The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

This book was brought to my attention by Kindle Unlimited.

The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg is about a graduate of the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined. She always wanted to be a Smelter (Metal Magician) but is assigned as a Folder (Paper Magician) because there aren't enough around. In Holmberg's well-thought out world, once a magician "bonds" with a material, they are limited to magic with only that material. And within the first chapter, our heroine is bonded to paper, effectively cutting herself off from metal forever.

Our student-now-apprentice, Ceony Twill, quickly grows to love and enjoy being a Folder while living and learning with her teacher, Magician Emery Thane (the titular Paper Magician). The first 30% of the book is following Ceony as she learns the magic of Folding which, to me, gets right to the edge of "alright, I get it, let's start the story." And Holmberg kicks it off by introducing the evil Excisioners (Human Flesh Magicians) who have bonded to blood and use it to rip magic through the body of their opponent. And so begins Ceony's real adventure.

The beginning had me a bit annoyed with Ceony but she grew on me as I kept reading. I found her infatuation with Thane predictable student/teacher, but Holmberg is creative in how it comes about. For the majority of the book, Ceony is put inside a human heart by the Excisioners and it took me a chapter or two to become desensitized to the gore and be able to focus on story over setting. Overall, I liked the book and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. I recommend in future books that Holmberg devote more of the story to the conflict between the rest of the magical world and the Exisioners as it will make for a more compelling read.

Visit Charlie N. Holmberg's blog for more information about the author and how to purchase her book(s).