Draw Down The Moon by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Although sold as a YA novel, this feels much more attuned to the less sophisticated tastes of middle graders. The plot is simplistic, characters clichés, the plot well trodden, and the logic of the world is head scratchingly silly. That said, it is an easy read. Note: I listened to the audio version and the narrators were ok – again, nothing special here.

Story: Wren may have had magical parents but has long since given up the idea that she has any magic herself. Even her best friend Lee has healing powers and has been to the secret magic academy. But on her 18th birthday, magic strikes her and she is whisked off to the school with Lee at her side. She hasn’t shown any particular gift (or any magic at all) and fears she has been miscast in the role of magic user. But then weird and deadly things start happening at the academy and she may have the only magic that can save the world!

So yes all the eye wincing clichés are here: – unique snowflake denies she has abilities but it turns out she has the most powerful of all. Childhood friend is madly in love with her but afraid to say anything for fear of losing their friendship, so moons over her most of the time. All the adults in the academy are clueless, stupid or evil and no one will help her with her true power. Cue bumbling attempts to knock her off before she can use her power to save the world. Oh noes!

This is clearly just another Harry Potter fan fiction – just minus the extraordinary world building, lore, and magic. What magic there is feels very underwhelming and underdeveloped – and pretty random. Plot twists are well choreographed, to the point where only the heroine is unable to figure out simple truths. No one has any brains – even the supernatural creatures. I was bored through – except the times I was rolling my eyes at all the cliches.

So, if you are not a very demanding a reader, go for it. It’s an easy book to follow, ends on a bit of a cliff hanger, and has the usual romance clichés. The audio version is fine – it was nice to have a male and female set of narrators for each of the POVs, though the male POV is pretty much there only to expound about how madly he is in love with the female. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.