Ruthless Magic by Megan Crewe was… awesome. There’s so many things about it to like.

The magic system was unique, but not so different that it didn’t make sense. I could relate, even if I can’t use magic (YET!) Spells, or ‘chantments as they’re called, are all done with the voice. Classically trained kids have a lexicon of Latin verses to chant/hum/sing, but we also meet a bunch of new-magic kids who sing, rap, or beatbox their ‘chantments into being.

We follow around a small group of characters, but only read the perspective of two. Finn, an old-magic privileged kid, and Rocio, a new-magic girl with immense amounts of power.

Most of the characters are done very well, but these two are obviously quite exceptional. But the end of the book you get the sense that you were there with them the whole time, and you’ve really bonded to them both.

The exam they took was full of cool twists. I almost wish they didn’t talk about the book having a Hunger Games element to it. I was expecting certain things and was less surprised when some of them happened. That being said, there was still plenty of things that happened in the exam that I didn’t see coming. Exciting, tense, emotional, and thrilling moments for all who enter here.

While I loved the majority of this book, I did have a few peccadilloes.

The word ‘chantment is thrown around constantly. Never once did I see the word enchantment. One is just a slang version of the other. Why is everyone, including both narrators using it? Wouldn’t it make more sense if some people used the slang while other used the entire word? If the goal was to have a universal word that the whole magic community used, I think it would have been better to make up a whole new word, instead of just dropping the ‘en.’

Secondly, the narrators were too similar. Beyond the third or fourth chapter, the two are pretty much always in the same place, or close enough that location isn’t an indicator. It was written in first person, turning he or she into ‘I.’ Another indicator gone. And finally, their voices were too similar. I found myself getting mixed up in the middle of chapters. Rocio would throw out the occasional word or two of Spanish, but it was too rare to depend on.

Overall, I loved this book. I’d feel totally comfortable telling a friend, “You should read this book. It’s like Harry Potter meets The Hunger Games!”

This one reminded me of The Hunger Games only with Magic.

Basically, in Ruthless Magic's Dystopian world, Mages are in the open. They are known since the so-called Unveiling. And since then, The North American Confederation of Mages have been recruiting every 16 -year-old Novices across the country to be assessed. Some are Chosen and can join the Academy with no problems but most aren't and they can choose to take a certain exam that's said to be brutal and fatal but once they became a Champion you can enter the Academy with the chosen. Or they can just accept their fate and be Dampened (Magic is lessened into one note) instead of taking the exam and take the risk of being BurnOut (No Magic at all).

Apparently the Confederation is the one behind all these which at first I thought is the government but they're not though they are supported by the government. The Confederation is governed by Ten Members of the Inner Circle.

I really like the whole concept of this book, something like "Defy the Odds, Defend Your Magic", because that's what this book really is, at least in this first instalment. The MC's trying to defend their magic so they're not to be Dampened. Rocio Lopez wasn't chosen, thanks to her family background, so she declared to take the exam. On the other hand, Finn Lockwood, thanks to his family's connections, he was chosen but he knew his abilities are mediocre and so he declared for the exam too just so he can prove himself. But then the exam was truly dangerous and deadly that the MCs found themselves not only fighting to keep their magic but for so much more and they didn't like it. The exams sound very intriguing and it caught my interesting upon reading the description. And I must say, somehow it delivered. I really liked it. BUT there are just so many other aspects in the book I found lacking.

The entire world is confusing. Like, okay there's the Confed who's clearly doing something wrong but since supported by the Government, they get away with it. But still we're talking about 16-year olds here that's being put to danger. I think no matter what their goal is, the Confed should be sued or something. I mean they're not really the Government unlike in The Hunger Games. And why can't the entire Magical population just do something about it? Because 16-year olds die in that exam and they're juts letting their children take that. But of course there will be a rebellion, maybe in book 2. But why only now? Well, maybe, it will all be cleared/explained why in Book 2.

I don't get the whole concept of the magic as well. The only thing I know is that it's based on Sound and that vibration and rythm are big factors that humming can produce magic. And that words, as in chants, just help the mage to focus. But I didn't get where they came from and the things they can do just felt random. Like, Rocio can produce a gleaming dragon, not a real one, but it can hurt if she wants too. Something like that. They're too random. I don't see what's their connection with sound. So obviously I'm not a fan of the magic in this fantasy world, though it IS Unique.

