info and you can finish it without needing further details. It had a proper ending which doesn't make you expect a sequel.
But A tale of witchcraft is completely different from that.. (Its basically shouting where's the prequelllll- where's the sequelllll)
A tale of witchcraft got a very phenomenal story with relatable characters. And overall enjoyable book with an open ending. Chris colfer made it very clear that there will be another book following this one and also he made sure we readers will wait eagerly to read that. I mean, come on... Who could've guessed those plot twists hitting us one after another right in the face! Seven, Righteous brotherhood, Lucy's rebellion, old billy, death personified!!! I got flabbergasted more that 3 times.
Most fun part was when i read it with ishan(my 10 year old son)we ended up giggling madly each time lucy appeared and he went all blushing when there was a hint of romance in the air. As before, i loved lucy with all her flaws. In fact i like Lucy's character more than brystal herself. And the new characters of witchcraft school are also fun and interesting.
Eagerly waiting for A tale of sorcery!
_________
Lines to remember-
The only thing in life that lasts forever is the fact that nothing lasts forever," Madame Weatherberry said. “Just like the weather, people have seasons, too—we all go through periods of rain and sunshine-but we can't let a particularly rough winter destroy our faith in the spring, otherwise we'll always be stuck in the snow."
_____________________
Misery is like an animal, it needs food to survive-so starve it. Surround yourself with art and beauty that brightens your darkest days. Listen to music and poetry that always fill the cracks of your broken heart. Read quotes and passages that can soothe and motivate you when you feel the most discouraged. Spend time with people who make you laugh and distract you from your troubles. Nourish your soul and hopefully the mind will follow. However, if you find you can't help yourself, there's no shame in asking others for help. Sometimes asking for help is just as heroic as giving it. There are treatments and therapies and counselors that you could benefit from-but no one finds answers if they're too afraid to ask the questions. Don't let your pride tell you otherwise.
- madam weatherberry - A tale of witchcraft
A Tale of Magic has been completely individual novel. You can read it without any background info and you can finish it without needing further details. It had a proper ending which doesn't make you expect a sequel.
But A tale of witchcraft is completely different from that.. (Its basically shouting where's the prequelllll- where's the sequelllll)
A tale of witchcraft got a very phenomenal story with relatable characters. And overall enjoyable book with an open ending. Chris colfer made it very clear that there will be another book following this one and also he made sure we readers will wait eagerly to read that. I mean, come on... Who could've guessed those plot twists hitting us one after another right in the face! Seven, Righteous brotherhood, Lucy's rebellion, old billy, death personified!!! I got flabbergasted more that 3 times.
Most fun part was when i read it with ishan(my 10 year old son)we ended up giggling madly each time lucy appeared and he went all blushing when there was a hint of romance in the air. As before, i loved lucy with all her flaws. In fact i like Lucy's character more than brystal herself. And the new characters of witchcraft school are also fun and interesting.
Eagerly waiting for A tale of sorcery!
_________
Lines to remember-
The only thing in life that lasts forever is the fact that nothing lasts forever," Madame Weatherberry said. “Just like the weather, people have seasons, too—we all go through periods of rain and sunshine-but we can't let a particularly rough winter destroy our faith in the spring, otherwise we'll always be stuck in the snow."
_____________________
Misery is like an animal, it needs food to survive-so starve it. Surround yourself with art and beauty that brightens your darkest days. Listen to music and poetry that always fill the cracks of your broken heart. Read quotes and passages that can soothe and motivate you when you feel the most discouraged. Spend time with people who make you laugh and distract you from your troubles. Nourish your soul and hopefully the mind will follow. However, if you find you can't help yourself, there's no shame in asking others for help. Sometimes asking for help is just as heroic as giving it. There are treatments and therapies and counselors that you could benefit from-but no one finds answers if they're too afraid to ask the questions. Don't let your pride tell you otherwise.
- madam weatherberry - A tale of witchcraft
September 30, 2021
Nachdem mich Chris Colfer mit seiner Land-of-Stories-Serie so richtig aus den Socken hauen konnte, hat er mir Anfang des Jahres auch mit dem ersten Band seiner neuen Fantasyreihe „Tale of Magic“ ein echtes Highlight bescheren können. Dem Erscheinen des zweiten Teils habe ich daher ganz ungeduldig entgegen gefiebert.
