Apprentice of Magic by K.M. Shea – A Book Review

Posted May 1, 2019 by Booksandblurbs in Fantasy, Reviews / 2 Comments

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Apprentice of Magic

(The Fairy Tale Enchantress – Book 1)

by K.M. Shea
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fairy Tale Fantasy

Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited

Down and Dirty

A it rambly at times, but DEFINITELY worth picking up!

What is it about?

(Blurb from GoodReads)

Angelique hates her magic.

Her time in the magical academy has been a long chain of criticisms, reprimands, and punishments. Her war-like ability to control any weapon has earned her nothing but the fear and scorn of fellow students and instructors.

And now, she finds herself before the highest council just one vote away from having her magic sealed forever.

Until Enchanter Evariste appears.

The mysterious prodigy is one of the few with the authority to go against the Council. Which is exactly what he does when he takes Angelique as his apprentice. Though his lessons are challenging and eccentric he shows her more kindness than she ever hoped to receive.

Everything seems perfect.

But things are changing in the world. Dark things. Evil things.

Once upon a time is about to become very real…

Apprentice of Magic is an epic fantasy fairy tale adventure mixed with clean romance and humor.

This new series is a companion to the bestselling Timeless Fairy Tales series.

Thoughts

Fascinating!

This was one of the more fascinating and intricate books I’ve read so far this year. Definitely a fantasy with an aura of POTENTIAL romance, but it’s the world itself that drags you in and beats you upside the head with intrigue.

Fairy tales are dropped like bombs in subtle conversation, or woven into the narrative with a deft hand. Sleeping beauty, Goldilocks, the boy who cried wolf (yes even Aesop’s fables get a feature) Rumpelstiltskin and more. It truly is fascinating, and complex, even if the main story revolves around a budding Enchantress (the strongest magic users in this world) and her dangerous (not dangerous?) magic.

Perspective

Third Person, Multiple POV

Ending Type

Cliffhanger

Steam Level

G Rated

Pros:

Fairy tale inclusions, though there are differences, which are quite notable as you read.
The underlying tension.
An almost lyrical quality to much of the narrative.
The cat…. I love the cat.

Cons:

Ok…. I get that she is scared of her magic, but come on!!!! She spends MORE time with her mentor than at the academy, yet the hold they have over her very soul is brutal, and a bit whiny. I wanted to smack her towards the end. I mean, would a sliver of self belief be a bad thing? Her constant need to put herself down is worse than a teenager who has just been dumped by the quarterback.
A bit rambly in places.
Did I mention wanting to smack the FMC? Yeah… that. Still going to read book 2 though. 😂🤗

Favorite Line

“Intelligence is, at its bones, the ability to learn well,” Evariste said. “But cleverness is the ability to apply intelligence. Understanding alone is no help if one does not apply it.” (44%)