I was really pleased by how much I enjoyed Magic's Child. This is a really good book, so good that it actually made me like the first two books in the series more, as I look back on them.

I think some of my pleasure in Magic's Child comes from how complicated the story becomes and how unexpected the ending was for me. Without giving too much away, I really appreciated Larbalestier's willingness to turn her characters' lives so upside down.

http://archthinking.blogspot.com/2009... ( )

http://lampbane.livejournal.com/542806.html

"The title makes me think of Misery, the Stephen King novel. I can't really explain that without getting too spoilery. But at least now, we get some answers so the book is more satisfying than its predecessors. Tom and J.T. are particularly cute in this volume, and I appreciated the multi-layered nature of the other characters—Reason's mother, the grandmother, and the main villain (for what little he actually does). Reason herself got on my nerves a bit. The book had an okay ending, but there was a bit too much exposition in the epilogue, which always strikes me as weak storytelling. Overall, it's a decent trilogy, though nothing world-shattering."

This is a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy - Reason, now gifted with the powers of her immortal ancestor, becomes less and less human as she becomes intoxicated by magic. All of the magic uses are faced with stunning new options - to become and inhuman part of the magic, or to give up magic forever and become normal people again.
I thought the characters were weaker in this last book, I didn't buy into the romance, or the motivations of Sarafina or her father. And the ending seemed like a Hollywood bid for further books.
I'd give this to fans of the first two. ( )

http://lampbane.livejournal.com/542806.html

"The title makes me think of Misery, the Stephen King novel. I can't really explain that without getting too spoilery. But at least now, we get some answers so the book is more satisfying than its predecessors. Tom and J.T. are particularly cute in this volume, and I appreciated the multi-layered nature of the other characters—Reason's mother, the grandmother, and the main villain (for what little he actually does). Reason herself got on my nerves a bit. The book had an okay ending, but there was a bit too much exposition in the epilogue, which always strikes me as weak storytelling. Overall, it's a decent trilogy, though nothing world-shattering."

A very satisfying ending to a difficult story. When Magic or Madness are the only choices, finding another way takes some creativity. ( )