#Review - Fearless Magic by Megan Crewe #YA #Fantasy

Series: Conspiracy of Magic #3
Format: Kindle Edition
Release Date: December 5, 2019
Publisher: Another World Press
Source: Amazon
Genre: Young Adult / Urban Fantasy

Can they be fearless enough to save the world's magic?

Rocío Lopez and Finn Lockwood are finally reunited—but under desperate circumstances. Magic is raging, and the mage community is in chaos as the Confed struggles to hold onto its secrets.

Rocío believes exposing those secrets is the key to saving the world's magic. She never wanted to become the leader of a revolution, but with her unique understanding of the crisis, taking charge may be the only way to see her mission through.

Adrift from his old life after the deadly disaster that rocked his family, Finn scrambles to support the rebellion's efforts however he can. But his connections to the old-magic world may be his greatest asset—if he can find a way to bridge the divide.

With tensions rising between the Dull authorities and magical society, a revolution might not be enough to turn the tide. Can Rocio and Finn find the strength in themselves and each other to prevent an even greater catastrophe?

Fearless Magic is the third and final installment in author Megan Crewe's Conspiracy of Magic trilogy. The story picks up right where Wounded Magic left off. In the previous books, readers learned that any castings that caused harm or damage have ill effects on Magic itself. Magic is now fighting back hard which is causing major disruptions. Finn Lockwood and Rocío Lopez stand on the precipice of magic destroying the world unless something radical happens to change its course. The story alternatives between Finn, who has no magic, and Rocio who may be the strongest mage in a generation.

Rocío is AWOL from her National Defense team and hunted by the Dull government for interfering in military maneuvers. After learning some shocking news, Rocio now has proof that Nulls, those without magic, can actually harken magic. They may be what is needed to show the world that magic isn't just for a select group of chosen people. The problem is can find enough willing Null's who are able to put their lives on the line when both Nulls and magic users are fighting for the status quo? Her plan to save magic gets harder after terrorists, Bonded Worthy, struck the North American Confederation of Magic building killing Finn's uncle and plan to cause even more damage to magic.

With the help of her fellow Champion teammates (Sam & Desmond), Finn, and the Freedom of Magic League, she will do whatever it takes to save magic. While being hunted by Confed as a national security threat, Finn’s tries to convince his family to help him after revealing his involvement with the Freedom of Magic League. Surprisingly, it is his sister who seems to be the more wiling to accept what Finn is trying to do with Rocío. As a reminder, after losing out in becoming a Champion in the first installment, and being dampered so that he has no magic, Finn has become a brave voice for those who have suffered at the hands of the Confederations outdated and brutal rules. 

Finn and Rocío's relationship has been the key to the enjoyment of this series. He's from a well off family with connections that go back years, Rocío's family is poor and not able to get into the prestigious magic schools like Finn. However, they quickly put all that behind them in the first book and worked extremely well together since. While Rocío is overseas, Finn worked on the home front putting together an alliance that seems to be what he was called to do. Overall, this was a pretty decent finale to the series and yes, I do recommend that you read the books as they were released in order to understand and enjoy them better.

**I voluntarily read this book without any obligations of writing a review. My review is based on my observations and notes and not on expectations by the author or anyone else. **

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#Review - Wounded Magic by Megan Crewe #YALit #Fantasy

Series: Conspiracy of Magic # 1
Format: Kindle, 361 pages
Release Date: November 29, 2018
Publisher: Another World Press
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Magic can heal the fiercest wounds... or cut them even deeper.

Rocío Lopez and Finn Lockwood survived the deadly trials of the Mages' Exam in a bid to keep their magic. But the world outside presents vicious threats of its own.

Forced into the Confed's military special ops unit, Rocío must walk a fine line between complicity and resistance, or everyone she loves could pay the price. With the magic's pleas growing increasingly urgent, can she make her stand in time?

Stripped of his talent, Finn is determined to fight the corrupt magical government—and to find his way back to the girl he's fallen for. When his new mission clashes with his family's legacy, how many people will he have to betray?

Revolution is brewing. And as enemies rise at home and abroad, both Rocío and Finn will be caught in the crossfire.

