FICTION

Jinx's Magic

by Sage BLACKWOOD
400p. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen. Jan. 2014. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780062129932; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9780062129956. LC 2013010171.
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Gr 4–8—The middle book of a trilogy must be the hardest to write: the thrill of the first book's creation of setting and characters is over and the satisfaction of tying every loose end together is yet to come. In this sequel to Jinx (HarperCollins, 2013), Blackwood succeeds in keeping readers' interests piqued without completely frustrating them. Jinx travels beyond the borders of his beloved Urwald and learns that it must be saved from the greedy depredations of invading foreigners from Keyland. He insinuates himself into the school at the Temple in Samara so he can explore the history of magic. As Blackwood extends Jinx's experiences to other lands, she adds layers of complexity that hint at future developments. Jinx's magical powers are strengthening, but he doesn't fully understand their source or their extent. He's still finding out how to use his gifts. The result of these uncertainties is that readers are left feeling as unsettled and unbalanced as he is. The next installment can't come along soon enough.—Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY
When Jinx (Jinx) learns the Urwald's sentient trees are being slaughtered, he tries to rally Elfwyn and Reven to his cause. But after he angrily turns a lumberjack into a sapling, they start to fear him. Meanwhile, the Bonemaster has wiped out a settlement, and the destruction is being blamed on Jinx. The unique setting, likable characters, and sprightly voice bind the narrative.
As the first "listener" in a hundred years, Jinx can hear the thoughts of the Urwald's trees (Jinx, rev. 5/13), so he knows how upset they are that Keylanders are slaughtering acres of them on the Urwald/Keyland border. Jinx tries to rally his companions Elfwyn and Reven to his cause, but after he angrily turns a lumberjack into a sapling, they start to fear him, and he returns to the woods alone. There Jinx finds that his nemesis the Bonemaster has escaped his bonds and wiped out a settlement, and that the destruction is being blamed on Jinx. Blackwood has created several distinct types of magic which, as Jinx explores and reinvents them for his own use, form a puzzle that drives the action forward. The plot is a little convoluted, wrapping up loose ends from the first volume and setting up elements for the next before finally establishing its own internal tension, but the unique setting, smart pace, likable characters, and sprightly voice hold the narrative together while keeping Jinx's fans eager for more. anita l. burkam
Reviewed by Miriam Lang Budin , Dec 01, 2013

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