norrieaga's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't start getting into it until halfway through, at which point I'd read enough to feel compelled to finish. I'm glad i did.
peppypenguin's review against another edition
4.0
I officially have a love-hate feeling for this book. It was written pretty decently: the world was well built, I loved the description of magic, and the characters were well developed also. It was quite the slow read, or long journey, but I feel like that was the point. Slow burning, but the character growth is intense. I just hate hate hate how it left off. But that's a testament to the love I felt for the characters.
I do feel like events happened rather chaotically, or a bit too conveniently, but it didn't spoil anything for me. Things certainly didn't develop how I expected them to, and while sometimes it almost seemed too random, in a way it was part of the book's charm.
I can't wait for a sequel.
I do feel like events happened rather chaotically, or a bit too conveniently, but it didn't spoil anything for me. Things certainly didn't develop how I expected them to, and while sometimes it almost seemed too random, in a way it was part of the book's charm.
I can't wait for a sequel.
nzmerchant's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Rather slow paced than the usual fantasy genre I’m used to reading. But I didn’t mind because the writing felt very intentional and a lot of this book was spent crafting the beautiful world that this story resides in!
Thoroughly enjoyed reading about Nora’s magical journey and am a big fan of how magic connects to nature and it’s various components.
The only gripe I had was with how willing Nora was to stay in the magical world and forsake her ties to her real life. I understand she wanted an escape but she felt a bit too chill bout it? Perhaps I’m just a crazy Type A and this kind of thing would drive me crazy.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading about Nora’s magical journey and am a big fan of how magic connects to nature and it’s various components.
The only gripe I had was with how willing Nora was to stay in the magical world and forsake her ties to her real life. I understand she wanted an escape but she felt a bit too chill bout it? Perhaps I’m just a crazy Type A and this kind of thing would drive me crazy.
1klew's review against another edition
2.0
I started this. I got about halfway through before I had to give it up. It felt like the longest book in the world. It was strange, and not in a good way. And it was boring. I feel like it probably has a good ending, but I'll never get there because it's so obnoxiously drawn out. Nope.
celandine's review against another edition
1.0
Interesting premise meets boring execution. This book had a lot of potential, but it has more filler than anything.
The back cover quote "If Hermione Granger was an American who never received her Hogwarts letter, this might be her story." is a complete misconception. If Hermione was a whiny, useless and only vaguely intelligent American, sure. But (I can't even remember her name now because that's how boring she is. Oh wait, I think it's Nora.. yea. Nora.) Nora does not come close to the potential Hermione had.
The slow pace of the book put me to sleep. I was 100 pages in before any vague sense of the plot might be occurring. Oh nope, let's waste another 75 pages on bed rest and more fluffy filler.
The title was what drew me in. It sounded like the book could be humorous, intelligent, and fun. Nora certainly wasn't intelligent and she definitely had no humor or a fun bone in her body. By page 25, I would have been satisfied by a fart joke. But everyone in Nora's world are pretentious bores.
Couldn't finish. This book was a waste of potential.
The back cover quote "If Hermione Granger was an American who never received her Hogwarts letter, this might be her story." is a complete misconception. If Hermione was a whiny, useless and only vaguely intelligent American, sure. But (I can't even remember her name now because that's how boring she is. Oh wait, I think it's Nora.. yea. Nora.) Nora does not come close to the potential Hermione had.
The slow pace of the book put me to sleep. I was 100 pages in before any vague sense of the plot might be occurring. Oh nope, let's waste another 75 pages on bed rest and more fluffy filler.
The title was what drew me in. It sounded like the book could be humorous, intelligent, and fun. Nora certainly wasn't intelligent and she definitely had no humor or a fun bone in her body. By page 25, I would have been satisfied by a fart joke. But everyone in Nora's world are pretentious bores.
