Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com

At the start of this wonderful conclusion to a great fantasy trilogy, Reason Cansino is a lot of things most fifteen year olds aren't. She's magic. She's pregnant. And she may or may not be entirely human.

In this continuation of Reason's story, she is falling more and more deeply into the strange, ancient, and inhuman power given to her by Raul Cansino. She is becoming more and more scarily powerful--but she's giving up her humanity (and maybe that of her unborn child) for that power. She won't die young like so many magic-wielders who use their powers unwisely, and neither will she go crazy and end up in the loony-bin with her mother.

But is giving up her humanity worth it?

MAGIC'S CHILD is strictly a continuation of an already begun story. It is not a story within itself, really, and, as such, should only be picked up by those who have read the first two parts of the trilogy (MAGIC OR MADNESS and MAGIC LESSONS). If you haven't read those, well, they're highly recommended, as well!

Justine Larbalestier's third installment in the MAGIC OR MADNESS trilogy is a good conclusion to the story, one that will have readers racing through it as fast as possible. It was a little bit open-ended for my taste, but not in a terrible cliffhanger way. It was either a less than fabulous last chapter or a fabulous way to leave the door open for another book set in this universe; who knows? Either way, the characters, dialogue, and style of MAGIC'S CHILD are all great, it's well worth reading, and I'm looking forward to reading more from Justine Larbalestier. ( )

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. ( )

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

http://www.lonelymountain.net/books/a... ( )

I was pretty happy to finally be able to pick up the conclusion to Justine Larbalestier's Magic or Madness trilogy when it was released in paperback. Happier still to be finished with my thesis so I could actually read it.

Like Magic Lessons, Magic's Child picks up right where the previous book left off. I really enjoy this trilogy, and I adore the constraints to the magic system, but these are not books you read out of order. Start at the beginning with Magic or Madness and work your way through to the end. Trust me, the story's much better for it.

The wrap-up is good and satisfying, but I think a little too much is packed into this book because so much has to be resolved. Of the three, I think Magic's Child is the weakest, but it's still satisfying, and gives the reader a new insight into the magic ruling this particular urban fantasy. Overall, good stuff, and easy to recommend to anyone who enjoys UF, whether they like it YA or not.

If you're interested in my specific and spoiler-laden review of Magic's Child, it's in my LJ. Just click the link below. ;) As always, comments and discussion are most welcome.

REVIEW: Justine Larbalestier's MAGIC'S CHILD

Happy Reading! :) ( )

Good ending to the trilogy, worth the read. ( )

#3 in my attempt to read 100 this year. I liked this conclusion although I wanted to see more of the relationship between Sarafina and Reason, and Jay-tee and Tom. Overall satisfying and poignant. I'm worried about Magic though, who will she be? Will Tom teach since non of the Cansino's have magic anymore? Hmmm.......

Review in Viewpoint 15/3 Spring 2007

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