3 stars
A good third book in the Magic Misfits series.
I’ll admit this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me as well as the first two. Not sure if the series is losing some of its steam or if it was the listening format of the audiobook. This feels like a bridging point between the second and fourth book rather than an actual story in its own right.
This book follows Theo’s experience of events. For me, it just wasn’t as exciting as the other books. It was certainly interesting to get insight into his family dynamics and his changing relationships with his friends and those around him, but the actual action just wasn’t there for me. There are some false starts and twists, but it didn’t really seem to lead anywhere satisfying.
My other main problem with the book was the audio narration. Tre Hall does fine. But after Christina Hendricks’ amazing reading of Leila’s adventures and Neil Patrick Harris narrating the first book, this one just didn’t have the same life. At times it was difficult to determine if the actual events just weren’t that interesting or if it was the way they were read. May go back and read a physical copy at some point, but the reading of this one just didn’t pull me in.
As always, the magic trick tutorials are fun and serve as an entertaining way to further connect readers with the story. And of course, Harris does a splendid job reading them.
Even though this one was a bit lackluster, it still progresses the character dynamics. I’m hoping it was just setting up all the pieces for a truly spectacular fourth book. Will definitely still continue this series. I have faith in the Magic Misfits (and Harris) to turn things around.