Brystal Evergreen und ihre Freunde haben die Welt gerettet und der magischen Gemeinschaft zu mehr Akzeptanz im ganzen Land verholfen. Brystal genießt nun ein hohes Ansehen und wird überall wie ein Star gefeiert, aber genießen kann sie das alles nicht. Sie hat ordentlich damit zu tun ihre vielen Pflichten als gute Fee zu erfüllen und den verschiedenen Königreichen bei ihren Problemen zu helfen. Das nächste Unheil soll zudem nicht lange auf warten sich lassen. Eines Tages taucht die mysteriöse Hexe Mistress Mara an der Akademie auf und versucht neue Schülerinnen für ihre Hexenschule zu rekrutieren. Und als wäre das nicht schon besorgniserregend genug, gerät Brystal dann auch noch in den Fokus eines jahrhundertealten Clans, der nur ein Ziel verfolgt: Sämtliche Magie im ganzen Land für immer auszumerzen.
Endlich habe ich mich auf meinen sehnsüchtig erwarteten Folgeband der Tale-of-Magic-Reihe stürzen können und tja, was soll ich sagen, auch dieser hat sich zu einem echten Highlight für mich entwickelt. Meine (äußerst hohen) Ansprüche konnten eindeutig vollends erfüllt werden. Mir hat es mal wieder wahnsinnig viel Freude bereitet in Chris Colfers märchenhafte Fantasywelt einzutauchen und mich von der Magie seiner Worte und seinem großen Ideenreichtum verzaubern zu lassen.
Ehe ich euch weiter berichte warum mir das Buch so gut gefallen hat, kurze Info an alle Neueinsteiger: Ich rate dringend mit dem Serienstart zu beginnen und danach erst zur Fortsetzung zu greifen. Die Bände bauen sehr aufeinander auf, es macht daher auf jeden Fall mehr Sinn sie in der chronologischen Reihenfolge zu lesen.
Da mir die Geschehnisse aus dem ersten Band zum Glück noch sehr präsent waren, habe ich mühelos in den zweiten Teil hineingefunden und einmal darin versunken, wollte ich am liebsten gar nicht mehr daraus auftauchen. Die Handlung konnte mich sofort packen und begeistern und der exzellente Schreibstil von Chris Colfer hat sich mal wieder angenehm flüssig für mich lesen lassen. Ich habe auch diesen Band regelrecht verschlungen und für meinen Geschmack viel zu schnell beendet.
Langeweile kam für mich dabei an keiner Stelle auf. Die Story kann mit jeder Menge spannungsreicher, dramatischer und unterhaltsamer Szenen aufwarten und die überraschenden Wendungen, Intrigen und Geheimnisse können sich ebenfalls sehen lassen. Man mag das Buch wirklich gar nicht mehr aus der Hand legen, da man so sehr ins Mitfiebern und Mitbibbern gerät und es einfach so viel Spaß macht.
Sehr gefreut hat mich, dass auch dieser Band viele tolle Botschaften, Themen und Werte enthält wie Gleichberechtigung, Akzeptanz und Toleranz, Freundschaft, Mut, Zusammenhalt, Verantwortung und das Hinauswachsen über sich selbst. Erstklassig verpackt in einem fesselnden Fantasyabenteuer werden all diese Dinge vermittelt und verleihen der Handlung eine genau richtige Portion Ernst und Tiefgang.
Was natürlich ebenfalls nicht zu kurz kommt: Die originellen Ideen. Chris Colfer hat seiner Fantasie wahrlich mal wieder ihren freien Lauf gelassen, sein Einfallsreichtum ist einfach nur zutiefst beeindruckend. So werden wir beispielsweise an neue wundervolle Orte mitgenommen wie der Ravenchest-Schule für Hexenkunst und dürfen die Bekanntschaft neuer außergewöhnlicher Charaktere machen. Natürlich verschlägt es uns aber auch an bekannte Schauplätze und zahlreiche vertraute Gesichter dürfen wir ebenso wieder begegnen.
Mit den Figuren hat mich Chris Colfer ganz klar wieder gänzlich überzeugen können. Ob alt oder neu – allesamt wurden sie mit viel Liebe, Witz und Charme ausgearbeitet.