 

Wounded Magic is the second installment in author Megan Crowe's Conspiracy of Magic series. Picking up where the Ruthless Magic left off, Wounded Magic delves deeper into the alternate modern-day world of Magic. 16-year olds Rocio Lopez and Finnegan Lockwood have survived the Confederation of Magic's Mage challenge. Rocio has become one of 6 champions, while Finn faces a future without any magic and a loss of any memory of the test itself. This story alternates between the two characters.

Let me start with Finn since his story really shows the struggles that he now faces after failing to be named one of the Champions even though he survived along with Rocio, Desmond, Leonie, and Prisha. Such an unfortunate situation for Finn. He comes from a family that is deeply entrenched in the Confederations political goals, now he must find his own way in life. His main goal is to expose the hypocrisy of the Mage Exam and what really happens behind the scenes.

This includes finding a group called The Freedom of Magic League which resents the way they are being treated by society & among the magic users that suffered forced burn out and blocking of their abilities. This is something that Finn starts to experience first hand. But, what is the long term goal of this group? Are they going to confront they Confederation on peaceful terms, or will they end up resorting to much harsher means to get their message across?

Meanwhile, Rocio has been recruited into National Defense which has been fighting a 30 year war against mages and magic insurgent groups around the globe. These groups are known for killing innocents in order to spread their message. Rocio, who has the goals of protecting magic and exposing the Confederations treachery, spends most of her time overseas in places like Estonia chasing bad guys and learning as much as she can to take down the Confederation. 

She also has the ability to judge a magic users ability to harken magic. Rocio believes the magic is actually alive and in pain every time someone uses it for the wrong reason. Her heart is in the right place. She is just up against a stacked deck with little help from other members of the National Defense team who are required to spend 10 years doing what they say. 

To be fair, Wounded Magic did it's best to follow in the footsteps of Ruthless Magic. But, in my humble opinion, it comes up just a bit short. Until the ending. Yep, The ending will rock your socks off. But, until then, readers will have to wait patiently until the storyline is sussed out and revealed. Finn and Rocio don't spend a whole lot of time together, just enough to know they are on the same side. The romantic feelings between Finn and Rocio made another step forward which is a good sign that the author doesn't intend to just ignore the feelings between the two characters or what they mean to each other.

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ARC #Review - Ruthless Magic by Megan Crewe #YALit #Fantasy

Series: Conspiracy of Magic # 1
Format: E-Galley, 372 pages
Release Date: May 30, 2018
Publisher: Another World Press
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Young Adult / Urban Fantasy

In the contest to keep their magic, the only options may be die... or kill.

Each year, the North American Confederation of Mages assesses every sixteen-year-old novice. Some will be chosen. The rest must undergo a procedure to destroy their magical ability unless they prove themselves in the mysterious and brutal Mages' Exam.

Disadvantaged by her parents' low standing, Rocío Lopez has dedicated herself to expanding her considerable talent to earn a place in the Confederation. Their rejection leaves her reeling—and determined to fight to keep her magic.

Long ashamed of his mediocre abilities, Finn Lockwood knows the Confederation accepted him only because of his prominent family. Declaring for the Exam instead means a chance to confirm his true worth.

Thrown into the testing with little preparation, Rocío and Finn find themselves becoming unlikely allies—and possibly more. But the Exam holds secrets more horrifying than either could have imagined. What are the examiners really testing them for? And as the trials become increasingly vicious, how much are they willing to sacrifice to win?

The first in a new series by USA Today bestselling author Megan Crewe, Ruthless Magiccombines the magic of Harry Potter with the ferocity of The Hunger Games alongside a poignant romance. Fans of Cassandra Clare and Holly Black, look no further for your next urban fantasy fix. 

Ruthless Magic is the first installment in author Megan Crewe's Conspiracy of Magic series. The story is actually told in two separate narratives; 16-year old Finn Lockwood, son of the man, Jonathan Lockwood, who helped bring Mage's into the light of day. The second narrative is by 16-year old Rocio Lopez who is a much, much better magician than Finn but doesn't have the same options open to her. While Finn is from a long lineage of mages, Rocio's parents have been Dampered, or, had their magic contained so it's at the barest minimum. 

Let me say that I recommend readers pick up Magic Unmasked before you read this story. Magic Unmasked actually takes place 40 years before this story, however, there are several key players in the story, including Jonathan Lockwood, and Raymond Lockwood, who appear in both installments. Magic Unmasked focuses on Jonathan and another character who I won't spoil since there's no point. It was because of Jonathan's action in Unmasked, that have led to the world these characters live in now.

