One sentence review: A compelling story that takes the best of The Hunger Games and gives the reader so much more than expected.

Full review: Ruthless Magic is one of the most fun books I have read this year. Crowe delivers an action-packed story about overcoming unbelievable odds and prejudices, righteousness in horrific circumstances, and the power of friendships and love. Once I started this book, I was unable to put it down until the story was over. And, I still held on to it a moment longer with hopes more story would be hidden somewhere after the acknowledgements.

The main characters are well-written with actual depth and darkness, which is revealed as they are pushed to extremes. I would have liked to get to know a few of the other characters a little better. I really appreciated that the characters were diverse in ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. It was nice to see more of the audience actually represented in a YA fantasy.

The world-building was well done. The stage is so clearly set, it feels like your watching a television programme. You’re swept away with ease into every scene that Crowe wishes to show you.

The book is reminiscent in many ways of The Hunger Games, but the addition of a very compelling magical component which reshapes and enhances the story. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the continuation of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Megan Crowe, and Another World Press for the eARC which allowed for an honest review and and afternoon well spent in another great series.

Happy Friday!!

A Bookish Girl

Ruthless Magic is the first book in a new series by author Megan Crewe, and is a fresh take on how magic may exist in the modern world. From engaging characters, a new magic system, and a mystery that takes a while to unravel, this book is a great fun read.

In the contest to keep their magic, the only options may be die... or kill.

Magic wielders and regular people co-exist in modern society, with the magical space overseen by the Confederation of Mages, or more commonly referred to as the Confed. Each year, aspiring mages who come of age apply for a position at the College of the North American Confederation of Mages and are either accepted or denied. This number is capped to satisfy the non-magical 'Dulls' and make them feel like the balance can't shift too much in Mages favour. If you don't make the cut, you have the option of declaring and taking part in the Exam. If you can prove your worth, you can be named Champion and be awarded a place of honour at the College.

Finn Lockwood and Rocio Lopez both find themselves in circumstances where they declare for the Exam. Finn comes from one of the prestigious ancient mage families, desperate to prove he has what it takes to live up to his name. Rocio is from new magic, and has to fight every step of the way to even be part of the conversation.

Thrown together on the first day of the Exam, along with friends and foes alike, the young mages must use every bit of strength and skill to survive.

This is the first of Crewe's novels that I've read, and Crewe has an easy writing style that is effortless to read. The characters were unique and diverse, something so rarely seen in YA books today. The setting in Manhattan was gritty and real, and the interplay between magic and non-magic so seamlessly done. Ruthless Magic had all the elements of a great starting point, but it lacked that spark of something that would have made me fall completely in love.

Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one and at times couldn't put it down, but it just didn't completely grab me.

The romance plot that was woven through fell into the insta-love space which is a trope I generally can't get on board with. The main part of this novel took place over four days, which is an unrealistic time frame to meet someone and then say you're in love with them. In the highly emotional and physical circumstances the characters went through, it doesn't seem like the right time for it to be happening at all. This is probably the biggest thing that held me back from giving Ruthless a four-star rating.

Will I pick up the next one? For sure. Ruthless Magic ends with a question that I need an answer too.

- Katie

Thank you to Netgalley, Megan Crewe, and the publisher Another world Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Ruthless Magic is Hunger Games meets Mortal Instruments meets Shadowshaper (by Daniel Jose Older. Read it if you haven’t already!) This action-packed urban fantasy will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end, all while exploring ideas of race and privilege. I really hope this one gets turned into a movie!

Ruthless Magic is told in dual first-person perspective. The main characters are Finn, a boy from an old and prominent magical family, but with little power of his own, and Rocio, a Latina Brooklyn native who is extremely powerful, but comes from a “new-magic” family that is looked down upon. This is a world where the privileged “old-magic” families rule the magical community.

