Raine Benares is an elven sorceress of meagre talent, and a seeker. When her friend Quentin is paid to burgle a powerful and nasty necromancer, who he is terrified of, Raine watches him from a distance to make sure he's safe. But when goblins suddenly appear out of no where, for the purpose of going after whatever it is Quentin is stealing, Raine, along with her cousin, get involved.

Finding out the stolen object is an amulet, Raine takes it from Quentin for safe keeping until they can find out what the hell is happening. They soon realise that the Khrynsani, an army of militant goblins, lead by Sarad Nukpana, an evil, insane, extremely powerful goblin shaman, are after the amulet, as well as the Conclave Guardians, the protectors of the governing body of magical users in all seven kingdoms. Unable to take the powerful amulet off without almost dying, everyone is suddenly after Raine, and no where is safe. Raine has to work out what the amulet is and how to get it off, before anyone catches up with her and takes it off for her.

I absolutely loved this book! It is extremely fast paced, with such great characters - and there are quite a few of them. They're all very individual, and very well developed, with some you like immediately, and others you dislike. You've got to love Piaras, so sweet and innocent at first, and so gifted! Garadin, the wise old father figure. Tarsilia, the touch cookie. Tam... that guy is just fantastic if you ask me. Who said all bad boys are bad? Then there's Mychael. Oh, Mychael. I'm telling you, Raine is one lucky girl to be in the company of these two guys. Even Phaelan isn't bad, but he's related to Raine. And Raine herself is pretty awesome, strong emotionally and mentally, as well as being a pretty kick-ass chick! This book is FULL of prominant characters, practically every character Raine comes across in this book has a huge part to play, it's awesome.

Magic Lost, Trouble Found is exciting and suspenseful, and it very much gets the adrenaline flowing. Every time you turn around there is something else going on. This book is never slow, never boring, and very, very hard to put down. An extra plus? This is my first high fantasy where the protag is female! Even though I have no magic, I'm not an elf, and I don't know these people, I found it incredibly easy to relate to Raine. Who wouldn't want to protect friends and family like she does?

This is one of those books that goes against what I normally like. As you've probably read, I don't really like books where too much happens in them. There tends to be a lack of detail for my liking. Not in this case. There is so much going on in this book, that detail is needed, and it's all there. And, well, visiting different people doesn't really count as a lot happening, but it's not long before Raine's off to see someone else. I have no problem with it! It's just all so intriguing...

What is this amulet? Why does everyone want it? Why can't she take it off? Why is it making her more powerful? How on earth is she going to survive?

There is a slither of romance going on in this book, and it's very interesting. Obviously, with your life on the line, love isn't at the forefront of your mind, but there is a hint of things possibly happening. It's excruciating! I have no idea what exactly is going to happen until the next book. Will they, won't they? Or perhaps...? I love it!

Just to avoid confusion, the possible romance goes into the next book, but the storyline for this book is resolved. Even so, I want the next book now! These aren't characters I can leave behind just yet. So it's over to Amazon to buy the next one. HIGHLY recommend!

And can I just say, how beautiful is the cover? ( )

This book is a fantasy novel that follows out heroine, Raine Benares who is a seeker and a sorceress. The story centers on her friend, Quentin who steals and amulet from the home of a powerful necromancer. The entire time she is in possession of the amulet, a group of goblins is trying to chase her. I like that her character can hold her own and take care of herself. I also like how she sticks by her friend, Quentin, even though she knows it is not such a good idea. The novel also has some strong secondary characters as well. My only complaint is that the book was a little too long and the font was very small and as I was reading, it gave me a headache. All in all, it was a pretty good book. ( )

While it started off slow, Shearin definitely picks up the pace in her debut Raine Benares novel and continues to deliver momentum in the following book Armed & Magical. Full of witty sentences and a cast of colorful characters, I cannot imagine anyone who could dislike such a fantastic book! ( )

The premise: Raine Benares isn't exactly a powerful sorceress, but she's good at her job. When a good friend of hers gets into trouble after stealing a powerful amulet, she steps in to protect him and hide the amulet. What she doesn't realize is that by putting on the amulet, she's created a bond between herself and the magical artifact it leads to. It increases her powers, but it'll also steal her soul. And if that's not enough, Raine's got elves and goblins alike after the amulet. She'd be happy to take it off and get rid of it too, if not for the fact the amulet will kill her if she tries.

My Rating

Wish I'd Borrowed It: if you're a reader who likes a modern, almost urban fantasy/chick-lit voice to your traditional fantasy, you're going to eat this one up. It's a light book with plenty of humor that doesn't take itself too seriously. If you're a reader who sometimes likes such books, read the first couple of pages before you invest in this one. I might be a fan of Maria V. Snyder's Study series, which certainly has a light, somewhat more modern tone in a traditional setting, but Shearin's usage didn't work for me at all. I was completely distracted from the plot and characters, which made a book that should've been a fast read almost unbearably slow. Oh, and the tiny print didn't help either.

The full review, which has some light spoilers, may be found in my LJ. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome.

REVIEW: Lisa Shearin's MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND

Happy Reading! :) ( )

Fast moving fantasy story. Raine is a not-so-powerful seeker (as in seeking that which is lost) from a less than salubrious elven family - her favourite cousin is a pirate and smuggler for example, and she has an intimate relationship with the widower of the Goblin King's teacher.

The story isn't exactly new, although it has a couple of nice twists, but it's nicely handled - the characters all feel alive and you can understand their motivations, at least for the sane ones.

I'm looking forward to the next book. ( )