Mich hat es tierisch gefreut auf viele alte Bekannte aus dem Vorgänger zu treffen wie Brystal, Lucy, Emerelda, Xanthous, Mandarina und Skylene und sie im Verlauf des Buches noch besser kennenlernen zu dürfen. Klasse fand ich auch, dass neben Brystal auch Lucy dieses Mal eine große und wichtige Rolle spielt und wir neben Brystals Erzählanteilen auch viele Passagen aus ihrer Sicht zu lesen bekommen. Da hat mir vor allem der Kontrast ausgesprochen gut gefallen. Brystal ist in diesem Band um einiges ernster und verbissener drauf – der hohe Druck und die enorme Verantwortung, die auf ihren Schultern lasten, seit sie die gute Fee ist, verlangen ihr fraglos eine Menge ab. Ich habe stellenweise richtig mit Brystal mitgelitten, sie zugleich aber auch sehr für ihre große Stärke und Tapferkeit bewundert.
Lucy ist ebenfalls eine starke Persönlichkeit, allerdings ist sie ein herrlich humorvoller Typ. Ich liebe ihre lustige und einmalige Art einfach, mir hat Lucy wieder so einige Gründe zum Schmunzeln geliefert.
Auch das Setting fand ich wieder brillant. Im Erschaffen von magischen Welten ist der Chris Colfer einfach ein wahrer Meister. Dank der bildhaften Beschreibungen hatte ich beim Lesen mal wieder das reinste Kopfkino und die märchenhaft-düstere Atmosphäre hat mich von Beginn an vollkommen in ihren Bann ziehen können.
Neben der Geschichte bin ich auch von der Gestaltung ganz hingerissen. Beim Cover war es bei mir Liebe auf den ersten Blick, ich finde es umwerfend. Die Bücher von dem Chris Colfer sind einfach allesamt die totalen Hingucker.
Der Innenteil des Buches ist aber ebenfalls wunderhübsch aufgemacht. Brandom Dorman hat auch die Kapitelanfänge in diesem Band mit zauberhaften schwarz-weiß Vignetten versehen, vorne im Buch gibt es wieder die doppelseitige Landkarte, die das Setting zeigt und das Vorsatzpapier ist traumhaft schön illustriert.
Enden tut das Buch ohne einen fiesen Cliffhanger, allerdings bleiben natürlich dennoch so einige Fragen offen, sodass man sich am liebsten sofort auf den nächsten Band stürzen möchte. Da heißt es aber leider noch ein kleines bisschen warten – die deutsche Übersetzung von Teil 3 wird voraussichtlich erst im kommenden Frühjahr erscheinen. Ich freue mich schon riesig drauf!
Da ich von Chris Colfers faszinierender Welt einfach nicht genug bekommen kann und neben dem Buch erfreulicherweise auch noch das Hörbuch des zweiten Bandes bei mir einziehen durfte, habe ich es mir nach dem Lesen sofort mit dem Audiobook gemütlich gemacht. Dass mir die Story inzwischen bekannt war, hat mir dabei in keinster Weise meine Hörfreude geraubt. Rufus Beck liest einfach mal wieder fantastisch – ich staune jedes Mal aufs Neue wie vielfältig seine Stimme ist. Er ist wirklich das reinste Stimmwunder. Und für diese Reihe ist er definitiv die perfekte Wahl. Mir hat es mal wieder unglaublich viel Vergnügen bereitet seiner lebendigen und atmosphärischen Vortragsweise zu lauschen.
Fazit: Eine grandiose Fortsetzung voller Spannung, Witz, Magie und Wunder!
Chris Colfer ist mit „Eine dunkle Verschwörung“ ein rundum gelungener Folgeband geglückt, der wie sein Vorgänger ein wahres Feuerwerk an genialen Ideen enthält und voller unvergleichlicher Charaktere und magischer Orte steckt. Mir hat der zweite Teil der Tale-of-Magic-Reihe genauso gut gefallen wie der erste. Ich bin absolut begeistert von dem Buch und auch mit dem Hörbuch habe ich eine wunderbare Zeit verbracht. Sprecher Rufus Beck beschert uns mit seiner großartigen Vortragsweise mal wieder den allerschönsten Hörgenuss.
