It could have been longer and more detailed but it was still well written and enjoyable. I would have liked the ending to not have been so rushed and abrupt. ( )

Once again, Dolamore's book got off to a slightly slow start. The reason for this was the introduction of a new character, Ifra, whom I did not yet care about. I wanted desperately to hear more about Erris and Nim, and it was disappointing. Well, thankfully, just like in book one, the story soon took off, bringing me along for a magical ride in its firm grasp.

There are a slew of new folks in this installment, most importantly Ifra and Violet, a spoiled young girl and relative of Erris. Violet could actually inherit if Erris does not survive. At first, I was not wild about these decisions. By the end, I was totally sold. Of course, Violet is mostly annoying, but, one thing I love about Dolamore's writing, is how everything is shades of grey. The characters are all so real, because there are things that annoy me even about my favorites, and sparks of good in the bad guys.

Speaking of things that annoy me, much as I love Erris, which I really do, he was driving me crazy! Nim too. He was all mopey and just wanted to be alone all the time. Come on, man. I know your situation sucks, but it's gotten better, so why are you grumpier than when you couldn't move. Sigh. I mean, I get it, but it was painful going through that with the characters. Even the pain is better than if he was constantly perfect, but I just want him to be happy!

There was definitely none of the "we're in love so it's us against the world with our perfect relationship" thing that often drives me crazy with YA romances. Despite their feelings for one another, Nim and Erris clearly are having some difficulties. Considering the fact that they had only known one another for a brief period of time and under very extraordinary circumstances it's no wonder that some peace brought complications. They have to form a real life, normal bond...all while he's stuck in a clockwork body. Yikes.

Anyway, all of that, even the whiny bits, are just to explain why this book's so good. Life isn't always happy, and that is captured in the book. Still, there are moments of joy, moments that make your toes curl, and moments of hope. Also, I loved seeing Nim coming into her own, becoming a strong woman in more than just guts.

I want to end this review with a quote that illustrates just why Dolamore's series is so wonderful. Every heroine should have this mentality, imho: "I am not going to be helpless while some magical villain hauls off the people I love." So says Nimira.

This is a wonderful series, and I really hope that more books are coming! ( )

**Spoiler warning for the first book, [Magic Under Glass]**

Erris has been awakened, but he is still under an enchantment and stuck in a clockwork body that Nimira must wind daily. Both Nim and Erris travel to Mr. Valdana, a man who may hold the key to freeing Erris once and for all. Meanwhile, the ruthless king of the fairy court has acquired a jinn, and he is very interested in knowing that Erris - the true heir to the throne - is still alive.

This book was an easy, breezy read. I enjoyed it and liked the characters, especially Ifra, the jinn. I cared enough about the characters to read the whole thing, despite its shortcomings. Perhaps part of my problem was that I hadn't read [Magic Under Glass] in over two years, but often things were introduced without really being explained - the workings of magic, for example - and I thought more world-building would have made my reading experience richer. As it was, some things happened fast with little explanation that really seemed to make sense - I felt as if the plot was being shoved into the direction the author wanted to take rather than convincing me with details, if that makes sense. Recommended if you enjoy the genre. ( )

My thoughts:
I was so fully taken in and captivated by the fantasy world and characters Jaclyn created in Magic Under Glass (book 1) that I was a little worried about this second book. Book 2s don't always work for me. Fortunately I had absolutely nothing to worry about! I didn't think it was possible but I loved Magic Under Stone even more!

Picking up right were book 1 ends, it didn't take me long to get caught up with the story. And what a story it is! Part adventure, part mystery, part romance and ALL fantasy! Throw in magic and characters that I really connected with and Magic Under Stone was pretty much a perfect win for me.

Almost everyone we meet in Magic Under Glass makes an appearance in book 2, along with a few new characters. One of which is Ifra the Jinn. I can't remember the last time I was captivated by a character the way I was with Ifra. I would gladly read a dozen books solely about him and his life.

There is a lot of back story in Magic Under Stone and I really loved how it helped me understand Erris better. I didn't love him as much in this book...but I understood why he did the things he did. Nim's determination is as strong as ever and it was really heartwarming to see the lengths she would go for the people she cared about.

Final verdict:
If you like young adult fantasy, you have got to read this series. I absolutely love Jaclyn's writing and her ability to fully pull me into a story and keep me wholeheartedly engaged with these wonderful characters she has created. I'm sad that it looks like Magic Under is only a 2 book series but I'm hopeful that maybe Nim and her world will make another appearance in the future.

