Book Review - Magic Unfolds

Happy Friday, everyone! Yay! It's time for the weekend once again! Not only do you have one awesome book to read because you picked up a copy of Reap (you did, right?), you'll have two once you snag a copy of the book you're getting a review for today. I've reviewed a couple of N. L. Greene's books here on the blog. The first was Twisted (5/5*), and the second was Illusions Begin (4/5*). Today, I bring you the second installment of the MysticSeeker series, Magic Unfolds. So, strap in, grab something cold to drink (it's blazing hot outside), and let's get going!

First, all about the book up for review today:

Title: Magic Unfolds (Book Two of the MysticSeeker series)
Author: N. L. Greene
Genre: YA Paranormal
Length (print): 190 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $2.99  ~  Paperback $11.10  ~  B&N $2.99

Synopsis:
For the first time in her life, Becky had hopes of fulfilling her own dreams when Blaine Winters inexplicably arrived into her quiet life, teasing her with astounding possibilities she never thought imaginable.  Not only did he reveal that magic was indeed real, but he also stirred feelings in her that she had only read about in clichéd romance novels.  But just as quickly as he appeared, he was gone.  Then Becky’s life was turned upside down by a family emergency.  With the overwhelming demands of running an elite law firm as well as her ex becoming more of a threat each day, she didn’t have time for whimsical thoughts or personal exploration anyway.

Now that Blaine has mysteriously disappeared from her life, she can put her family first and focus on what she needs to do.  If only it were that easy.  Blaine may be gone and all of Becky’s little girl dreams of a world filled with magic with him, but that doesn’t mean all’s forgotten.  Nightmares are plaguing her, someone is watching her, and there are powers within her that she can’t seem to control.

Will Becky finally get her chance at magic after all, even if she doesn’t want it?

Now that you know, let's get on what you came for.

I read the first book in this series and loved it. So, when I found out Greene was publishing book two, I got excited! I was so eager to see what happened next in Becky's life, I ran out and bought a copy on Amazon. What I got was unexpected; so much so that it left me yearning for more. Let me fill you in.

From a Reader's Perspective:
After the first book, I was looking forward to lots of magical situations and usage in the second. While it plays a key part as a manifestation, there wasn't a lot of actual magic use until the end. I had Samantha pegged early on, and the end revealed what I kinda figured was going on there. I adore how in love with Blaine Becky still is. She yearns for him, and I find it an endearing quality of her character. I wanted more magic throughout and was brought to the edge of my seat a time or two in anticipation, but the situations never turned out the way I hoped they would. While that aspect left me wanting, I still rooted for everything Becky was trying to do with her life. I see her struggle with splitting her desire to embrace magic and her desire to do right by her family. It makes the read volley forward, which makes up for the lack of actual use of magic. Saved.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Minor things the casual reader won't notice. It was pretty clean grammar-wise, actually.

Rating:
+1 Star for making me eager to read more
+1 Star for giving me more of Becky and resolving the Lance situation
+1 Star for awesome characters
+1 Star for lack of grammatical errors
-1 Star for potential of punch in the story not being reached
Overall, 4 out of 5 stars. Fans of the series will enjoy the book, and it's a decent middle novel to move things forward.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo