Magic Unmasked by Megan Crewe

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Title: Magic Unmasked
Author: Megan Crewe
Series: Conspiracy of Magic #0.5
Published by: Indie
Release Date: April 19, 2018
Format: Kindle Book
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Supernatural
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2018 #LetsReadIndie Challenge, Lenoreo's 2018 New Release Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon
My rating:

Blurb:

The wall between mages and the magicless is about to be broken...

Growing up in Manhattan's secret community of mages, 17-year-old Jonathan Lockwood has always seen his family as one of the enlightened ones, regularly campaigning to integrate with the so-called "Dulls" and offer their talents to the wider world. But when a looming disaster threatens hundreds of lives, he watches his parents bow to the pressure to stay silent. Horrified, he resolves to intervene himself.

Jonathan's mission leads him to a chance encounter with Amy, a girl who should be Dull but has a clear affinity for magic. As they struggle to tackle the impending threat, he introduces her to the world he knows is rightfully hers. The closer Jonathan and Amy become, the more he finds himself losing his heart—and his certainty about the rules he's broken. The greater good may come at a price more painful than he ever expected to pay.

Set four decades before the Conspiracy of Magic trilogy, Magic Unmasked offers a glimpse into a critical turning point in magical history—events that set the stage for Rocío and Finn's ordeals.

My Review:

4 stars — While I haven’t read the first book in this series yet, I felt like this set up the world perfectly, and gave some insight into the history.  I thought the take on magic was actually kind of intriguing, with it being in the air all around us, and the mages just able to feel and “hearken” that energy…and to do so with music.  Cool.  I can’t help thinking occasionally impractical, but still cool.

I liked both of our characters, but they definitely felt their age.  Jonathan in particular had a lot of growing up to do.  He was the epitome of this young teenaged kid who felt he was old enough and knew enough, but who honestly wasn’t thinking through all of the implications.  And instead of trusting his parents, he went bull-dozing ahead.  Now, part of that is on his parents for not better explaining things to him, but still.  Jonathan could be such a sweetheart, and I loved his shy nature with Amy.  But I was less impressed with his stubbornness and inability to see what he was doing to Amy.

Even though this story was told in dual POV, I felt like Amy’s journey was really just there to show the stress of discovering magic so late in life.  So it was important, but…  I had a harder time connecting to her for some reason.

I enjoyed the whole Mount St. Helen’s thing, and even had to look up and remind myself of the disaster on Wikipedia.  Craziness.

I SUPER DUPER enjoyed the romance, it was sweet, subtle, and totally just a side thing, but I felt their blossoming crush on one another, and their excitement over one another.  Perhaps that’s why I’m so bummed.

All in all, it was a great introduction, and I can’t wait to find out what’s happening in present day!