Book Review: Magyk

Synopsis

After learning that she is the Princess, Jenna is whisked from her home and carried toward safety by the Extraordinary Wizard, those she always believed were her father and brother, and a young guard known only as Boy 412.

Comments

A nice thick read-probably not for a young 9 year-old, though. The characters are likeable and brave. There is a little bit of darkness with some of the evil wizard, but likely not a problem for older 9’s and up.

Language

None [?]

Sexual Content

None

Drugs/Alcohol

Adults drink ale and beer.

Violence/Disturbing

There are witches, wolverines, warlocks, wizards, ghosts, shades and shadows. A newborn is declared dead. Guards and ‘Assassins’ use pistols. Word use: ‘Necromancer’ relating to manipulation of dead spirits. A pistol is pointed at a child’s head. It has a bullet with her name on it. Adult is reportedly killed by a bad wizard who uses a Thunderflashand leaves a charred spot. Some scary description of giant maggots who are later killed with salt and slimy brown swamp creatures. Some stories re: cruelty to children in the army (child is eaten by a wolverine, child falls off a boat and they don’t bother stopping to get him). An animal is shot and hurt and another one is kicked by a kid. Girl feels a ’strange sense of power’ when she holds a pistol. Description of the ‘empty body of the Apprentice’. Dark magic had been used and he was ‘consumed’.

Social/Family

A woman is described as ‘not entirely innocent’ because one of her children does not resemble her others and ‘anyone could see that she was not [her husband's] child. This is later explained because babies were switched at birth. Scene where a woman accuses a man of ‘leaving his wife for this floozie’. The idea of a Queen’s ‘consort’. There is some general feeling that children aren’t very valuable by most of the culture.

Religion/Spiritual

Spirits, raising the dead, ghosts (including a nun shost). Clear idea of evil.