story craft

NEW Book Review Template

Genre: YA Fantasy

Format: 4 out of 5 stars

My rating: 

Reasons to love: 

– First person 
– Quirky male lead
– Color-fueled magic
– Power stones
– Incredible world-building
– Enemies to lovers
– Reluctant hero
– Hidden truth

Cautions: violence: as with many fantasy novels, this one takes on a good vs. evil theme. Violence appears often, torture appears in description and in action (once); romance: there are a few kisses and hints of romance here and there, overall, this was a sweet book

Main themes: Truth, trust, betrayal, choice

Main characters:

Favorite quote: I don’t know how to need someone this way. All this time my emotions have been guarded by a stick house, and now a wildfire is outside my door.

Review:

After working in the publishing industry for almost ten years, I must confess, I definitely judge books by their covers. I honestly didn’t even read Vivid’s description before I bought it. I just saw the cover and saw that Enclave published it, and that was that. 

Honestly? The book was just as lovely on the inside as the cover. I just hate that I chose to read it while battling a nasty bout of bronchitis. Through no fault of the author, or these beloved characters, it took me a while to settle into the pace. But between the Nyquil and the coughs that kept me up all night, it’s no wonder my reading was a little slower than normal. And my review might not be as detailed as usual. 

But as I healed, so did my reading pace, and I finished the book rather quickly. Ashley Bustamante created such a colorful world in Magus—an island, the only place in the world where magic never dies. The characters are as rich and vibrant as the colors that power their magic. I loved Bustamante’s take on having skill enhanced by magic that was fueled by color. It’s such a unique way to help people visualize that magic always has a cost. 

Our heroine, Ava, took a journey that resembled my own, though I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t really engage in self-discovery until I was around thirty years old. So, go Ava! I love watching her move from hesitant and unsocial to powerful because she learned to trust the right people—and they weren’t who she thought they would be. 

Then there was zany and adorable Elm. Much like Ava, there were moments when I wondered if Elm was just tricking me into liking him. But what a delight to end the book and love him all the more. 

Many of the other characters start out as friends, then move to the suspicious, then move to enemies while others surprise the reader by quickly moving in the opposite direction and helping when you don’t expect them to. Blake became one of my favorite surprises. You’ll just have to read to find out why. 

Bustamante’s writing is young and clear and easy to read. Her words carried me into a world of depth and imagination that belied their youth and simplicity. When I finished, I sighed happily, feeling hopeful and incredibly excited to see what Bustamante has dreamed up for Color Theory book two: Radiant.

My take:

The majority isn’t always right. Research. Look deeper within yourself and for yourself. If you find answers other than what you expect, at least you’ll know you arrived there. Charge bravely into the questions. Who knows—you might find a grander adventure than you ever imagined.