Jinx

In the style of Diana Wynn-Jones and J.K. Rowling, there's a lot of moral ambiguity in this fantasy, buoyed by great characters and sly humor. The plot is satisfyingly wrapped up, but Jinx himself remains a bit of a mystery at the end, so we can expect sequels. Here's how I'd book talk it:

After being abandoned in the Urwald forest by his uncaring stepfather, Jinx is adopted by a cranky wizard named Simon. As he grows up in the wizard's strange home, he learns some magic and makes friends with two other kids, Elfwyn and Reven, who have mysterious curses on them. Jinx is no ordinary boy himself: He has the strange ability to see the color of people's thoughts. Together they search for a way to lift their curses and discover the secrets show more of the Urwald. show less

This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.

Now this is a book that I so totally regret not reading sooner.

I mean, seriously. I read all those rave reviews on Goodreads when it first came out, but it just sort of slid under my radar. Yay to my new library, though, because it was sitting on a shelf right at my eye-level! I snapped it up and brought it home, and read it in a grand total of two hours - I know, I'm a hopeless speed-reader. But to be fair, this was a really awesome book and I just couldn't put it down.

It reminds me of a lot of different book series I've read, in the best possible way. I can't go into all of the similarities (both because that would take forever, and because then I'd pretty much spoil the entire show more book), but here are some of the series it particularly reminded me of: the Magic Thief series by Sarah Prineas, the Trelian books by Michelle Knudson, the Half Upon a Time trilogy by James Riley, and the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. You'd think, with all this similarity to other series, that the Jinx books would have been dry and cliche - they weren't, though. Blackwood does a marvelous job of keeping everything fresh, inserting twists to the formula until the basic premise only feels comfortably familiar, rather than boring.

The wizard Simon is my favorite kind of character: he's all grumpy and mean on the surface, but then he's also kind to Jinx in ways that make you think he's actually really nice inside. He basically adopted Jinx as a six-year-old and "raised him" (if you can call it that when he had him keep house all those years). Jinx very obviously loves Simon very much, and while he never once refers to Simon as his father-figure throughout the entire trilogy, it's very clear that this is essentially how he perceives him. That's what makes Jinx struggle so much with what Simon does in Jinx, and why I honestly struggle with it as well. I can't talk about that, though, because of spoilers.

I love Jinx, too, even though he's a little bit more of a stock character in the first book. By the end of the trilogy, though, I love how he develops away from the usual underdog hero trope and, rather than turning into the charismatic heroes of many of the series I listed above, becomes very grumpy and blunt and awesome as he constantly loses his patience with people. It's hard to describe Jinx's personality development, but it's fantastic to read.

Basically, this is a really great book. I enjoyed the second and third Jinx books as well, but it's this first one that holds the true magic. Go on, check it out. If you're anything like me, you'll gobble it up in one sitting - and then immediately request both sequels. show less

When Jinx is taken into the Urwald to be abandoned by his stepfather, he knows he will soon die. After all, nobody steps off the path in the Urwald and lives for long, not with the witches and wizards and monsters that roam the forest. But then Jinx meets Simon Magus, who takes Jinx in as a servant. Though Simon is a wizard -- are all wizards evil? -- he treats Jinx better than anyone else ever has. But will Simon ever teach Jinx any magic?

This book reminded me of Diana Wynne Jones in all the best ways: great characters, fun plot, little touches of humor. The ending is a bit muddled, but by that point I was completely enthralled by the story and the characters. This is definitely an exciting debut; I can only hope that we will see a lot show more more by this author in the future! show less

One of the more well-rounded middle grade fantasy novels I've come across, Sage Blackwood's Jinx is a wild ride filled with man-eating trolls, evil wizards, mysterious witches, and forbidden magic. Simple but thoroughly charming, the journey with Jinx and his fellow comrades is a fun, fast-moving and involving read. Though this is clearly aimed at younger readers, this is a novel that is still appealing and entertaining to those outside the target demographic. As someone in my twenties, I had a great time during my admittedly short stay in Urwald.