The Characters. They're okay. No one's really memorable but they all did OK. Rocio and Finn are promising characters and I wouldn't mind seeing them again. Although I was a bit put off by Finn's almost insta-love to Rocio to the point that Rocio's approval became one of his main goals in the exam. Not literally but hinted it. So yeah, I'm not a fan of the Romance too.

WARNING: There's a scene in the first quarter of the book that involves brutal animal cruelty. It's with a rat and personally I didn't like it because I'm planning on getting hamsters as pets so OMG!!!

Do I recommend this? Maybe. I'll read book 2 if there's no death of a rat or anyone from the rodents family because by that time I already have hamsters and they'll be like my babies.

Hope you guys read this more than I did. :) :) :)

#RuthlessMagic #NetGalley
A great book for young adults who enjoy fantasy, magic, or even dystopian. The plot focuses of social class and the ability to practice magic. The series begins with this novel and I can't wait to read the next. The two main characters must work together against a setting that has been established for them to fail. It is a great novel that uses fantasy to reflect the societal disavantages that we can reflect on in today's society,

A complete delightful surprised. I will definitely recommend it to other YA book lovers. This book deals with a lot of issues. I like the magic concept and it is fast paced and action packed. The characters are all interesting. Also, there are lessons that are relevant nowadays.

First off, this book reminded me of a cross between The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Sky and Divergent or possibly Ender’s Game -in a really good way. It had two main POVs, Finn and Rocíco. I really loved Rocíco, she was such a determined and interesting character! Finn was great too, but he definitely shined more in the second half of the book -his humour showed a lot more. The beginning was a bit slow, but once we got to the trials (our two MCs have to compete in trials when for various reasons they can not go to magic school) things really picked up and got very interesting. I loved the trials/exams -the plot got quite interesting during them and I loved how brutal and vicious the trials got. I’ll have a more in depth review up on my blog this week sometime, but overall I enjoyed this one. I’m looking forward to the world building expanded on in the next book. I’ll definitely be continuing with the series.

Ruthless Magic is told by Rocio and Finn, magicians have been revealed to the world, those who are not chosen see their powers reduced to a minimum unless they choose to take the magic exam. If they pass this exam they become champions and if they do not, the confederation of magic withdraws their powers entirely.
Finn comes from an old family of magicians, yet his powers are not extraordinary, despite everything he’s chosen but when he discovers that his best friend, who has much more talent than him but who doesn’t come from a family of magicians, was not chosen but will pass the exam, he makes the choice to follow her.
Rocio comes from a new magician's family but she lives in a poor neighborhood and her parents who were not chosen have seen part of their powers disappear. Her brother chose to take the exam three years ago and never came back. Rocio has so many questions, her powers are enormous and yet she has not been chosen, so she will take the exam. She suspects something's up, but she doesn't know what.
I liked this story, Finn is a charming boy, he knows he doesn't deserve his place among the elected and he will try to change things. I liked his strength of character, he does not want to feel weak and be helped but unfortunately he has no choice.
I loved Rocio, she is very intelligent, she wants to be a magician but she quickly understands that the new magicians are not well seen by the confederation. I also love her tenderness and vulnerability. They all discover horrible things during this exam and they will come out changed forever.
It's Megan Crewe's first book I've read and I've really been caught up in the story, I look forward to having the second book and seeing how Rocio and Finn come out of it. .
Quick word: A magical story full packed in action and intensity.

Fast pace contemporary fantasy for teens, the story quickly builds to breakneck speed where you're constantly in a sense of worry for the characters' well being and the word ruthless in the title completely encompasses the the trials these teens are forced to endure for the right to keep their magic. The story wraps up nicely but leaves the reader wanting to know where the characters and their relationships with one another go forward from here. I'd highly recommend this book to older teens that are interested in contemporary fantasy and are ready for books with slightly more adult content where not everyone ends up living happily ever after.

