The Revenge of Magic

Six months after losing his father during a monster attack on Washington, D.C., 12-year-old Fort Fitzgerald is recruited into a secret government program and school that teaches children like him to wield the spells contained within a set of recently discovered magical books. Oddly enough, some at the Oppenheimer Academy are eager to see Fort fail. But, desperate to avenge his father, Fort will do whatever it takes to prove he belongs, even if it means mastering the necessary spells in an unprecedented short period. To his dismay, his strength is for healing magic, rather than destruction spells. With the aid of his new friends, including British precognitive Cyrus, healer Jia, and the acerbic Rachel, Fort throws himself into his training, only to discover his new school has numerous dark secrets, and that they may be the last line in Earth’s defense when the books’ original owners threaten to return from their long exile. In this ambitious middle grade series opener, Riley (the Story Thieves series) refreshes the familiar “magic school” trope by mixing in conspiracy theories and Lovecraftian monstrosities, as well as an intriguing spell-casting system. A strong introduction to the memorable characters and imaginative concept, this leaves plenty of potential for future installments. Ages 8–12. [em]Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Mar.) [/em]