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Something Close to Magic Kindle Edition
It’s not all sugar and spice at Basil’s Bakery, where seventeen-year-old Aurelie is an overworked, underappreciated apprentice. Still, the job offers stability, which no-nonsense Aurelie values highly, so she keeps her head down and doesn’t dare to dream big—until a stranger walks in and hands her a set of Seeking stones. In a country where Seeking was old-fashioned even before magic went out of style, it’s a rare skill, but Aurelie has it.
The stranger, who turns out to be a remarkably bothersome bounty hunter named Iliana, asks for Aurelie’s help rescuing someone from the dangerous Underwood—which sounds suspiciously like an adventure. When the someone turns out to be Prince Hapless, the charming-but-aptly-named prince, Aurelie’s careful life is upended. Suddenly, she finds herself on a quest filled with magic portals, a troll older than many trees (and a few rocks), and dangerous palace intrigue.
Even more dangerous are the feelings she’s starting to have for Hapless. The more time Aurelie spends with him, the less she can stand the thought of going back to her solitary but dependable life at the bakery. Must she choose between losing her apprenticeship—or her heart?
- Reading age12 years and up
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherAtheneum Books for Young Readers
- Publication dateJune 13, 2023
- ISBN-13978-1665926911
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Nuanced, profound scenes mingle with lighter, humorous moments, making the characters feel real and their growth believable. . . Mills’ mastery of language is on full display here, with fun, clever prose and dialogue that are bound to make readers laugh out loud. . . Classic fairy-tale settings, compelling mysteries and a charismatic cast of characters make Something Close to Magic an entertaining, fast-paced read, and its ending strikes the perfect balance between satisfaction and the promise of more adventures. Readers will be reminded of The Princess Bride."
-- Bookpage
"Teens who relish light, character-driven stories will enjoy this fantasy . . . The dialogue is filled with dry repartee that is also highlighted in a particularly well-crafted epistolary interlude showcasing the growing feelings, despite their social class differences, between Aurelie and the prince. . . This appealingly breezy novel will whet readers’ appetites for magic and adventure." -- Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
One
It was midmorning when a stranger pushed through the door of Basil’s Bakery.
The baker’s apprentice, Aurelie, was in the midst of a conversation with a man who was seeking assurance that the cinnamon loaf contained quite enough—but not too much—cinnamon. “Excess cinnamon,” he said gravely, as if it were some fatal error, “irreparably unbalances the gustatory experience.”
It was a snort that drew Aurelie’s attention to the stranger, who was now standing nearby.
Over the course of her three years as an apprentice, Aurelie had grown familiar with the faces of many of the people in the village where Basil’s lay, just north of the Underwood. But she had never seen this particular girl before.
The stranger was dark eyed, raven haired, and beautiful, certainly, but there was sharpness to it—a beauty with teeth. She wore a traveling coat of black velvet with a matching black dress underneath, a small motif of leaves stitched in gold thread all across it. Even her gloves matched, embroidered in the same fashion. It gave Aurelie pause to see someone in the village dressed so fine, but maybe she was the daughter of a merchant or a particularly prosperous tradesman. The New Rich, Mrs. Basil liked to say. Some people think more of them than they do of the nobility, you know.
And why is that? Aurelie was duty bound to respond.
Mrs. Basil looked at her squarely. They’ve earned their wealth, she replied, and failed to see the irony in it.
The stranger smiled, and even her smile had an edge to it. “Pardon me,” she said. “I was just thinking that I would much more readily trust a baker to handle my gustatory experience than a”—she assessed the man for a moment—“moderately successful apothecary. Though not nearly as successful as he boasts.”
“Why, I—”
“Would like the cinnamon loaf? An excellent choice. Here, Baker.” The stranger moved forward and handed Aurelie several coins. Aurelie hurriedly packaged the cinnamon loaf, and the stranger handed it to the man.
“The impertinence—” he blustered.
“Is astounding, yes.” She fixed the man with an unwavering stare. “Goodbye.”
