Title: Spellcaster (Spellcaster #1)Series: Spellcaster #1
Author: Claudia Gray
Also by this author: A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird #1)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: March 5, 2013
Rating:
Series Rating:
When Nadia’s family moves to Captive’s Sound, she instantly realizes there’s more to it than meets the eye. Descended from witches, Nadia senses a dark and powerful magic at work in her new town. Mateo has lived in Captive’s Sound his entire life, trying to dodge the local legend that his family is cursed - and that curse will cause him to believe he’s seeing the future … until it drives him mad. When the strange dreams Mateo has been having of rescuing a beautiful girl—Nadia—from a car accident come true, he knows he’s doomed.
Despite the forces pulling them apart, Nadia and Mateo must work together to break the chains of his family’s terrible curse, and to prevent a disaster that threatens the lives of everyone around them. Shimmering with magic and mystery, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray’s new novel is sure to draw fans of the Hex Hall and Caster Chronicles series, and fans of the hit CW TV show The Secret Circle.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
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Review: Spellcaster by Claudia Gray
Spellcaster by Claudia Gray is a magical adventure that is complete with a villain and rich in diversity. The book is an amazing fantasy novel that will satisfy its readers. However, it will also leave them hungry for more.
❀ A Great Villain
One of my favourite things about Spellcaster is the villain, Elizabeth. Normally, readers don’t read about villains described so well that they develop a strong hatred towards that character. Claudia Gray does just this in her gripping young adult fantasy. Gray does such a phenomenal job of creating such wicked plans for Elizabeth, the book’s villain, to torture the main characters with and plans for those characters to stop her. I personally love a good villain in a book, so I fell in love with Spellcaster.
❀ A Diverse Read
Adding to a long list of things that I adored about Spellcaster, it is also diverse! One of the main characters, Mateo, is Mexican, which we don’t see a lot of in YA. He even works at his dad’s Mexican restaurant, which is a popular place in the book for the students to hang out. There is even another character, Verlaine who has two dads, another topic that is rarely explored in young adult literature. This book also takes a stand against racism, when one of the characters is planning to dress up as a “sexy geisha girl” for Halloween, complete with mocking eye makeup. Mateo then tells her that treating someone else’s race as a costume isn’t right. I love diversity in books, so this was right up my alley.
❀ Lots of Magic
Another great thing about Spellcaster is the genre. It is filled with magic and witchcraft which is different from other books I’ve recently read. Spellcaster, however, is a cross between a contemporary and a fantasy. I really enjoyed how this book is set in a high school, yet contains lots of magic and supernatural powers. Spellcaster was a refreshing surprise.
Spellcaster by Claudia Gray is a light, easy read that will go by quickly. If you are in need of a realistic, yet fantastical book, Spellcaster is for you!
About Claudia Gray
Claudia Gray is not my real name. I didn't choose a pseudonym because my real name is unpleasant (it isn't), because I'd always dreamed of calling myself this (I haven't) or even because I'm hiding from the remnants of that international diamond-smuggling cartel I smashed in 2003 (Interpol has taken care of them). In short, I took a pseudonym for no real reason whatsoever. Sometimes this is actually the best reason to do things.
I live in New Orleans. So far, in life, I've been a disc jockey, a lawyer, a journalist and an extremely bad waitress, just to name a few. I especially like to spend time traveling, hiking, reading and listening to music. More than anything else, I enjoy writing.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ Canadian YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, & professional bibliophile.
One of my favorite things about this series is how the magic works, where it comes from. It is definitely one of the coolest concepts, and intrigued me right away. Elizabeth was a horrible, awesome villain, for sure. I adored Verlaine so very much, and she just got better and better. Nadia is a good character, and I loved Mateo. Throughout the series, Grey does a fantastic job with plotlines and character developments and I am a big fan. Looking forward to whats next from this author!