3,5-4

I wasn't sure how to rate this one.The beginning was really confusing for me and it took me a lot time to understand what is happening but when it happened I start liking it! Many things happening in this story, it is filled with magic, action, adventure, and little romance.Which is great, and I find it interesting!

a bit like hunger games meets harry potter, ruthless magic has a group of outcast magicians competing to become champions in order to retain their right to use magic. among them finn lockwood, who gives up his secure future because he realizes that the only reason he has that chance is because of his family name and not because he's earned it. then there is rocío lópez, who is a more talented and powerful magician than most, but because of her family's ancestry is considered a risk. there's also desmond, a magician with poor sight; prisha, finn's best friend, whose family competitiveness leaves her with no other option but to succeed; and more.

we get to know all the individual competitors both from finn and rocío's point of view. and they go through some serious trials as the examination tests the limits of their magic and their willingness to do anything to keep it.

i'm not sure if this is a series, because the way this ends is kind of open-ended, but it could also just be done. if it is the end, though, i feel like finn gets short-shrifted at the end. we should have seen him get his actual results not just see what he says to rocío. that part felt very unsatisfying to me. finn was challenging the order of things, and i just can't believe that it ends for him the way it does.

i enjoyed this but was left kind of frustrated by the ending i guess.

**ruthless magic will publish on may 30, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/another world press in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a difficult read personally. I am a huge fan of the Hunger Games and the similarities were a hurdle too large to get over. It is highly plausible that the contiuation will be captivating. I had a similar difficulty with ACOTAR and ended up loving the series after I read the sequel.

I love that fantasy literature can be used to take on the serious social issues our society faces today, and Ruthless Magic does just that. It was a fast-paced, brutal read with a YA dystopian feel and plenty of magic. I am looking foward to the next installment and really what ever Megan Crewe puts out next. Full review will live on my blog later this month.

I probably should have been warned by the title, though I have to say, the magic is less ruthless than the human beings wielding it.

This is the latest teens-in-the-gladiator-pit offering, by an author whose first book I really liked. She seems to be going toward grimdark; this one begins early on with TRIGGER WARNING: animal cruelty, merely to make a point, which in turn signals plenty of human cruelty ahead.

And that’s exactly what we get. [ At the end, we discover that all the people the teens killed were simulacra, but that doesn’t seem to extend to the kids killed along the way ].

The story is told in alternating first person POVs, first Finn, a white boy who has the right family ties, the impressive pedigree, but his talents are fair at best. He is so upset that his POC best friend was turned down for the academy that he signs up for the dreaded magic exam as a protest, which means he must earn his place in the standard gladiator-teen Evil Government, here With Magic.

His POV is alternated with Rocio, who is a very talented mage, but she’s poor and POC, so she’s turned down. Any of the kids turned down can opt to endure the magic test instead of having their magic burned out of them for Evil Government reasons.

Unfortunately, their voices were pretty much the same, except for occasional Spanish phrases thrown in once in a while for Rocio, so I was frequently confused, especially in the beginning, but as the adventure developed it became less important to know who the POV was, as the focus was on survival.

The pacing accelerates to the redline as horror after horror is inflicted on the kids, and they have to figure out how to survive. It doesn’t help that a bunch of their fellow testees turn into mass murderers, so they have to guard against them as well.

The magic system was confusing, but as Finn and Rocio begin to suss things out it became very interesting, and I found myself wishing the horror would abate so we could focus on character and the magic. But readers who like plenty of teen violence will really get into this book, as it’s vividly written, and the pacing doesn’t let up until the very last page.

The end sets up for the rest of the series.

I thank the netgalley website for this partnership. I was immediately attracted by the cover, we see the beautiful and young Rocio with a magic necklace.

We learn directly that competitions are organized with the option of dying or killing.

Every year the mages of sixteen are evaluated, very few will be chosen, the others will have to be very persuasive during the examination of the mages.

Rocio will have to fight to keep his magic. She will ally with Finn.

A first volume filled with suspense and twists with endearing characters and a captivating story. Eager to read what follows.

The premise of Ruthless Magic was interesting and gave me Harry Potter vibes in some places, Hunger Games in some.

Although it wasn't incredibly amazing, it was an enjoyable read. I liked the characters - Rocio and Finn were likeable and they faced so many trials and challenges, the plot was never a bore to read through their eyes. I liked them as they had personality and the fact that they grew stronger and developed with each challenge was inspiring and it made me root for them the entire time. However, I didn't feel like they were distinguishable enough, both lacking unique voices to separate them from each other. Apart from this one thing, I thought they were great characters.

