Book Review: “A Wild Kind of Magic” by Stephen Elboz

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A Wild Kind of Magic
by Stephen Elboz

Kit Stixby, the son of Queen Victoria’s Royal Witch Doctor, isn’’t a particularly tactful, well-groomed, or well-mannered boy. Actually he’’s a bit of a nightmare in polite company. But when he learns that the new president of America, George Washington-Jefferson Cougar-Paw III of the Ghostfleet tribe, is coming to Buckingham Palace, he has no objection to attending the reception. Especially since that means meeting a lot of real, North American Indians and learning about their unique brand of magic!

Things do not go altogether as planned. In fact, the President gets kidnapped right under Queen Victoria’’s nose. Not only does this create an embarrassing international incident, but it could lead to an American Civil War. This has something to do with a serial killer named Jack the Ripper, who seems to have superhuman powers. Again, it seems to be connected somehow to the black flowers that suddenly grow up all over London. And again, it may be connected with the elusive, magic-hating villain Stafford Sparks, and his vampire partners in crime.

Even with the aid of a Scotland Yard detective, a magic-using Indian brave with a flying tomahawk, his own wizardly father and witchy Aunt Pearl, and his gang that includes Queen Victoria’’s grandson Henry, Kit has his task cut out for him. Somehow, as usual, he has to be the one to stop Sparks from achieving his gruesome goals. With a hostage’’s life at stake, a brood of blood-sucking fiends at large, and a macabre Temple of Science at the center of it all, this adventure will be the supreme test of the hero Kit Stixby must become.

This is the third book in the series that begins with A Handful of Magic and A Land Without Magic. Different from Harry Potter in every way except that the central character is a British boy wizard, this series may be the cure for your next bout of Harry hangover. Don’’t curse the darkness; fire up a glow-ball and enjoy this sparkling new revised-historical-period-fantasy-adventure!