Magic's Child

May 1, 2007
Gr 9 Up-As the concluding volume of this trilogy opens, Reason Cansino is fifteen years old, pregnant, and magic. In the world that Larbalestier has created, magic users have a choiceto use it and die young, or not to use it and go mad. However, at the conclusion of the previous volume, "Magic Lessons" (Penguin, 2006), Reason was given a different, more powerful type of magic. Her new abilities begin to change her and her unborn child, drawing her deeper into the world of magic and farther from her friends and family. Reason and her soon to-be-born child both have aspects of the title magics child, adding complexity to the books themes of identity, choice, and power. Fans of the first two volumes will be glad to rejoin Reason and her friends in New York City and in Australia, though new readers may be confused by references to past events. Reason is a sympathetic and conflicted protagonist, and her struggles are fully realized and compelling. This is a strong conclusion to a compelling trilogy, and the epilogue offers a suitable twist and perhaps a chance to rejoin Reason in the future."Beth L. Meister, Pleasant View Elementary School, Franklin, WI"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.