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The Revenge of Magic
432 pages
A high-stakes, monster-battling twist on the magic school trope, fueled by grief, government secrets, and explosive action.
What it feels like
This is a high-octane, cinematic middle-grade adventure that trades the whimsical charm of traditional magic schools for shadowy government secrets and earth-shattering monster battles. The reading experience is intensely propulsive, dropping you into a world where magic is a dangerous, newly discovered weapon rather than an ancient, hidden society. Beneath the explosive action and rapid-fire pacing lies a surprisingly earnest emotional core rooted in grief and the desperate desire for justice. The atmosphere feels urgent and slightly dangerous, keeping readers on edge as the protagonist navigates a maze of untrustworthy adults and cryptic memories. It is perfect for young readers who devour fast-paced, high-stakes fantasy where kids are the only ones capable of saving a fractured world.
- Mood
- shadowy
- action-packed
- mysterious
- determined
- Tone
- earnest
- urgent
- suspenseful
- adventurous
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- coping with grief · the burden of power · uncovering institutional secrets · friendship under fire
- The writing
- Cinematic and accessible, prioritizing rapid-fire dialogue and high-stakes momentum over lingering descriptions.
- The arc
- Begins in sudden, devastating loss and moves through a maze of suspicion toward empowered resilience and hard-won camaraderie.
- Who it's for
- Middle-grade fantasy fans looking for a magic school setting that trades whimsical charm for giant monsters, government secrets, and urgent stakes.
Content notes
- parental loss
- grief
- monster attacks
- child endangerment
About the book
When long-dead magical creatures are discovered all around the world, each buried with a book of magic, only children can unlock the dangerous power of the books in this start to an “imaginative and exciting” (Brandon Mull, author) series from the author of the Story Thieves!
Thirteen years ago, books of magic were discovered in various sites around the world alongside the bones of dragons. Only those born after “Discovery Day” have the power to use the magic.
Now, on a vacation to Washington, DC, Fort Fitzgerald’s father is lost when a giant creature bursts through the earth, attacking the city. Fort is devastated, until an opportunity for justice arrives six months later, when a man named Dr. Opps invites Fort to a government-run school, the Oppenheimer School, to learn magic from those same books.
But life’s no easier at the school, where secrets abound. What does Jia, Fort’s tutor, know about the attacks? Why does Rachel, master of destructive magic, think Fort is out to destroy the school? And why is Fort seeing memories of an expelled girl every time he goes to sleep? If Fort doesn’t find out what’s hiding within the Oppenheimer School, more attacks will come, and this time, nothing will stop them!
Description from Open Library.
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