When their aunt, Finna, misses their father’s funeral, fourteen-year-old twins Colm and Clíana know she has to be in trouble. Finna finally appears with an she’s developed an illata, a unique magical power, and she’s used it to become one of the city’s best bounty hunters. At least, until a few weeks ago, when a powerful criminal underlord finally got the better of her. Now, he’s marked her as one of his own. Finna promises the twins that she can handle it, but they know she’s lying.
Certain he can save her from the underlord, Colm follows Finna back to the city, while Clíana chases after them as soon as she realizes her brother’s gone. However, Colm’s attempted rescue goes awry once he steals a mysterious pair of dice, and he must escape from the underlord’s thugs himself. Clíana, meanwhile, sets out to recruit the help of a wizard fluent in the magical language of Alchema. Her search introduces her to an elite, exclusive world, a world she finds both intriguing and impossibly beyond her reach.
As both twins move toward finding Finna, and each other, they soon realize they’ve stepped into a world, and a mystery, bigger than they ever imagined—a world of dueling magical fates.
I’m so honored to have been given an ARC by @owlsnestpublishing! Not only that, but an incredible ARC-where do I even begin?
The story starts you off in Creldith, with twins Cliana and Colm (Pronounced Col-em.) The book has two narratives, and it’s consistent in switching each narrative every chapter so no character’s plot gets left behind. I love a good dual-narrative because I feel like I’m so cool, when I read something in one narrative that was already revealed in the other narrative. *Insert little squeals of joy here.*
Some of the words are harder to pronounce; however, there is a pronunciation guide at the end of the book. I didn’t realize that until I was just about done with it, so let me declare it loud and clear: FLIP TO THE END OF THE BOOK FOR A PRONUNCIATION GUIDE!
A Trick of Spades has just enough “Oooh, they’re cute together!” to keep my girlies captivated, but not an overdosage that leaves me gagging at the book in my hands. I am not a romance person—the second a friend states that a book is romance, I’m out faster than you can say Illata. (If you know, you know.)
This book is excellently written. I feel like I’ve stumbled across a soon-to-be-super-famous book, and that makes me so happy! It reminds me slightly of The Unwanteds series by Lisa McMann, a personal favorite of mine. Unlike my mom, fantasy is my favorite type of book. There’s something that makes me feel so happy, reading about people with magical powers, just beyond reach in my own world. Trick of Spades was enjoyable to read through and through; I felt like I’d escaped from my own little room and was now dashing away from thugs with a cool aunt that I TOTALLY want to be one day. The second book cannot come fast enough!
Trick of Spades comes out May 6, giving you just enough time to celebrate your Cinco de Mayo, and then dash to your nearest Barnes and Noble to pick it up.
This book is so fun! A Trick of Spades is told in dual perspective from 14-year-old brother/sister twins Colm and Clianna. This is a high fantasy novel in a mid-century real world setting and I love how fresh and different it felt. There are complex magical systems where some people are born with powers and some people can learn to have magical powers, and the rules governing the systems make sense and have history and depth. There's a mobster/gangster feel to the villains in this story and a great cast of characters to root for. Despite the action and adventure, it is also full of tender moments of familial love between brother and sister, extended family, and some discussion of what it means to lose a parent to illness.
It's so hard to compare this book because it really felt so different. I definitely got Mysterious Benedict Society vibes and yet there's a quirkiness reminiscent of Howl's Moving Castle. I think this fills a huge gap in the literary market and is a perfect choice for readers (especially boys) in the 12-15 range. I'd have no issue reading this to my younger kids in terms of content.
I was so pleased to be granted an ARC by the publisher! This is my honest review.
I recently was considering the reading habits of boys, as I'm now the mother of a little one. There seem to be so many fewer books that would appeal to boys than to girls...but I think I've just found one that will appeal to both equally. The author had BETTER turn this into a series or so help me! I'm invested now.
"A Trick of Spades" has enough action, adventure, heartpounding chases and thrilling fight scenes to satisfy the most adventurous child, but also a connection to the heart and emotions (with just the TINIEST hint of "Ooooo he liiikes her" in the background!).
I liked how the author kept your interest throughout by utilizing the dual POVs to keep you just slightly off-balance...dropping breadcrumbs, giving hints, then reeling you back into the plot. I also liked the twins' both having a voice....you can see how they both mature over the book, and how their different experiences affect them. However, all the characters piqued my interest...from the secondary characters, to the members of the villainous Flight, even to the twin's mother. Related by marriage or not, Aunt Finna isn't the only member of that family too independent for her own good!
And the setting! I'm getting midcentury Wales or Ireland, only with MAGIC! (It hasn't escaped my notice that the leader of the baddies has a posh English name and the majority of the populace has Gaelic...)
I'm so excited to read the next book and see if some of my theories are correct. I'm picking up on some minor points that are making the wheels in my brain turn and I want answers!!
