Filosofia Movimento filosofico tendente a rivalutare l’esistenza obiettiva del reale, soprattutto contro il soggettivismo della filosofia idealistica.

In Book 2 of a three book series, things are dire for the inhabitants of Castle Gloom and the surrounding villages. The undead are leaving their graves in droves, a troll army is on the march from the north, and people are mysteriously disappearing from their homes. The people of Gehenna are blaming their misfortunes on Lilith Shadow, their young queen. They believe she ha In Book 2 of a three book series, things are dire for the inhabitants of Castle Gloom and the surrounding villages. The undead are leaving their graves in droves, a troll army is on the march from the north, and people are mysteriously disappearing from their homes. The people of Gehenna are blaming their misfortunes on Lilith Shadow, their young queen. They believe she has cursed them by using magic, a practice forbidden to women.

With her trusty executioner among the missing and her blackguard soldiers busy battling trolls, it is up to Lily and her friend Thorn to root out the real cause of all the trouble. Their search will uncover ugly truths and eventually lead to a nightmarish confrontation with nothing less than the rulership of the realm at stake. Zombies, ghosts, trolls, dream weavers, a black-hearted villain, and a giant hero bat are only some of the imaginative delights that await readers who relish a soaring adventure combined with a hair-raising mystery. Dear David, So sorry for the delay, I didn't expect anyone to be asking about Dream Magic yet! First, many thanks, I'm so chuffed you and family Dear David, So sorry for the delay, I didn't expect anyone to be asking about Dream Magic yet! First, many thanks, I'm so chuffed you and family enjoyed it!

Second I am over in the US in a few weeks on tour with Boston, Washington, NYC, Chicago, Bellingham and Texas on the list. The details of some of the locations are on the ShadowMagicSaga FB page. If you could make the events, that would be best, otherwise contact the bookstore organizing the event and order a signed copy. I'm at Books of Wonder in NYC, and Blue Willow Books in Houston, so contacting either of then would be a good start.

An excellent sequel to Khan's first book 'Shadow Magic'. This installment follows the adventures of Lily Shadow, the 12-year-old queen of the ghosts and ghouls of the Shadow Realm and Thorn, a son of the forest and an advocate of all things natural. A wayward sorcerer is on the loose, and his attacks threaten to send all six empires into war. Lily and Thorn use their unique talents to make amends to the past as well as ensuring a brighter future. But maybe not too bright. The series will continue An excellent sequel to Khan's first book 'Shadow Magic'.

This installment follows the adventures of Lily Shadow, the 12-year-old queen of the ghosts and ghouls of the Shadow Realm and Thorn, a son of the forest and an advocate of all things natural. A wayward sorcerer is on the loose, and his attacks threaten to send all six empires into war. Lily and Thorn use their unique talents to make amends to the past as well as ensuring a brighter future. But maybe not too bright. The series will continue which means there will be a lot more trouble that needs to be sorted out in the future. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed the second installment in the Shadow Magic series. The characters continued on journeys that seemed organic and true, and the plot was different and exciting. This was a great book. In the beginning, I did have a little bit of trouble getting going while reading, because it seemed like there were a bunch of different things just going on and happening to Lilly and Thorn, and nothing really seemed related.

I felt like I was still waiting for the story to really get started and I was alre I enjoyed the second installment in the Shadow Magic series. The characters continued on journeys that seemed organic and true, and the plot was different and exciting. This was a great book. In the beginning, I did have a little bit of trouble getting going while reading, because it seemed like there were a bunch of different things just going on and happening to Lilly and Thorn, and nothing really seemed related. I felt like I was still waiting for the story to really get started and I was already 1/3 of the way into the book. Then everything snapped into place, and I was like, 'Oh!' I also liked that, while part of the mystery of the book took a while to solve, once important clues were revealed, Lilly and Thorn figured it out immediately.

I really did enjoy reading this book, and would recommend it to others, from late elementary all the way up. The adventure, mystery, magic, and friendship in this story make it a wonderful read. This review and many more can be found on my blog: Dream Magic is great fun and highly imaginative. I wish I’d read the first book on the series, though—when the book was offered to me, I was told it was the second in a series, but that it was a standalone, and that was sort of true, in the sense that it had it’s own story arc, but it was definitely a continuation of the first book. On the positive side, it wasn’t confusing at all—Khan did a great job of “reminding” re This review and many more can be found on my blog: Dream Magic is great fun and highly imaginative.

