Early Review: A Tangle of Magicks by Stephanie Burgis

Pages: 304 Release Date: 1st August 2011 Publisher: Templar Source: Publisher

Goodreads synopsis:

After her antics in A Most Improper Magick, Kat Stephenson is back to cause more chaos! Stepmama drags the family to Bath to find Kat's sister a new suitor. But, unknown to most of its gossipy visitors, Bath is full of wild magic. When Kat uncovers a plot to harness this magic in the Roman Baths, she finds her brother Charles is unwittingly involved. Kat must risk her newfound magical powers as she defies the Order of the Guardians to foil the plot and clear her brother's name.

My review:

‘A Tangle of Magicks’ is a truly magical read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Stephanie Burgis has a captivating way of writing that wraps you up in the storyline.

The settings that were described throughout the novel felt alive and very real, I could see myself in Yorkshire and Bath and The Baths. I enjoyed the fact that some of the places described were actually there in Bath – such as the Roman Baths, this added a mysterious fantasy element to the novel.

The characters all fitted well into the novel and all had their own roles and duties. My favourite has to be Kat or Katherine who is the main protagonist. She doesn’t act like any ordinary twelve year old, or for that matter, any ‘normal’ young lady in Society. Kat does her own thing, says what she likes and is fiercely determined and independent. I liked that she had her faults as well as her good qualities, which made her even more realistic. All of the characters seemed very realistic, from Lady Fotherington –who I despised at first but eventually saw the light, to Charles –who was a silly, bumbling fool but also a good brother as well as many of the other characters throughout.

The plot was magnificent, from the beginning right through until the end, I was hooked. Jam packed full of twists and turns, plot changes, action. Endless! I enjoyed the splashes of humour thrown in here and there, which made the story lighter. ‘A Tangle of Magicks’ was not in any way predictable, it had be guessing until the very last page.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a book full of action, drama, magic and feisty characters!

5 out of 5 stars.