J R Fehr

Review can also be found in Chill and read


All people in the islands of O’Ceea have some magical abilities! Whatever they imagine can be brought into existence, if only they try and practice a little. It is a whole new world with endless possibilities. The most talented people, those who are the masters of projection, they become magicians, gaining power, fame, glory and riches. This elite can work in the Magician’s Workshop, an honor that all people in O’Ceea seek, or at least almost all.

The wonderful world of O’Ceea is described in the first Volume of “The Magician’s Workshop”, along with the stories of Layauna, Kai, Talia, Kaso and the rest of the young adults and aspiring magicians. Their talents are described in the most colorful way, as are their aspirations. However, only those that have Color inside them, will be able to work in The Magician’s Workshop; talent is not enough despite the wonderful projections our little friends come up with. So the have to practice well and believe to themselves.

Fantasy books, describing new, different worlds with all kinds of life and abilities are sometimes hard to digest. This is not the case with “The Magician’s Workshop”. The two authors, have done a great job describing their world, O’Ceea, a bunch of islands left after the great flood, as they call it. The different communities there, have examples of our own world. What is emphasized in the book is the personal work and devotion someone has to apply in order to get their dreams come true! This is one great positive message to our youngsters, so different than the fairy tales about magic. Yes magic exists, but if you want to achieve something, you need to work for it!

Another theme on the book is companionship and cooperation. Some of the book characters are friends against all odds. Even they may not be allowed to hang out with each other, they still do as they would never abandon their friends. Under this circumstances, the gang joins forces to create something big, even if it is only for their own fun. However, when things turn bad, they all share responsibility as they ought to and they don’t put the blame on the outcast one.

“The Magician’s Workshop” is a book that captures the reader’s attention. It is a page turner for sure, as the reader becomes one with the characters and feels for them throughout their journey. It can easily be read by teens, young adults and adults; all those that still have a child inside them longing for some magic. The story ends abruptly, only to continue in the next Volume which is actually already available!… (altro)

I received a free ebook review copy of this book but was under no obligation to post a positive review
3.5/5 stars
The magician's workshop has great potential but I felt it was a really slow paced book.
I understand it is recommended to read Vol. 1 and 2 together but I only received Vol. 1 for review and can only speak to my experience reading, what would be considered, only half of the story.
The story is told via multiple points of view of teens who prepare for the Color Ceremony- in this universe it means the deciding ceremony in which they will know if they are destined to continue living as commoners or if they become mages- people who are allowed to continue to study and preform magic projections.
I normally love multiple POVs in books but in this case I was overwhelmed by the amount. It felt like we had too many characters and not enough time with any of them. For example Kalaya- when I returned to her point of view the second time I completely forgot who she is and if I read from her before.
I had similar experiences with other characters as well. This not only made it hard to relate to them but also made me feel as if the book dragged a lot and that certain characters were underutilized.
About halfway through the volume we have the chapter where Layauna has to live the same moment over and over again. When I first got there I was sure my copy of the book had an editing problem. I was sure someone accidentally printed the first chapter again. Needless to say I was very confused and almost skipped the entire chapter. It definitely had a greater effect on my reading than I would have expected- that chapter felt way too long for me and extremely unnecessary in some place
What irritated me the most was the fact that the whole book is a set up for the color ceremony but we don't get to see it so essentially I can say that absolutely NOTHING happens in it. We just get to read about the hopes and dreams of a few teens while learning about how this magical world is working. There is no character or plot development at all.
It doesn't mean that I hated the book. At the end of the day I actually enjoyed the set up and appreciated the creativity it took to make it. But, I feel like it could have been condensed a bit and then it would have made for a great 1/3 of a whole book without the need to separate the story into two volumes.
I do think I would pick up volume 2 sometime, I am just not sure when. Hopefully soon so I wouldn't forget too much of everything and everyone.
I would recommend this book for everyone who loves fantasy and magic. At the end of the day if the second half is executed in a proper manner it will make for a great and fun read. :)… (altro)