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Alexandra Penn
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The Letter Mage: First Quarto (Letter Mage: Quartos) Paperback – September 11, 2017

by Alexandra Penn (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 28 ratings
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Aleph Worf-Sapir has spent all fourteen years of his life enduring the ravages of academic war, and he is over it. The second the Lunar University offers him a spot in an unprecedented peacekeeping effort--a student exchange program--he jumps at the opportunity. Aleph expects that he'll have a chance to bring peace to the University Moons, stop the bloodshed, and keep his home safe.

Yet nothing goes according to plan. The Prism Witches of the computing department lock him away. The Warlocks of the Gear are fighting amongst themselves. Soon after he leaves, one of Aleph's mothers is accused of murder back on the Glottal Moon. And to top it off, Aleph finds himself falling fast for a handsome spy from their origin planet--a place more dangerous than every department in the university put together. Aleph sees solutions to every source of conflict he encounters, but no one seems to pay attention to a kid.

Listen, Aleph didn't set out to be a supervillain. But he's quickly learning that no one's going to pay attention to him otherwise.

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  1. Book 1 of 4
    Letter Mage: Quartos
  2. Print length
    142 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Broken Leg Books
  5. Publication date
    September 11, 2017
  6. Grade level
    2 - 7
  7. Reading age
    13 - 18 years
  8. Dimensions
    5.25 x 0.33 x 8 inches
  9. ISBN-10
    0692951733
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0692951736
  11. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alexandra Penn was a museum kid.  The daughter of a photographer and a Scuba diver, she spent her teenage years in the field: Penn has worked with Smithsonian archaeologists, NASA software engineers, volcanologists, and photographers. She also managed to fail Algebra II with a passing grade, which she's a little proud of. 
Her work is both a love letter to and an intense criticism of the academic world.
She has been bitten by a shark, she watched the final shuttle launch from the fire escape outside Launch Control, and she has been a certified diver since age twelve.  She likes dogs, long walks on the beach, and socialized medicine. Also books.
Penn is one of two Directors of The Writers' Rooms, an editor for hire, an amateur linguist, and a Taurus.  Her work has received many accolades, including an Honorable Mention in the Writer's Digest Annual Contest 2017. 
She spends all her free time on Twitter.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Broken Leg Books (September 11, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 142 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0692951733
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0692951736
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 - 18 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 2 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.33 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 28 ratings

About the author

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Alexandra Penn

Alexandra Penn

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Alexandra Penn was a museum kid. The daughter of a photographer and a Scuba diver, she spent her teenage years in the field: Penn has worked with Smithsonian archaeologists, NASA software engineers, volcanologists, and photographers. She also managed to fail Algebra II with a passing grade, which she's a little proud of.

Her work is both a love letter to and an intense criticism of the academic world.

She has been bitten by a shark, she watched the final shuttle launch from the fire escape outside Launch Control, and she has been a certified diver since age twelve. She likes dogs, long walks on the beach, and socialized medicine. Also books.

Penn is one of two Directors of The Writers' Rooms, an editor for hire, an amateur linguist, and a Taurus. Her work has received many accolades, including an Honorable Mention in the Writer's Digest Annual Contest 2017.

She spends all her free time on Twitter.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
28 global ratings
A creative series that will keep you longing for more
5 Stars
A creative series that will keep you longing for more
After meeting Alexandra at a local convention, I had to get this book. It is full of wonderful characters and amazing stories that create a fascinating series. I'm glad to have read this first installment and look forward to more. It was a quick and enjoyable story (not to mention very artistic with the alphabet concept... but I won't spoil anything for you).
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Top reviews from the United States

Gingerbread
5.0 out of 5 stars This is the skill upon which GENERATIONS of young readers fall in love with books!!!
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2018
Verified Purchase
This review is one of those times in life when I just can't get my @#!% together. Do I keep it short and let the book speak for itself? Do I write three pages and rave? It's a good thing such reviews don't come around very often, because I still haven't figured things out. Because authors like this one leave me speechless, and nothing I could attempt to say could do them justice. I'd just like to point out here that I can count on one hand the number of authors I've stumbled across that have fit into this category. The category where I know, from the first sentence on the first page, that I've just found something rare, and remarkable. Many could argue there is no way I'd be able to make that determination that quickly, but even were that not the case, all of the subsequent sentences would prove it.

That, however, isn't my point. My point is that I DID know by the first sentence, and everything that came after that only solidified my first opinion. There is an exceptionally rare gift that only a tiny percentage of authors have, that makes everything they write exciting, unique, and beautiful, and that is the case with Alexandra Penn.

This review is short, and clumsy, and I know nothing I could manage to say would adequately express what it feels like when I stumble across a gift as rare as this one, but at least there is comfort in knowing that Alex's books will speak for themselves!