Von mir gibt es eine große Lese- und Hörempfehlung und nur zu gerne volle 5 von 5 Sternen!
Brystal Evergreen und ihre Freunde haben die Welt gerettet und der magischen Gemeinschaft zu mehr Akzeptanz im ganzen Land verholfen. Brystal genießt nun ein hohes Ansehen und wird überall wie ein Star gefeiert, aber genießen kann sie das alles nicht. Sie hat ordentlich damit zu tun ihre vielen Pflichten als gute Fee zu erfüllen und den verschiedenen Königreichen bei ihren Problemen zu helfen. Das nächste Unheil soll zudem nicht lange auf warten sich lassen. Eines Tages taucht die mysteriöse Hexe Mistress Mara an der Akademie auf und versucht neue Schülerinnen für ihre Hexenschule zu rekrutieren. Und als wäre das nicht schon besorgniserregend genug, gerät Brystal dann auch noch in den Fokus eines jahrhundertealten Clans, der nur ein Ziel verfolgt: Sämtliche Magie im ganzen Land für immer auszumerzen.
Endlich habe ich mich auf meinen sehnsüchtig erwarteten Folgeband der Tale-of-Magic-Reihe stürzen können und tja, was soll ich sagen, auch dieser hat sich zu einem echten Highlight für mich entwickelt. Meine (äußerst hohen) Ansprüche konnten eindeutig vollends erfüllt werden. Mir hat es mal wieder wahnsinnig viel Freude bereitet in Chris Colfers märchenhafte Fantasywelt einzutauchen und mich von der Magie seiner Worte und seinem großen Ideenreichtum verzaubern zu lassen.
Ehe ich euch weiter berichte warum mir das Buch so gut gefallen hat, kurze Info an alle Neueinsteiger: Ich rate dringend mit dem Serienstart zu beginnen und danach erst zur Fortsetzung zu greifen. Die Bände bauen sehr aufeinander auf, es macht daher auf jeden Fall mehr Sinn sie in der chronologischen Reihenfolge zu lesen.
Da mir die Geschehnisse aus dem ersten Band zum Glück noch sehr präsent waren, habe ich mühelos in den zweiten Teil hineingefunden und einmal darin versunken, wollte ich am liebsten gar nicht mehr daraus auftauchen. Die Handlung konnte mich sofort packen und begeistern und der exzellente Schreibstil von Chris Colfer hat sich mal wieder angenehm flüssig für mich lesen lassen. Ich habe auch diesen Band regelrecht verschlungen und für meinen Geschmack viel zu schnell beendet.
Langeweile kam für mich dabei an keiner Stelle auf. Die Story kann mit jeder Menge spannungsreicher, dramatischer und unterhaltsamer Szenen aufwarten und die überraschenden Wendungen, Intrigen und Geheimnisse können sich ebenfalls sehen lassen. Man mag das Buch wirklich gar nicht mehr aus der Hand legen, da man so sehr ins Mitfiebern und Mitbibbern gerät und es einfach so viel Spaß macht.
Sehr gefreut hat mich, dass auch dieser Band viele tolle Botschaften, Themen und Werte enthält wie Gleichberechtigung, Akzeptanz und Toleranz, Freundschaft, Mut, Zusammenhalt, Verantwortung und das Hinauswachsen über sich selbst. Erstklassig verpackt in einem fesselnden Fantasyabenteuer werden all diese Dinge vermittelt und verleihen der Handlung eine genau richtige Portion Ernst und Tiefgang.
Was natürlich ebenfalls nicht zu kurz kommt: Die originellen Ideen. Chris Colfer hat seiner Fantasie wahrlich mal wieder ihren freien Lauf gelassen, sein Einfallsreichtum ist einfach nur zutiefst beeindruckend. So werden wir beispielsweise an neue wundervolle Orte mitgenommen wie der Ravenchest-Schule für Hexenkunst und dürfen die Bekanntschaft neuer außergewöhnlicher Charaktere machen. Natürlich verschlägt es uns aber auch an bekannte Schauplätze und zahlreiche vertraute Gesichter dürfen wir ebenso wieder begegnen.