I received an advance copy of this book for review.
This was a really unique and fun story that felt out of the mold for the genre! It is a young adult fantasy set in a place reminiscent of the real world with little bits of magic, mystery, and plenty of adventure. The main characters are a boy-girl set of twins and I really appreciated the way they had to navigate sibling dynamics and how the adventure they embark on shakes them out of their normal family role and makes them consider what they want and what they can offer.
This book would be perfect for teens of all ages looking for an engaging book that is suited for the age group in themes and feel.
Trigger/content warnings: loss of a parent right before the story begins. No explicit content.
This book was a treat from page 1! . This teen fantasy with steampunk aspects, a wonderfully clever magical system, and characters you can't help but root for was a complete delight. . I tried to pace myself because I wanted to stay in this world for a bit longer, but I was also dying to know what happened, so I flew through the last half. . If you love fantasy mystery (is that a genre) and unique stories, A Trick of Spades might be for you. . A Trick of Spades publishes 5/6/24. . Thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC to read! All thoughts and opinions are mine. I would have purchased this book for myself had I not received a free copy. This is a book I've been looking forward since it was announced!
I review middle grade novels for both mentoring and writing contests, so I see a lot of books about magical schools, dueling magical systems, and characters getting caught up in strange, arcane plots.
That much being said, A TRICK OF SPADES featured all these aspects and completely turned my expectations on their head. It’s like nothing I’ve read before. I couldn’t put it down!
Fun and fresh, yet somehow nostalgic and cozy, I was absolutely blown away by Kazanjian’s writing, which harkened me back to Dickens, Lewis, L’Engle, and other classics. The prose is SO RICH, but never at the cost of being unreadable or plodding. Both Colm and Clíana’s character arcs were compelling and relatable, and I found myself swept up in a world of magic and mystery that completely subverted my expectations.
I absolutely loved this book, and if you’re looking for a fun, snappy, and wildly creative read for your middle schooler—and/or some breathtaking MG to whisk you away from your adult life for a bit—don’t pass this one up.
Owl’s Nest Publishers continues to knock it out of the park.
This teenage fantasy was such a treat! I really enjoyed bouncing between the 2 twins' perspectives as we followed along in their search for their aunt who got mixed up with some bad guys. Their search leads them (in different ways) to the big city, where they meet a variety of characters and encounter the magical world like never before. Full of twists and turns, this is a wonderful debut that you are not going to want to miss!
Read for ♠️academia vibes ♠️ family bond ♠️ twists & turns ♠️ unique magical world
Out May 6th!
A big thank you to @owlsnestpublishers for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
A truly exceptional book; unique characters, fascinating plot, and a well-built world. I can't wait for the second book, I want to know what happens next!
Tales of magic and mystery seem to be just that, stories from Aunt Finna's letters. Cliana and Colm have other things to worry about, like keeping their family alive. But when Finna gets into trouble, the twins are thrust straight into a wild adventure full of magic and mystery!
I absolutely fell in love with the story world here! The magic weaves into everyday life so seamlessly. The setting is also something new and fun (trying to not spoil here!) and very 60s inspired. I loved the magic system and all the layers of intrigue.
Cliana and Colm have found a place as two of my favourite fictional siblings. I love how real their relationship is and how different (but also similar) they are. The broader family dynamics, while full of heartache at times, is beautifully written.
A Trick of Spades is one of those fun, heartfelt and thrilling adventure stories that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages.
A Trick of Spades is the debut fantasy novel for teens by Tasha Kazanjian, and it is a wonderful, adventurous, and truly unique read! I’m always so excited to find books with young teen protagonists—books that are truly written for teenagers and reflective of their experiences—and this is one such book. With a setting reminiscent of mid-century modern Britain, but wholly fantastical, readers will love following along with the heartwarming adventures of Colm and his twin sister Cliana as they search for their aunt in a big city filled with big crime and even bigger (and more magical) mysteries. This story has all the twists, turns, friends, and foes you want to make a satisfying debut. I highly recommend it!
A Trick of Spades is a fun adventure. It is a mid-century mobster story with teens for the main characters and two different kinds of magic thrown in. The chapters are narrated by a set of teen-aged twins who just lost their father. We see the chaos & complicated emotions that follows such a tragedy. Each twin feels like they need to repair the family, but in different ways. When they find their late father's sister is in trouble they run to her rescue and find they are so much more than their small town life of poverty allowed them to see. I'm excited for the world that was created in this book and to see where the story goes in a sequel.
I stayed up until 3:30 am to finish the second half of this novel! The pace kept me turning pages to find out what would happen next. The plot involves Cliana and Colm, a twin sister and brother, who follow their aunt back to the city and must help rescue her from a criminal underlord.
