This is the first book for adults by the author of Holes, one of my favorites. I enjoyed both these books as adults – there isn’t really anything too “adult” about this new book except for some themes that might be a little dark. This book captures the whimsical spirit of his other books, and I guess that is what I was looking for.
The author has created a great title character and sort of built the story around him. From an outside view you wouldn’t notice quite how important the magician is in the events that come about. This magician is also unlike others – short, hairless, and prone to smelling bad. He’s got a sharp sense of humor and knows exactly how close he is to falling out of favor.
While I enjoyed this as a quick read, I felt like I wanted a little more depth to it. Sort of like a fairytale everything magically comes together, but I thought it could have been drawn out a bit more so when the twists hit they have a little more impact. But that’s just my opinion, man.
I think there is room for more from this character, although the way it is written I do not expect that more will appear in the future. Still, I hope that the author writes more like this as his storytelling skills are really top-notch.
Next I am reading Artemis by Andy Weir.