When they become older teens, potential mages can apply to the magical university where they will go on to develop their powers and ultimately get a job working as a full-mage. Those who are denied entry are “dampened”, their powers diminished to only a small ability. Often POC who are dampened, are left with abilities that make them fit only for domestic labor. Despite claims of objectivity and merit-based standards, new-magic candidates are heavily discriminated against despite their talent. Candidates who have been rejected have only one chance to redeem themselves and keep their magic - declaring for the Mages Test, a secretive days-long test where a few are Champions while the rest die in the process or have every bit of their magic removed.

Finn is accepted into the university despite his poor qualifications, while his talented new-magic (and Indian) friend is rejected. Knowing that this is only due to his family connections, Finn declares for the Mages Test in protest, determined to earn his way into being a mage. Rocio is perhaps the most talented and powerful magic user her age, but because of her heritage, she is denied entry to the University. Thrust together in the brutal Test, Finn and Rocio must work together to survive and perhaps uncover a larger conspiracy.

The story is tense, brutal, and fast-paced. But it is ultimately about choosing humanity, choosing love, and recognizing the value in everyone. This is one that really blew me away with how much it hooked me into the story and how important the underlying message was. Definitely recommend it! I received an e-arc of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Four out of five stars. This book was fantastic, well-written, and had great characters! I just felt like I wasn't completely connected to the characters, which is what I really love from a book. I can't wait to see what comes next.

This book completely surpassed all my expectations. I would enthusiastically recommend this for YA lovers. This book deals with issues of race, class, sexuality, government corruption, terrorism and so much more. This is such a good book. Please check it out and spread the word. This book deserves to be as high profile and as beloved as the Hunger Games. Read this book.

Really enjoyed this interesting take on magical competition. Think about the worst entrance exam you’ve ever had to take? Now imagine it gets systematically harder the more you succeed and at each level it tries to kill you. Then throw in others who also desperately want to win and partner yourself with someone you just don’t get along with and you have Ruthless Magic. There is a vague ‘Hunger Games’ feel in the background but this is very definitely its own thing although it touches on similar themes such as classism, privilege vs disadvantage, Family vs newly talented etc. Really interesting and really fun at the same time. Can’t wait for the nest one. Crewe goes from strength to strength.

I received a free copy of Ruthless Magic by Megan Crewe in exchange for an honest review. This story is told from two different viewpoints. Finn Lockwood is a less-than mediocre mage from a privileged background while Rocio Lopez is an extraordinary mage from a poor background. In this world, those who are deemed worthy proceed to a magical college; those who are not worthy have all but a little of their magic removed. There is a third option; people can also undergo a test to retain their magic; however, if they fail, their magic is completely removed. When Finn makes it into the college and Rocio does not, it becomes clear the decision-making process has been corrupted; this is no meritocracy. Both ultimately choose to undergo the test; Finn as a matter of principle; Rocio as a matter of survival.

This was a thrilling and sometimes horrifying tale told from the viewpoint of relative innocents. As the innocents undergo the test, they are faced with a decision to corrupt under the guidance of the test proctors or to fight back.

#RuthlessMagic #NetGalley

Book: Ruthless Magic
Author: Megan Crewe
Rating: 5 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Another World Press, for providing me with this ARC.

I was really impressed with this one. I have read some of Megan’s books in the past and have loved them-though this was my first fantasy by her. I wasn’t really expecting much, but I should had known better. This really was a great book and it really should be one of the top books of 2018! It was a mash up fantasy in a Hunger Games setting. That is a the vibe I was getting. It had edge of your seat action and a competition of survival of the fittest, just like the Hunger Games!

Now, the first little bit was kind of slow, but don’t let that scare you. It did take a little while for Megan to get the world set and I really don’t mind. It really was a complex plot with many, many layers. On the one hand, we have characters trying to make the transition form childhood to adulthood and feeling like they aren’t worth what they get/not getting their worth. However, we have an extremely corrupt system that places more or less value on certain individuals. Think of the pure bloods, half bloods, and Muggle borns of Harry Potter and you get the picture.