Mit den Figuren hat mich Chris Colfer ganz klar wieder gänzlich überzeugen können. Ob alt oder neu – allesamt wurden sie mit viel Liebe, Witz und Charme ausgearbeitet.
Mich hat es tierisch gefreut auf viele alte Bekannte aus dem Vorgänger zu treffen wie Brystal, Lucy, Emerelda, Xanthous, Mandarina und Skylene und sie im Verlauf des Buches noch besser kennenlernen zu dürfen. Klasse fand ich auch, dass neben Brystal auch Lucy dieses Mal eine große und wichtige Rolle spielt und wir neben Brystals Erzählanteilen auch viele Passagen aus ihrer Sicht zu lesen bekommen. Da hat mir vor allem der Kontrast ausgesprochen gut gefallen. Brystal ist in diesem Band um einiges ernster und verbissener drauf – der hohe Druck und die enorme Verantwortung, die auf ihren Schultern lasten, seit sie die gute Fee ist, verlangen ihr fraglos eine Menge ab. Ich habe stellenweise richtig mit Brystal mitgelitten, sie zugleich aber auch sehr für ihre große Stärke und Tapferkeit bewundert.
Lucy ist ebenfalls eine starke Persönlichkeit, allerdings ist sie ein herrlich humorvoller Typ. Ich liebe ihre lustige und einmalige Art einfach, mir hat Lucy wieder so einige Gründe zum Schmunzeln geliefert.
Auch das Setting fand ich wieder brillant. Im Erschaffen von magischen Welten ist der Chris Colfer einfach ein wahrer Meister. Dank der bildhaften Beschreibungen hatte ich beim Lesen mal wieder das reinste Kopfkino und die märchenhaft-düstere Atmosphäre hat mich von Beginn an vollkommen in ihren Bann ziehen können.
Neben der Geschichte bin ich auch von der Gestaltung ganz hingerissen. Beim Cover war es bei mir Liebe auf den ersten Blick, ich finde es umwerfend. Die Bücher von dem Chris Colfer sind einfach allesamt die totalen Hingucker.
Der Innenteil des Buches ist aber ebenfalls wunderhübsch aufgemacht. Brandom Dorman hat auch die Kapitelanfänge in diesem Band mit zauberhaften schwarz-weiß Vignetten versehen, vorne im Buch gibt es wieder die doppelseitige Landkarte, die das Setting zeigt und das Vorsatzpapier ist traumhaft schön illustriert.
Enden tut das Buch ohne einen fiesen Cliffhanger, allerdings bleiben natürlich dennoch so einige Fragen offen, sodass man sich am liebsten sofort auf den nächsten Band stürzen möchte. Da heißt es aber leider noch ein kleines bisschen warten – die deutsche Übersetzung von Teil 3 wird voraussichtlich erst im kommenden Frühjahr erscheinen. Ich freue mich schon riesig drauf!
Da ich von Chris Colfers faszinierender Welt einfach nicht genug bekommen kann und neben dem Buch erfreulicherweise auch noch das Hörbuch des zweiten Bandes bei mir einziehen durfte, habe ich es mir nach dem Lesen sofort mit dem Audiobook gemütlich gemacht. Dass mir die Story inzwischen bekannt war, hat mir dabei in keinster Weise meine Hörfreude geraubt. Rufus Beck liest einfach mal wieder fantastisch – ich staune jedes Mal aufs Neue wie vielfältig seine Stimme ist. Er ist wirklich das reinste Stimmwunder. Und für diese Reihe ist er definitiv die perfekte Wahl. Mir hat es mal wieder unglaublich viel Vergnügen bereitet seiner lebendigen und atmosphärischen Vortragsweise zu lauschen.
Fazit: Eine grandiose Fortsetzung voller Spannung, Witz, Magie und Wunder!
Chris Colfer ist mit „Eine dunkle Verschwörung“ ein rundum gelungener Folgeband geglückt, der wie sein Vorgänger ein wahres Feuerwerk an genialen Ideen enthält und voller unvergleichlicher Charaktere und magischer Orte steckt. Mir hat der zweite Teil der Tale-of-Magic-Reihe genauso gut gefallen wie der erste. Ich bin absolut begeistert von dem Buch und auch mit dem Hörbuch habe ich eine wunderbare Zeit verbracht. Sprecher Rufus Beck beschert uns mit seiner großartigen Vortragsweise mal wieder den allerschönsten Hörgenuss.
