First off, I loved the first three books of this series and thus greatly wanted to read this book.

I have to say that the overall plot was enjoyable. I loved how flawed the main character was, and how she was ahead of her time in the feminist part of things. It added so much to the plot of the book.

The biggest thing I didn't like about the book was how rushed it felt. I wasn't sure on the page numbers so I looked it up on amazon. It's only 225 pages. I felt so much more could of went into this story. Now, maybe it was only meant to be a short novella, but I just really wanted more and felt sorta shorted. (Yes, I know it was a companion book to the actual series, but still.)

But like I said I highly enjoyed the plot as it appealed to me on a personal level. Just think if that type of magic was real! The writing was fast paced, and the characters delightful.

Although this is the fourth book in the series it certainly stands along. It is not an immersive world. Magic coexists with the non-magical world. The story mirrors the real life discovery of the possibilities of plastic. It coincides with the emergence of 3D printing and all of the exploration that has come with that invention. The interaction between the characters was simple but fulfilling enough. While adults may like the quaintness of the book, it certainly is much better suited for younger audiences. Overall I enjoyed it and will more than likely seek to read the previous titles in the series.

"After all, it wasn’t about the magic. It was about the discovery."

This was by far my favorite book of the series, even though The Plastic Magician is *technically* a spin-off. While I felt obligated to read the first three books in this series (The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician, and The Master Magician) before diving in, it is not necessary to read them in order to understand the plot of this book, though there were several characters that made cameo appearances.

The Plastic Magician follows Alvie Brechenmacher, an American (from Columbus, Ohio) who is doing her Polymaking apprenticeship in England under the tutelage of the well-known inventor (and nephew of the founder of the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined), Marion Praff. Polymaking – the study of plastic-based magic – is a relatively new field which, while filled with exciting new discoveries, also leads to fierce competition between the magicians within the discipline.

I thought Alvie Brechenmacher was a much more relatable and intriguing heroine than Ceony Twill, who was a little too straight-laced for my taste. Both were independent and highly intelligent women but in different ways. Alvie was a passionate inventor who was strongly motivated to make the next discovery, and as a student studying chemistry, I felt that I could relate to that drive for a greater understanding of how the world works.

My only real criticism of the book is that Alvie’s character still fits into the typical YA trope of a clumsy, supposedly non-pretty heroine who is also incredibly intelligent and quirky. However, despite this, I really enjoyed Alvie…as well as the intriguing field of Polymaking. I definitely wouldn’t object if the author wanted to continue this series by following Alvie through her studies (or by writing another spin-off following a student in an alternate magical discipline)!

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.

Plastic does not often appear in magic novels, so I was intrigued. I liked the magic system. The heroine was spunky. I haven't read the other books in the series (though i am sure some of the characters were referenced or had cameos), but i might.

**Thank you NetGalley for this review copy**

Let me start of by saying, this one was prepurchased on Amazon for quite a few months. But NetGalley gave me a copy, so here I am...happy as a clam.

I kind of happened upon the Paper Magician by Ms. Holmberg, and fell in love. I read the next 2, and all I knew was that this was another magician book...turns out it's a spinoff and not a sequel. I did not know that going in.

We have a whole new group of people, so if you haven't read the other books you should be ok. She's pretty good at describing things, it's just the whole world might take you a little bit to get used to.

So, in this book we have Alvie, who is moving from Ohio to Great Britain to be an apprentice. She is set to be a magician of plastic, which is a new and exciting field for the early 1900s.

She meets new people, makes new friends. But the intrigue in here really surprised me. It's a very sweet story, and you really don't know how it will all play out until the end.

I loved this from start to finish!