I wish I’d read the first book on the series, though—when the book was offered to me, I was told it was the second in a series, but that it was a standalone, and that was sort of true, in the sense that it had it’s own story arc, but it was definitely a continuation of the first book. On the positive side, it wasn’t confusing at all—Khan did a great job of “reminding” readers what had already happened, but I was missing a connection to those events (and the characters that went with them). Still, considering that, it’s actually amazing that I enjoyed the book so much—which is a testament to Khan’s storytelling skills. What Fed My Addiction: Complete story arc. I mentioned this above, but it’s worth repeating because I think this is a fantastic feature in a MG series.

Though the story very obviously is a continuation of book one, it has its own complete story arc. There is a new villain introduced and that villain’s story is resolved (with room for the possibility of continuation) by the end. If other MG readers are anything like my kids (especially my son when he was that age), this is key. My son as a middle schooler had a short attention span. He might pick up a series and start reading it again completely out of order. He also might binge-read a whole series or wait six months to read the next books.

Series like these where each book can stand alone are (but are still very much a cohesive series) are perfect for him! Darkly different. I loved the supernatural creatures in this story and the way that Khan balances making them mostly harmless but still keeping them spooky. For instance, the zombies don’t go around attacking people for their brains—but they apparently do like to eat them. Plus, they’re decomposing and keep needing to be sewn back together. And they’re not great communicators (their speech sounds pretty much like moans and groans).

I thought that this was a fun way to play with these supernatural characters and keep them very creepy without being truly horrific. There were lots of creatures too—ghosts, zombies, trolls (who were sort of seen as the enemy, but there were a few allies as well). And Lily’s obvious love for all her “people” was charming. The consequences of magic. One of the biggest themes of this book is Lily trying to learn how to control her magic and the consequences when she uses it. The people in her kingdom believe that a female who uses magic is a curse, so at first she has to hide her ability—but it soon becomes necessary to show the world. Every time Lily uses her magic, though (especially in her relative ignorance), it drains her and, even more importantly, it changes her.

Since she doesn’t know what all the consequences will be, she has to be very careful. Of course, caution isn’t always possible when you’re being attacked by supernatural creatures!! What Left Me Hungry for More: Little bit of a slow start.

The beginning of the book felt a teensy bit slow to me, but I think the main reason for that was because it was establishing where these characters had ended up and the state of the kingdom after the last book. It was great to have that information, but since I wasn’t connected to those events or characters yet, it took me a little while to feel truly engaged. The action didn’t pick up until about a third of the way through the book when the first threat really showed up. This was a fun, slightly dark (but not at all too dark) middle grade read. I highly recommend reading the first book instead of jumping in at this second installment. I waffled a little bit on my rating for this one between 3.5 and 4 stars but ended up landing on 4/5 stars because I’m fairly certain that if I had read the first book, I would have easily given it 4 stars.

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***. Lily and Thorn face another, really nasty challenge, this time without much help from her ghost dad, Iblis. Lily discovers that her nasty grandfather had some unknown nastiness left that is going to give her real problems.

This was a creative, wonderful book and it is only my fear of spiders that drives down the stars from 4 to 3. I agree that the type of spider used was creative, but librarians, if you know that a patron is afraid of spiders, do not hand them this book! Thorn and Lily are begin Lily and Thorn face another, really nasty challenge, this time without much help from her ghost dad, Iblis. Lily discovers that her nasty grandfather had some unknown nastiness left that is going to give her real problems. This was a creative, wonderful book and it is only my fear of spiders that drives down the stars from 4 to 3.

I agree that the type of spider used was creative, but librarians, if you know that a patron is afraid of spiders, do not hand them this book! Thorn and Lily are beginning to see past the prejudices of class and rank and suspect that they really like each other.

Although apart for most of the book, they are working together and against most people's prejudices, particularly of trolls. Dott is a wonderful character, and I have to admit I'm rather glad to see Mary back in the story to show the power of forgiveness.

I'm looking forward to the next one but I really hope we are done with the type of spider used in this installment! A quick addition to praise Hyperion for stunning cover art! Oh, all right, for the sake of the cover and excellent story, I'll raise it to four stars, rounding up from 3.5! Readers who loved Shadow Magic, Kahn's hero's journey featuring a peasant hero, goth princess, zombies, and giant flying bats, will want to read this sequel. Now that Lilly and Thorn have saved her kingdom from her evil uncle, there's still plenty of work to do--especially with troll attacks on the rise and Tyburn, the royal executioner, missing. Unsure of herself and what others will think of her magical abilities, Lilly spends much of her time consulting the ghost of her father, until someone Readers who loved Shadow Magic, Kahn's hero's journey featuring a peasant hero, goth princess, zombies, and giant flying bats, will want to read this sequel. Now that Lilly and Thorn have saved her kingdom from her evil uncle, there's still plenty of work to do--especially with troll attacks on the rise and Tyburn, the royal executioner, missing.

