I think that several of my students will really enjoy 'The Magic You Make.' For the most part, I did, too, because I enjoyed the mix of Western and fantasy tropes, though I must admit these things are not as mutually exclusive as some reviewers have seemed to suggest. However, I think that there was a little "finesse" or polish missing that held the experience back. The best fantasy writers realize that magic cannot simply serve as a deus ex machina; magic systems and magical worlds must adhere to a logic that becomes clear to the reader, which also helps readers suspend their disbelief. I never got to that point with this series and could see a few of the cogs that got us to the endpoint. Still, I think younger, less cynical readers will appreciate June's duology for what it is.

I absolutely adored this sequel. I loved returning to Nigel and Ori's story and finding out just what in tarnation was going on! Jason June is an auto-buy author for me and this one didn't disappoint in the least. I loved getting to know more about Nigel's dad and his backstory. I think that this duology also helped to heal my heart from the loss that I felt with JKR showed her true colors resulting in me cutting ties with the HP series. We should definitely raise up this fabulous inclusive story instead! Well done!

The Magic You Make was a fantastic sequel and conclusion to the first book. I absolutely LOVE these characters and enjoyed seeing them and their relationship further develop in book two. Ori and Nigel are definitely the main characters in book one and I think it would be fair to say they're main characters in book two -- but Bex definitely is promoted from side character to main character in this book, in my opinion. I loved to see this! I also loved the discussion about gender roles and how she gets repeatedly pushed aside. The author also uses her character to discuss the importance of all types of love and point out how we over-emphasize romantic love and devalue other types of love -- I loved this discussion and how it was reinforced by the magic in the book. I also love the plot line of multiple characters fighting against their baser instincts and trying to find a way forward. ONe of my favorite aspects was the discussion about repair and reparations. If you liked the first book, this is a must read! I love the diversity and representation in this story and I hope this is the beginning of a new type of fantasy read.

Can love conquer all? Soulmates Nigel and Ori face their greatest challenge yet as a sinister force threatens to undo the resistance's hard-won progress.

In this action-packed sequel, Jason June whisks readers away to a world brimming with magic, corruption, and the irresistible dynamic of a grumpy/sunshine couple. Prepare to be captivated—this thrilling adventure will keep you on the edge of your seat until its gripping conclusion.

Thank you Disney Publishing and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I’m a big fan of Jason June and I have been so excited to read about Nigel and Ori again after the book 1 cliffhanger! Nigel and Ori have just learned everything they knew was a lie and they are on the run from the Guild. Who can they trust? Also Nigel is still reeling from his loss and the darkness in him. Determined for the Guild to learn the truth they’ll join the Resistance but with so few members and the secrets and lies that keep getting revealed, tensions will run high. Can the Resistance expose the lies within the Guild? Will the darkness overtake Nigel? I love the darker tone to this one! Where the first book was mostly Nigel’s POV, this one is told from multiple POV’s which allows readers to see just how deep the corruption is and how far some magicians will go to keep it that way! I also enjoyed how the anger, frustration, and grief festered in Nigel allowing the darkness to take hold! An epic adventure that is not without its tearjerker moments! Secrets and lies will leave characters unsure who to trust! But still plenty of cutesy moments between the soulmates!

""

TL;DR: If you liked the first book in this duology*, you'll probably like this one. If you didn't like the first one and were reading this to see if things were different....well...they aren't. IMO.
On the one hand, Jason June is very clear about their message here -- see the Epilogue -- which I, overall, can't fault them for; it's a good message. We aren't perfect, and we should learn to value ourselves and those around us and not give in to hate.
But, on the other hand, maybe a complex fantasy system was not the best medium to convey said message. Fantasy is not an easy genre to write because it's more than just saying Magic! Mythical creatures! Magic! There has to be a logical system that governs the use of magic and underpins the fantasy element otherwise the scaffolding of the world falls in on itself. And there isn't a strong fantasy scaffolding here.
And also way too much use of the word "cringe."
*I was also 100% sure that this was a trilogy because at 95% done I thought for sure there was no way to wrap everything up. But...yeah. We did. So I guess duology it is.

