The Trueheart
After the death of his mother, Corbin becomes depressed. He has never known his father and he knows that child services will send him to live with his Aunt Graciella in Connecticut. As Corbin is wishing for a way out of the situation, he locks eyes with a crow outside his window. Soon, Corbin realizes that he has transformed into a crow himself and follows the crow by his window to his nest. Corbin lives as a crow for years, transforming back to a boy to explore the nearby farm. He is discovered by Maxim Moritz Grobian who knows Corbin's secret and wants to teach him more about being a mage. Maxim rescues Corbin and helps him to regain his life as a boy and a mage, enrolling Corbin in Maxim's school for magical beings. Corbin feels a heavy weight of gratitude towards Maxim; so when Maxim asks Corbin to go on a dangerous mission to Hexenheim, Corbin readily agrees. The quest involves finding Maxim's estranged daughter, Lorelei while being tracked by a ruthless Inquisitor.
Smoke and Mirrors: The Trueheart is a young adult fantasy with magic, romance and intrigue. I was pulled into the story from the prologue where Corbin makes a daring escape by turning into a crow and flying away. After that Corbin's story delves into the world of mages. Corbin's character was intriguing. He was easily moldable by those around him since the loss of his mother and finding his new magical abilities without any support; however, Corbin is able to see the truth behind the intentions of those around him, magical or not. I was impressed by the many types of magical beings and their origins as well. Most of all, I liked seeing how Corbin and his classmates came together to subdue the Inquisitor who was against magical beings while realizing that the magic within them can be used for good to enhance the world and themselves. While some of the plot may have been expected, Smoke and Mirrors: The Trueheart is a fun, fantasy adventure with wonderful characters and a cliffhanger ending that makes me want to dive right into the next book.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Smoke and Mirrors: The Trueheart is a young adult fantasy with magic, romance and intrigue. I was pulled into the story from the prologue where Corbin makes a daring escape by turning into a crow and flying away. After that Corbin's story delves into the world of mages. Corbin's character was intriguing. He was easily moldable by those around him since the loss of his mother and finding his new magical abilities without any support; however, Corbin is able to see the truth behind the intentions of those around him, magical or not. I was impressed by the many types of magical beings and their origins as well. Most of all, I liked seeing how Corbin and his classmates came together to subdue the Inquisitor who was against magical beings while realizing that the magic within them can be used for good to enhance the world and themselves. While some of the plot may have been expected, Smoke and Mirrors: The Trueheart is a fun, fantasy adventure with wonderful characters and a cliffhanger ending that makes me want to dive right into the next book.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
The Heartstone
Corbin Lobo is a sixteen year-old shapeshifting mage who has just completed a year at a special school for mages in Hexenheim. Now, he is setting off to Corfu with his half-selkie girlfriend, Lorelei to meet her family and learn more about the mages that created Hexenheim. While in Corfu, Corbin and Lorelei face off against a dangerous Inquisitor who wants to harm the selkies living there. After that, Corbin returns to his home where his mentor and Lorelei's father, Max manipulates Corbin into making a vow to bring Lorelei to him. Max has plans to use Lorelei's Heartstone for his own nefarious purposes. Corbin and Lorelei must figure out how to outwit Max at his own game for the protection of mages and nonmages alike.
Smoke and Mirrors: The Heartstone is the second book in the Smoke and Mirrors series; picking up shortly after the first book ends, I would highly recommend reading The Trueheart first in order to get to know the world that has been created, the characters and their motivations. The Heartstone jumps right in with Corbin and Lorelei facing new adventures and threats. I enjoyed adventuring along with Corbin and Lorelei as they helped a new magical person find their way, protect the selkies and outwit an Inquisitor as well as retrieve Lorelei's Heartstone. The story included a lot of history of the Mages and their experiences with the magic hunters dating back to the Tudor reign that gave background into the challenges they have been facing. Lorelei's grandfather, Darius was a wonderful character whose story gave insight into the selkie curse and his family history. It was wonderful to see Corbin and Lorelei work as a team to outsmart Max and get the Heartstone back. I loved the whirlwind conclusion that turned out a lot differently than I would have expected. I can't wait to see what is next for all of the characters.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Smoke and Mirrors: The Heartstone is the second book in the Smoke and Mirrors series; picking up shortly after the first book ends, I would highly recommend reading The Trueheart first in order to get to know the world that has been created, the characters and their motivations. The Heartstone jumps right in with Corbin and Lorelei facing new adventures and threats. I enjoyed adventuring along with Corbin and Lorelei as they helped a new magical person find their way, protect the selkies and outwit an Inquisitor as well as retrieve Lorelei's Heartstone. The story included a lot of history of the Mages and their experiences with the magic hunters dating back to the Tudor reign that gave background into the challenges they have been facing. Lorelei's grandfather, Darius was a wonderful character whose story gave insight into the selkie curse and his family history. It was wonderful to see Corbin and Lorelei work as a team to outsmart Max and get the Heartstone back. I loved the whirlwind conclusion that turned out a lot differently than I would have expected. I can't wait to see what is next for all of the characters.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
RSS Feed
