School of the Ages: The Ghost in the Crystal [Kindle Edition]

Matt Posner (Author), Mike Cohen (Illustrator)

Book Description

America's greatest magic school is New York City's School of the Ages. Simon is a teen from Queens, New York. When he answers an advertisement in a magazine, the South Wind shows up at his door to introduce him to a world of adventure, power, and tragedy that feels both strange and right: ghosts, elementals, time travel, magic duels, teen romance, sacrifice, and ultimate loss. The evil spirit of a bitter and scheming heretic from ancient Alexandria attacks him and forces him to risk everything in order to save his soul. Kids and adults won't stop reading -- The Ghost in the Crystal.

Editorial Reviews:
"There is a strong Jewish and biblical current, but it's about magic rather than religion, and the magic is impressive. I got the feeling I was attending the school by correspondence, and that the magic was authentic. A seemingly dull curriculum turns out to be otherwise. Simon has friends and enemies and aspires to romance as he struggles to make his way. This is good reading." -- Piers Anthony, world-famous fantasy author

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Product Details

• File Size: 510 KB
• Print Length: 294 pages
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0047GMH5E
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #83,894 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #43 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy > Metaphysical & Visionary
  • #77 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy > Coming of Age
  • #87 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Metaphysical

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of "School of the Ages: The Ghost in the Crystal" October 17, 2010

By James Rogauskas

Format:Kindle Edition

This was a stunning, original book...I read it in two sittings, and was severely annoyed at being pulled away. The characters were well-drawn, engaging, and diverse--the plot enthralling and fresh...pleasantly unpredictable, and masterfully portrayed. It also presents magic from several different cultural traditions, not as a gimmick but with scholarly accuracy--Mr. Posner shows a comprehension and sensitivity to diverse traditions that are rooted in history and still in practice today. This is perhaps the most educational work of "fiction" I've read since "The Bordeaux Narrative." This is a very rich book, best read slowly and enjoyed more than once...there is pleasure to be found in additional readings. I found myself reflecting fondly upon the characters and remembering episodes from the book for weeks after my reading. The book is meticulously plotted, and I look eagerly forward to reading future installments! Mr. Posner is a gifted author, and his future works will be worth seeking out.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece in Every Sense of the Word November 13, 2010

By John Beck

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is one of those rare gems, that once you read it, you realize you want it on your bookcase forever. It is one of those books that can be read at many levels and appreciated by many different kinds of audiences. Mr. Posner creates an engaging story written by a master craftsman. As an adult, I am amazed at his prowess of creating such a masterpiece as his first published book. His language, style, dialogue and plot combined with his descriptive abilities draw you quickly into the book and suddenly you are immersed into a world where magic exists in a real world. This is quite a novel concept that Mr. Posner exploits to great advantage. When my young son is of age, I will encourage him to read this book, because he will be enthralled with it also and I look forward to sharing the life lessons Mr. Posner has based his book on. Mr. Posner is a classic writer who has turned his skills to give his audience an enjoyable and valuable book that will be treasured for many years to come. And I understand there is a sequel in the works which can't be released soon enough.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I. Loved. This. Book. July 6, 2012

By Laurie Laliberte

Format:Kindle Edition

From page one, I was hooked. The pace was fast enough to draw me in, but slow enough to hold my attention and allow me to lose myself. It doesn't surprise me that there isn't a single bad review posted.

I originally wanted to read it because I knew it was about a group of students who attend a magic school. I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and I honestly wouldn't have minded if The Ghost in the Crystal turned out to be a Potterclone. Let me tell you right now: it is not.

You will find the similarities to the Harry Potter world simply because of the subject matter, but this book stands on its own as a great story that is worth telling. The storyline is solid. The dialogue is natural. You feel the events as you read them.

The only frustration I have right now is that I can't go directly into reading the second volume because I'm too busy with other projects at this moment. Rest assured, SoTA2 is at the top of my list the second I have a minute to breathe.

Are you still here? What are you waiting for? Buy the book already!

More About the Author

New: All my books are available for electronic signatures at Authorgraph.com. There's no charge for the service and I at least don't get any spam from the site either. All my authorgraphs are personalized.

Matt Posner is a writer and teacher from New York City. Originally from Miami, FL, Matt lives in Queens with Julie, his wife of more than ten years, and works in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Matt is also the Dean of School of the Ages, America's greatest magic school, located on a secret island in New York Harbor, and is pleased to tell stories about its people in the five-book series School of the Ages, which will be published between 2010 and 2015. As the child of classically trained musicians, Matt is a performing poet and percussionist with The Exploration Project, New York's premier avant-garde multimedia club band.

Matt teaches high school English, with a fondness for special education students, as well as SAT preparation. He has an active channel at youtube dot com called schooloftheages and regularly posts to pinterest dot com backslash mattposner. His interests include magic and the paranormal, literature, movies, history and culture, visual arts, world music, religion, photography, and professional wrestling history.