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4.0 

My Name Is Magic

By Xan van Rooyen
My Name Is Magic by Xan van Rooyen digital book - Fable

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Publisher Description

Taika Turunen has no magic.

Despite coming from a long line of powerful Finnish mages, and their name literally meaning magic, Taika can't perform the simplest of spells. 

Forced to attend Myrskyjärvi International School for the Magically Gifted on account of their mom being principal, Taika has a hard time fitting in. Sometimes, they wonder if not having magic has something to do with the fact they're neither a girl nor a boy and if they're fated to be "Taika the Talentless" forever.

Life goes from bad to worse when Natalie, Taika's former BFF, is mysteriously absent from class, only to appear to Taika as a liekkiö, a spirit begging for their help. As more students go missing, Taika must take the lead in a race against time to save friends old and new before a powerful group of chaos mages can unleash the legendary Sampo, an artefact capable of either saving the world's waning magic or destroying everything Taika holds dear.

To rescue Natalie, Taika will have to journey to the liminal space between worlds where they'll be forced to battle mythical monsters and their own dwindling self-esteem. In doing so, Taika might just discover that magic-and love-comes in many different forms.

For fans of witchcraft and wizardry looking for a new, inclusive magic school to attend, My Name Is Magic, is a story about finding strength from within and potential where you least expected it.

4 Reviews

4.0
“Despite our non-binary main character Taika Turunen's first name literally translating to "magic", they have not a single drop, something their classmates at Myrskyjärvi International School for the Magically Gifted never let them forget. Their lack of power has not stopped them from learning everything they could about magic. When, through a chance encounter at the library while skipping class, they come across new guy Morgan O'Connor, the two bond and swiftly become friends. Morgan can easily blend two or more elements together when casting spells, something older students struggle with. The unlikely pair grow closer as they look into the students who recently have started to go missing from a "norovirus outbreak" including Taika's old friend (and secret crush) Natalie. Wouldn't these sick students be in the infirmary? They're just missing. After recruiting several more unlikely students to the cause, the group starts investigating and trying to solve the mystery before it's too late and the students are lost forever. Honestly this book absolutely crushed my expectations. I love all of the characters and physically require more books set in this world. The magic system is fairly simple but fun to consider the possibilities with (how combining various runes can cause different effects). Morgan and Taika's true friendship is a joy to watch unfold, especially after seeing how poorly everyone treats Taika in first few chapters. I highly recommend checking this book out when it is released on September 27, 2022. Thank you to Tiny Ghost Press who provided me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.”
“(4.5) [I received an eARC. It’ll be published on 9/27!] When I started reading My Name is Magic, I compared it a bit to Harry Potter…but it’s NOTHING like it and I love this book for that reason. The characters and magic system are my favorite things about the book! Taika is a great MC who proves that being normal is unique (in more ways than one) and Morgan makes an amazing sidekick! They’re relationship is cute, witty, and surprisingly balanced! The development between Taika and all the other characters is just perfect for the story. I do find their development with Toivo so pleasing too - that big moment near the end I can’t spoil had my jaw on the floor! The magic system is also very cool since it builds on the 4 basic elements, which I enjoy in a fantasy book. Add some interesting creatures, a magical (at times political) hierarchy, and a mystery to solve and I’m invested! Queer representation in My Name is Magic wasn’t overbearing or underrepresented - instead a good balance to clearly identify the book as queer. Gender roles were reversed a bit too, which is an element of storytelling I’m a huge fan of. I enjoy a book with culture woven into its pages as well! While I literally know nothing about Finnish culture, about 99% of the Finnish words/phrases I understood or could figure out through context. There were a few moments I couldn’t decipher a word or phrase but, in a novel, that’s nothing. (I’m just one of those people who doesn’t like having to look things up if I don’t understand them.) But I love My Name is Magic and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a fantasy mystery with queer representation!”

About Xan van Rooyen

Climber, tattoo-enthusiast, and peanut-butter addict, Xan van Rooyen is a genderqueer non-binary storyteller from South Africa, currently living in Finland where the heavy metal is soothing and the cold, dark forests inspiring. Xan has a Master's degree in music, and-when not teaching-enjoys conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. You can find their short stories in the likes of Three-Lobed Burning Eye, Daily Science Fiction, Cast of Wonders, and The Colored Lens. Xan hangs out on instagram, twitter, and facebook so feel free to say hi over there.

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