Smoke and Mirrors

Blackhollow Academy Book 1

Young Adult - Fantasy - General
290 Pages
Reviewed on 10/07/2016
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

Smoke and Mirrors by Jess Haines is a breath of fresh air with the perfect blend of humor and magic. Dragons, mages, vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures are publicly known as Others and feared. Kimberly attends Blackhollow Academy with the dream that a coven will accept her, allowing her to move her and her mother out of poverty. She struggles daily to hide her gift of illusion from her human boss that hates all Others and the students at school that hate sorcerers. When her teacher suggests she finds a dragon for a familiar to pass her exams, she thinks the task is insane. She has nothing to offer a dragon, but fear of eviction makes her desperate. Her teacher sends her to the mysterious Cormac Hunter whose promises lead her to danger, love, and secrets.

Nothing’s modern about the world Jess Haines has created, but the oddities are part of the story’s charm. This novel is great for people who love urban fantasy and myth. Kimberly is stubborn and independent. She’s an easy protagonist to root for as she struggles to keep her job to pay rent and go to school to better her life. She’s relatable and likable. Haines creates a realistic world of supernatural beings. Her style is light, fast paced, with easily relatable characters. The characters are flawed and genuine. Even the most extravagant characters have human flaws. They’re quick to temper, ignorant, stubborn, proud, greedy, and possessive. Smoke and Mirrors is a wonderful blend of romance…danger…and fantasy. The world Haines crafts makes you want to jump into the pages and be a part of the magic.