Review by Booklist Review
Landers adds to her robust portfolio of fantasy for young readers with this young adult novel that follows Talia Morris as she ventures into the forbidden world of Mystics in an attempt to alter her fate. In the magical--island world of Lumara, the Mystics is a group not to be trifled with. So when Talia discovers that her boyfriend, Nathaniel, is one of them (not to mention a royal in the community), she must decide if she should listen to the warnings around her--or to her heart. When Talia decides to give Mystic life a chance, a family curse wreaks havoc at a wedding, and Talia is blamed. Landers' voice-y story will have readers cheering on underdog Talia as she investigates the secrets of the Mystics, all while balancing her precarious relationship with someone in the group. Lumara serves as a reminder that reality is sometimes not the picturesque paradise it seems and that prejudice, bias, and ignorance can create assumptions and fracture relationships.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Ever since 17-year-old Talia was scammed out of her savings by a Mystic healer who failed to cure her of the same congenital heart condition that killed her mother, she's spoken out against the magical society that coexists alongside nonmagical people. Then her boyfriend Nathaniel invites her to a family wedding, and reveals that he's from a Mystic community based on a hidden, private island called Lumara. Upset but willing to put her anger aside, Talia plans to use this rare glimpse into the secretive Mystic world to her advantage by asking Nathaniel's mother for help with her heart condition. Once on Lumara, however, Talia is haunted by visions of a ghost boy, and when she's accused of cursing the wedding party, she contends with angry Mystics while trying to prove her innocence. And when she discovers a terrible truth that links her family to Nathaniel's, she realizes that if she doesn't break the curse, more innocent lives may be lost, including her own. In this unpredictable magical mystery, Landers (Blastaway) conjures an intriguing, alluring magical society against a supernatural backdrop to examine the power of grief, the toll of revenge, and the cost of generational secrets. Ages 12--up. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (Dec.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up--This novel is set in a world where some are born Mystics and have the ability to use magic. Talia Morris has a heart condition and empties her bank account on a quest to have a powerful Mystic heal her. When this turns out to be a farce, Talia's distrust of Mystics makes her an activist against magic until she learns that her boyfriend of a year, Nathaniel Wood, has been keeping a secret--he is a Mystic. Pushing the betrayal aside, Talia accepts Nate's invitation to attend his cousin's prestigious wedding on Lumara, a well-concealed, magical island where Nate's mother is the Grand Lumara. Talia hopes that Lillian Wood will be powerful enough to cure her condition. However, once Talia arrives on Lumara, strange dreams and ghostly visitors indicate that Talia and the island are connected in surprising ways. When the wedding party suddenly collapses into an inexplicable coma, Talia is suspected as the culprit, and the circumstances shed light on both Talia and the Wood family that unravel a web of lies, murder, and dark magic. After many twists and turns, readers also discover that Talia is not who she says she is. Landers's novel is well-paced and balances a plot-driven narrative and fully developed characters. Readers will love this mystery exploring magic, romance, grief, and revenge. VERDICT A perfect magic-filled page-turner, this is an ideal read-alike for fans of Holly Black, Leigh Bardugo, and Cassandra Clare.--Linsey Milillo
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Talia seemingly has it all: She's homecoming queen and valedictorian and has a rich, handsome boyfriend...but all that means little when you have a life-threatening congenital heart problem. Talia Morris wants to live--so desperately that she's using every penny she's saved to attend Mystic Con and have a private audience with Legendary Madame Hector in hopes that magic can mend what modern science could not. To Talia's frustration, Madame Hector says there's absolutely nothing wrong with her, souring her on Mystics. A year later, she's gotten #BoycottMysticCon trending, and her dreamy boyfriend, Nathaniel Wood, wants to bring her home from their boarding school to meet his family. However, this comes with a dramatic revelation: Nate is a Mystic. Talia is understandably upset that he's lied to her for the past year. Still, she eventually agrees to visit Lumara, his family's private island and the only place where he's able to do magic. Maybe his mother, the Grand Lumara, can heal her? But after arriving on Lumara, Talia has visions and passes out. Then a beautiful boy no one else can see starts appearing to her. This begins the unraveling of a long-buried family history. Readers quickly jump into this story, gaining a basic understanding of the magic; the author doesn't go into much detailed worldbuilding. The writing is strong, although seasoned genre readers will likely figure everything out well before the dramatic ending that neatly ties up all the loose ends. An enjoyably light and exciting read. (Fantasy. 12-16) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
