Jinx's Magic (Jinx Series #2)

by Sage Blackwood

Overview

Jinx's Magic is the second book in Sage Blackwood's highly acclaimed fantasy-adventure series, Jinx. This humorous and smart tween trilogy set in a magical forest is perfect for fans of Angie Sage's Septimus Heap, Michael Buckley's Sisters Grimm, and Brandon Mull's Fablehaven.

"Readers will thrill to journey with Jinx" (starred School Library Journal review for Jinx), a daring young wizard's apprentice, as he travels from his home in the Urwald to an unfamiliar desert land in search of ancient magic. He needs that magic badly—there are forces threatening the Urwald from all sides.

The more he learns, however, the clearer it becomes that this quest will require more than the magic of a solitary wizard's apprentice, and soon he'll have to call upon all of the Urwald—witches, werewolves, wizards, and trees—for help.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062129949
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/24/2015
Series:	Jinx , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.50(h) x 1.20(d)
Lexile:	560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Sage Blackwood was born in Chicago and grew up in New York State. She graduated from Antioch College and the University at Albany and taught ESL for many years. Her first fantasy novel, Jinx, was selected as a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, ALA Booklist, School Library Journal, and Amazon.com, and was purchased by President Obama.

Editorial Reviews

This series deserves a permanent place in the children’s fantasy pantheon, with Narnia and Earthsea. — Booklist (starred review)

The unique setting, smart pace, likable characters, and sprightly voice hold the narrative together while keeping Jinx’s fans eager for more. — The Horn Book

As Blackwood extends Jinx’s experiences to other lands, she adds layers of complexity that hint at future developments. The next installment can’t come along soon enough. — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

The unique setting, smart pace, likable characters, and sprightly voice hold the narrative together while keeping Jinx’s fans eager for more.

The Horn Book

This series deserves a permanent place in the children’s fantasy pantheon, with Narnia and Earthsea.

Booklist (starred review)

2013-10-09
It's hard not to like a fantasy that is set in an argumentative magical forest, but Blackwood squanders the promise of her debut (Jinx, 2013) with a sequel that just spins its wheels. Though he's repeatedly assured that he doesn't know who he is or what he's doing, 12-year-old wizard-in-training Jinx continues to explore the nebulous extent of his burgeoning magical powers. He does this both at a school in the city of Samara, where he discovers a new style of magic, and in the Urwald, where he can draw huge amounts of raw power from the trees--but his ability to hear and speak to them is a mixed blessing. Meanwhile, his crabby mentor, Simon Magus, is recaptured by the Bonemaster, an affable archnemesis who has also taken to exterminating the Urwald's scattered human communities, and Simon's scholarly wife, Sophie, has been imprisoned. Further complicating matters, Reven (aka Prince Raymond) has given the whole forest fantods by promoting a profitable lumbering operation on the way to reclaiming his throne. Blackwood drops hints of a larger conflict looming and continues to throw her protagonist into dangerous situations. At odds with this are tongue-in-cheek plot elements, such as Jinx's ability to see thoughts as pink puffy clouds or other shapes, cryptic remarks delivered at odd moments by elves and an oddly rational werewolf. Typical of middle volumes: much backing and forthing to not enough purpose. (Fantasy. 10-12)

Kirkus Reviews