science fiction

Midnight Magic - Avi Book Review

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"Midnight Magic"
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Review Summaries
"Midnight Magic is a thriller and mystery set in 1491 in a mythical Kingdom of Italy called Pergamontio. The story begins on a dark and stormy night when Fabrizio, a scrawny, shaggy-haired, 12 year-old servant boy of Mangus, a great Magician, receives a threatening message from his set of tarot cards. The cards read as follows: THE CASTELLO, THE KING, THE GHOST, THE PRINCESS, THE TUTOR, THE QUEEN and DEATH. His fears are realized when at that very moment, a summon for Magnus arrives from the castle of king Claudio. Considering that his Master Magnus is on bad terms with the king and was forced to publicly recant his magic and is under house arrest, Fabrizio has every reason to be worried. Fabrizio bursts into tears as he goes to fetch his master, convinced that by casting the tarot cards he had brought on his master's death . After they bid Signora Sophia (Magnus' wife) goodbye, the duo set off to a carriage, to be escorted by none other than Count Scarazoni, the King's closest adviser as well as Magnus' principal tormentor during his trial. After arriving at the Castello, Magnus and Fabrizio, after some sucking-up and various ironic attempts to convince the king that they denounce magic and never practiced it, are both relieved and surprised to learn that the reason of their summoning was to put Magnus' magic to use. Princess Teresina, King Claudio's only daughter, claims to be haunted by a ghost. The ghost of none other than the King's allegedly murdered son. Since Magnus is the only known magician in the kingdom, they have put the burden of dispelling the ghost on his shoulders. However, one problem remains, adding much to Fabrizio's anxiety ...Mangus doesn't believe in ghosts, nor does he believe in magic beyond the sleight of hand he used to perform upon the gullible so passionately. After hearing the princess and the queen's testimonies, the pair set out to solve the mystery and find themselves drawn into a web of lies, conspiracy, and family issues which seems to link everyone together. Teresina and her mother, Queen Jovanna, obtain Fabrizio's alliance and cooperation, but their behavior confuses him greatly adding to his suspicion. Meanwhile, Magnus and Fabrizio find out that a paradoxical apparition is not the only thing threatening their very existence. "
Sarah M., Resident Avi Scholar


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Overall Review
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Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%




Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - King Arthur
Spying & Investigations Yes
What is main char. doing? - unraveling a conspiracy
Is this an adult or child's book? - Kid's book (ages 7-14)
Horror story? Yes
Horror plotlets - the ghost chased me!

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - servant
Age: - a kid
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - healthy but a geeky weakling

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Earth setting: - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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The Mummy, The Will and The Crypt by John Bellairs
The Ghost in the Third Row by Bruce Coville





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