In the contest to keep their magic, the only options may be die… or kill.Each year, the North American Confederation of Mages assesses every sixteen-year-old novice. Some will be chosen. The rest must undergo a procedure to destroy their magical ability unless they prove themselves in the mysterious and brutal Mages’ Exam.Disadvantaged by her parents’ low standing, Rocío Lopez has dedicated … Rocío Lopez has dedicated herself to expanding her considerable talent to earn a place in the Confederation. Their rejection leaves her reeling—and determined to fight to keep her magic.
Long ashamed of his mediocre abilities, Finn Lockwood knows the Confederation accepted him only because of his prominent family. Declaring for the Exam instead means a chance to confirm his true worth.
Thrown into the testing with little preparation, Rocío and Finn find themselves becoming unlikely allies—and possibly more. But the Exam holds secrets more horrifying than either could have imagined. What are the examiners really testing them for? And as the trials become increasingly vicious, how much are they willing to sacrifice to win?
The first in a new series by USA Today bestselling author Megan Crewe, Ruthless Magic combines the magic of Harry Potter with the ferocity of The Hunger Games alongside a poignant romance. Fans of Cassandra Clare and Holly Black, look no further for your next urban fantasy fix.
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Fantastic read! Brilliantly written, action packed story that will grip you from beginning to end. This tittle fits perfectly as this story has a crescendo of ruthless trails & magic that keep you rooting for the characters, some more than others, til the very end. It’s like the “Hunger Games” with magic, only better.
When you see the title of this book with the author’s name of Megan Crewe you can believe that what is in the title is absolutely true for this book. What the teenagers do to one another in their fight to become champions of the magical world is totally brutal. The tests they have to pass are not written exams or demonstrations of their magical abilities but tests of fortitude and willingness to kill or be killed. This story was exceptionally written. Each character is described such that I could attach names of people I know who are just like them. However, the world Ms. Crewe has built in this story is unlike any that you may know but can visualize clearly. If I could compare it to any other book world it might be Hunger Games but with more bloodshed. There is a little breather of romance inserted into the story which was refreshing. I’m anxious to read the next book in this series to see how this all pans out. I highly recommend reading this book for all lovers of the fantasy and dystopian genre.
At sixteen when your magic is evaluated you are either given an invitation into an elite school for training or scheduled for a procedure that will take away your magic. One other option is for you to declare yourself for the Exam a mysterious last chance to be declared Champion winning yourself eligibility into that elite school. Finn comes from a high ranking magical family and is a shoe-in to the Academy, yet he lacks the magical talent to win entrance on his own. Rocio comes from a lower class family whose parents had their magic nulled. Her magical gifts are extraordinary yet she is denied entrance into the Academy when a spot should have been hers. When they each declare for the Exam they meet for the first time finding a friendship that will surpass all class levels.
Ruthless Magic is part Lord of the Flies or Hunger Games with magical realism elements a la Harry Potter. When these teens show up at the Exam they realize that it’s more survival of the fittest that tests their talents. Finn who declared for the exam to give the finger to the Confederation of Mages for being biased against lower level families, pretty quickly realizes that he may have made a big mistake. His talent lies in evaluating circumstances, sweet talking, and charm more than actual magical skill. His character is so easy to like, always finding humor in a difficult situation. He is put into the same group as Rocio and is immediately taken with her talent and personality right from the start. Rocio is a little less willing to trust but Finn is the person she starts to lean on as their situation becomes more dire.
There are very few rules in these exams and some of the kids are more willing to eliminate each other than trust their magic will win them a place in the school at the end of the four days. Ruthless Magic’s theme about bigotry and social classes is told very effectively even though they are classed by their level of magic ability. Even though set in the human world, mages came out to the Nulls or humans (think muggles from HP) in order to help them through extreme times of terrorism or war.
The novel has a great message about the balance of good vs evil and tells it in a magical way that was original and interesting. The cliques in this group of “contestants” for lack of a better word were pretty typical of a high school age group. You have the athletic bully, the pretty boy charmer, the quiet shy girl, and the do-gooder, but the way in which Megan Crewe uses these stereotypes to shine a light on difficult subjects was poignant and engaging. I really liked this book, the characters, and it’s message! It was my first novel by Megan Crewe but it won’t be my last!
The synopsis is pretty detailed so I won’t give one here. Ruthless Magic was a great story. Very well written. The world created here was very detailed and realistic. The main characters were very relatable and likable. Finn and Rocío were great. I never cringed at their decisions or reactions to things. This was presented to me as a Hunger Games with magic and I don’t think I would go that far. I see likenesses in many ways (I won’t specify to avoid spoilers) but overall there was a lack of the desperation that was evident throughout the Hunger Games which would be a good thing for some and not for others. I look forward to book two. This is my first from this author but I will definitely be reading more.
This book was so good! I loved getting to know the characters and slowly learning about the world they inhabit. The magic system is really interesting, and I like how it’s revealed over time from the different perspectives of Finn and Rocio.
