What would have made A Touch of Magic better?
More virtue in the main character. More questioning of his motives or more justification for the demonic character. Good supporting characters. More interesting mentors.
What was most disappointing about Gregory L. Mahan’s story?
I’m not sure who this book was written for. I wouldn’t let my 9 and 12 year old boys read it. It would be okay for 14 and up readers though. They talk about what happens to boys when they see a pretty girl and other more mature themes. There are references to the “town slut” and sexual harassment moments that I didn’t appreciate. There is a friendship with a demonic character and quite a bit of graphic violence–Bursting creatures and people and the main character kills most of them himself. The characters are not too endearing, except for the main character and the demonic character and maybe the main character’s mother.
What about David Stifel’s performance did you like?
It was fine and didn’t detract from the story.
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from A Touch of Magic?
I wouldn’t have had the bursting people. I would have the demon transport him to another place or find out that the demon wasn’t a demon at all. Most people don’t befriend demons.
Any additional comments?
If you are looking for fantasy for the younger set it would be better to steer them to Rick Riordan for any Percy Jackson books or his Kane Chronicles; J.K. Rowling for Harry Potter, Brandon Mull for the Fablehaven series or Michael Scott for the Alchemist: The Tales of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. These are action packed fantasy adventures. For 14 crowd girls or boys Colleen Houck’s Tiger’s Curse books would be great, but it is a romantic fantasy…. entirely clean though. This one plods. It does have a decent magical system and I thought it was interesting, but it wasn’t well-done. Hundreds of other books would be better choices.