The Plastic Magician (A Paper Magician Novel)

I am a big fan of Charlie Holmberg. I was so excited to revisit this world from a different perspective. The novel did not disappoint. I am really hoping to hear more about this intelligent and engaging character.

I have waited on this book for a long time. Luckily, it wasn't at all a let down. It is an awesome story and a very worthy addition to the body of works. The worst part of it is the wait until Alvie's next adventure. I read along while listening, and I thoroughly enjoyed the narration and am delighted that the same woman did it.

The perfect blend of the magical and the mundane! The Plastic Magician has a unique magic system that Charlie Holmberg fits seamlessly into everyday life, and the main character is super smart, with an aversion to skirts that was downright hilarious and an appreciation for glasses that aren't too heavy which I can totally relate to.

This book was such a fun ride. Pretty prose and a gripping plot. I love reading about clever characters, and Alvie is so smart--a great narrator to explore this world with. Not to mention the magic system was A+ fascinating and so unique.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Perhaps this book series was written for young adults but I’ve really enjoyed these tales of slightly nerdy magicians finding their way towards their dreams. The alternate universe of inventing magicians is well written and quite enchanting. Enjoy.

I had really enjoyed the Paper Magician series, so I was pretty excited to see there was a spin off.

I liked Alvie well enough. She’s super smart and passionate and I enjoyed reading her dedication to her magic. Ethel and Bennet were fantastic and supportive secondary characters and I could have read a million more scenes with them. Oh and the brief scene of Ceony and Emery was just perfection.

Plot wise it was just okay. I didn’t get caught up in this branch of magic. And while the idea of getting a discovery stolen made for a good {but quite mild} villain, there wasn’t a sense of urgency. The build up was slow and the confrontation was fairly lackluster.

Overall, it was a quick read and an interesting start to a spin off. I did like it, yet I’m not sure I will be reading any of the others.

**Huge thanks to 47North for providing the arc free of charge**

Although I enjoyed the Paper Magician series. I preferred this one. A bit less scandal and a bit more action and interest in the first book. I imagine there will be others, as the door was left wide open for that.

I am a huge fan of the Paper Magician series and couldn't wait to read another book in the same world. This book drew me in from the very beginning and took me on an exciting and enjoyable adventure. Once I started I couldn't put it down. Charlie N. Bloomberg did it again and knocked it out of the park. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good, fun, uplifting book.

A cute story and enjoyable read but not as complex as the original trilogy. The villian is pretty two dimensional. Even the shocking reveal wasn't shocking or a reveal in my opinion. Still, a short and fairly enjoyable read. Cute characters and a fun expansion on an interesting world.

Big fan of the Paper Mag. Series but this one has no stakes! It has no grit, no sense of urgency, no real magic system with the plastic. Fans of Paper, dont read this book. I'd recommend her standalone novel Followed by Frost, which might be her best yet, but this one falls short in every single category. In plot, character, character motivation, setting, all of it. I hope there isnt a sequel and she moves on to other worlds where she's proven she has the imagination to spin an engrossing tale. This one just isnt it.

What I Liked

This book was enthralling, I could not put it down. I remember very vividly that when I first picked this book up I read for a few hours without even trying. For some reason reading for hours on end is starting to become difficult, I am not sure why. Anyway, I was very much pulled into this world. Charlie N. Holmberg does a wonderful job of creating and sculpting this world and her characters. While the world is well established in her previous books, this spin off does not leave you in a spot where you don’t understand the world around the characters, another bonus. Her world and her magic are refreshing and different.

One things I really liked about the main character was that she was not impulsive or quick to action. I felt like the character thought about what she did. For me, I love that in books. I often find myself put off by characters who just mindlessly jump into action and only seem to pull off things due to luck. So this was a very refreshing thing to have thoughtfulness as a trait in a lead character.

What I Didn’t Like

The one thing that got me was that I want not really surprised by anything in this book. While I did very much enjoy the story and characters I never had the moment where I said to myself, “NO WAY!” It was predictable. But, this can also be a plus for some. Some people why don’t like surprises or enjoy when they are right when predicting an outcomes to a book or a plot twist. This is very much a readers preference and does not make the story itself less enjoyable. Even though I was able to predict a few things it did not in anyway make me not enjoy the ride. In fact, I really enjoyed it regardless.