Unsure of herself and what others will think of her magical abilities, Lilly spends much of her time consulting the ghost of her father, until someone steals the key to the library where she meets him. It soon becomes apparent that someone is manipulating the various kingdoms to fight against each other. With the help of the Solar executioner (who's trying to rescue the spoiled Gabriel Solar), Thorn and Lilly take the lead in saving the kingdom from this new, extremely dangerous, threat. Kahn's ability to turn the traditional fantasy types on their head continues to make this a world readers will want to return to. Besides being a lot of fun, there are rewarding and complex examinations of worthwhile themes such as good vs. Evil, courage, and redemption.

*digital review copy from NetGalley. Thank you Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an ARC. I was a little nervous going into Dream Magic because I loved Shadow Magic so much. It can be difficult to follow up a great first book and still meet expectations, but Dream Magic didn't disappoint. I absolutely love this world and the characters that inhabit it (especially Hades). I love how Thorn is a dose of practicality amongst some of the crazy that happens, and Lily is still the sweetest Princess of Darkness I've ever met. The w Thank you Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an ARC.

I was a little nervous going into Dream Magic because I loved Shadow Magic so much. It can be difficult to follow up a great first book and still meet expectations, but Dream Magic didn't disappoint. I absolutely love this world and the characters that inhabit it (especially Hades). I love how Thorn is a dose of practicality amongst some of the crazy that happens, and Lily is still the sweetest Princess of Darkness I've ever met. The world building is solid, and Lily is a wonderfully strong, yet flawed, character. She's learning as she goes, she admits to being afraid and unsure of her steps, but she's determined to do what's best for the people of her country.

I've enjoyed watching her grow through the first two books. Anxiously awaiting the third book, as I can't help but suspect certain things might be in the works and I would love to see them come to fruition.

Already recommended that my library purchase it for their collection, and I have every intention of owning my own personal copy as soon as I can. When Dream Magic was sent to me for review, I was intrigued.

The cover art by Ben Hibon is stunning, and after a quick flip through the pages, I was delighted to find that more of the superbly intricate and uniquely dark illustrations were included. My only complaint about these drawings is that there are so few – they are spread throughout the book almost like the tease of freshly baked bread wafting from a French bakery as you pass by, leaving my mouth watering as I craved more.

The talented i When Dream Magic was sent to me for review, I was intrigued. The cover art by Ben Hibon is stunning, and after a quick flip through the pages, I was delighted to find that more of the superbly intricate and uniquely dark illustrations were included. My only complaint about these drawings is that there are so few – they are spread throughout the book almost like the tease of freshly baked bread wafting from a French bakery as you pass by, leaving my mouth watering as I craved more. The talented illustrator has many impressive credits attached to his resume; most notably for readers is his contribution to the animation direction of The Tale of The Three Brothers in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

The cover is as alluring as it is mystical, with shadows oozing from every corner and crevice, and an eerie white light hovering over the character’s heads. I was hooked. I was eager to crack this book open and reveal the secrets hidden within, already curious about the archer and apparent witch featured on the front cover, who seem to be teaming up against something that appeared to be spiders made from crystal. But before I entered into the world of Dream Magic, I did my due diligence, as I do with any book I am about to begin, and discovered that this was actually the second book of a mid-grade fantasy series. I have to admit, learning that this was a series made me even more excited. I know that series that are not already published in their completion can sometimes put readers off, as they are afraid of getting caught up in a story only to have to wait an undeterminable amount of time for the next book to be published, but I’m hoping that’s not the case with this particular set of books. The first book, Shadow Magic, came out in April of 2016 and this second book is due to be out for general sale next Monday.

So here’s hoping that the trend continues and author Joshua Khan can crank another book out by this time next year. My goal this year with my blog is to feature a review and a recommendation each week and not repeat authors all year long. I’ve found that this is going to be a lot harder than I’d originally thought.

While, yes, I’ve read literally 1000’s of books, I’ve noticed that what I love most is getting caught up in a series and falling into a deep and meaningful cadence with a set of characters. I love watching them grow up and evolve. I love the transitions of relationships and the familiarity that serial books can lend. And as a result of my attachments to serial literature, I tend to read the same authors over and over.

I was happy to have a new author thrown into my mix. I’m always on the hunt for a good book in this age bracket, as I have two children in it. Shadow Magic is the tale of two characters set on a parallel path. Thorn is the 12-year old son of an assumed outlaw.