With a huff and a muttered curse, the man left.
Aurelie was bewildered and awed in equal measure.
The stranger cast her a glance. “I’m sorry, were you hoping to continue that conversation?” Before Aurelie could reply, she went on. “I thought not. Three morning buns, please.”
Aurelie went to fetch the buns. She got the curious feeling that the stranger was watching her, but when she snuck a quick look back, the girl’s eyes were fixed on the case filled with cakes and patisserie.
When Aurelie returned, the stranger rested one arm on the counter and leaned toward her almost as if they were friends, in on some secret together.
“Do you think you could assist me further?”
“Of course, miss. What else will you have?”
“I need something that’s not in the case.”
“We can take a special order, but it may be several days, depending on—”
“I need your help in finding someone.”
“Pardon?”
“I know there are ways. Ones that most Commonfolk aren’t privy to.”
Aurelie paused for just a moment before wrapping the buns in paper and passing them across the counter. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean.”
The stranger extended one gloved hand. Aurelie reached out, expecting payment for the buns, but instead, five smooth, round stones fell into her palm.
Seeking stones.
“Something tells me you know just what to do with these,” said the stranger.
The stones felt warm in Aurelie’s hand. She couldn’t be sure if it was heat transferred from the stranger’s grasp or from the hum of magic flaring inside Aurelie, surging up to meet them.
Aurelie swallowed, and her voice sounded strange to her own ears, oddly far away. “How do you know that?”
The stranger’s eyes shone. “I know everything.”
Product details
- ASIN : B0BHTMSMSN
- Publisher : Atheneum Books for Young Readers (June 13, 2023)
- Publication date : June 13, 2023
- Language : English
- File size : 2099 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Not Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 383 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN : 1665926910
- Best Sellers Rank: #710,058 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
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The precious, whimsical moments extend to nearly every relationship in the story, including friendships, old acquaintances, and family. I found nearly the entire supporting cast to be very endearing. However, it doesn't sugarcoat that some relationships are not healthy, some are neutral, and some are downright confusing, such as when someone cares enough to protect someone but not respect them.
It's not without angst either for those of us who crave the agony of uncertainty and embarrassment in stories. However, it's sensibly done and relatable.
The conclusion was satisfying, and while I would love to have read more because I enjoy the characters, the major points are tied up nicely.
The material is PG at worst. There's no physical intimacy detailed beyond kissing. There is some combat, but little description of gore. I don't recall curse words. Basically, it's Disney movie material, though some might take issue to a supporting character having a female paramour.
I strongly recommend this book to fans of whimsical fantasy romances, including kids. I'd recommend it to my own kids if they weren't convinced that romance was icky.
Something Close to Magic is Emma Mill's debut fantasy novel. She has written previous young adult novels in the contemporary vein of a plot line. Emma Mills is dabbling in fantasy with a baker who has a talent for seeking, a bounty hunter, and a prince by the name of hapless who takes off on a quest into the dangerous forest known as the Underwood. The story works so well that you have banter, cutesy romance, cozy vibes, light magic, court intrigue, and sweetly charming characters.
Final Verdict:
Something close to magic takes four unlikely heroes and gives them the task of figuring out who attacked the prince in the Underwood. Along the way, each character grows into a more robust version of themselves, and it was refreshing to see that though there is a romance brewing, it is not overpowering in the story. I want to read more fantasy from Emma Mills.
This is my first Emma Mills book, but I suspect it won't be my last.
When a stranger shows up at the bakery looking for help, of the magical kind, a strange friendship is formed. This friendship leads Aurelie on an adventure where she learns her value and even gets to meet a prince.
Opinion
This book is a great read for young adults who love books with magic. From the quest, to the found friendship, to the love, I was enraptured reading this and am still thinking about what the characters are currently doing. Though the story was finalized, it was left a bit open so that the reader can decide what happens next or dare I say, left open for a new book. I would 100% put this book into the hands of any young adult to read.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.