Couldn't finish. This book was a waste of potential.
hgranger's review against another edition
1.0
I was drawn to this book by a review that described it as “Hermione Granger grown up and discovering she has magic.” Uhm no. Nora is so far from Hermione Granger that it’s almost funny — except for the part where I slugged through 563 pages of pure boring nonsense hoping it would get better. In all of those pages, I think Nora manages to be assertive and save herself once. And even then she gets help from an ice demon. The rest of the book she blunders around making one ridiculous choice after another, getting lured in by ridiculous plots repeatedly, and never getting any wiser. The entire book happens to her, not because of her. The dialogue is wooden and full, the plot is so slow moving it’s almost painful. (Why is this book so long???)
There are several excellent 1-star reviews on here that I’d recommend. I will just say two more things: first, who the heck stumbles into some strangers garden, walks around for a while and then proceeds to help themselves to a drink sitting on a table that “kind of looks like koolaid?? Even if you know nothing about fairies and enchantments, doesn’t common courtesy prevent you from going on to other people’s property and helping yourself to their food/ drink? And second, how utterly unromantic is a romantic love interest who is 180 years old (but usually doesn’t look it) and who KILLED HIS WIFE?!?? (But only because she fell in love with someone else and he’s sort of sorry now. Sometimes.)
There are several excellent 1-star reviews on here that I’d recommend. I will just say two more things: first, who the heck stumbles into some strangers garden, walks around for a while and then proceeds to help themselves to a drink sitting on a table that “kind of looks like koolaid?? Even if you know nothing about fairies and enchantments, doesn’t common courtesy prevent you from going on to other people’s property and helping yourself to their food/ drink? And second, how utterly unromantic is a romantic love interest who is 180 years old (but usually doesn’t look it) and who KILLED HIS WIFE?!?? (But only because she fell in love with someone else and he’s sort of sorry now. Sometimes.)
moirwyn's review against another edition
5.0
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2014/09/12/the-thinking-womans-guide-to-real-magic-by-emily-croy-barker/
Nora Fischer fails at life. Her thesis is at a standstill because she can’t apply herself enough to write anything worthwhile. Her boyfriend visits her, only to reveal that he’s getting married to another woman. Everything’s falling apart, and Nora isn’t quite sure what to do with herself or how to react.
One day, Nora goes wandering into the woods and accidentally stumbles through a portal into another world. There she meets Ilissa, a fae creature who promises a life filled with glamor and decadence. Nora quite literally drinks the kool-aid, at which point she falls under Ilisa’s spell. She’s completely brainwashed, and Nora doesn’t have a clue what’s happening to her, or why she’s getting married to Ilissa’s son.
Enter Arundiel, a crotchety old wizard who is basically Snape. He doesn’t pull any punches, and he warns Nora what she’s gotten herself into. At first, Nora doesn’t want to believe she’s been duped, especially since she’s so happy living in Ilissa’s make-believe world where she’s drop-dead gorgeous and gets attention from Ilissa’s son. Even when she starts to realize that something seems off, she dismisses her instincts and goes back to la la land. Eventually Nora sees reason, and summons Arundiel for help. Arundiel’s had a bad experience with Ilissa before, and so he rescues Nora just to piss her off. Once she’s free of Ilissa, Nora begins to wake up to the reality that she’s trapped in a different world that’s completely unfamiliar.
The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic is around 560 pages and not particularly fast-paced, but I didn’t mind that, because the story itself was engaging. There were some parts near the middle of the book where I wanted to see more action and less day-to-day life, but I was never in any danger of getting bored and putting the book down. It’s the sort of book where you feel like you meander through the story at a leisurely pace rather than rushing from point A to point B.
One of the things I love about Nora’s character is that she’s so imperfect. She lacks ambition, acts like a victim, and is a total ditz. And it’s not that she isn’t smart; she’s crazy intelligent, but has no life skills. She’s one of those people who wonders why her life is a mess but doesn’t apply herself to make it better. And yet, Nora grows as a person throughout the course of the book. She comes to the realization that she’s stuck in magicland indefinitely, and even though the obstacles she faces seem insurmountable, she starts to make the best of it. There are a lot of adjustments to make; Nora goes from her rather privileged life in academia to a fantasy world where women have no rights and most people are illiterate. The fact that Nora is so tenacious (and perhaps a bit dense) means that she doesn’t just accept a woman’s role within society, but fights to carve out a niche of her own. She doesn’t take no for an answer and convinces Arundiel to teach her the basics of magic, even though it takes time for him to get past his own prejudices and assumptions about her abilities.