I had fun with this, but I sadly didn't love it. I felt that the magic and its rules could've been better expanded or explained, and that some of the characters' actions were frustrating. The show more story is a bit slow to develop, but the disconnect with some of the players was the biggest issue I had. Almost everyone in the novel is weird or funnily eccentric, but their actions can lead to obvious mishaps and delays. It's a minor complaint, but one that kept me from fully enjoying Jinx as I had wanted and anticipated doing. Simon in particular is hard to gauge, and while I appreciate a complex and multi-layered character, I had a hard time whenever he was present on the page.

The two best things about the novel are its main character of Jinx and the enormous, dangerous forest that supplies the setting for the bulk of the novel. Jinx is memorable and daring - two things I love in a main character. He is a capable protagonist and his interactions with two other kids shine. The Urwald is mysterious and thoroughly original. It's a fertile field for the author's imagination and creativity to run free, as Blackwood's does. The book has its moments of whimsy and humor, but it is during the uncertain scenes in the forest that the book succeeds the most.

If you know a younger fantasy fan searching for a new read, Jinx is your book. If you yourself are a fantasy fan and need something quick and entertaining for a day, Jinx is your book. It's not perfect, but it is more than charming and fun. The ending was a bit anticlimactic for my tastes, but I do think this is a fine debut and will be suitable for all ages of readers. show less

A very nice book in the Diana Wynne Jones tradition--perhaps even with a knowing nod to her, as the first wizard we encounter is quite Howl-ish, and married to a Sophie! Not as moving as her books can get, so rather equivalent to a second-tier Jones' book, which is still very high praise.

I didn't quite feel all the characters as much as I'd like to (compared to, say, Flora Segunda, where everyone seemed so vivid and vital and interesting.

The plot wavered from Howl's Moving Castleish, to Ella Enchantedish, and didn't seem quite as neat as it could be, so it's a 4 for me, but I'm quite keen to continue the series and hardly expect most books to earn 5 stars.

(Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = show more disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. There are a lot of 4s and 3s in the world!) show less

Jinx lives with his stepparents in the Urwald forest where small communities live in the clearings and people learn quickly to stay on the path (as it says on the cover, you grow up quickly or you don't grow up at all). But when his stepfather takes him off the pathway in an attempt to abandon him he ends up being taken in by Simon the wizard, who is cranky but seems to be a safe guardian. He even tries teaching Jinx a little magic, but it turns out Jinx has his own magic.

Although I'm a fan of The Hobbit and the Harry Potter series, I was never a fan of the fantasy genre or other such books. Nonetheless, this one was quite charming and I actually found myself entertained. Although Jinx is young, he's hardened to life and has learned to show more survive and you quickly learn to like him. Simon the wizard is interesting, though, and the issue of whether or not he (or any other grownup, for that matter) is trustworthy becomes an interesting wrinkle in the story. Eventually other kids his age are added to the story, but they have their own challenges as well, making them more than just stick-figures in the story. And that seems to be one strength of this story - its characters. It's not Tolkien or Harry Potter, of course, but I enjoyed it and I think a lot of kids will, too. (I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.) show less

Jinx lives with his stepparents in the Urwald forest where small communities live in the clearings and people learn quickly to stay on the path (as it says on the cover, you grow up quickly or you don't grow up at all). But when his stepfather takes him off the pathway in an attempt to abandon him he ends up being taken in by Simon the wizard, who is cranky but seems to be a safe guardian. He even tries teaching Jinx a little magic, but it turns out Jinx has his own magic.

Although I'm a fan of The Hobbit and the Harry Potter series, I was never a fan of the fantasy genre or other such books. Nonetheless, this one was quite charming and I actually found myself entertained. Although Jinx is young, he's hardened to life and has learned to show more survive and you quickly learn to like him. Simon the wizard is interesting, though, and the issue of whether or not he (or any other grownup, for that matter) is trustworthy becomes an interesting wrinkle in the story. Eventually other kids his age are added to the story, but they have their own challenges as well, making them more than just stick-figures in the story. And that seems to be one strength of this story - its characters. It's not Tolkien or Harry Potter, of course, but I enjoyed it and I think a lot of kids will, too. (I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.) show less