THE BLURB
The magic returns.
When Hartley Keg and Blessing go missing, Steve Haven, the young heir to the Haven Robotics Corporation, once again finds himself plunged back into the chaos of Darkacre.
Teaming up with the darkling, he finds himself on the run from the Council and their enforcers, the Hidden, as he seeks to keep safe those he holds most dear.
Things are complicated further when a new player emerges: the Parity, who are far too keen in the Haven Corporation, and the magical device which nearly led to its destruction.
What follows is a race not only against time but through a series of worlds, each more fantastical and dangerous than the last, as Steve and his friends try to keep one step ahead of their pursuers.
I’d already read and enjoyed Haven Wakes, the first book in the series, and you can’t go wrong with a bit of magic in the summer, so I dove in.
THE STORY
Much like Harry Potter, Steve Haven lives in a world that is both futuristic, and yet old-fashioned. There are robots alongside a old-time boarding school, magical travel alongside self-driving cars. Fi Phillips describes a vivid, detailed world which is a lot of fun. Magic Bound takes us through many different worlds (my fav could be the underwater world)
On the mysterious disappearance of his parents, Steve is spending his half-term holidays stuck at school. But of course, that doesn’t last past the first chapter. Thirteen year old Steve Haven is a rather unlikely hero. He grew as a character a lot in Haven Wakes, and he continues on this journey in Magic Bound. I like the the way Steve becomes a lot more proactive in the story.
I can’t let this happen, Steve thought. But there’s seven of them – nine if you count the robots. Against four hampered magicals, one dog, an unconscious Blessing, and me. They’ve got guns and robots. What have we got? Think.
No spoilers here, but Steve has to fight hard to save his friends, Hartley Keg (awesome name, right?) and Blessing, when they are taken by… sorry, I said no spoilers.
THE COVER
I thought I’d share the covers of both books, so you got the full effect of how swirly and magical they are. I was slightly disappointed there were no robots or anything on them, but they are definitely pretty covers.
MY VERDICT
Many books claim to be “shades of Artemis Fowl, hints of Harry Potter… and Skulduggery Pleasant” and you find that they’re not really like that at all. But this series actually does stand up to these comparisons. So if that’s your kind of book, then the Haven Wakes series is definitely worth a read.
I really only had one complaint and that was the last line…
TO BE CONTINUED…
Nooooooooooo!!!!
Enjoy the summer and Happy reading.
