Tag: Town Magician Series

Transgression of Magic (Town Magician Series Book 2) by S.A. Schneider Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A town magician must determine if his father is guilty of harming a villager in the past in author S.A. Schneider’s “Transgression of Magic”, the second book in the “Town Magician” series. 

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The Synopsis

Samual has finally stepped into his role as the Town Magician, using his magic to protect the village and dazzle the crowds with Advisor Rory by his side. Life is good—until a ruthless bounty hunter arrives, demanding the town hand over a fugitive. The fugitive? Samual’s father.

Joseph, once a respected Town Magician himself, has spent years on the run after allegedly harming a villager. Now, the past is catching up, and Samual is faced with an impossible truth: his father might be a criminal. Determined to uncover what really happened, Samual and Rory begin digging into the past—only to unearth more than they bargained for. Someone has been hiding the truth, and the real traitor may still be out there.

As time runs out and the bounty hunter closes in, Samual must decide where his loyalties lie and whether he can trust the magic in his veins. Because if he chooses wrong, he won’t just lose his father—he could lose everything.

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The Review

This was such an imaginative and enthralling fantasy read. The coming-of-age story is filled with excellent world-building, where magic is the norm and is a way of life for the towns of this land. The balance of storytelling with world-building and action was perfect, and the pacing allowed readers to become re-immersed in this world and connected to the character’s journey. 

The story itself was very character-driven, not only honing in on Samual’s journey into being the town magician, but in the relationships he has with both Advisor Rory and his father Joseph. The developments with his father play well into the theme of moral responsibility versus family relationships and loyalty. For many young readers, the age-old question of who they are destined to be and whether their family ties play a role in that led them to become more easily immersed in the world itself.

The Verdict

Memorable, compelling, and entertaining, author S.A. Schneider’s “Transgression of Magic” is a must-read coming-of-age fantasy story and a grand entry in the Town Magician series. The twists and turns the story takes as Samual delves further and further into the secrets of the past and the journey he takes to embrace magic more fully will keep readers on the edge of their seats as the story progresses. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

S.A. Schneider has a wolf, so of course he writes middle grade fantasy, wouldn’t you? Since his Lego and action figure days, he’s crafted worlds and stories within those worlds. This pursuit

continues into his middle grade fantasies.

He doesn’t stop with writing stories – he works with kids to pass on the joy of writing books and videogames. He wants others to join him and delve into creating fantastical worlds.

Enjoy the Adventure!

S.A. Schneider – Story Purveyor – Author homepage

https://amzn.to/3MBF57p

Interview with Author S.A. Schneider

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn InterviewsLeave a comment

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

When my daughter was younger, I was her girl scout leader. I noticed most of the girls read, but they were reading books with male protagonists and I wanted to create a book with a female hero. Now there are quite a few books with girl hero’s.

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2) What inspired you to write your book?

What inspired me to write Transgression of Magic, book 2 in the Town Magician series? Book 1. Seriously, this book couldn’t have been written without book 1 being before it.

I originally wanted to write a short story about wizards and magic for a local Wizarding World fest at Kent State. That grew into the Town Magician series. the first story started about 7,500 words and now I  have 4 books planned and several short stories.

3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

For book 2, Transgression of Magic, its about kids dealing with their parents mistakes. Even parents mess up and don’t make the right choice at times, and Samual has had to deal with that. It was something I thought about after book 1, Embracing the Magic, and needed to figure out what happened between Samual and his father after he became Town Magician.

4) What drew you into this particular genre?

I’ve always loved fantasy and read fantasy. It was a natural fit for me and I can picture wizards fighting goblins and dire wolves better than I can picture a murder mystery or action thriller.

5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?

Maybe Toby, the Grand Wizard. It’s a bit bumbling, like a cross between Fizban from Dragonlance and Merlin from Disney’s Sword in the Stone. If not Toby, Cat. There is a lot more to Cat than we know, but its been hinted at. What is really going on with this animal? Hard to say.

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6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

I’m on Facebook mostly and reach out to parents and teachers. I also have an Instagram and YouTube and am working on more videos for parents and teachers. While I write middle grade, I try to offer information and educational aids to the teachers and home school parents.