Overall Thoughts

I would say that this book is unique, it has a great with a magic system that for me was very different from books I have previously read. It was a fun book filled with adventure, relationships, magic and bonus had a great main character that I felt like I could relate to on some level. I would say that if you find the description or any of the things I said interesting you should give this book a read.

* I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really adore Charlie's books. I discovered her by accident with The Paper Magician, when it was a Kindle first choice, and have been hooked ever since. My one complaint is that she needs to write more quickly and longer books.

Charlie continues to write riveting novels that pull you in and won't let you return to your life without magic! This series begs me to finish it and saddens me when I do! I only wish you could write them faster! I don't often pre-order books, but I had to have this as soon as it was released! Thank you for another trip into a wonderful, heartfelt world with magic and mystery! I'll be impatiently waiting for the next ❤️

A fun story. This is something nice and light to read as enjoyable entertainment. The characters are well developed. The plot is a bit predictable, but the story is sit fun. I hope there will be more stories in this series.

Honestly, this book was great. I enjoyed this spin-off more than the original trilogy actually. If course that's my own opinion. If you enjoyed The Paper Magician Trilogy, I highly recommend this book!

Absolutely could NOT put this down. Once again this author has created a fantastic world that sucks you in from page one. Can't wait to read more from this fabulous author, keep up the fantastic work!

I loved the Paper Magician Series. I cried during Followed by Frost, I was riveted by Veins of Gold- so this book had a lot of expectations to live up to. It met and exceeded my expectations. She is an imaginative author who excels at creating world's you can see, just like the Paper Magicians story illusions. Highly recommend!

I was hesitant to read a spin-off novel from the Paper Magician series, but glad I did. I LOVE this book. Honestly, I like it better than the original series, which is a good series, don't get me wrong- I adore the characters, but tired of the same plot in all three books. Alvie is a delightful character and can't wait to read more adventures featuring her.

I received an ARC of the Plastic Magician and thoroughly enjoyed it. You don’t need to read the Paper Magician series to follow along but it’s does make you appreciate the appearance of certain return characters.

It’s a great light read with a much different take on magic than most fantasy readers encounter, highly recommend.

As much as I loved the first three, this one takes the cake. I loved the characters, the drama, the excitement of creating something new. I’m not sure how it could play out, but I hope that there is going to be a book 4 eventually!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this standalone, but connected to, story in this series. Alvie's character is engaging and interesting, and the subject line of the story made it worthwhile to learn about. The possibilities of this series could go on and on, and I am glad to hear Disney might have a go with it sometime in the future. Thanks the fun read!

I loved the Paper Magician Series. I cried during Followed by Frost, I was riveted by Veins of Gold- so this book had a lot of expectations to live up to. It met and exceeded my expectations. She is an imaginative author who excels at creating world's you can see, just like the Paper Magicians story illusions. Highly recommend!

This is both a fascinating and charming novel. You might call it 'steampunk' or historical fiction, but it beautifully blends the real sciences of great medical and crime thrillers with the beauty of fantasy and a touch of romance. Perfect first novel in a series.

I loved the paper magician books, and loved the world being extended. Interesting characters and plot. So glad this author continues to write because all of her stories seem so unique and well written!

I've recently read some very good books but they all left me a little down. The Plastic Magician is a wonderful and most importantly uplifting story with a nerdly heroine and wonderful supporting characters. I highly recommend this book!

The Paper Magician was when I first fell in love with Miss Charlie’s stories. This was an easy read that I never got bored with. Hoping the Plastic Magician is a start of a new series because I was sad it ended. Love the characters and the imagination behind it all.

I really enjoyed this book, and it follows wonderfully to the other magician books. I love that the paper magician characters are included from an entirely different angle with the introduction of a new character, Alvie.

A nicely laid out magical system alongside an early technology system. Characters are interesting and well developed. I am looking forward to more books about these characters and the universe they inhabit.

I love the magical world that she has created, so similar to reality but enhanced in a way that makes it seamless and realistic. The characters themselves are intriguing and keep you reading for more.

I grew up on Harry Potter books, so I'm always excited about a magical series, and this book did not disappoint. The book was a little predictable at times but included enough surprises to keep me interested.