The Magician’s Diary

Matthew Glass and India Steele are back in this 4th installment of the fantasy series that also has touches of romance. This series is very connected from volume to volume so it should be read in order. The main fantasy element is magic. Magic and magicians are controversial in London. Some doubt its existence. Others fear or resent its existence. And still others believe that magic and magicians should be secretly sought and purged from society. This episode is beginning to feel like much of the same with Matthew and India dashing about London in the mid-1800s searching for information and people that might lead them to a more permanent cure for Matthew. Unfortunately, not much is resolved. In addition, the personal relationships between the characters are not moving forward at all. Perhaps the earlier books were more interesting because they each were focused on one area of magic, and more new things were happening with the magic.. Or perhaps I just find Eddie to be petty and uninteresting as a villain and have tired of Indias snippy interchanges with Chronos. The full supporting cast is in this book, but they have little to so they are reduced almost to caricatures of themselves. This review is not to be overly negative. I will still give it four stars and I will still buy the next volume. However, I did not enjoy this book as much as the ones that preceded it in the series. I do think that Glass and Steele could survive as a series if Matthews magic problem is solved and the romance brought into the open. Failure to move forward is more likely to kill it.

I was so excited when I started this series – I stumbled upon the first book and couldnt put it down and I immediately purchased the second when finished. The second book did not let me down – I was hooked again in Indias and Matts adventures with the gang and the hinted romance building between the two. And I did the same thing I bought the 3rd book with no hesitation, but the charm wasnt there and I put it away several times and found myself skipping pages just to get to the end. When I did I wasnt sure I wanted to buy this the fourth book in the series, which for some odd reason I mistakenly thought was the last, but I really wanted to know what would happen to everyone so I went ahead and bought it. Again it was a slow read and I eventually finished but I felt like the spark had gone out and there was more filler than story.
I gave it 3 stars because I like the characters and wanted to genuinely join them in their adventures and mishaps but I will not buy the rest of the series, bools 3 and 4 were too much of a disappointment.

I feel like the books are getting better. While the first one interested me just enough to read the next, I now find myself waiting impatiently for the next installment. The duo are finally making headway on the problem of Matt’s watch, which seemed to have been a minor subplot in the last two books. The other characters are becoming more fleshed out and the tangle of magicians, police and family are coming together into a more clearly defined picture.

In this novel, Willie has a secret and she’s not sharing it with anybody. Like me, I’m sure readers have a good guess at what’s going on. Miss Glass seems to be more influenced by her rowdy housemates, all for the good. Meanwhile, Glass and Steele are on the hunt for the diary of a doctor magician in the hopes of finding the spell to fix Glass’ watch but as usual it seems everyone is trying to stop them, but everyone has their own motivation. The final plot twist I didn’t see coming.

Love the characters and story line. I’ve read books 1 through 4 and unfortunately author seems to have no desire to actually bring the main story which is about India’s and Matt’s relationship to a close let alone build on it. Their attraction remains the same without any progression. Reading numerous other comments well beyond book 4, it seems pretty much the same never ending saga. The series after book 2 has a soap opera feel to it. I’m saddened by not being able to read about India’s and Matt’s future because the author decided to not give them one.

This series is beyond an amazing mix of history, fantasy, mystery and romance. C.J Archer is terrific at pacing and building tension and clues. I couldnt put the book down. I found this one to be even better (somehow) than books 1-3. Im, of course, going to read book 5. Each book is like an episode of a television series. They all have a beginning, middle and end, but there are several other story arcs that she drops pieces of in each book, leaving the reader craving the next one. The romantic tension is strong but not overwhelming. As important as it is, its not so thick as to dominate the plot. Instead, its sprinkled in deliciously and so far (book 4 mind you) is PG, so theres no guilt attached to enjoying the steam. The setting of England 1890 is perfect for this sort of story with all the politics and social dimensions. So, if you like the wit and romance of a Jane Austen novel and the clue-dropping thrills of Sherlock Holmes combined with a splash of magic, these are a MUST READ.

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