My favourite thing about this was the plot! So many challenges and adventures, it was very high-stakes, well paced. It kept me on my toes and I anticipated every page. Overusing particular tropes is very tiring, but the youth vs. government trope was well done in this story.

There's a lack of worldbuilding and explanations for things such as the magic system, which took some magic away for me. It kept me curious and I'm sure it will be further explored in the future, but I felt as if it should have been explained from the beginning.

Overall, this was a great book. The characters were strong and the plot went well. Perhaps it could have been fleshed out a bit more, but overall it was an enjoyable adventure.

Old magic mages aren't fond of new magic mages. They aren't given the same priorities and their schools aren't even taught the same way. When it comes to being accepted into the magical college new magic usually always has to declare for entrance while old magic mages are confirmed despite whether or not their magic is strong. This is sort of a new money/old money fight where the kids have to prove themselves in a magical Hunger Games.



The story is told in alternate chapters of either Rocio a new magic mage of great talent whose abilities seem to be feared by the confederation and Finn who is old magic and comes from a prominent family. He was confirmed but declined feeling that it was unfair and instead declared for a place. It was interesting to view the things going on through these two very different lenses.



Brutally pitting the kids against magic and each other the confed will only declare a few champions, to take their place in the magical world the others will have their magic burned out. After a brief introduction and set up there is non-stop action and chaos. Questions abound as to how much the magical world knows about what goes on during these trials and what the nature of magic really is. Is it alive? Great set-up for the next book but also very good as a stand alone.

Ruthless Magic is about a world of mages. You essentially have two viewpoints, the haves and the have-nots. If you have money/influence you get picked "Chosen" regardless if you have magical talent or not. If you have magical talent and your family does not have social standing then you have 2 choices, you can lose your magic (be dulled out) or you can declare you want to be champion. When you declare, you get thrown into a hunger games situation that you must survive. I felt that the story was flat. The characters weren't really well developed. The main character, who comes from influence, decides though he was picked chosen he really didn't earn it so he's going to reject the chosen nomination and declare champion. I thought his character was weak. The only character I thought was well written was his love interest. This book just didn't hold my interest and I loved the hunger games. I put this down several times and would have loved to not have to go back to it. It's not a terrible book. It's just not great.

This was a very good book. The author pays homage to a number of well-known fantasy/sci-fi stories — Lord of the Rings; Harry Potter (non-magical people are the Dulls); Hunger Games (a deadly exam that only a small portion will survive); X-Men (fear of those with magical abilities. There is also a strong class/insider versus outsider element, with old Magic families viewing new Magic families with contempt and fear.

The book has diverse and well-developed characters, including racial/ethnic diversity, sexual orientation, and physically handicapped. Readers will like the core four — Finn, Prisha, Rocio, and Desmond.

This book is very dark in parts, much darker than a lot of fantasy novels, and puts the characters in untenable positions, forcing them to confront who they are and who they want to be, the role of Magic in the world, the reality of what the leaders of the Confederation are willing to do and willing to condone. A thought provoking and challenging book.

Wow. This was such an unexpectedly good read.

Ruthless Magic is part Hunger Games and part Harry Potter. It follows a group of diverse and unique teens after they find out that they didn’t make it into the College of North American Confederation of Mages, which is like normal college, but for people with magic. They have the choice to either be “burned out” (aka lose their magic) or compete to become a Champion and receive a mentor at the college.

Ruthless Magic is not just a story about a competition, but a story of teenagers coming together and finding friendship and their similarities in the most terrifying situations, and also finding out how much each of us would do when pushed.

I really enjoyed Ruthless Magic a lot because of the characters. The main group consists of one boy from “old magic” (think old money and all of the class difference in discriminations that come with that), a Latina girl from new magic, an Indian girl from new magic, a boy with a Mohawk from new magic, a Canadian girl from new magic, a black half-blind boy from new magic, and (I think) an Asian girl from new magic. Each of these characters had different strengths and weaknesses, but also different fears and backgrounds and even though there was tons of action, these characters still really drove the book.

This was such a fun book to read, but also a good book with some serious topics.

