Book Review: Magemother #1

Magemother #1

The Mage and the Magpie

by Austin J Bailey

Grace, Haley, Kaya, Kirsten, Lanie, Lea, Melody, 2 or more

Reading Time Interrupted

Hey, Mel! What are you doing?

Just getting a bit of reading in; Just finishing The Mage and The Magpie.

Oh, that's cool. I think you're the last one to read it. 

I know.
Hey, why don't I get the others an we can discuss it.

Sure! Better hurry before it rains and we have to stay inside.

Book Club Convenes

Hi! Grace called you all here because I just finished The Mage and The Magpie and thought we should discuss it while it's still fresh in our minds.
(murmurs or agreement)

So, Grace, why don't you start us off?
Oh, um, yeah. So I liked this book. The mysterious opening drew me in Brinely's character kept me glued. A girl of two worlds who tries to be invisible in one and is invisible in another. So cool!

I completely agree. Then there is Hugo. I liked him. He could easily be a spoiled prince, but he wants so much more. Seeing him out on his quest, I keep hoping for the best for him.
Really? My favorite character was the bird girl...Tabitha. To be able to understand and truly care for birds as she does. It's especially neat when she swoops in at just the right time. Not a huge fan of her tower. (giggles) Too many droppings.
So the characters are believable and likable.

Oooo, not all of them. You can't have a good quest story without bad guys. The witches are particularly nasty...but one is proving to be helpful in her own way.
I just know that if Kaya'aton'my had read this story, I don't think she'd mind being called "magpie." She might even try to help the magemother herself. 

Besides that I thought the use of bells was very interesting. You see them being used to summon throughout time, but to have one tuned only to you. I wonder what mine would sound like?
You all are so focused on the characters. 

I really liked the setting. Like Grace said, we have two worlds and portals between them and bridges with many spurs.
Spurs?
Not like cowboys wear, but like a wheel. I guess I mean spokes. And even those aren't like a regular bridge, but are magical. There is even a map in the front of the book. 

I loved that!
It sounds like we all liked this book. 

Yeah, even the challenging parts. Battles, kidnapping, and everything.
The mages and their magic is interesting too. Not like we've read before.
The chapter headers were fun with the subtitles.

I want to finish this series. Hope we get the rest of the books soon.

Xyra's Review

The Mage and the Magpie by Austin J. Bailey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book and hope to read the next two in the trilogy. I'd like to find out what Brinley, Hugo, and Tabitha do with the help of Archibald, Animus, and even Hadis.

This was a very interesting "through the portal or looking glass" type of story. Brinley, our main character, follows the sound of a bell to another world where she starts to find answers about her long lost mother.

You can definitely tell who the main characters or key players are in the story, they have the most developed personalities. Some of the secondary characters may take on greater shape as the story continues.

The story itself clips along at a nice pace. There are a couple point of view shifts as the writer focuses on the experiences of either Brinley, Hugo, or Tabitha. It's well thought out and accomplished without confusing for the reader. Book one finishes in a nice cliff hanger.

I had fun reading this and look forward to more.

Kid Lit Blog Hop

We're back on the hop! Yay! 

It took some time to find the right places to go and link up again after time away and a change to the scheduling. 

The best thing about the hop is that it is all children's literature. We love being a part of the hop. Please check out some of the others involved. 

Happy reading!

#KLBH

#KidLitBlogHop

#MageandtheMagpie

#AustinJBailey

Note: Tea Time with Melody Q is not affiliated with American Girl, Madame Alexander, or Austin J Bailey. We added Magemother #1 to our Nook through Barnes and Noble after receiving a notice of availability from Bookbub. The review is unsolicited and comprised of our honest opinions, thoughts, and words. All links are provided for educational and informative purposes. No purchase is required to enjoy the post. Should you be interested in reading The Mage and The Magpie, the links will point you in the right direction.