Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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68 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An enchantigly engaging read..., June 20, 2007
Raine Benares, an elf and a Seeker, has enough trouble in her life without someone bringing more to her door, but when her friend and employee, Quentin, is hired to steal something from a powerful necromancer's house, she just can't let him handle the trouble alone.
The something that Quentin has been hired to steal is soon found to be more valuable and more important than either of them could ever have imagined. Before Quentin even escapes the necromancer's house, he finds himself with some unsavory company, who also just happen to want to lay hands on the very same amulet that Quentin has just pilfered.
With a little help from Raine and her family, Quentin narrowly escapes with his life. Raine insists that he hand over the amulet for safekeeping, and that's when things start to get a little wild!
MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND is an enchantingly engaging read. Devoid of the heavy depressing themes that seem to permeate popular fantasy novels lately, MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND will delight readers who like a good dose of humor mixed with their magical adventure. Author Lisa Shearin has done a superb job of crafting a fantasy world alive with elves, goblins and otherworldly creatures. With a fast paced plot, well-crafted characters and just a hint of romance, MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND is a book that fantasy lovers won't want to miss.
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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well done first novel, August 15, 2007
"Magic Lost, Trouble Found" is the first non-contemporary fantasy I have read in a long time. The title caught my eye, but it was reading the first chapter that really won me over.
Others have summed up the story very nicely. What grabbed me about Raine Benares (our heroine) was that she stuck by her friend Quentin even when she knew it was a bad idea. What continued to hold my attention was her humor and her ability to take care of herself despite serious challenges.
Up until Benares was forced to take an amulet Quentin stole, she was a moderate level sorceress. Now that amulet has increased her powers. Unfortunately, everyone in the city wants that amulet, which ties her up in politics and makes a lot of enemies.
There's a lot to like about this novel. Shearin's characters are well-written and engaging. While she has a significant cast of multiple races, she does manage to keep track of them and explain them reasonably well. The story moves along at a smart pace with very few bogs. Her world is also very well-realized--even the politics make sense. (As much as politics ever do!)
I have two complaints that reduced "Magic Lost's" rating from 5 stars. A map would have been very useful in helping to figure out where we were in somewhat complex terrain.
Second, the cast of characters was large enough and the action fast enough, that an index of characters with a brief description of their race and position would have helped a lot. Such a list will also help refresh readers' memory when this series continues, which I believe it will.
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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good first novel, May 30, 2007
After reading several much-hyped bad first books, it was a relief to find one that's worth the cover price. This book was well done with a strong heroine, good secondary characters (I liked both Mychael and Piaris), and everything else a book needs: plot, action, several creepy settings, etc. The pacing is a little uneven, but entirely forgiveable in a first book. If you like light fantasy, this is highly recommended.
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