Mundie Moms

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Blog Tour- Random Magic
























By Sasha Soren
Published By Beach Books
Released in 2009

When absent-minded Professor Random misplaces the main character from Alice in Wonderland, young Henry Witherspoon must book-jump to fetch Alice before chaos theory kicks in and the world vanishes. Along the way he meets Winnie Flapjack, a wit-cracking doodle witch with nothing to her name but a magic feather and a plan. Such as it is. Henry and Winnie brave the Dark Queen, whatwolves, pirates, Struths, and fluttersmoths, Priscilla and Charybdis, obnoxiously cheerful vampires, Baron Samedi, a nine-dimensional cat, and one perpetually inebriated Muse to rescue Alice and save the world by tea time (quoted from Goodreads).

We're today's stop in the Winter Longing blog tour for Sasha Soren's Random Magic. Sophie and I thought it would be fun to mix up our reviews a bit, which resulted in our coffee chat style review:

Let's discuss Random Magic.....

The Characters -
S-They were fun and whimsical for sure but lacked a sense of familiarity thus rendering them a bit un-relatable. Having said that, I liked Henry and sympathized with his search for the real Alice through a series of what appear to be haphazard and slightly nonsensical moments.

K- I would agree. I felt like I didn't connect on any level with the characters, as I was left feeling like I didn't get to know them. I wanted to feel like I was apart of their world and their journey, but I needed to feel a connection with them that I didn't get in order for that to happen. If I had to choose a character I did enjoy the most, I would also agree with your choice with Henry. I don't know if it's because he was on a quest that drew me to him the most, as you know how I like a good adventure. (Dawntreader anyone!?)

The Plot -
S- Shut up! *snickering* Back to Random Magic's Plot. It's very episodic. The story lives up to its title -- Random Magic. The episodic quality leaves you with a sense that you are dropped into a story and that perhaps there was a particular beginning that you may have missed. I loved the very long and silly chapter titles and I must say, I looked forward to them the most.

K- So if BinBons was lost in Wonderland would you go down the rabbit hole after him!?! *looks to Sophie, laughing* Okay sorry, I had to go there.

S- Yes brandishing my sword and all. *looks to K's pretty new Chronicles of Narnia with the Dawntreader cover*

K- I'm sure you would *laughing* Okay, seriously back to Random Magic's Plot. I was really lost with the plot. I'm not sure if I missed the satire bandwagon on this or if I made the mistake of going in reading the book thinking it was going to be like Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland or what. It wasn't what I expected at all. I think it's a book that needs to be read with a very open mind. I thought it was one thing, and it ended up being something completely different. I wanted to like it more than I did, but it's just not my cup of tea.

S- If a hot, snarky shadowhunter named Jace was lost in Wonderland, would you enjoy it then?

K- I'm sure he has a rune that prevents him from getting lost, plus he could fight his way out of Wonderland. lol

The World Building -
S- A very detailed although sometimes a trifle too dense nod at Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland series. Its fairytale-like landscape lends an air of frivolity and magic. But again, I was a little lost and given the fantasy nature of the book expected a more linear plot that builds upon itself.

K- I liked the fantasy aspect of the book, but I felt like it was kind of jumpy. Don't laugh, but even Alice In Wonderland left me scratching my head a few times. *looks to Sophie* Okay, fine. If there was a wolf or some sort of paranormal activity I would have followed Alice's adventures a little more closely.

S- Are you distracted by the thought of Jace?

K- Hmmm? Sorry, what was the question?

S- Just as I thought.

K- Ha, ha, very funny. I really did try to keep up with what was going on, but I felt more confused than satisfied. Normally I'm someone who falls in love with the world building of a book. This time I didn't feel like I was part of the world to make that connection.

My Overall Impression -
S- If you love Lewis Carroll and are a fan of pure fantasy, this whimsical tale is for you. As for me, it was a little too random in its episodes for me to follow along.

K- I think Random Magic lived up to it's name, as it is very random. Though it wasn't a book that I was able to enjoy as much as I wanted to, I would recommend this book to readers who love a different type of fantasy, or whimsical tale as you mentioned.

You can find out more about Random Magic, and the next stop on the Winter Longing tour by visiting Sasha's site here

Don't forget to check out Random Magic's book trailer-

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