Because, they WILL speak for themselves! And what I'd like to say last, is that this is the skill upon which generations of young readers fall in love with books!!!
2 people found this helpful
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Erica Larson
5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh, Fun, and Fantastical
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2017
Verified Purchase
This is a spectacular story. Alexandra Penn’s worldbuilding is outstanding. This sci-fi world has so much depth. You get the sense of an entire world outside of just the story. Take a little bit of Harry Potter and a little bit of Wheel of Time, put it all in space, and add a Brandon Sanderson magic system. Add a diverse and likeable cast of characters and supportive family relationships, and you have something... totally new. You have The Letter Mage.
2 people found this helpful
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Matthew E Nordin
5.0 out of 5 stars A creative series that will keep you longing for more
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2018
Verified Purchase
After meeting Alexandra at a local convention, I had to get this book. It is full of wonderful characters and amazing stories that create a fascinating series. I'm glad to have read this first installment and look forward to more. It was a quick and enjoyable story (not to mention very artistic with the alphabet concept... but I won't spoil anything for you).
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Matthew E Nordin
5.0 out of 5 stars A creative series that will keep you longing for more
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2018
After meeting Alexandra at a local convention, I had to get this book. It is full of wonderful characters and amazing stories that create a fascinating series. I'm glad to have read this first installment and look forward to more. It was a quick and enjoyable story (not to mention very artistic with the alphabet concept... but I won't spoil anything for you).
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One person found this helpful
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Teresa Wymore
5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfy your appetite for fresh YA fantasy
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2017
Verified Purchase
I’m thrilled with this book and look forward to more: intriguing world building unfolds effortlessly through complex characters in an exciting plot whose trajectory remains uncertain. So much to unpack in this world filled with varied societies, values, and passions. Penn is a fresh voice in YA fantasy.
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Eric
4.0 out of 5 stars first quarto review
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2018
The First Quarto of The Letter Mage is written for a young adult audience, yet it doesn't talk down to them like much of media made for young people. There are complex concepts presented here in language that is somewhat simplified at times, but never in ways that trivialize the ideas or the reader. It's clear that Alex not only cares about her audience, she respects them as well.

Young adult books that take this approach can be a gateway into a much wider world of thought and understanding. It works on multiple levels, in that if you wanted to look for progressive ideology you'll find it on every page, but it's almost seamlessly worked into the plot, character development, and world-building. An example: the subtlety with which the gay relationships are presented. The Letter Mage normalizes them in a way that might not work if they were the focus or the main driver of the story. It seems to be an effective approach, one that's almost more convincing and true-to-life. This book and its ilk casually demonstrate that gay people are just like anyone who isn't, and can't be held to any one stereotype. You encounter them in stories like this in all kinds of roles with all kinds of talents, just like you do in real life and maybe not even know it.

But to discuss The First Quarto merely in terms of its ideology would really sell it short. The beauty of much of the imagery in this can make you need to stop and read it over again, and the cumulative effect throughout the book is almost disorienting. As the shape of the storyline ahead becomes clear in the later part of this quarto, it becomes clear that this effect may only intensify. It sets the imagination alight and will inspire young writers, if only they can get their hands on it. The style isn't always even and some of the action somewhat awkwardly tries to capture the feel of a cartoon or anime, but as the book progresses, it settles into a groove that frees itself of some of the early cliches and develops its own voice.

Just wait until you get to the Prismatic Moon. Or see Pala's sculptures, or how Aleph's journal works. You'll want more, and from what I can gather there's quite a bit coming. Due out in serial format, the sum total of The Letter Mage seems like it could be something amazing once it's finished. Another world in itself, the product of a rare creative energy that seems practically boundless.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars An immersive world filled with sci-fi and fantasy elements and beautiful LGBT couples.
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2018
This is a wonderful piece of literature from a new, aspiring author. Alexandra Penn seamlessly blends fantasy and sci-fi together to create an exciting tale. The cast is diverse, and the book itself is very LGBT friendly. LGBT-centered books are still new to the market, and I think The Letter Mage definitely fits in by introducing multiple same-sex relationships. The chemistry between the characters is clearly developed both in the quartos and in the snippets of stories that she posts on her patreon page.

Her worlds (moons) are very unique and each have something special to offer to the readers. We get to see the new worlds through Aleph's eyes, and it gives us a nice, detailed look at the different universities he visits. I'm always eager to see where he's going to go next. Penn teasingly develops and explains the mysteries of her moons in each chapter through her magical language system, her characters, and action. She leaves you at the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next.

The First Quarto is just the beginning of her exciting tale. I can't wait to see what happens next!
2 people found this helpful
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