This book is told from many different points of view, something that I didn’t pick up on a first, which kind of confused me. So make sure you are aware of that or else you will not know what is going on. All of the characters were well written and developed. Not only that, but they were diverse. By diverse, I mean of different backgrounds. (Let me just take this moment to thank Megan for seeming to understand that diverse characters DO NOT simply mean characters in LBGTQ community.) I love how strong all the characters were, but there was just enough humanity and flaw in them that made them believable and retable.

The writing was amazing. I would put the writing and action up to that of Marie Lu, JK Rowling, and Suzanne Collins. It really did not feel like I was reading a book, but watching a TV show or movie. Everything just flowed and none of the words were put to waste. Every little detail, yes even that kind of weaker opening, was very important and added to overall plot.

So, if you are looking for a mash up of Harry Potter and the Hunger Games, then Ruthless Magic is the book for you. I really do hope that this becomes one of the top books of 2018! To me, this book does deserve some hype.

Ruthless Magic comes out May 30, 2018.

(Review is already on Goodreads and will be posted on Amazon on publication day.)

DNF. I found this book slow and boring. Magic users being accepted to advanced magic education, or stripped of their magic. When it didn't capture my interest, I wrote it off as a loss. I voluntarily reviewed this ARC from Netgalley.

I really liked it.: the characters, the plot, the magic system is hard to understand, but they use music to apply magic which is a very nice touch. There were a couple of "Hunger games" moments, like oppressing government, and the test that mages should go through. I don't want to go more into the book, so that I don't give you any spoilers, but overall I really liked it, I'm waiting for the next books in the series and I will definitely read them.

Ruthless Magic was so cool and fun to read! I couldn't stop reading, because I really wanted to know how it would end! The book was also filled with action, which was exciting.
I really liked the characters too, and I think their world and magical system has great potential for more books.

Rocío and Finn are two sixteen-year-olds who, like every other sixteen-year-old with magic, get their letter to inform them if they are accepted to the College of the North American Confederation of Mages or not. If they are not, they can decide to take the Exam. They both decide for their own reasons to take the Exam, but there is one problem: Nobody knows what will happen during the exam.

This book is like a mix of The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and Divergent. So if you like those, I definitely recommend this book!

With lots of romance, magic and action well written this is a great, fun read that will have you craving more. The writing is great and kept me hooked, as for the character I also really enjoyed them especially the romance between Rocío and Finn.
The ending is great and I need to read more from this author. I would highly recommend.

It’s always hard when a book is neither good or bad, instead sort of stuck in this weird limbo of just alright enough to get through it but nothing you’ll remember.

“Ruthless Magic” tells the story of Finn, a boy born with the privilege of an old magic family who unfortunately doesn’t have the strongest talent to make it into college without the help of his family connections and Rocío, a young woman who uses anything she can to amplify her skills and work her magic to the best of her ability despite her less than ideal standing in society. When she is passed over for a spot in college she accepts the challenge of the infamous Exam in the hopes of being named Champion and keeping her magic, but the tests are far from easy and with the help of unlikely allies who have everything to lose they uncover sometimes the punishment for not accepting the judgement from authority is death itself.

So here’s the thing this book plays a bit to the larger more mundane problem of the rich white boy who gets whatever they want thanks to who they know and not what the offer over the people who aren’t as “desirable” in this case lgbtq and people of color who have to work twice as hard to make it half as far and even then that’s not always enough. Though there’s a magical element at work it’s easy to see this thread of symbolism play itself out in the larger plot along with a government system who keeps people in check and preserves their own power by making those who speak out against them or fit into the above categories obsolete by taking their magic away or punishing them during the tests with violence and even death.

Now on to the other parts of the novel, it follows a ‘Hunger Games’ type format where all these kids are faced with impossible tasks and put against one another in a fight to the death in an arena until there is a final victor where alliances and romances come into play to both help and hinder the overall goal of the Exam’s creators until the threat of public backlash causes them to end it which was a little too similar for me.

This book isn’t bad and if you liked Suzanne Collin’s trilogy and want a bit of social commentary that doesn’t really address anything full on, at least yet it sets itself up for more of that at the conclusion of this piece, than this book might work for you but if not you’re not really missing out on anything special.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**