Book Review: Spellspam

Spellspam

By:  Alma Alexander

Publisher:  Eos Books

Publish Date:  March 1, 2008

Format:  Paperback 454 pgs, pocketbook size

Genre:  YA Fantasy

Series:  2nd book in Worldweavers series; 1st book ~ Gift of the Unmage, REVIEW HERE.

Recommendation:  Yes.  For young readers, young adults and adult too.  This is a fun read of cyber magic in a completely magical world.

Book Synopsis:
What do you get when ordinary e-mail spam becomes infused with magic?
Spellspam.

At first, they seemed like harmless practical jokes, but now, for the students at the Wandless Academy, the spellspams are getting worse.  Thea thought she was the only one who could reach through the computer using magic, but someone else is out there, someone bent on more than just stirring up trouble.  Someone with a dark agenda from a whole new world.

This sequel to Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage ups the ante on a fantasy world that is rich and nuanced, like our own, but with a core of wildly original magic.

First Sentence:
The first hint of serious trouble came, as trouble always does, unlooked for, stealthily, catching everyone by surprise.

My Review and Summary:
It's the next year with everyone back at the Wandless Academy.  A girl, LaTasha, runs screaming from the Library.  To Thea she looked like she had no skin on her face just the muscles.  Thea finds the spam email LaTasha read still on the computer screen; guaranteeing clearer skin than you can image.  Could there be a spell involved?  Here at the Wandless Academy where no one can do magic.  And from through the computers where magic can't affect any one...  Is Thea going to be the one blamed for all these spellspams since the principle knows what she can do?

This book is an excellent second book.  It focuses on the wonderful story more than the setup of the characters and magical world.  I felt there were two additional climaxes to the storyline that went with the main story, almost like two bonus short stories added in.  The spellspams were fun as the way they were worded made me chuckle and as the story went on I wanted to figure out what the spell would affect before I knew the results of it.

Thea and her friends are curious about what they did with the computers last year, as they are a group on magicless kids in a world full of magic - and last year seemed like magic.  They start to investigate more into the unique computer magic. Thea had thought she was the only person that could touch computers in a magical way, but these new spellspams leave her wondering if there is someone else out there like her.

In this book Thea's powers start to grow.  It is also very nice to see Thea stand on her own two feet when it comes to her magical abilities.  She is starting to get better control of what she can do, when to ask for help, and who to ask.  Thea is a young girl starting to grow up.  We also take Thea out of her safe zone of the Wandless Academy which opens up a door to more danger.  The Alphiri are still a shadow in the back of Thea's mind that could jump out and take her at any time.

I enjoyed the characters in this book as well.  Thea's aunt is one of my favorites for the way she talks and her magic.  But I enjoyed the way all the characters interact with each other.  Alma is great at picking up children's views of happenings around them.

This book is great for Young Readers and Young Adults as there is no gory violence and not sexual content.



I received this book from the Author for review.

This book qualifies for the Young Adult Challenge hosted by Home Girl's Book Blog, and for the Speculative Fiction Challenge hosted by Book Chick City.