Review: Rogue Magic

Rogue Magic by Kit Brisby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rogue Magic was a truly amazing read: I had so much fun with it, and cannot wait to see what else Kit Brisby offers us in the future.

The concept of Rogue Magic is such a simple one, and yet it is done in such a way that throughout reading it will fail to reach your notice just how simple the concept is. In truth, it’s something that has been done before – yet Kit Brisby puts a unique spin on the idea and turns it into something truly amazing. We’re given more than a simple tale of magic being banned and the revolution that comes about; what we’re given is a tale of love, the developments and changes of a world, of the way the simplest of acts can change a person’s mind, and how things are never quite the way they are imagined to be. Honestly, the story goes much deeper than being a simple world where magic is hated.

I could go quite in depth when it comes to the storyline, but I’m going to avoid doing such a thing. The story comes together so beautifully that I have no wish to ruin anything through accidental spoilers. Thus, I’m going to address the book in a somewhat abstract way. Hopefully such a thing will convince you the book is wonderful – but if not, know it is my fault and not the story.

First off, the magic system. The magical system in this book is so interesting to read. We never really understand it on a deep level, but such a thing works with this story. We understand the basics, and as the story progresses we find out more and more about the world. Most of the focus, in regards to the magic, is on how people feel towards magic and magic users. Such a thing works perfectly with this story, as the tale focuses upon the changes in views rather than the actual use of magic. We get to see some insight into the magic world, but we’re not held down by details of how each magical scene plays out. In short, we have a book of magic that does not force the magic upon us all that often, and even when it does the magic almost falls into the background.

Second, the development of the characters. The characters are wonderful in general: they’re all such fun, each with their own views and opinions. However, the development we see throughout overshadows how much fun the characters are to begin with. Honestly, we see such change throughout the book. It feels like the tiniest of things, but these things add up. These little things demonstrate a much bigger change, and these changes are linked to the larger revolution that is being attempted throughout the book. Without a doubt, the development is amazing. It is subtle and yet it is constantly there.

Third, the romance. The romance is a slow build, and I really enjoyed it. The romantic elements are constantly there, lingering in the background, and whilst sometimes it felt as if the romance seemed to be taking too much attention, it never overpowered the overall story. It really was a sweet read, and I was quickly in love with our two main characters and hoping for their happily ever after.

Forth, the twist at the end. It was such a great twist. It has been done many times before, and yet I did not see it coming. I should have been annoyed with such a twist, and yet I loved it. The way it came about, the fact I overlooked the suggestions, left me grinning despite it how it was not a twist to smile about. It caught me so off guard, and such a thing really surprised me. I really did enjoy the way things played out with the twist at the end – I could not have asked for a better turn around.

The one thing I found a bit hard to believe was the power handed over to social media. I accept that it is a powerful tool in the modern day world, and yet I feel as though too much power was handed over to it in this story. Of course, this is just a small thing. I appreciate the way social media was used, and yet I find it hard to believe just how much power it seemed to have in this story.

Overall, this was a wonderful read. Whilst I wasn’t pulled in deep at the start of the book, I quickly I found myself unable to put it down. It’s certainly worth a read, and I’ll be looking to read more of the author’s work in the future.

As a final note, I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to advance read this great story.

View all my reviews