But don’t let his age fool you. Thorn has grown up rough and tough, and he has a mouth to match.

After his father took the blame for a crime Thorn committed, he had to leave the family home and strike out as far away as he could, leading the law away from his wife and children. Thorn waited as long as he could after his father’s hasty departure, but his guilt and shame over what he’d done to break up his family overtook his sense of reason and he had to follow.

Instead of catching up to his dad, he is instead captured and sold into slavery – but not for long. He’s bought by a man named Tyburn, the executioner of House Shadow, rulers of the people in the faraway land of Gehenna. Thorn reluctantly travels with the quiet and esteemed executioner to a city that celebrates and honors their dead, and he tries not to become too offended at the strange customs of this dark land. But as is his lot in life, Thorn’s mouth keeps landing him in trouble.

Lily Shadow is an orphan, and has gone from being a typical and, moody 13-year old girl to the ruler of the land. The role of Lady Shadow was never one she intended to have, as she was the youngest child. But since her parents and brother have been murdered by a team of bandits and her family line ends with her, it is up to Lily to take command over everyone and everything, and it is not a task that is to be taken lightly. She’s feeling daunted by the task at hand – her impending marriage to a son of a rival House, but there are problems much closer at hand.

Thorn and Lily’s adventures in Shadow Magic are fast-paced and richly written, and I cannot say enough good things about it. I was thrilled to find a book that I know my son will bite into this summer. Dream Magic picks up right where its predecessor leaves off, throwing us into yet another set of obstacles wrought with magic and deception. It looks like trolls are beginning to attack the citizens of Gehenna, or are they? Several houses have been broken into and their inhabitants carted off. But the work of trolls is usually a lot messier and with a lot less mystery.

Thorn and his band of squires are in the midst of investigating the ongoing problem, but there’s another issue surrounding the castle and it’s lands – zombies. Ever since Lily performed the forbidden art of magic weeks ago, more and more of the dead are becoming UN-dead, and it’s becoming a cumbersome dilemma. What is Lily supposed to do with all of these “new” subjects? Where will they live and how will they make a living when they are literally falling apart around themselves?

And if Thorn doesn’t have enough on his full plate already, the constant train of suitors lining up for Lily’s affections are a burr in his side. Not that he’s into her that way – of course not! – but he’s getting tired of having to appease and bow down to yet another lord around the castle. With every “m’lord” that comes out of his mouth, he is reminding of his peasant lineage. And now Gabriel Solar – everyone’s favorite brat – is back with a new set of grievances, not to mention the curious alchemist from another distant land that’s poking around. Everything is complicated, including the unspoken feelings swirling around and between Thorn and Lily, but the problems around the castle are taking up too much of their time for any exploration. Lily knows she’s not supposed to practice magic.

She knows it’s forbidden. But there has never been a ruler of the Land of Shadows who wasn’t a sorcerer, and she feels like it’s an important trade to learn. And now that she knows she’s halfway good at it, there really is no turning back.

She spends night after night holed up in the Shadow Library, practicing her skills under the careful and encouraging eye of her father’s ghost. But it’s scary to think of how her people would treat her if they knew the truth. Women who are caught conjuring enchantments and illusions are historically put to the stake to burn, and she can’t imagine that she would be considered any different – even if she is the current Lady Shadow. But after a strange encounter with a disfigured Court Jester in disguise, Lily is left locked out of the library and sealed off from her teacher and father, pulling her carefully maintained magical teachings up to a screeching halt. Why did the stranger care so much about the box of her father’s old and random correspondence he stole from the library?

And why did he steal the key, locking the door to the library for who knows how long? Lily hardly has time to process the incident; news is traveling across Gehenna of a Troll King and an army making their way towards the castle, and she knows she doesn’t have enough guards and military to withstand a fight like that. Especially not with their leader, Tyburn the feared executioner, out of commission. Thorn’s suspicions were correct. It wasn’t a band of trolls who have been carrying on in the countryside and terrorizing the folk of Gehenna. The culprits are actually crystalized spiders who upon biting their victim, send the fated person into a deep and dreamy sleep. But who is so desperate to put the citizens of the land to sleep, and why?

Where are they being hidden, and how can he rescue them? Can he do it before the trolls bring war? Fans of Harry Potter, How to Train Your Dragon, and Hotel Transylvania will be delighted with this new fantasy series.

