Review: The Magic of Race Bailey by Eric Hobbs

The Magic of Race Bailey by Eric Hobbs
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a fun read. It follows Horatio "Race" Bailey Jr, son of a famous magician after his father's untimely death after one of his magic tricks is tampered with during a show. When Race's home is ransacked by strange men looking for a trinket his dad gave him only a few days earlier, Race isn't sure what to do. He and his best friends Penny and Max find themselves pulled into a secret government agency for magical arts, but he isn't sure who he can trust. Race and Penny come to find out that they hold an ancient artifact that might let them speak to the dead, or it might bring on the zombie apocalypse.

Race soon realizes that the people he thought he could trust are actually not trustworthy at all. Race soon finds himself in a magical battle and he must rely on all of those magic tricks he thought he hated to survive.

This was a quick, fast paced read. This is a standalone but is definitely open for more magical adventures as Race has taken up his father's mantle as magician and secret agent with Penny and Max by his side.   I've read several of Hobbs books and they are all whimsical and fun.  I look forward to reading more of his stuff in the future. 

I was provided an advanced copy of this by the author for an honest review, but I purchased the final copy from Amazon when it was free.  I've had this on my to review list forever.  I put this on my Reading Rush TBR for this week and I'm glad I did. 

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Review: Unhappily Ever After by Eric Hobbs

Unhappily Ever After by Eric Hobbs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have had a copy of this for review forever.  The author was kind enough to provide all three books in exchange for an honest review.  I have a copy of the conclusion and I'm really looking forward to finding out how it all ends.

This is the sequel to Little Boy Lost. We follow Taylor and Wesley after they were lost in the library the day before and they come to find out that their actions the day before have had consequences not only in Oz but in their own world as well. They head back to the library to find The Librarian to fix what they have broken and reset the story and get their lives back. When they arrive at the library, the find that the Librarian has already returned to Oz to set things to rights, but his assistant Hope is there to help them. Hope isn't exactly helpful though. Taylor figures out what she needs to do to fix her mistakes from the previous day and won't let anyone stop her.

Also in Oz are Randy and Douglas and Bones, who have their own agenda. I'm still not 100% clear on what Douglas is up to, but I'm hopeful that will be all cleared up in book 3. Bones and Randy don't really play much of a part in this Wizard of Oz retelling. This is definitely darker than the first book which was fun and whimsical. This has a more YA feel while the first one had a more middle grade feel. Then again I haven't read the original Oz books so I'm not sure how dark or violent it is so I'm not sure if it compares.

I like the original take on a classic tale. The characters are decent and the friendship between Wes and Taylor is great. This does end on a cliffhanger like book 1, but I do feel like the story this book has to tell was complete. They finished what they set out to do, and while there is more to tell this part of the story was told. Book 3 is out now, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the tale ends.

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Review: Little Boy Lost (The Librarian #1) by Eric Hobbs

Little Boy Lost by Eric Hobbs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.  I'm not sure how I got on Eric Hobbs' email list, but I'm glad I did.  This book has been on my Amazon wishlist for a while now.  It showed up as a recommendation for fans of the Percy Jackson books.  I jumped on the chance to review books 1 & 2.  I need to get to book 2 so I can find out what happens.  This was a quick and enjoyable read.  Eric was nice enough to send me an autographed copy as well which I'm super excited to put with my actual books.  I highly recommend this for middle grade readers.  I think my 7 and 9 year old would really love this series.  They love watching Once Upon a Time with me on TV and seeing all the fairy tale character retellings.  I would highly recommend it for young readers who like adventure stories in a fantasy setting.

I enjoyed this book, and I'm anxious to get to book 2. Hobbs blends some of our favorite children's stories into this tale but gives them a distinct twist. Our main character Wesley finds himself on a field trip to tour a local library. Also on the trip are his best friend Taylor and worst enemy Randy. Wesley is regularly bullied by Randy and his crew of goons, while Taylor is always sticking up for him and telling him to stand up for himself. Wesley and Taylor break away from the history lesson on the tour and end up learning that the historical library is more than it seems. There are some truly magical things hiding in its walls. Randy's father is also on the trip with the class, but it turns out he wants to demolish the historical library and all its magic. While trying to stay out of Randy and his father's sights, Wesley finds himself drawn to a strange painting of Neverland. He also runs into Locke, who happens to be one of Peter Pan's Lost Boy's from Neverland. Locke is looking for the mysterious Librarian.

Wesley, Locke, and Taylor can't find the Librarian, but they do discover that Locke must get back to his own story. The kids end up in Oz and learn that once a story is written, it must not be changed. Taylor won't be swayed though and she is determined to help the Tin Man find his true love. If you know the rules of time travel, they kind of apply here, you don't mess with the timeline or it will have consequences. Eventually the kids face off with Randy and his dad to get the Neverland key back so Locke can go back. The find the Librarian and face off with the Headless Horseman. Wesley who is almost irritatingly weak throughout the story, finds his inner strength and starts to stand up for himself. He gets tired of being pushed around all the time which is a good lesson for young readers especially if they are in a similar situation with a kid like Randy. Locke heads back to Neverland, but Wes, Taylor, and the Librarian are left in the real world to deal with the mess they've made. The story ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, but not a bad one. I kind of saw it coming.

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