This is a world where old magic, mixes with new magic, mixes with those like Rocio who are extremely talented but are often left out of the elite schools where magic is taught at a higher level. In this world, when you turn 16, you are either chosen for the College of North America Confederation of Mages, or you are Dampered. There is, however, another choice and that is to opt into a brutal contest called the Mage's Exam where only the top survivors are chosen for the College, or other opportunities.

Both Finn, who doesn't believe his family takes him seriously, and Rocio, who spent years at a much less prestigious school in Manhattan, opt into the Mage's Exam along with 54 other candidates from all over the country. Since Finn's best friend Prisha Mathurs is an important secondary character, I will mention that she chooses the Mage's Exam as well. Prisha is what the author calls new money. To become a Champion, Finn, Rocio, & Prisha will have to survive 5 days of testing. 5 days of the most brutal, the most diabolical, the most nerve shattering testing you've read about since, well, The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau.

As a reviewer, we are supposed to tell you who our favorite characters are and why, right? Well, I have to say that I give Rocio the edge since she is utterly impressive, powerful, and really good at magic. Without her magic, she would be just another person on the streets with no future and no expectations. Rocio is also searching for answers to what happened to her brother Javi who disappeared 3 years ago, and has been presumed dead. 

Finn is second since he is someone who is trying to prove himself and not be taken for granted because of his name. He isn't at the top of any mage list. He's not even in the middle. He's probably at the bottom which gives certain family members pause to question what they are going to do with him. What makes Finn a really good hero, is that he wants to actually use his magic for good, not unlike his own father in Magic Unmasked. Finn doesn't like that the Confederation has so much power to decide a person's fate, especially when there are those like Rocio and Prisha who are just as talented as those from old money magic families.

I am definitely eager to read the sequel whenever it is planned for release. There are a whole lot of avenues the author has left for herself to explore from both Finn and Rocio's perspectives after the final bell is tallied, and those who survived are named Chaptions, or end up Dampened.

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#Monday Review - A Sky Unbroken by Megan Crewe (Young Adult, Science Fiction)

Series: Earth & Sky # 3
Format: E-Galley, 347 pages
Release Date: October 13, 2015
Publisher: Skyscape
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

The rebels have been disbanded, their plans ruined. Betrayed by those she trusted most, Skylar finds herself herded, along with a small group of Earthlings, into a living museum—a human zoo—on the Kemyates’ space station, subject to her captors’ every whim. Any move Skylar makes could result in the extinction of her people—but giving in means losing any hope of freedom.

Meanwhile, Win returns home and evades punishment by pretending to be loyal to Kemya. But he can’t bear knowing that Skylar is imprisoned or watch his fellow Kemyates swallow the Council’s lies about Earth. He must bring the truth to the Kemyate public and see the Earthlings freed—even if it means openly challenging his world’s rulers.

In this final book of the action-packed Earth & Sky trilogy, neither Skylar nor Win knows they are about to uncover an even deeper conspiracy—one that could push the future they’re fighting for completely out of reach.

A Sky Unbroken is the final installment in the Earth & Sky trilogy by author Megan Crewe. Crewe deviates a bit from her previous novels in that she alternates narratives between Skylar, and Win. Picking up right where The Clouded Sky left off, Skylar Ross and a handful of Rebels have failed in their mission to protect Earth. It's not that they intentionally failed, but they couldn't stop the events that took place. 

History has a way of repeating itself, and this time it is Earth that suffers. It is Skylar who wakes up to find that she is one of the few Earthlings who have survived (thanks to being in the right place) and is now part of the Earth Studies experiment. It is Skylar who the Kemyate leaders, like Thlo/Ibtep, decide to make an example of by drugging her, and trying to make her into a human pet. It is Skylar who must come up with a way to stay alive, or face the facts that Humanity is on the brink of extinction.

I am happy that I read this book immediately after finishing The Clouded Sky. It takes a bit to understand what is happening from the outset without knowing how the previous book ended. It is even more darker than previous novels because you now know the faces of the evil and who has been planning this event for centuries. It is easy to understand who Skylar can and can't trust. Thankfully, Crewe does offer Skylar some assistance with her best friend Angela, and her parents. I have to say, I really like how strong Sky's mother was portrayed.