Magic Under Stone is a book I would not hesitate to recommend. It's rich and captivating without being heavy and overbearing. Another great book by a great author! ( )

Magic Under Stone continues the story of Nimira, a dancing girl from a foreign land, and Erris, a fairy prince trapped in a clockwork automaton's body. I mentioned in my review of the first book, Magic Under Glass, that I was surprised by how much I liked it - I thought it was going to be fluff, but I actually really connected to it.  Ever since then, Nimira and Erris have been popping into my head, and I've been waiting to see how their story finishes and whether they'll get their happy ever after.

So let's get into it, shall we?  There were a lot of new characters introduced in this book, which was essentially a complete reversal from Magic Under Glass, which felt very insular. [I mean, yes, there were more than 3 characters in MUG, but for most of it, it felt like the key 3 were the only ones who existed.]  Even though Magic Under Stone is set in an out of the way place, the outside world intrudes in unexpected and tumultuous ways, and new major players are introduced fairly regularly, making it feel like it's finally time for Nim and Erris to step into the light.  I liked this; it's something subtle, something I didn't really think about until I thought about it (does that make sense?), but it gives an overall cast to the story that fits this stage of their lives.

The new characters themselves were interesting. I was all prepared to dislike everyone of them (for no reason other than they were taking my focus away from Nim and Erris), but I actually enjoyed them all.  Ifra, the reluctant jinn (ie genie) was probably my favorite for the simple fact that he best exhibits one of my favorite things - gray area.  He is capable of really bad things, and sometimes even wishes for them, but he is at his core a good, maybe even somewhat naive person, and he wants so badly to just be himself.  I liked his complexity and his struggles. Violet, the unwitting fairy princess, was a bit of a mixed bag for me in that she's whiny and bratty and I really wanted to see someone kick her - but the fact that people called her on her immaturity and brattiness actually made it work, and I grew to see her for the lonely, lost girl she was. Most unexpectedly interesting, though, was definitely Violet's dad, Ordorio.  And the thing is, I can't really tell you why I found him so interesting because it would be a major spoiler, but his was a really interesting story, and potentially really heartbreaking.  Though Ordorio's past and life were very lightly touched upon, and his character sort of rushes everything along when he appears on the scene (which felt abrupt to me), what is revealed about him was just sort of lovely and bittersweet and I think would make such an interesting story in its own right.

For the already established characters...again, it's a mixed bag. Nimira comes into her own in this, and decides that she's done being walked all over and is ready to stop being a damsel and start fighting.  You know I love this.  She starts discovering her potential and her power, and is more analytical of her life, and interesting as a result.  But she's not the sole focus anymore, which makes for a different read than I was expecting.  Same with Erris - he's not the same mute clockwork boy anymore.  One thing that I think may turn some readers off is a certain sullenness on Erris' part, and a tendency to want to provoke him on Nimira's.  For me, it made sense given their situation, and I think it allowed them to address some things and truly get to know each other in a way that tapping out messages on a piano wouldn't have allowed for.  It was a necessary step, but those who are looking for things to be hunky-adorkable between the two are going to be a bit disappointed.  Some of the charm and aww is gone, but in its place is the potential for a more mature and nuanced relationship - one in which Nimira has understandable doubts and thoughts, both for the situation and for her age.

Any complaints I always had were pretty much the same as they always are with Dolamore's writing - the end just felt too rushed.  Having read all of her books in ARC form, I'm not sure if this is something that tends to get smoothed out in the final versions, but I always feel like the snowball gets rolling a little too fast in the end and gets away from her a bit.  There was some good tension and the feeling that everything was about to get really hairy, which I love, but in the end, she just sells her stories short by, well, writing them short.  Just a little more stretch, a little more worry and room for growth/development would make them feel more complete and...impactful.  That being said, for the first 2/3 of the story or so, I really felt some growth and some new...heft, I guess? coming from Dolamore.  Other than the bit of extreme insta-love, it felt more adult and almost bittersweet than her other books.

[And speaking of the insta-love ~ it didn't make me want to claw at people the way most cases of IL do, but I certainly would have liked a little more mistrust on Violet's part, regarding the jinn, given the way things went down.  A little longing to know each other, and a feeling of kinship for the similarities in their lives would have been enough.  A hint of love-to-come was all that was really needed.]

And thus the story of Nimira and Erris comes to an end.  There are enough threads left dangling that there's room for Dolamore to write a novella or two down the line (here's hoping!), and I'm glad that everything wasn't tied up with an absurdly large bow.  And even though N&Es story is done, the world Dolamore has created can certainly hold a fair number of people - and all of their stories - in it, so who knows?
=D

If you'd like to read about how Jaclyn developed her genie/jinn stories, make sure to check out her guest post here. ( )