In a land full of magic, a giant flying bat, a hero with a smart mouth, and a determined female ruler, Dream Magic will keep readers of all ages turning the page in an anxious quest for more. What I loved most about this book was how it spoke to so many ages AND to both boys and girls. I have a 13 year-old daughter and never have a hard time finding books for her to read, but my 11-year old son is another story. We’ve flown through Percy Jackson, The Jedi Academy, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but he always needs something more, and doesn’t latch onto books that are solely female driven. Dream Magic is unique in that it has both a boy and a girl starring as the hero; both with equal billing and equal page time.

The story is vividly written and thrilling, with no lull in the plot (which means that the young readers aren’t going to get bored, which I appreciate). I especially loved the scenes featuring Thorn riding his bat – the ever-opinionated Hades – and how both Thorn and Lily were always so quick to think of things from different angles. Any time a problem came up, they would combat it with a mixture of common sense and ingenuity, always using violence as a last resort. I recommend this book for readers ages 8 and up, and for boys and girls alike. I give Dream Magic 5 out of 5 stars.

Look for it next week when it hits bookstores, libraries, and online markets near you. I am so enjoying this series, and so far every student who has read it has asked when am I going to get the next book. They are also excited about it which is always a good sign that the author has hit all of the right notes with a book. This book comes out today in fact, so I will be adding it to my school library very soon. The author continues to amaze me with his imagination. Those spiders on the cover are quite creepy and the main cause of all of the issues in this story. I've never been a b I am so enjoying this series, and so far every student who has read it has asked when am I going to get the next book.

They are also excited about it which is always a good sign that the author has hit all of the right notes with a book. This book comes out today in fact, so I will be adding it to my school library very soon. The author continues to amaze me with his imagination.

Those spiders on the cover are quite creepy and the main cause of all of the issues in this story. I've never been a big fan of spiders, but now I'm even more wary of them, especially if the glow and look like crystal. The dream magic is also fascinating and something I haven't encountered before, although references to Sleeping Beauty are made, there really is very little that is the same. Thorn and Lily continue to tell the story from their points of view and their friendship continues to grow. I have to remind myself that they are only 12 and 13, as they often act more mature.

The differences in their social status doesn't bother them at all either which I really like and I think sends a nice message. Also Thorn comments every now and then that he isn't smart because he can't read or write well, but can you can tell that he really is smart in his own way by how he figures things out. He is also very kindhearted even to zombies, considering that the country he comes from is so totally different from Gehenna. We learn a little bit more about the history of the different countries in this world and we meet some more people from some of them. I hope at some point that maybe Thorn and Lily will get to journey to the other countries as well.

A nice addition to the story is Dott, a troll girl that befriends Lily and is sort of her maid and bodyguard. I hope she sticks around and we see more of her in the next book. Speaking of next books, I am hoping there is one or more than one. This is a very imaginative world with some great characters that kids really seem to enjoy. I will definitely keep my eye out for the next one. I somehow accidentally left 1 star when I tried to click 'Want to read'!

However, that earned me a reply from the author, so I'm going to leave it!, but as a 5 star! I will write an actual review just as soon as I get the opportunity to read it! So I guess it's finally time that I get around to giving my thoughts on this book. Sequels have a difficult time living up to the original. In the first book, everything is brand new, even the main characters.

You can liken it to the legendary new car sme I somehow accidentally left 1 star when I tried to click 'Want to read'! However, that earned me a reply from the author, so I'm going to leave it!, but as a 5 star! I will write an actual review just as soon as I get the opportunity to read it!

So I guess it's finally time that I get around to giving my thoughts on this book. Sequels have a difficult time living up to the original.

In the first book, everything is brand new, even the main characters. You can liken it to the legendary new car smell, in book form. With that said, this book does a great job not only fleshing out the remaining Gehenna that was not covered in the first offering, but also adds charming new characters. I am also a big fan of the way Josh sees magic, both in the world he has created and in the laws governing its usage.

If you are looking for a mystical fantasy that brings flips stereotypes on its heads, this is the book for you. In a book that challenges you to explore the light in a world of shadows, you cheer for a heroine that fights to make her name on history books that are pockmarked with old fashioned traditions and backwards stereotypes. Team her up with a boy who is a magnet for trouble and perhaps one or two more larger than life comrades and you've got the perfect recipe for a grand adventure.

I can't even hint at my favorite part without spoiling everything, but this book is well worth the read. Dream Magic takes place shortly after the events of Shadow Magic.

The would-be assassin has been caught and Lily and Thorn are acclimating to their roles in Gehenna. In Shadow Magic, Lily tore open the Veil separating the land of the living from the dead and now has to deal with the consequences, zombies and spirits are roaming throughout Gehenna. She has been meeting with her father's ghost who can only appear in the library and attempts to learn how to control her shadow magic. While Lily is t Dream Magic takes place shortly after the events of Shadow Magic. The would-be assassin has been caught and Lily and Thorn are acclimating to their roles in Gehenna. In Shadow Magic, Lily tore open the Veil separating the land of the living from the dead and now has to deal with the consequences, zombies and spirits are roaming throughout Gehenna.