It's fun to see how a character grows over the course of a series. For Skylar, she has seen a whole lot since she met Win, and time traveled with him. She found herself on Kemya, learned the language, the technology, and helped the rebels on several important missions. Last time out, Sky fell for Jule, who gets shoved back to his secondary role this time out. I am happy that Crewe didn't continue the Sky/Jule farce. Sky has always been meant for Win, and that never changed for me over 3 books.

Win is also a character that stands out. Obviously since he has his own narrative, but I digress. He stands up and becomes a leader. He knows that he, and a few of the others like Tabzi, Emma, and Isis are the only saviors for the remaining Humans. Humans who are given absolutely no rights, and are treated like animals. Humans who have the same blood and DNA as the Kemyates. As with Sky's mother, Win's parents are also exceptionally likable. They stand with their son even though they could have faced much harsher punishments.

The Earth & Sky trilogy comes to an interesting end. It's more of an open ending that allows the readers to put their own ideas of what is to happen to these characters after the curtains have come down on the story. One of the most basic messages of this story is acceptance, and tolerance of others no matter where they come from. We may not share the same blood, but we are all human beings.

**I received this book for free from (Publisher) via (NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

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#Wednesday Review - The Clouded Sky by Megan Crewe (Young Adult, Science Fiction)

Series: Earth & Sky # 2
Format: E-Galley, 354 pages
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Skyscape
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

When seventeen-year-old Skylar escapes the time-bending Enforcers who secretly control Earth, her troubles have just begun. She and her friend Win take refuge on Win’s home space station with his fellow rebels, but the fate of Skylar’s planet still spins out of her control.

To avoid detection, Skylar poses as the Earthling “pet” of Win’s rival, an arrogant boy named Jule. Homesick and faced with a cool reception from the other rebels, she throws herself into the group’s mission: assembling a weapon to disable Earth’s restrictive time field. Gradually, Skylar’s skill for detail gains respect—even from Jule, who is more vulnerable than he lets on.

Yet challenges spring from every side. Not only must Sky navigate the muddy waters of romance, but suspicions of betrayal grow among the rebels as their work narrowly misses sabotage.

In the latest in Megan Crewe’s Earth & Sky series, can Skylar expose the traitor before time runs out and Earth is destroyed?

The Clouded Sky is the second installment in Megan Crewe's Earth & Sky trilogy. The story itself picks up immediately after the ending of Earth & Sky. 17-year old Skylar Ross has managed to catch the attention of a group of Interplanetary rebels looking to stop the Council of Kemya from continuing its experiments on Earth's time field. They, or should I say Skylar and (Dar)Win, have time traveled across several different countries & eras, avoided the hated Enforcers who control earth, and successfully searched for parts of a weapon that can be used to destroy the time field surrounding Earth. 

For Skylar, her next journey includes a trip to the Kemya home world. Or, shall I call it the Kemya space station where the Kemyatans now live after they destroyed their own home world. You should know that the story mostly takes place on the Kemya space station. In order to explain her appearance on the station, Skylar must pose as a pet to Jule, a minor secondary character from the first book. Here on the station, humans have no rights. They are put into zoos and studied. 

We watch as Skylar pretends to be a pet so that she can go places where the other rebels can't go. She learns the technology and the language so that she knows what is happening. She learns how to pilot a shuttle, and goes on an important mission. Readers should give Skylar a whole lot of credit for what she does. She gets ignored, but keeps coming back. She pushes for answers as to who is betraying them, and discovers that persons identity before anyone else.

One of the main things that drove me crazy in this book, besides the slow pacing, was Crewe's twisted romance switch. It was pretty apparent, at least to me, that Skylar and Win had some sort of connection in the first book. Now that they are on the station, it is Jule who becomes Skylar's romantic interest while Win is on the outsider looking in. I can't judge the feelings the two characters have for each other. Jule isn't the tool I thought he was in the previous book. He is also a character who has a whole lot going on.

Can I just say that the ending blew me away? Literally. It blew me away with the extent that Crewe changes Skylar's future, and that of her friends, and family, and the series in general. I suspected the traitor from the beginning, but I didn't know the extent that this person would go to proving a point. I found myself really liking Isis, Britta, and even Tabzi. I love that the mystery isn't resolved until the last scene. 

Next up: A Sky Unbroken

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