I thought the plot was fast-paced and intriguing, though a little bit brutal at times. With Megan Crewe’s lovely descriptive writing, I felt like I was right there in the middle of the action. The book ended on a relatively satisfying note, though I’m pleased that this is the first of a series, and I look forward to reading about these characters’ further adventures.
I highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys young adult urban fantasy.
I received an ARC from the author and volunteered to review it. The version I reviewed was cleanly formatted and had minimal proofreading errors. The story is quite violent at times, but otherwise this is a fairly clean story (no sex, minimal swearing) and it should be appropriate for a wide audience.
I received a copy of Ruthless Magic in exchange for an honest review.
I found this to be a great mix of magic with the Hunger Games. So obviously better. I had a little bit of a rough start because of slang words they used, but once I figured it out, I could not stop reading.
The chapters alternate from the point of view of Finn and Roćio. They haven’t met yet but you get to see the same events from different points of view. After they meet, it is nice to see their view of each other and the event they are enduring. They both are trying to hold on to their magic by becoming the champion of the arena. New rules keep them on their toes, because they cant tell everything they thought they knew about their society could be a lie.
Can they keep their friends safe, or will they have to take down their peers?
Solid 3.5 star just shy of a 4 star
This is a slow burn book, but tit is well worth the wait to get to where it starts to really crack on with everything. This has some interesting world building, I like how we get a history of magic so we get why things are the way they are and how the magic is not just straight forward magic it comes in different ways so no need for a wand for some people! I liked Finn and Rocio they are opposites but they work, this is definitely a mix of quiet a few well known YA books/movies and it does work well. Once they get into the games everything starts to get amped up in the book as the games are a serious matter and you do not want to lose! I think this has great potential and book 2 could be a fantastic read after all the learnings from this book.
This is a heart pounding, edge of your seat, frantic page turning and downright thrilling adventure filled with danger, secrets, betrayal and unimaginable magic…..
Rocío Lopez and Finn Lockwood are thrown together in an all out fight to save their magic and their lives… but is there really ever any winning this challenge. The testing is brutal, the competition fierce and it all makes for an exciting and highly entertaining reading experience.
With an amazing and beautiful cover, who couldn’t resist picking up this gem? I am a big fan of the author’s other books and I am so happy I took time to read this new book in a brand new series. It’s everything I expected and more. The author tells a compelling and entertaining high stakes story that is filled with magic and dare I say romance. I would gladly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading young adult fantasy. I did take the time to read the prequel, Magic Unmasked, before Ruthless Magic and I felt that it’s nice backstory to add if you enjoyed the first book. The prequel takes places years before book one. Now, I’m off to wait, somewhat patiently, for book two!
Ruthless Magic is the first book in the Conspiracy of Magic series.
I voluntarily received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
Final Rating: 5 Stars
This was a good start to a new series. The book does start off kind of slow but it picks up after a couple of chapters. So there is magic in the world and of course the people who don’t have magic don’t like the people who do. The people who do have magic are controlled. To go to the “special” college you need to fight to the death to part of that privilege. There is always someone in power who abuses it and this is book is no different on that. This book is all bout the 5 days in the Exam. I am curious to see where Rocio and Finn end up after this book. I look forward to reading the next book.
A magic story packed of action. Only the Chosen can go to College, the rest of the mages, old and new ones, must be Dampered, they take almost all their magic away, or they can make the Exam. A five days exam that only the best mages will pass and become Champions, or so they say. But Finn and Rocio, with the rest of the aspirants, will discover the real truth behind the Exam. Will they be able to become champions or will they die? Looking forward to read the next book of the series.
Ruthless Magic is an enjoyable read with excellent character development. It comes across as a mashup of the Hunger Games and Divergent, but with magic. The book is a good length at over 350 pages, but it is still a quick and compelling read. The ending, in my opinion, was a little anticlimactic, but that’s the only even close to negative thing I can say about it. I very much look forward to reading the sequel.
This book was provided to me at no charge. My review is given voluntarily.
Wow! An action-packed, magic-filled world at your fingertips! This was so much fun to read and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next in the series!
I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review.
When you see the title of this book with the author’s name of Megan Crewe you can believe that what is in the title is absolutely true for this book. What the teenagers do to one another in their fight to become champions of the magical world is totally brutal. The tests they have to pass are not written exams or demonstrations of their magical abilities but tests of fortitude and willingness to kill or be killed. This story was exceptionally written. Each character is described such that I could attach names of people I know who are just like them. However, the world Ms. Crewe has built in this story is unlike any that you may know but can visualize clearly. If I could compare it to any other book world it might be Hunger Games but with more bloodshed. There is a little breather of romance inserted into the story which was refreshing. I’m anxious to read the next book in this series to see how this all pans out. I highly recommend reading this book for all lovers of the fantasy and dystopian genre.
Very different but unforgettable.