The characterization is so strong that I found myself easily rooting for Cliana and Colm as if they were real people. The dual POV story shifts back and forth between the 14-year-old twins, and the voice of each is unique and likable, and the reader gets to see both their strengths and their weaknesses. Responsible Cliana feels the burden of taking on more roles in caring for the family since the death of their father. The more impulsive Colm shows his loyalty to his aunt and his compassion for his sister.
The theme of family bonds is strong, showing the reader that even when we have our differences, we were placed in our families for a reason, and sticking together in love is important. I very much appreciated that, although each twin ended up alongside another opposite-sex character, no romance was developed between them--a refreshing thing, in my opinion, when so many novels aimed at middle and young high school readers seem to push this idea that everyone must have a boyfriend or girlfriend beginning in their early teens. Instead, the focus is on friendship between the sexes, an important theme for our youth to work through in preparation for future romantic relationships. We do see hints of a possible romance budding between the twins' aunt and another college-aged character, which I would say is appropriate for their ages of around 20 years old. It is good to know this is a novel I can hand to my 7th grade daughter without concern of reinforcements of this notion of romance between young teenagers.
The magical elements and suspense of how the characters must evade and beat the villains makes this book an exciting read, and the supporting characters really rounded out the book to make the story a very meaty, but not overly complicated, novel. The balance between realism and magic was well done--the setting supported the plot easily and without bogging the reader down with over-explanations. An enjoyable adventure with great family bonds!
A TRICK OF SPADES blends together both Celtic and Armenian cultures to create a unique magical world that feels so real, you can taste it. The characters are carefully observed, their hopes and hurts bleeding right through the pages. Even the minor figures are colorful and deftly drawn, like in a Dickens novel. And as with Dickens, there’s a grittiness to the world of SPADES that’s laced with moments of grace as the protagonists learn to really see one another.
I loved how the chapters toggled between the alternate points of view of the two twins, who are so closely knit yet possess wildly different personalities. The plot hints at larger mysteries at play in this feuding society of Wizards and Marvels, so I’m hoping for a sequel. Like Colm and Clíana, I feel as if I’ve been given a taste of a new, marvelous world that I’m longing to explore more fully. Tasha Kazanjian has the mark of a great storyteller—she leaves you aching for more!
This was such a warm, tender book that made me want to drink hot cocoa with Bridie and tea with Şiras. It also made me want to weep. Wrapped in an adventure is a sweet story on grief and the ties of familial bonds. Every character had his own spot in the cast and served a unique role, coming to life vibrantly on the page and tugging at my heartstrings. I particularly loved Clíana - the guilt she feels over not necessarily wanting to play the role of Mother at such a young age. The family dynamics felt very real and grounded, and not a cheap sort of sadness that's just there to create artificial emotions in the reader. This was truly a lovely read and showcased Kazanjian's ability to touch upon the human condition in a raw and poignant way. Well done!
100 percent loved the fantasy world. This book is set in a mid-century modern Great Britain. So, think cars, cigarettes, socialites, mobsters, schoolboys, and landline telephones. It's oh-so nostalgic and gritty. The book's cover has more of a middle-grade vibe to it, but this book falls squarely into YA.
What makes this prosaic world magical? There are two brands of magic in Kazanjian's alternate history: Alchemy and Illata. Some people are born with an Illata, which can be anything from the ability to unlock doors to the ability to cut off someone's air supply. You can't control what Illata you have or if you have one at all. Alchemy is learned magic, something that non-Illata-possessors practice at school and learn from teachers, but it's a lot more difficult to master than Hogwarts-style magic. And schools are expensive, so Alchemy tends to be the magic of the rich.
I must say that I was completely charmed by the book's ether. I loved the seedy underlord's domain and the corrupt upper crust and the powerless kids caught in between. It felt very much like those hard-boiled detective novels, where things could go sideways at any moment.
The plot was simple and moderately paced. It may have benefitted from a faster pace and more subplots, but I will say that the climax of the book was "big" enough to be satisfying.
I'm not sure if this book is the first in a series, but it ended on somewhat of an unfinished note, with the core cast of characters returning (sort of) back where they started with a new goal. I'd love to know if Owl's Nest has requested a sequel for this one, because I'm here for it.
There is no romance in this book, as is commonly expected in YA, just friendship. There is no gross violence, and there may have been a cuss word here or there, but there may not have been. There is adventure-style peril that doesn't venture into the gory or morbid.
I am hoping this book gets "discovered" by readers and librarians and book critics. I am an adult reader of many genres, mostly classic literary, but a good middle grade fantasy book makes for a great rainy day read. A Trick of Spades is worth reading any day of the week, for any age and in my opinion; brace yourself, is every bit as original and captivating as Harry Potter was the first time I read it. Yes, I did compare it to Harry Potter! POV writing can sometimes be distracting for me, but here it is perfect and gives the brother and sister the opportunity to provide the reader with more clues to the puzzle of their magical world. Please, please write more in this series and please, please read this book!