She has been meeting with her father's ghost who can only appear in the library and attempts to learn how to control her shadow magic. While Lily is the ruler of Gehenna, she also has restrictions placed on her that keep her from using magic, including an ancient curse that forbids women from performing magic under the penalty of death.

Yet, Lily is strong willed and uses her magic to save Thorn, even if it causes her people to fear her and leads to some unwelcome side effects. Thorn meanwhile is searching the countryside with Hades for the source for the recent mysterious disappearances of people and attacks in the nearby villages, which is suspected to be due to trolls advancing on Gehenna.

Lily is then attacked and her precious skeleton key (which allows her to enter the library) is stolen by a mysterious man called the Dreamweaver, she and Thorn learn that he has an army of jewel spiders and plans to use them to gain control over Gehenna and exact revenge on Lily's family. I really wish this series was getting more recognition, it's such a lovely fantasy and delightfully creepy while having a nice balance between the darker story elements (zombies and jewel spiders that come crawling out of dead bodies and who's bite puts you into a dream state) with these humorous and light moments. One of my favorites is a dinner party that Lily is holding and she has the zombies serving her guest's their soup. I love how despite Thorn finding it strange that Lily grew up with zombies for a nursemaid, and can commune and command the dead, they have a warm fondness and friendship with each other.

There's even an epic sky battle aboard a cloud ship where Thorn and Hades are put into danger, and I'm hoping we'll learn more about their bond in the next book in the series. Lily and Thorn struggle to help their friends, to do the right thing and there's the dynamics of two people who've lived very different lives. Shadow Magic and Dream Magic were such a fantastic enjoyable read for me and I can see myself revisiting this series again. I loved everything from the world, action, creepiness factor, to the characters, humor and the shadow magic itself. I also appreciated that Khan didn't end either of these books with a cliffhanger and although they could stand alone, I still wanted to re-read them both.

There's some lovely detailed prose, with the description of the Old Keep of Castle Gloom being one of my favorites, 'Seeds, drifting in from beyond the walls of Castle Gloom, had found fertile soil, and grown, undisturbed by mortals. Ivy crept over the battlements, thick, black, and shimmering with ice. Scarlet roses bloomed despite the snow, their heads hanging from worn statues like blood drops. Oak trees rose from the broken flagstones, their branches having brought down the walls and now spread out high and wide over the keep.' Did I mention that there are also really lovely illustrations? * Thank you to Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion for an E-Arc of Dream Magic in exchange for an honest review.*.

Where to begin with this book, except to say that I have enjoyed this series immensely. I know some of you are looking at this and saying UGH, Middle Grade Fantasy but this is so much more than your run of the mill Middle Grade anything. This book will have you completely enamored with the world and the characters, even down to the heroic, lovable, gigantic bat Hades. Dream Magic is the second book in the Shadow Magic series and is a fantastic addition to the Shadow Magic realm. I am absolutely Where to begin with this book, except to say that I have enjoyed this series immensely. I know some of you are looking at this and saying UGH, Middle Grade Fantasy but this is so much more than your run of the mill Middle Grade anything. This book will have you completely enamored with the world and the characters, even down to the heroic, lovable, gigantic bat Hades.

Dream Magic is the second book in the Shadow Magic series and is a fantastic addition to the Shadow Magic realm. I am absolutely lost enthralled with this world and these characters. Lily's strength, her wit, her desire to do what is right for her land and people. She's a 13 year old girl thrust into an almost impossible situation but she faces each new challenge with her head held high and the knowledge that while she may fumble things every now and again she is doing all she can to be everything her people need. She is putting aside her childhood to lead and to lead with grace, honor, and dignity.or at least as much of all that as a 13 year old girl can. Thorn.oh Thorn, he is the epitome of a hero. He comes from nothing (though I have to wonder how true that will be in the end), he is brave, he is a bit brash, he is daring and more than occasionally reckless.

He jokes of things like honor and station but he continually proves his honorable traits by caring for a land that is not his home, a people that do not always acknowledge his worth, and saving time and time again those that are well above his 'station' in life because he cares. I love Lily and Thorn together as well, they are clearly still children yet we watch them battle with more than monster, we see them battle with growing 'teenage' feelings and Joshua writes it in such a way that while it is simple looks, jokes that aren't really as much of a joke as the parties might want the other to believe, and deep concern for each other. The friendship and possible budding 'relationship' between Lily and Thorn is not a huge part of the book and yet it is, it's this little teaser that readers will love because we so want these two to be happy and in the end we want them to be happy together.