Von mir gibt es eine große Lese- und Hörempfehlung und nur zu gerne volle 5 von 5 Sternen!
April 8, 2024
➳ 4 ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚
i liked this one! not as much as a tale of magic but it was close.
also, fun fact, i was one of the first people to preorder this from barnes and noble and got to be on a zoom event with chris colfer himself + got sent a signed copy so that makes this book extra special 🎀
but yes i liked this a lot and i enjoyed lucy (mother goose, yay!) in this one and the witches made it interesting ✨
୧ ‧₊˚ 🍓 ⋅ ☆
i liked this one! not as much as a tale of magic but it was close.
also, fun fact, i was one of the first people to preorder this from barnes and noble and got to be on a zoom event with chris colfer himself + got sent a signed copy so that makes this book extra special 🎀
but yes i liked this a lot and i enjoyed lucy (mother goose, yay!) in this one and the witches made it interesting ✨
୧ ‧₊˚ 🍓 ⋅ ☆
Read
July 11, 2020I love this book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2021
Als großer Fan der Land of Stories Reihe von Chris Colfer musste ich natürlich auch seine neue Reihe lesen. Band 1 der Tale of Magic Reihe hat mir schon sehr gut gefallen. Wieder eine magische Welt, aber mit sozialkritischen Ansätzen, die mitschwingen, aber nicht die Geschichte dominieren. Außerdem fand ich das Zusammenspiel der Charaktere gelungen.
Meine Erwartungen an Band 2 waren dementsprechend hoch und konnten leider nicht völlig gehalten werden. Zum einen hat mir das besondere Etwas in der Geschichte gefehlt, ein Highlight. Es gab durchaus einen roten Faden und eine schlüssige Handlung. Aber irgendwie fehlte mir da noch etwas, für mich ein Problem, welches oft bei zwischen bzw. zweiten Bänden auftaucht. Die Geschichte hat ein bisschen ihren Schwung verloren.
Aber dies ist nur ein kleiner Kritikpunkt und vermutlich waren meine Erwartungen auch viel zu hoch, wofür das Buch ja nichts kann. Flüssig zu lesen war es wie gewohnt bei Chris Colfer und es entstand wieder ein wunderbares Kopfkino. Der Autor schafft es einfach, dass man sich seine magischen Welten vortrefflich vorstellen kann. Besonders gut haben mir die Szenen bei den Hexen gefallen, teilweise etwas gruselig und bedrohlich, da lag so eine Spannung in der Luft. Besonders da man nicht wusste was als nächstes passiert und eine unterschwellige Gefahr gelauert hat.
Schön fand ich auch das Zwischenspiel zwischen Lucy und Brystal, der guten Fee. Was die eine zu viel hat, hat die andere zu wenig, so ergänzen sie sich super. Nur einzeln fand ich sie manchmal etwas anstrengend in ein paar Szenen. Lucy sorgt einfach gerne für Ärger und Brystal will es allen recht machen und ist so ein Übermensch, okay, sie ist auch die gute Fee. So fand ich es erfrischend, als sich bei ihr negative Gedanken eingestellt haben, das verlieh ihrem Charakter etwas Menschlicheres.
Fazit:
Auch wenn ich den zweiten Teil von Tale of Magic in der Summe etwas schwächer als seinen Vorgänger fand, so hat mir das Lesen trotzdem große Freude bereitet.
Chris Colfer konnte mich wieder vortrefflich in seine magische Welt entführen und ich hatte ein grandioses Kopfkino.
Ich freue mich nun auf den Abschluss der Reihe und kann die Tale of Magic Reihe auch allen Fans der Land of Stories Bände empfehlen.
August 13, 2024
this was not as good as the first book, but was still fun nonetheless. i was able to read it in a day! the book just truly flies, i don’t know how Chris Colfer does that every time.
in my review for the first book in the series, I talk about the very big sense of politicalness and strong, strong, underlying tone of activism, and it’s overall preachiness. this one definitely tones it down, but the allegory and activismness (that’s not a word i know 😭) is so obviously still there.
first, let’s backtrack a little. Magic is now legal in the world of this book and is now even becoming normalized and people are realizing how great it is. however, there is an extremist group called the Righteous Brotherhood who absolutely hate magic and have a philosophy that all things have to go in order with natural order. Ahem ahem, the author is obviously trying to portray the “far right, hateful, conservative, bigots” as the righteous brotherhood. basically I’m sensing is that although magic is legalized there r people who don’t support its normalization, drawing parallels that although being gay is normalized there r people who still don’t support it.