And of course, I can’t write this review without mentioning Hirizjahkinis, my favorite character in the book. Hirizjahkinis is a black lesbian sorceress with a pet demon kitty, and she’s so much fun to read about. She serves as a role model for Nora because she’s used her intelligence and power to win the respect of Arundiel and of the magical community at large, even though she’s unconventional within this society. She accepts herself for who she is, and she doesn’t take herself too seriously (one of Arundiel’s bad habits).
I enjoyed The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic, and would definitely recommend it. Emily Croy Barker creates an alternate world filled with beauty, danger, and magic, and I hope that the sequel comes soon!
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2014/09/12/the-thinking-womans-guide-to-real-magic-by-emily-croy-barker/
Nora Fischer fails at life. Her thesis is at a standstill because she can’t apply herself enough to write anything worthwhile. Her boyfriend visits her, only to reveal that he’s getting married to another woman. Everything’s falling apart, and Nora isn’t quite sure what to do with herself or how to react.
One day, Nora goes wandering into the woods and accidentally stumbles through a portal into another world. There she meets Ilissa, a fae creature who promises a life filled with glamor and decadence. Nora quite literally drinks the kool-aid, at which point she falls under Ilisa’s spell. She’s completely brainwashed, and Nora doesn’t have a clue what’s happening to her, or why she’s getting married to Ilissa’s son.
Enter Arundiel, a crotchety old wizard who is basically Snape. He doesn’t pull any punches, and he warns Nora what she’s gotten herself into. At first, Nora doesn’t want to believe she’s been duped, especially since she’s so happy living in Ilissa’s make-believe world where she’s drop-dead gorgeous and gets attention from Ilissa’s son. Even when she starts to realize that something seems off, she dismisses her instincts and goes back to la la land. Eventually Nora sees reason, and summons Arundiel for help. Arundiel’s had a bad experience with Ilissa before, and so he rescues Nora just to piss her off. Once she’s free of Ilissa, Nora begins to wake up to the reality that she’s trapped in a different world that’s completely unfamiliar.
The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic is around 560 pages and not particularly fast-paced, but I didn’t mind that, because the story itself was engaging. There were some parts near the middle of the book where I wanted to see more action and less day-to-day life, but I was never in any danger of getting bored and putting the book down. It’s the sort of book where you feel like you meander through the story at a leisurely pace rather than rushing from point A to point B.
One of the things I love about Nora’s character is that she’s so imperfect. She lacks ambition, acts like a victim, and is a total ditz. And it’s not that she isn’t smart; she’s crazy intelligent, but has no life skills. She’s one of those people who wonders why her life is a mess but doesn’t apply herself to make it better. And yet, Nora grows as a person throughout the course of the book. She comes to the realization that she’s stuck in magicland indefinitely, and even though the obstacles she faces seem insurmountable, she starts to make the best of it. There are a lot of adjustments to make; Nora goes from her rather privileged life in academia to a fantasy world where women have no rights and most people are illiterate. The fact that Nora is so tenacious (and perhaps a bit dense) means that she doesn’t just accept a woman’s role within society, but fights to carve out a niche of her own. She doesn’t take no for an answer and convinces Arundiel to teach her the basics of magic, even though it takes time for him to get past his own prejudices and assumptions about her abilities.
And of course, I can’t write this review without mentioning Hirizjahkinis, my favorite character in the book. Hirizjahkinis is a black lesbian sorceress with a pet demon kitty, and she’s so much fun to read about. She serves as a role model for Nora because she’s used her intelligence and power to win the respect of Arundiel and of the magical community at large, even though she’s unconventional within this society. She accepts herself for who she is, and she doesn’t take herself too seriously (one of Arundiel’s bad habits).
I enjoyed The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic, and would definitely recommend it. Emily Croy Barker creates an alternate world filled with beauty, danger, and magic, and I hope that the sequel comes soon!
alexikakon's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
diaryofthebookdragon's review against another edition
4.0
I hate cliffhangers. And when there is no info that book is just #1 in a series...