Book Review: "Hatching Magic" by Ann Downer

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When her father goes off for work, Theodora is left without any friends. Instead all she has is her obsession with wyerns. But fate has more in store for her when a real wizard crosses over to her world to find a missing creature.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Theodora is a young girl who loves the fantasy creature Wyvern. It's rather an obsession.

Gideon is an important sorcerer in the service of the king. He ends up going after his Wyvern when she disappears.

Merlin is a sorcer in Theodora's world. He is a professor and has a tendency to ramble on.

Mikko works for Theodora's dad cooking and keeping house. She lives with them and ends up being important by introducing her to a woman named Dr. Naga.

Kobold is a sorcerer and a rival to Gideon. He wants to find the wyvern before Gideon.

Febrys is Kobold's servent. She is often verbally abused and rather timid.

PACING

The pacing is rather slow. I think a part of this has to do with the fact that the author, often under the guise of Merlin, has a habit of jumping in and giving details that have nothing to do with the story. Perhaps it was meant to show how much detail was put into the world, but it is never relevant. Nor that interesting. Perhaps if it had been done half as much it wouldn't have slowed the story so much.

WHOSE WORLD?

Throughout the story, we are told that Theodora is obsessed with a magic card game as well as the magical creature called a Wyvern. But it is obvious that in her world, there is no actual magic. There are merely video games, movies and video games about it.

And eighty percent of the story, Theodora and Merlin are not together. I kept wondering if Merlin's world was really Theodora's. After all, Merlin never explains how everything is kept secret. He talks so openly that I got no sense of secrecy. It seemed unclear. It could easily have been an alternative world to Theodora's, and they would have to cross over to hers.

When it turned out they lived in the same world I was confused. I wish it had been explained better. Like maybe Theodora had seen hints of magic being real, or something.

CHARACTER DEPTH

The biggest attempt made at character depth is giving Gideon and Theodora a brief history. Theodora lost her mother a few years ago. Gideon had a rivalry with another wizard and a falling out over a girl.

Mikko is a mystery who is never fully explained. And Merlin has no real history.

WYCCA

We get multiple instances of where the female wyvern wishes to have her baby. I thought it was kind of amusing, but not exactly essential. As she doesn't meet Theodora until she is accidentally summoned. Theodora never meets her where she has her baby.

A TRICK

Kobold hears a phone message from Theodora's dad and comes up with a plan. Theodora eventually figures it out when she recalls out when he phrases something wrong, by saying “would you like to hold?” instead of “wait”. I would have liked various small hints instead of one clue.

FEBRYS' OFFER

After Febrys fails to trick and entrap Theodora, she inquires about a photo. Theodora explains it was her mom who has died. It thought it was kind of unlikely that Febrys would go gazing at photos, or even seek out one. Perhaps she should have almost knocked one over, and Theodora brought attention to it by grabbing it or being upset over its demise. Febrys could be curious about her emotional reaction and then inquire about it.

THEODORA'S MOTHER

There is a mention that Theodora's mother died but not much about it. In one scene, Theodora suddenly recalls a memory of her and instantly becomes depressed. It's framed like she has been trying to suppress these memories to be happy but before that instant, it's never implied. So I was left feeling that the story was demanding an emotional reaction from me it hadn't earned.

CHARACTER ARC-SPOILERS

Theodora is shown to be lacking in confidence. She wants to be accepted by a group of kids and ends up storming off when she is rejected.

She goes off alone to get help about the Wyvern and Mikko, and ends up fighting Kobold. Not physically, but mentally.

This was actually a brilliant idea, because it helped her let go of her mother and reveal her abilities. Unfortunately there are no hints at all about her lineage so its feels shoved in and way too reliant in coincidences. And like I previously stated, we don't really address Theordora's feelings about her mother except for one scene in the book.

CLIMAX

Kobold confronts Theodora. Merlin and Gideon show up and attempt to help. The problem is solved thanks to Theodora's unexpected abilities.

COINCIDENCE-SPOILERS

The main reason that Theodora's gets involved with the main plot (Gideon and Merlin) is when she accidentally summons a Wyvern. She basically just makes up a spell, asking that a Wyvern be brought to her. I don't know who or what would bring it. How could Theodora summon one?

Well, after the climax Gideon and Merlin discuss it, saying that Theodora's is a descendant of Gideon's lost love. This is the first major example of coincidence. They don't tell her, by the way.

The second major example is that Theodora is obsessed with a card game. She only needs one card to finish her collection. Also Gideon has a set of cards he uses, and has one of a wyvern. Which he happens to lose. And Theodora happens to find.

I don't mind in coincidence if it is rarely used, and characters end up being in the same place at close times because important events bring them together. Like puzzle pieces. Unfortunately, that wasn't how it was used in this story.

CONCLUSION

I found Theodora, Mikko and Febrys likable and sympathetic. Unfortunately, they didn't have much depth to them.

While the other characters seemed rather boring and lifeless. Merlin has no past, no family, no friends. He seems to exist mainly for the story and have evaporated out of thin air. With vague description of him being a knowledgeable professor. Gideon and Merlins' pasts seem unimportant, until its revealed and becomes crucial to the plot. And yet it feels inserted without much time spent on it.

The story relies too much on coincidence for my liking. It's not a well put together puzzle, its a convenience.

My favorite part was the climax. The idea was good, unfortunately because I knew so little about Theodora's relationship with her mother (nor had any hints about her lineage been made) it had less of an emotional impact then I would have liked.

I give “Hatching Magic” two stars.