7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

Write. Tomorrow, write. Then write some more. Make up stories and get them on paper or some online document or even dictated in audio. Just tell stories. Forget about spelling and grammar. That stuff will come and you can work on it once you’ve written. But we don’t have our kids really write stories much. We teach them spelling and grammar and sentence diagrams and what a verb and noun are, and then we move on. we never have them write much and it’s backwards. They would get so much more out of the lessons if they already had experienced some writing. Forget that stuff until 4th or 5th grade. Just get the younger ones telling stories.

8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

Well, book 3 is planned out and being worked on. More exciting is my Oddish Questor series about a group of sibling investigators that explore Bigfoot and other cryptids. Think Scooby-Doo meets the X-files.

I’m finishing up my video game series also that focuses on video game storytelling.

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About the Author

S.A. Schneider has a wolf, so of course he writes middle grade fantasy, wouldn’t you? Since his Lego and action figure days, he’s crafted worlds and stories within those worlds. This pursuit continues into his middle grade fantasies.

He doesn’t stop with inspiring kids to write linear stories. Oh no, no. S.A. shows kids how storytelling in video games work and how they can learn to write those . He wants others to join him and delve into creating fantastical worlds.

Enjoy the Adventure!

https://www.sa-schneider.com/

Embracing the Magic: A Middle-Grade Magical Fantasy (Town Magician Book One) by S.A. Schneider Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

A young boy who dreams of becoming a powerful wizard must work with his bitter rival, a trickster who has convinced his town that he is a powerful magician himself when an evil wizard arrives to destroy their home and those they care about in author S.A. Schneider’s “Embracing the Magic”, the first in the Town Magician series.

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The Synopsis

Their hero is a fraud and only he knows it. When the truth comes knocking, can one boy conjure a way to save the day?

Young Samual longs to perform magic of his own. And what’s worse, he can’t seem to convince anyone that their beloved Town Magician is a trickster without an enchanted bone in his body. When a wicked wizard challenges the pretender to a duel, Samual vows keep his village safe by forcing the fraudster to rise to the challenge.

Determined to prevent disaster, he secretly shadows the phony protector during his training with the Grand Wizard. And when they barely escape an attack by dire wolves, Samual realizes he must partner up with his bitter rival. But keeping the truth hidden any longer may not help them outwit a powerful sorcerer.

With his town in grave danger, can Samual protect the ones he loves from the forces of evil?

Embracing the Magic is the enchanting first story in the Town Magician middle grade fantasy series. If you enjoy unlikely heroes, coming-of-age adventures, and spellbinding creatures, then you’ll love S.A. Schneider’s fantastical tale.

The Review

This was such a captivating and tantalizing read. The author did an incredible job of capturing a unique world filled with magic and wonder. The imagery and atmosphere did a beautiful job of bringing the action and adventure of the story to life on the page. The way the author is able to relate this story to younger readers and provide both study guides, terminology, and a reference guide on the world-building he did was great to see brought to life. 

For me though, the character growth and world-building/mythos the author creates in this story were the highlights of the narrative. The relationship between Rory and Samual was such a rollercoaster of highs and lows throughout the narrative, showing the bond they form and the motivations that take life as their journey continues. The concept of challenges between town magicians, a Town Magician Council, and so much more made this story feel so vibrant and alive on the page. 

The Verdict

With amazing world-building, rich atmosphere, and engaging storytelling, author S.A. Schneider’s “Embracing the Magic” is an incredible Middle-Grade Fantasy Adventure novel and the perfect first chapter in this emerging series. The emotional growth of the characters, the powerful villain they face, and the entertaining narrative will have young readers and others alike hanging off of the author’s every word. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Don’t you wish you could have a lightsaber? I imagine it all the time. And force powers – definitely force powers. Think of that? Oh, wait – how about spider powers? Shooting web lines and clinging to walls. You could get to school in style.

OK, so we can’t have those. At least to the best of my knowledge. What’s the next best thing? Reading stories about other worlds. I guess I’ll have to settle for that and hopefully you’d like to come along for the ride.

I live and grew up in a rural area in Ohio. That left a lot of room for reading. I now live with my family and create stories set in many other places.

For now, I have to visit another world.


Enjoy the adventure!

https://www.sa-schneider.com/