Books › Magic Street
Magic Street
397 pages
A quiet Los Angeles neighborhood hides a doorway to a Shakespearean realm, blending modern coming-of-age with ancient, uncanny magic.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like walking down a familiar city street and suddenly noticing a door that wasn't there yesterday. It unfolds at a steady, deliberate pace, taking its time to deeply root you in the rhythms of a prosperous Los Angeles neighborhood before letting the magic seep in. The mood is a compelling blend of the grounded and the uncanny, where everyday community bonds are just as important as the Shakespearean folklore lurking behind reality's veil. The prose is clear and observant, carrying an earnest, mythic tone that treats both teenage growing pains and epic fairy battles with equal weight. It will delight readers who crave urban fantasy that prioritizes character, atmosphere, and the slow, wondrous discovery of hidden worlds.
- Mood
- dreamlike
- uncanny
- grounded
- mysterious
- Tone
- earnest
- mythic
- observant
- contemplative
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- finding one's place · hidden magic in the mundane · the weight of destiny · community and found family
- The writing
- The prose is clear and deliberate, anchoring high-concept Shakespearean fantasy in the vivid, everyday realities of a Los Angeles neighborhood.
- The arc
- The journey moves from the quiet, isolated wonder of a mysterious childhood into the heavy, complex burden of navigating an epic, cross-dimensional destiny.
- Who it's for
- Fans of classic urban fantasy who love a slow-burn coming-of-age story where folklore bleeds quietly into modern city streets.
Content notes
- child abandonment
- fantasy violence
- sexual themes
About the book
Orson Scott Card has the distinction of having swept both the Hugo and Nebula awards in two consecutive years with his amazing novels Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead. For a body of work that ranges from science fiction to nonfiction to plays, Card has been recognized as an author who provides vivid, colorful glimpses between the world we know and worlds we can only imagine.In a peaceful, prosperous African American neighborhood in Los Angeles, Mack Street is a mystery child who has somehow found a home. Discovered abandoned in an overgrown park, raised by a blunt-speaking single woman, Mack comes and goes from family to family--a boy who is at once surrounded by boisterous characters and deeply alone. But while Mack senses that he is different from most, and knows that he has strange powers, he cannot possibly understand how unusual he is until the day he sees, in a thin slice of space, a narrow house. Beyond it is a backyard--and an entryway into an extraordinary world stretching off into an exotic distance of geography, history, and magic.Passing through the skinny house that no one else can see, Mack is plunged into a realm where time and reality are skewed, a place where what Mack does and sees seem to have strange affects in the "real world" of concrete, cars, commerce, and conflict. Growing into a tall, powerful young man, pursuing a forbidden relationship, and using Shakespeare's Midsummer's Night Dream as a guide into the vast, timeless fantasy world, Mack becomes a player in an epic drama. Understanding this drama is Mack's challenge. His reward, if he can survive the trip, is discovering not only who he really is... but why he exists.Both a novel of constantly surprising entertainment and a tale of breathtaking literary power, Magic Street is a masterwork from a supremely gifted, utterly original American writer--a novel that uses realism and fantasy to delight, challenge, and satisfy on the most profound levels.From the Hardcover edition.
Description from Open Library.
Books like Magic Street
See why they match
The Crystal CityOrson Scott CardA folksy, philosophical journey through an alternate American frontier where everyday crafts hold deep, world-shaping magic.
The Gate ThiefOrson Scott CardA modern coming-of-age tale where ancient mythology bleeds into high school hallways, anchored by the heavy burden of god-like power.
EnchantmentDoris VallejoA modern scholar stumbles into a dark, ancient fairy tale, colliding the anxieties of the present with the terrifying magic of Slavic myth.
Street magicTamora PierceA sun-baked, bustling fantasy about a scrappy survivor learning that true power lies in reaching back to pull someone else up.
Magic CasementDave DuncanA warm, classic coming-of-age fantasy that slowly unfurls from a cozy pastoral beginning into a sweeping, world-spanning adventure.
Good guysSteven BrustA gritty, cynical urban fantasy where underpaid magical operatives question the morality of the secretive institution they serve.