Review: Immagica by K. A. Last
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Book Summary
The night before her fifteenth birthday, Rosaline Clayton uncovers a deep family secret. She receives an amulet from her deranged father, and he tells her she must find the book in order to save him. Rosaline is used to her dad not making any sense, so she dismisses their conversation as another of his crazy rants.When Rosaline's brother, Elliot, drags her to their nana's attic to explore, they find the old leather-bound book tucked away in a chest. It sucks them into its pages, transporting them to a magical world. Along the way, Rosaline and Elliot are separated, and the only thing she wants is to find her brother and go home.
The creatures of Immagica have other ideas. After years of war, their land lies in ruin. Using the amulet's power, they want Rosaline to defeat the dragon and restore Immagica to its former glory. But Rosaline is bound to Immagica in ways she doesn't understand, and when she discovers the truth about her family, she must follow her heart to save them all.
Review
The Claytons are your typical family with the usual amount of drama. If by typical and usual you meant Dad kind of talks to himself or inanimate objects, and Mom is super strict and emotionally distant with the kids, and you and your brother have the same birthday but only two years apart; then yeah, this family is just like yours.
Not quite the same are they? I bet you’re starting to see your family in a whole lot differently and maybe even a whole lot better. I know I did. But then again, it’s hard not to when your family has a dark past and an even darker secret that has hurt so many people.
Okay, I am getting ahead of myself. But so far so good, right? Well, it depends on how you want to look at it.
Our story begins with our heroine, Rosaline, and her brother, Elliot, arriving at their grandmother’s house to celebrate their birthday and the Clayton children are none too happy about it. But something is off about this birthday. Dad is way too quiet and Mom is even stricter, plus, why this birthday did their parents choose to spend it with Nana (aside from the party she was throwing from them)?
Turns out, there is an Uncle Walter the kids have never heard of and to make matters worse, Dad may not be Rosaline’s father. Also, there is a birthright that belongs to Rosaline but Mom does not want her have it. Dun dun dun! The plot thickens!
Later that night, Dad confronts Rosaline (knowing her to be the eavesdropper that she is) and decides to give her an early birthday present, an amulet with an emerald in the center. He tells she must save Immagica and that he will always be her father and to promise to never forget it. He also warns her that the truth may not always be worth searching for and with that he is on his merry way.
Speeding things up a bit, Rosaline and Elliot find a book locked away in a chest in the attic and upon opening it, they are thrown into the world of Immagica. There the two are separate and Rosaline is on her own. Yet upon arrival, Rosaline discovers that she can make things as well as people appear with just a thought and ends up meeting Brynn, an olive skinned, jean short wearing, spear wielding spunky chick who tells Rosaline she must get to the Eye, slay the dragon and save Immagica. So much for an adventure.
Brynn leaving Rosaline on her own once more and being of nope help (in Rosaline’s opinion), Rosaline conjures up Ira, a winged unicorn to help her get to the Eye faster as well as look for Elliot. However, things are not as easy as she would have hoped with metal like birds sending pictures back to the dragon and gryphon flying around trying to capture her. Suddenly, Immagica doesn’t seem like a magical place, she still can’t find Elliot and it seems that the dragon is coming closer and closer to winning this war. Plus, there is the unanswered question of who her real father is and the secret that tore and still is tearing her family apart.
Immagica is similar to the ABC series Once Upon A Time mixed with other fictional and magical stories from childhood that depicts the courage of a young girl who over comes her family’s tragic and regretful past as well as creates a bright future for a trouble world. Of course this story is about family and how one can put aside past and present faults, forgive and love because you are family and you will always have each other. Although, the most important aspect of this story is that you can write your own destiny however you see fit. Take what you can from the past so that it may shape you future.
Reviewed by Camia Rhodes
Book Information
Publisher: K. A. Last
Publication date: 1/27/2014
Pages: 286
