Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: August 20th, 2019
320 Pages
Synopsis: In this fast-paced, international thriller, chaos erupts after a shadowy figure with ties to an elite society posts incantations on the dark web that allow people to perform real magic.
When an enigmatic message uploaded to the dark web turns out to contain an ancient secret, giving regular people the power to do impossible things, like levitate cars, or make themselves invisible, American government officials panic. They know the demo videos on YouTube and instructions for incantations could turn from fantastical amusement to dangerous weapon at the drop of the hat, and they scramble to keep the information out of the wrong hands.
They tap Ben Zolstra, and ex-CIA field operative, whose history with the Agency is conflicted at best, to lead the team that’s racing to contain the dangerous knowledge—and track down the mysterious figure behind the leak who threatens that even more dangerous spells will be released one by one until the world as we know it will no longer exist.
This sweeping, globe-spanning thriller explores the dark consequences of a question mankind has been asking for centuries: What if magic were real?
As soon as I read the synopsis for American Magic, I knew I had to try to get my hands on an eARC, so I was thrilled when Atria granted my wish via NetGalley, but as you can guess from my rating, this wasn’t a perfect read for me. This is mainly because of the stereotypical, flat characters, although there was a female president, so yay. What kept me reading though was the interesting plot and fast pace. American Magic is a quick read that I believe fans of Jim Butcher and Simon Green will like. Although this debut didn’t quite meet my admittedly high expectations, I think Zach Fehst has the potential to become an exciting new voice in urban fantasy, and I’m interested in seeing what he comes out with next.
By Hook Or By Book 
This sounds like a good read, I have to say. I might think about it, despite the 3 stars. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I’d love to know what you think if you do Pete.
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It might be a while, I have loads on the Kindle, and I have almost finished a big hardback too. 🙂
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It does sound an interesting premise.
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It was definitely original Fraggle which was one of its pluses.
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It certainly has an interesting premise.
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It does Jeanne. I loved the story, he just needs to work on character development.
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