The fourth entry in the A Tale of Magic series continues the enchanting journey of Brystal Evergreen as she explores the magical land of the Madame Weatherberry Institute. In this installment, author Chris Colfer transports readers to a world where imagination and wonder reign supreme. **The main focus of the story is the power of storytelling and how it can bring about change and empowerment**. Brystal, a young girl with a passion for books and knowledge, discovers her ability to rewrite stories and use them to shape the future. As she delves deeper into her magical training, she realizes the immense responsibility that comes with her newfound powers. Alongside Brystal are a diverse group of characters, each with their own unique abilities and backgrounds.
Alongside Brystal are a diverse group of characters, each with their own unique abilities and backgrounds. Friendship, unity, and the fight against injustice are central themes in this captivating tale. Colfer expertly weaves together elements of fantasy, adventure, and social commentary, creating a story that entertains while also challenging readers to reflect on important issues in our own world.
Review: Curse of the Reaper by Brian McAuley (Out October 4th)
If you are looking for the perfect book to add to your list of Halloween & spooky season reads, look no further. This is the one. Keep reading to find out more, but no need to beware—I won’t be dropping any spoilers here. This is one you have to experience for yourself.
I seriously cannot sing the praises of Curse of the Reaper enough. Fellow horror fans, this one is for us! I don’t even mean just the people who read horror books—I mean all of you. If you are the type who eats up horror and spooky stuff. If your comfort movies are 80s slashers and you know all the tropes. If your T-shirts are emblazoned with the faces of cinema villains. If you have friends who don’t understand why you’re into these “cheesy, gross movies.” This book is for you.
Yes, yes, a little context is in order: Curse of the Reaper follows Howard Browning, an aging actor who made his legacy playing the titular role in The Night of the Reaper horror movie franchise. The Reaper is a villain who blends the supernatural brute of Jason with the quippy, tormenting one-liners of Freddy. He has a backstory that you will immediately recognize as on par with the origin stories of some of our best-known classic villains, making you feel like you’re watching one of your favorite old school slasher movies, but he’s still the kind of villain that makes you want to root for him, and his kills are gorey, splattery, and amusing as he utilizes a chain as one of his weapons in a move that is purely slasher meets Scorpion.
After playing the Reaper in an entire franchise of movies, Browning has spent recent years hitting the horror con circuit and posing for pics with adoring fans like us. But he’s not exactly satisfied with how things are going and he’s not making much money. Then big news arrives: The Reaper franchise is being revived! We all know Hollywood loves rebooting things, and Howard is about to reap—yes, pun intended, and I’m not sorry at all—the rewards.
Except no he isn’t.
Because they’re replacing him. With someone younger.
Okay, he’s not eight. But he is in his twenties and he has been acting since he was a kid.
As Howard processes this, fighting against the production company’s decision and being met with repeated insult added to injury, the line between Howard Browning and the character of The Reaper begins to get very blurry and things get….let’s say messy. Very, very messy. The novel keeps the reader on their toes as we watch Howard walk the line between being a perfectly nice seeming older gentleman who eats a vegetarian diet, loves cats, and enjoys a good cup of tea, and falling prey to the nagging possession of a murderous villain with vengeance on the brain, his connection to the character becoming stronger and stronger.
What I didn’t initially realize going into this novel is that we are gifted with an alternate POV, too—that of Trevor Mane, the young man who has been cast as the new Reaper in place of Howard. Trevor, a former child star from a beloved family sitcom (you know precisely the type), is fresh out of rehab after a gnarly accident and struggling with a heroin addiction, in addition to taking the helm as a much-loved villain from a very popular movie series, even though horror really isn’t his type of thing. The addition of this POV really makes the novel much more dynamic and expands on not just the tale of the struggles of Hollywood and fickle fame, but also the lore of the Reaper himself.