This is the first book I have read by Megan Crewe so I have no idea what to expect from her but I've seen a lot of good reviews for this book so I expected it to be a good read. Ruthless Magic is a unique combination of Hunger Games brutality and Harry Potter's magic. The story was entertaining and I enjoyed reading it, but it didn't excite me as much as I hoped. It's a pretty decent read with an engaging plot but It isn't something that'll blow your mind away. The main characters Rocío and Finn seemed okay-ish. The setting was good but I wish the author provided more backstory.

Every year, the North American confederation of mages assesses all the sixteen year old novice to choose the ones who're eligible to keep their magic. People who didn't get selected are dampened of their magical abilities who are later called as Dulls. The failed candidates have a second chance by proving themselves in the mysterious and brutal Mages Exam but not many people comes out alive. Sixteen Year old Rocío Lopez comes from a low standing family. When she gets the rejection letter, She decides to enter the mage exam because she don't want to spend the rest of her life without magic. Finn Lockwood comes from a high standing family. His grand father is one of the Nine inner circle members of Confederation. Because of his prominent magical family, he gets selected even though his magical skills were lacking. To prove himself worthy, Finn rejects the acceptance letter and applies for the mage exam. People from all over the country gathers at Rikers Island to participate in the exam and no one has any idea what the tests are actually like. When Rocío and Finn meet, they quickly becomes allies and soon something more. They depend on each other and vow to protect each other. When the tests becomes more brutal and violent, they must use every ounce of their magical energy to survive.

I'm glad this book has some diverse characters. Rocío is a latina who comes from a poor background. She's strong, stubborn, skilled, and very much determined. She's a pretty likable character but her savior complex a little bit annoyed me. Finn Lockwood is sweet, fun, caring and very friendly person. Due to his lack in magical abilities, he feels that he's an embarrassment to his family and tries hard to improve his skills everyday. The romance between Rocío and Finn felt rushed and I didn't feel any chemistry between them but I did enjoyed seeing them working together. The secondary characters seemed okay-ish, they weren't memorable. Prisha Mathur, Finn's best friend is an Indian and she prefers girls. yep, she's a Lesbian. She enters the mage exam together with Finn. I'm actually not fond of her character but she does make a good friend. As for the other characters, Judith has nice magical skills, Desmond has a vulnerable secret that he don't want others to know. Lacey isn't eager to leave the exam and go back to her home, and finally there's Mark with his mohawk hairstyle who's broody and not very much friendly. Together they all form as a group to survive the tests by protecting each other. My least favorite guy in this book is definitely Callum, he's a total bully. I seriously hated this guy.

It has a good plot filled with magic, action, adventure, and little romance. The story was interesting with some unpredictable twists and turns. It's a past paced read, but honestly it lacked in building suspense and tension. And also I couldn't emotionally connect with any of the characters and I didn't cared if anyone died. The book was told in dual first person pov. The writing was not bad but sometimes I confused Rocío with Finn because they don't have their own distinctive voice. It wouldn't have been an issue if it was written in third person perspective. The world building seemed interesting, yet confusing. I wish the author provided more backstory and more info on the current world.

Overall this book was fun to read, but sadly I didn't loved it. Majority of the readers absolutely loved this book so I'm one of the oddball. There isn't any huge cliffhanger at the end but the final twist at the end was pretty good. I'm not sure whether I would continue this series or not but I hope the next book is better than this one.

I really enjoyed this book, for the most part. The characters are really interesting and well developed. The plot was interesting, but the worldbuilding was a little weak, and the magic system isn't explained all that well. It's sound based, so the magic involves singing, but it's not really explained why. There's a real-world element that was added as a plot device that I don't really care for, they could have made up an event, and not use the one they did. There was also that with the story being told in dual POV first-person, it was sometimes hard to tell who was narrating. Our two main characters didn't really have very distinct voices.

The side characters are, for me, sadly forgettable. This book has a lot of "The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" comparison, and while I do see that to a degree the side characters who died in The Hunger Games were more memorable than the side characters in this book. Even the nameless characters from Hunger Games (Fox-face).

The trials, while interesting, were also sadly a little boring. The sense of urgency wasn't really there for me. Aside from some minor injuries, there didn't really seem to be that much danger, the group we are with during the course of the book get through the challenges fairly easily.

This book has potential, there are just some issues that kept me from loving it.