<i>Disclaimer #1: if I love a book (or straight up hate it), my review is going to be fairly short -- I want you to read it, to experience it for yourself, and my needlessly gushing for 1000 words isn't going to really tell you much more than my initial thoughts.
But when I'm frustrated by a book, my reviews tend to be longer -- because I want to explain that I'm not bashing or attacking the story for arbitrary reasons, but trying to explain why I was frustrated, what I found problematic, and what didn't work *for me.*
Disclaimer #2: I read the first book, but I remember very little about it and what I do remember, I wasn't a fan of. I read this because (a) I wanted to know what happened in the story and (b) I wanted to see if Jason June addressed some of my issues with the first book. So I'm definitely going in biased. Do with that what you will.
<b>I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</b></i>

Vibes: IDK. Honestly, this was all over the place.
Harry Potter + Hunger Games + Yellowstone + a chaotic mish-mash of magical systems & creatures.

Genre: True YA Queer Romance.
There are fantasy parts to this story, but this is, first and foremost, a romance story.

Romance Meter: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
See above.

Character MVP: Honestly...Jaleesa, maybe? She was the most interesting character to read, and her plot parts had promise.

Verdict: 1.5 stars, rounding down.
This book made me mad. And when I wasn't mad, I was eyerolling.
Warning: Massive spoilers will abound below.

Before I get into specifics, let me just reiterate that two of my biggest (reading) pet peeves are:
(1) lackluster world-building and
(2) when MCs in fantasy stories -- specifically those with High Stakes World Ending Events that the MCs are trying to stop/solve/thwart -- stop their mission to be romantic. (I don't mean a tearful kiss goodbye; I mean a full on make-out session or throw a party or, as here, stop to have sex with each other while one of their, admittedly estranged, fathers is being held captive by the big bad guy.)

Specifics:
✖️ -- The world-building is all over the place -- and what little there is provides a weak scaffolding for the plot.
I remembered very little of the plot of the first book -- broad strokes, yes, but not many details -- and Jason June didn't do that thing that series writers usually do where they recap some of the highlights in the first few chapters. (I just read The Threads That Bind duology, and Hatzopoulou nailed that skill.)
Given that there are 5 types of magicians-descended-from-Ancestrals, I still can't quite grasp the differences between them, or why there even have to be differences if the Ancestrals don't come into play. Also -- what does it MEAN to be descended from goblins!?

✖️ -- The pacing.
VERY off here. The first 48% of the book nothing happens -- except a lot of talking and internal agonizing. Then 49-98% -- I think half the book occurs in a day? -- is The Climax, with not one but two villains.

✖️ -- And for a lot of talking, the teen characters don't think to talk to the experienced adult magicians around them to get their help. And I don't mean with like growing up stuff -- but I would think that the fact that one of them is possessed by The Greatest Evil Ever would warrant talking to a trusted grownup.

✖️ -- Said Two Villains are *so* flat and one-dimensional.
Alister has so much potential to be a nuanced villain -- but instead he just reads like a villain from a silent melodrama and it's so disappointing -- and at times, painful -- to read.
Example: <i>"Gasp!" Alister says in mock surprise.</i>
Y'all. This is supposed to be a SENATOR? And the man over here talking like a Millennial-trying-to-relate-to-Gen-Z?
And The Knife? The potential there, also great. But instead, it just becomes this flat power-hungry thing that wants to sow evil in the world and there's no nuance!
Example: <i>"Your body's mine now, Nigel. I'll use it to kill. I'll use it to feed on fear and hate. And when all this is done, I will find your soulmate and eat his heart."<i>
And please, please, please don't get me started on how The Knife is defeated. It is the most anti-climactic thing ever, and I was so frustrated when I got to that part.