Essentially, Curse of the Reaper is a slasher within a slasher, but it honestly has a lot of heart and also addresses some very serious issues, such as dementia, losing yourself in various different ways, and of course, addiction. The portrayals of addiction and Trevor’s struggles were at times both heartbreaking and infuriating. It was difficult to watch him slip down the slope, and the novel did a great job of highlighting how addiction impacts not just the addict, but also their loved ones. McAuley highlights Trevor’s specific thoughts and manages to make him a very unlikable character at times as we watch the exact thought pattern behind his attempts to manipulate people, and it makes you want to slap him and also offer him help, as you know some part of this is probably the addiction talking. I was surprised to see these more serious elements interwoven, and I thought that McAuley did a really good job of balancing the more serious elements with the more slasher-y elements.
And speaking of slasher-y elements, although I would be keen to remind people that it’s not just a slasher, there’s still plenty of slashing, and a lot of fun elements for fellow horror movie fans to enjoy. In between each section break, we are treated with a few pages of the script for the different Reaper films, including the opening pages from the OG Night of the Reaper from 1980 which could have been ripped straight from a Friday the 13 th film—specifically, Friday the 13 th Part II. I loved reading the little scripts, and honestly, if The Reaper franchise were a real movie series, I would watch it.
and love every second of itThe whole book is full of lots of homages to horror like this, and you can tell McAuley is a big horror fan who knows the “classics” through and through, and he brought a lot of that knowledge to the page. McAuley also brings knowledge of filmmaking and Hollywood to the page, bringing the behind the scenes portion of things to life, and you can tell he knows his stuff there, too (as well he should—his previous writing credits include everything from penning the horror thriller Dismissed, starring Dylan Sprouse, to that episode of Fuller House where Steve attempts to take DJ “back to when they were hottest the couple at Bayview High”—so he’s been on all sides of this, and lends some of that knowledge to the stories and experiences of Howard and Trevor).
All in all, this is easily a new favorite of mine, and I think it will be incredibly successful amongst the horror community. There’s a lot to lose yourself in, and you will absolutely devour it. Easy 5/5 stars, go pre-order it so that you get it in time to read it for Halloween. It’s releasing at the perfect time and will be a flawless addition to any October TBR.
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- ← ARC Review: The Depths by Nicole Lesperance (Out September 13th)
- My Picks for Your Spooky Season TBR →
Because they’re replacing him. With someone younger.
**The fourth entry in the A Tale of Magic series is a journey of self-discovery, bravery, and the belief that anyone has the power to make a difference**. With its engaging storyline, relatable characters, and thought-provoking themes, readers of all ages will be captivated by this enchanting tale. Whether you are a fan of the previous books in the series or new to the magical world created by Chris Colfer, this installment is sure to leave you eagerly awaiting the next chapter in Brystal's story..
Reviews for "The Resonance of Choices in A Tale of Magic: The Fourth Book"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with the fourth entry in the "A Tale of Magic" series. The story felt disjointed and lacked the depth that made the previous books enjoyable. The characters seemed one-dimensional and the plot was predictable. It felt like the author was just trying to extend the series without much thought put into the quality of the story. Overall, I did not find this installment to be worth my time and I would not recommend it to fans of the series.
2. Sarah - 2 stars - I had high hopes for the fourth book in the "A Tale of Magic" series, but it fell flat for me. The pacing was off, with certain parts dragging on while others felt rushed. The plot felt forced and confusing at times, and I found it hard to connect with the characters. The world-building, which had been one of the strengths of the previous books, was lacking in this installment. Overall, I was disappointed with this entry and it did not live up to the standards set by the earlier books in the series.
3. Emily - 1 star - I can honestly say that "The fourth entry in the A Tale of Magic" series is the worst book I have read in a long time. The story was convoluted and the writing felt sloppy and rushed. Many events and character actions seemed illogical and didn't make sense within the established world. The dialogue was cringe-worthy and the attempts at humor fell flat. I was left feeling unsatisfied and frustrated with this book. I would not recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the previous books in the series.