It is a beautiful bit of romance for a young reader who is just now finding that maybe boys and girls aren't so gross after all. As if Lily and Thorn aren't enough I dare you to not fall in love with Mary, Tyburn (though you really need to go back to Shadow Magic for more of him), Wade, Hades (gah, that lovable bat who reminds me of Toothless!), the zombies.yes ZOMBIES, and all the secondary characters, even the evil ones. Joshua's world and character building are fantastic and will have you wanting to live in Castle Gloom even with Jewel Spiders and a villain that you can't help but hate and feel a bit sad for terrorizing Gehenna.

The action and adventure are constant, making you keep turning pages until you realize that you haven't moved for three hours and you're almost done with the book, which means of course you have to stay there until you are done. It kept me.MOM, completely engrossed and younger readers will be absolutely enthralled. This may be a Middle Grade book, but it is a fantastic read for any Fantasy book lover. I suggest reading from book one, as I always do, but it isn't a must.

You won't be completely lost, but you will have missed out on a bit of history about the characters and you won't have met Tyburn properly, which everyone must do to understand Thorn better. I am so excited that there will be a book three, I have so many hopes for this series and I can't wait to see if they work out and what happens next because honestly in this world, anything could happen! These books are a must for any middle grade class room in my opinion. You will have so many of your readers scrambling to get these books in their hands you may even want two sets. My 11 year old who is a huge Lord of the Rings and Hobbit reader (I can't even tell you how many times she has read those now.they are her version of my Pride and Prejudice addiction) is in love with this series, so I know if you have any fantasy reader in your house you will want these on your shelf! ~ HAPPY READING ~.

3.75/5 After enjoying Shadow Magic, I was excited to start reading Dream Magic, and wasn’t disappointed! It was a fun and action-packed read that will appeal to fantasy fans of all ages. In Dream Magic, the dead just weren’t staying dead, and Gehenna was overrun by zombies and ghosts and vampires while living people were disappering. Necromancy was the magic of the Shadows – but as Lily was a girl, she wasn’t supposed to have magic. The fact that she did – and that she was a powerful witch at that 3.75/5 After enjoying Shadow Magic, I was excited to start reading Dream Magic, and wasn’t disappointed! It was a fun and action-packed read that will appeal to fantasy fans of all ages.

In Dream Magic, the dead just weren’t staying dead, and Gehenna was overrun by zombies and ghosts and vampires while living people were disappering. Necromancy was the magic of the Shadows – but as Lily was a girl, she wasn’t supposed to have magic. The fact that she did – and that she was a powerful witch at that – initially terrified people, and Lily didn’t really know what to do. She didn’t enjoy ruling, it wasn’t supposed to be her job, but after the death of her parents and her brother, she was the only Shadow left. She had enough problems without some strange dream magic infecting her people; she was only thirteen and she was dealing with so much! All while keeping her great sense of humour too.

I liked Lily because she wasn’t your typical ruler – she was nothing like Gabriel (who returned in this book – with no improvement to his personality) and was more concerned with doing what she thought was right than keeping up her appearances. She was also a strong witch and quite clever, and while she might not have liked ruling, I think she was actually well-suited to it. Thorn was continuing his work as a squire, though he wasn’t seeing much of Tyburn or Lily these days. His only constant companion was his pet bat Hades (whom I adored).

Of course, things never stayed calm in Gehenna, and Thorn managed to get involved in trying to solve the dream magic mystery with Lily. Lily and Thorn got closer in this book, which was nice to see, and I liked that Thorn was becoming more confident in himself within Gehenna. It wasn’t a place he was used to, and he knew that as a squire, no matter how many heroic deeds he did, he’d never truly be recognised for them. But even so, he didn’t care, and continued to do what he could to help people. He was also a lot cleverer than people thought, and I liked that he was always proving those who underestimated him wrong.

I did miss Tyburn in this book, and would have liked to have seen his relationship with Thorn develop a bit more, but I’m sure that will be explored more in book three. Plot-wise, there were a lot of twists and turns in this book and I really enjoyed reading about dream magic and the Dreamweaver.

The illustrations were a nice touch and I felt they really added to the story. The jewel spiders made me shudder – I hate spiders of all kinds, jewelled or not – and was creeped out every time they popped up!