✖️ -- Telling Not Showing
I think this rounds out my Top Three Reading Pet Peeves, and Jason June unfortunately relies on this a lot.
Example: <i>"Laurel doesn't feel angry. She doesn't feel betrayed. She just feels sad."</i>
I...*sigh*

✖️ -- POV Switches.
I was not a fan of the POV switches. As much as I can remember, the majority of the first book was told in 1st Person, from Nigel's POV, with one exception. Here, the POV switches from Nigel's 1st person to a few other characters' 3rd person POVs and I found them distracting.
Example: there's one chapter where it starts off in Bex's 3rd person POV as she's with the unicorns. It's an odd move, IMO, because the story hasn't been about Bex up to this point, so to suddenly be in her head is jarring. You could make the argument that it's done for plot purposes, that Bex is off getting information important to the plot, BUT -- the unicorns info-dump on her OFF-PAGE, and then she just goes back to Nigel and Ori and tells them everything. So the switch to 3rd person doesn't make sense there, because we switch back to Nigel's 1st Person POV -- in the middle of the chapter, I think -- to get all of that information filtered through his perspective anyway.

✖️ -- Character Development
While I applaud Jason June for trying to give the female characters a bit more depth in this book...oof.
The only one I thought it was effective for was Jaleesa.
Laurel's character gave me whiplash because one moment she's gleefully and sadistically watching a man be tortured and then a few chapters later, she's remorseful and able to forgive her dad. Like -- what?
And Bex's journey could have been a separate novella -- I was not prepared for her strong emotions (anger, frustration, etc.) because again, she was gone for most of the first book and we haven't really been in her head. So to have 2 or 3 chapters with her perspective just felt forced.

✖️ -- Plot Holes.
Last, I have so many questions about the plot.
One of my biggest issues with the first book was The Culling and the way it read, to me, as a metaphor for gay conversion therapy: forcibly removing an essential part of someone's identity in the name of Right and The Greater Good. I really, really wanted to see Jason June engage with that here, especially as a big part of the first half of the book was convincing everyone that The Culling was not, in fact, necessary.
But after the first half, it just kinda disappeared from the story -- and not one, but two, characters have their magic stripped from them in the end, although one of them does do it voluntarily.

Another issue I had was the seemingly Western-focus of the "fantasy world" -- where The Depraved really came into existence after the horrors in America. Which, not to negate that AT ALL, but those horrors didn't start in America, and they existed long before our country was colonized. That wasn't addressed here.
And, on a similar plot-hole-note, NO ONE has ever made a Beloved before? The antithesis to Depraved magic, and NO ONE has made one before, but we make THREE in this story? That math ain't mathin'.

✖️ -- Nigel's Mom.
There are MANY questions I have that aren't answered, but perhaps the biggest one is what in the heck happened to Nigel's mom? So much is made of Nigel being on his own, with just his grandma, and we learn that both of his parents actually loved him. But right after Nigel is born, his mom goes off with an Ancestral (of course, no other timing would have worked) and Jameson wipes his dad's memories (effectively turning him into a Mean Drunk). His dad's story is resolved, but what happened to his mom? They mention that she came back after 6 months, and fully intended to return after another 6 months, but never did -- so they haven't forgotten her. So where is she?!?!
I.
Have.
Questions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for the e-arc of this book! I Just need to start by saying that Jason June is simply wonderful. I have enjoyed reading everything that they have written! I am so glad that the world of Ori and Nigel was continued in this sequel and honestly, I would love to some other books that would still continue the characters as well as the word that Jason June has built. I am normally not one for Fantasy, but I loved the first book and knew I had to read the second. I normally am not a huge fan of sequels and while I still liked the first book the most, the sequel was a wonderful continuation of the story. The Spells We Cast and The Magic You Make honestly almost seem like one book, but for logistically reasons, needed to be split into two. I feel as if The Spells We Cast built the foundation for this book and The Magic You Make finished up the story that was started. In saying that, the two books flowed wonderfully with The Magic You Make picking up right where The Spells We Cast Left off. Overall, this was a wonderful addition to a world that I hope Jason June will continue with.