AGAIN with the activism and politics in a children’s book. Tbh, i just wanted a fun fantasy book to get lost in and not have to worry about my problems, but I wasn’t able to do that with this book because of the obvious allegory.
PLEASE don’t be putting stuff so far over the heads of children in a book for elementary schoolers. and I feel like the author’s constant pep-talks in the book with using the characters was just shoving down the message that he wanted to give down my throat like 100 times. i get it dude.
okay yeah that’s it, although i’ve read this and the first book in the series, i haven’t read “A Tale of Sorcery” yet and i will be reading that next!
in my review for the first book in the series, I talk about the very big sense of politicalness and strong, strong, underlying tone of activism, and it’s overall preachiness. this one definitely tones it down, but the allegory and activismness (that’s not a word i know 😭) is so obviously still there.
first, let’s backtrack a little. Magic is now legal in the world of this book and is now even becoming normalized and people are realizing how great it is. however, there is an extremist group called the Righteous Brotherhood who absolutely hate magic and have a philosophy that all things have to go in order with natural order. Ahem ahem, the author is obviously trying to portray the “far right, hateful, conservative, bigots” as the righteous brotherhood. basically I’m sensing is that although magic is legalized there r people who don’t support its normalization, drawing parallels that although being gay is normalized there r people who still don’t support it.
AGAIN with the activism and politics in a children’s book. Tbh, i just wanted a fun fantasy book to get lost in and not have to worry about my problems, but I wasn’t able to do that with this book because of the obvious allegory.
PLEASE don’t be putting stuff so far over the heads of children in a book for elementary schoolers. and I feel like the author’s constant pep-talks in the book with using the characters was just shoving down the message that he wanted to give down my throat like 100 times. i get it dude.
okay yeah that’s it, although i’ve read this and the first book in the series, i haven’t read “A Tale of Sorcery” yet and i will be reading that next!
September 30, 2022
I’m loving this series so much, just as I knew I would. His writing just gets better each book he writes, which is crazy. This 1 went darker even, & I loved it. Had a big witchy vibe that I ate up of course. This has new adventures & dangers, & our favorite characters from the 1st, & some new favs, as well as a whole new threat. These are so just so gripping, entertaining, magical, imaginative, & full of so many amazing underlying messages/themes as well. We see another school, a lot darker just like this 2nd story itself, & I loved it. Another highly atmospheric read. Having the best time with some of the best characters ever. I love Lucy still lol. She’s a hoot & a half lol. HIGHLY recommend. Another STUNNING cover by Brandon Dorman too. Also another BEAUTIFUL naked hardback. Swipe to see more.💜
January 21, 2021
"Every hurricane seems endless from the center of the storm."
Thank you, Chris! For another awesome book. 🤗
Chris Colfer really has yet to disappoint me with one of his novels. This one is no exception. The writing brilliant, the characters all so very different and amazing in their own way. The story is about friendship, magic, mental illness, being different, finding your own way in the world. There were twists I didn't see coming, references to The Land of Stories, amazing character development...
Why not 5 stars, I hear you asking. There were parts in this book that made reading really difficult. It's not the author's fault for not making this more enjoyable, it's the matter of what he writes about. Selfdoubt, depression. It's important to have books like this covering these topics but I really had to fight my way through these passages. They aren't supposed to be light reading (I had some difficulty to see this as a children's book at some point), I know that. It's important they aren't because the character has the same feelings. It's difficult just to live. Cris Colfer really let's the reader feel it. Plus, the chapters from Lucy's POV weren't exactly my cup of tea either, she's just not my favorite character and I find it difficult to be around her too much.
Right now, I just want the next installment in my hands, I'm completely in love with Chris Colfer's work and the world with all the characters he created.
December 22, 2020
So, not as good as the first. But I have hopes for the next book!
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