The Plastic Magician

This read was very cute. These Paper-Magician series books are meant to be YAs, I found out; not my natural grazing grounds. I assure you it is in the genre on the sweeter end; but it doesn't seem to be explicitly stated anywhere that Author Holmberg is very much a Mormon and very committed to its Manichean dualism. Good girls aren't simpering idiots, but they sure as heck aren't going to third base, still less all the way; I think there's exactly no one QUILTBAG in this universe.

I don't think I'm drawn to read the others in the series, but wouldn't say that anyone else shouldn't. Of course, I'm not warbling my fool lungs out to encourage you to do so. It's just fine. Really fun, fairly obvious, very predictable, and pleasantly dense in show more its magical world. So much fun to imagine Magician Praff's "The Imaginarium", a key plot point that doesn't feel freshly invented but rather like something Author Holmberg developed earlier in the series. And I like the way the author uses the honorific "Magician" without gender reference. In this book, Alvie refers to her mentor as "Mg. Praff" which also gave me a happy smile.

Pretty much perfect for today's sensibilities, as witness the film option that Disney+ took out in 2016. It's still in pre-production, but that's not surprising when there's this much f/x work to do. I hope they stay with Allison Shearmur as producer, she of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, to get the women's point of view right. This is a series I'd encourage parents of tween daughters to casually mention.

I read [Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet] a few years ago. Like this read, it was just fine...not superb, but certainly not sub-par, and pretty much perfect for light, undemanding, yet involving reading. It suited me well for Fantasy February. show less

"After all, it wasn’t about the magic. It was about the discovery."

This was by far my favorite book of the series, even though The Plastic Magician is *technically* a spin-off. While I felt obligated to read the first three books in this series (The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician, and The Master Magician) before diving in, it is not necessary to read them in order to understand the plot of this book, though there were several characters that made cameo appearances.

The Plastic Magician follows Alvie Brechenmacher, an American (from Columbus, Ohio) who is doing her Polymaking apprenticeship in England under the tutelage of the well-known inventor (and nephew of the founder of the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined), show more Marion Praff. Polymaking – the study of plastic-based magic – is a relatively new field which, while filled with exciting new discoveries, also leads to fierce competition between the magicians within the discipline.

I thought Alvie Brechenmacher was a much more relatable and intriguing heroine than Ceony Twill, who was a little too straight-laced for my taste. Both were independent and highly intelligent women but in different ways. Alvie was a passionate inventor who was strongly motivated to make the next discovery, and as a student studying chemistry, I felt that I could relate to that drive for a greater understanding of how the world works.

My only real criticism of the book is that Alvie’s character still fits into the typical YA trope of a clumsy, supposedly non-pretty heroine who is also incredibly intelligent and quirky. However, despite this, I really enjoyed Alvie…as well as the intriguing field of Polymaking. I definitely wouldn’t object if the author wanted to continue this series by following Alvie through her studies (or by writing another spin-off following a student in an alternate magical discipline)!

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review. show less

I loved going back to the world of the Paper Magician and focusing on new characters (or old ones that were just minor characters in the last books). Alvie is charming in her differences - some cultural (an American in England) and some just quirks of her personality. I loved that Bennet appreciated her differences, especially since he was a little bit of a jerk to Ceony when he finds out she is in love with Mg. Thane. I like to think that his interactions with Ceony allowed him to be more open to unconventional Alvie.

This felt like was an unnecessary continuation of the world and not the original story. With all new characters, except Bennett, it was a shock to the system after having three previous books dedicated to a specific storyline and cast of characters. I totally get the love for the world and not wanting it to end, but I probably could have done without this one. I purchased it without actually reading a description because I was adding to a series I had already begun collecting.

All that being said, it wasn't a bad story. Alvie was an interesting protagonist, and it was nice seeing Bennett fleshed out, however slightly. I still find the magics of the world fascinating and this time around it was focused on Polymaking, which is plastics, show more the newest of the magic disciplines. I think I find Folding more interesting, but I love the work the author put into creating the magic.

The story had intrigue, but it was lacking the action and adventure of the previous story. It was almost like a slice-of-life with a teeny bit of shenanigans thrown in. Not to say slice-of-life isn't highly in my wheelhouse. It was just so different from the previous novels. The storytelling definitely took a left turn. The minor--and I do mean minor cameo from Ceony and Emery was almost insulting. There was just no need for it. I got so excited to see their names and then within a paragraph or two they were gone.

Honestly, if I had read that it was based on new characters, I probably would have skipped it, but I don't think I have any serious regrets. I'm invested in the world if not the characters. And as much as I hate the changing of the major characters in series, I would probably read another novel based in this world, especially if it is focused on another of the magical mediums. In my opinion, it's better to create a series where the world is the same and the characters might interact, but every novel stars different protagonists/antagonists. It's harder to reconcile having the main characters from several novels swapped for new ones after you've invested in them. show less

Alvie is a young German American woman who can't wait to learn magic. She's even chosen her field - The newly emerging study of plastics. She gets chosen for a very prestigious apprenticeship in England and sets off. Not a lot of plot going on here, but Alvie was so much fun as a character and the world was so engrossing that it didn't bother me that the villain was really obvious. I would recommend it to lovers of light fantasy.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Alvie is an innovator. In a world where people can choose the medium for their magic, apprentice Alvie Brechenmacher has picked Plastic. It is the newest discipline which means she can be on the cutting edge of new developments. However, the new field of Polymaking can be cutthroat, which she is about to find out.

She is a brilliant young woman, with a decidedly technical turn of mind and I find her charming. Alvie is adorably geeky. Socially awkward, a little obsessive, intuitive and always sincere. If you’ve read any of the books in Ms. Holmberg’s Paper Magician series, then you are familiar with this world. This is a standalone book in that same show more world, which introduces us to new characters & magic, as well as treats us to glimpses of old favorites. I admit I liked this book better than the Paper Magician series. Primarily because of Alvie.

Ms. Holmberg’s books are always an easy choice for me. When I first start to hear rumors about a new book I immediately commence stalking Netgalley for an ARC. I’m always so happy to get one! Her books are pleasant and imaginative and I know that I am always sure to enjoy myself. I’m not sure if Ms. Holmberg intends to write more books in this world. I do know that her upcoming books are completely different, but it would be nice to see a return to Alvie in future. Regardless, I will be looking forward to her next publication.

Song for this book: Come on! Feel the Ilinoise! – Sufjan Stevens show less

I liked this one but didn't love it like I thought I would. Maybe it was because I'd been gone from the world too long - if there were any repeat characters, I did not recognize them (and I'm sure I would have loved it if I had remembered more). But as a story, it was a cute love story and an interesting idea of the plastic magicians. I loved how they went about creating and collaborating their idea for the entry into the super magical competition. But I hated that the bad guy was so over-the-top bad and there wasn't a lot of mystery as to what was going on. It was cute and interesting but it just didn't grab me and hold me like I'd hoped.