I also liked how the book touched on morality, and whether something bad can be justified if it’s for the good of everyone else. Things weren’t always clear-cut, and while this book didn’t go into detail on the topic, it was interesting to see it discussed. I’m really intrigued by how Lily’s relationship with her father’s ghost will change after the revelations of this book, and look forward to book three! Overall, Dream Magic was a really enjoyable sequel to Shadow Magic, and I’ll be continuing this series to find out what happens next. My name is Lily, and people don't respect me, and fear me, as the new queen of Gehenna. I've been secretly learning magic, even though laws forbid it, and this scares them.

Meanwhile, trolls appear to be invading my kingdom, as homes are destroyed, adults are killed, and children are taken. My best friend Thorn thinks the actual danger is from jewel spiders. These creatures feed off dreams, but something doesn't make sense.

Someone must be controlling the spiders, but why? What do they want? I w My name is Lily, and people don't respect me, and fear me, as the new queen of Gehenna. I've been secretly learning magic, even though laws forbid it, and this scares them. Meanwhile, trolls appear to be invading my kingdom, as homes are destroyed, adults are killed, and children are taken. My best friend Thorn thinks the actual danger is from jewel spiders.

These creatures feed off dreams, but something doesn't make sense. Someone must be controlling the spiders, but why? What do they want? I would normally send my assassin to investigate, but he's disappeared. I'm sure Thorn will do something reckless to help, just like me. I've uncovered a secret about my father that may explain everything.

This book is the sequel to Shadow Magic, a 2016 winner of the Cybils Award. What do I like about this book?

I enjoy Lily and Thorn, as they defend Gehenna from internal and external threats. Thorn's character is interesting and relatable to readers. He's respected and appreciated by those who know him best, but other people treat him as a mere peasant. He's a 'normal' boy without any super powers, other than being able to ride an enormous bat.

However, he is a very brave and loyal friend. Lily cares about her citizens, but she's leery of using magic. It changes her when she uses it and scares her people. Half Life Source Content Gmod Download Mega.

She has a deep love for her ancestors and is frustrated when she can't talk to her father's spirit. Lily and Thorn have a cute relationship. It's obvious they're more than just friends, but they have trouble showing it. I mean, she's the queen, and he's a servant. I wish Tyburn had been involved more in this book; I like his role as Thorn's mentor, and I like their interactions. You should read Shadow Magic first in order to fully understand the characters, conflicts, and plot. The adventure and mystery will captivate you!

Lily and Thorn are facing new threats in Gehenna. People are vanishing from their homes without a trace, and people believe the troll army marching to attack them is behind it. Lily's people doubt her ability to rule them well. They believe their problems stem from her practice of magic, which shudders to a stop when someone steals Lily's key to the library. Corporate Seal Stamp Template Kids more. Thorn is devastated when Tyburn, his master, goes missing. However, they realize someone is manipulating them to fight against each other, Lily and Thorn are facing new threats in Gehenna. People are vanishing from their homes without a trace, and people believe the troll army marching to attack them is behind it.

Lily's people doubt her ability to rule them well. They believe their problems stem from her practice of magic, which shudders to a stop when someone steals Lily's key to the library. Thorn is devastated when Tyburn, his master, goes missing.

However, they realize someone is manipulating them to fight against each other, distracting them from the truth. All Lily and Thorn know is challenged when they realize that reality may actually be a dream. Something that stuck with me throughout the book was how the title suits the story. 'Dream Magic' is simple, but represents an enormous part of the story without giving too much away.

​The plot is action-packed. It doesn't stop and let the reader take a breather. I was captivated by the writing. Each chapter adds to the tension and mystery. Multiple secrets are revealed along the way that only open up more questions. Without reusing plot lines from the previous book, Dream Magic creatively built on what I already knew to slam me with a game changer.

Sure, conflicts were resolved, but not without shaking things up and making me less certain about what could come next. The protagonists were very relatable.

They worried about their own challenges in life, but sacrificed opportunities for the sake of their friends. Lily was shunned by her people because she practiced necromancy. Thorn was limited by his social status, even after showing his bravery. They persevere through discrimination to prove that they are more than what anyone thought they could be. I could always count on one of them to lighten the mood. Thankfully, the romance wasn't heavy and didn't take away from the plot. The protagonists didn't let their feelings for each other affect their friendship.

Dream Magic is a fantastic sequel to its predecessor. What makes the Shadow Magic series so appealing is finding good in bad. The setting, plot and characters are shrouded in darkness. However, what we see as dark isn't what we originally thought. With a thrilling plot and determined characters, I also began to call Gehenna home. I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to Burning Magic!

See my review at Reading Violet.