If there is one thing I love about this series, is the world, it is just so magical. I love the concept of magic being a constant in people’s lives, to see how some ‘regular’ things can have a magical spin to it, especially with historical books! I also like that with this spin-off from the original series, we get to see a different side of this world and get more involved with a different kind of magic. Another thing is the writing, seriously it’s simply so beautiful and I absolutely loved Alvie, she was a little clumsy nerd who loves numbers and just wants to focus on her work and the other characters were definitely just as lovely. I think this book is staying at three stars, because I thought that there wasn’t much happening? And while I can love books that are more about the characters and their relationships, I don’t think this was that kind of book? Which was why sometimes I felt that maybe there could be more to the plot or maybe if the plot had been done differently, I might have enjoyed it more. But this is a very light nice book, perfectly a good ‘summer read’ (even if it’s winter where I live).

Really fun. I enjoyed the cross over from the paper magician. Fun characters that I enjoyed spending time with.

I had really enjoyed the Paper Magician series, so I was really excited to see that there is a spin-off to the original series,

Alvie is one of my new favorite characters. She is smart and passionate, it was good to read about her and about her magic. Bennet is also cute enough, but my all time favorite will be Emery Thane.

I really enjoyed reading the Plastic magician and so glad to get to read it before publication. The characters are super awesome and I wish I could have read a lotmore scenes with them.

Another enjoyable book by Charlie Holmberg. This book is the fourth in the series, but features a different main character, named Alfie. Although, some characters from the previous books make cameo appearances. Alfie is from the United States, but goes to England for her apprenticeship as a polymaker. As in the other books, there is magic, trouble, a mystery, and a little romance.
I thought the mysterious “bad person” and helper may have been a little too obvious, but it was still a good book.

I was also disappointed that from an LDS author it wasn’t as clean and sweet as the other books. There is some bad language (American and English), heavy kissing, sexual innuendos, discussion of her body with large breast, and alluding to a possible rape.

I wanted to read paper magician series and when i see this book i wanted to give it a try. It is a spin off so you can read it without reading the series. Alvie is a strong female character and story is amazing. The world that author created it is wonderful. I really loved this book.

I enjoyed the Paper Magician series and was pleased to see a new book also set in this quasi-steampunk/magical world. The biggest attraction for me was the setting. The magic here is different than I’ve seen in other fantasy books and having magicians bond with a certain material is an original and fun idea. Alvie is smart and likeable main character, but not overly interesting. All of the characters felt flat and were either all good or all bad with no qualities in between that would make them feel more realistic. The book also read very PG, which also contributed to the flatness. The lack of personal drama and really anything that might be offensive, made it seem almost like a cozy novel. The series might be more appealing to a young adult audience.​

When the opportunity to read Charlie N. Holmberg's stand alone novel, The Plastic Magician, came around, I went for it. My goodness, good things come to those who wait! This book was fabulous. This book has a strong female lead character, it is squeaky clean (no sex, drugs, language, and little violence), and has a wonderful steam punk atmosphere.
The Plastic Magician invites us into a believable alternative universe, in which magic plays along with science and technology. Our protagonist, Alvie Brechenmacher, is a mathematical genius with crazy hair and thick glasses, apprenticed to a magician who is developing a new field of magical scientific exploration: plastic. Together, Alvie and her master set out to set the magical science community on fire, and help a few friends along the way. Alvie quickly learns that successful magicians have their admirers and their fair share of enemies, as well. The Plastic Magician sweeps the reader away, absorbing them into this new world, so like ours and yet so different, while Alvie regales us with her tale of her new life in far away England, exploring new technology from a magical viewpoint.
I loved this stand alone novel so much that I have every intention on buying Charlie's Paper Magician series for my daughter when she turns 11 later this year. I think that she will love Charlie's style as much as I do. I am very, very picky about what books my children read. What they read stays in their minds, so I want them to fill their brains with phenomenal stories. The Plastic Magician is one of those excellent stories that I think my kids will benefit from, and it is a fun read for me as an adult as well! I will be reading all of Charlie's novels from here on out. You should as well!

My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this awesome novel.

This world full of magic is one of my favorites. The first three books in this series are just wonderful and this slipped right in with them. Even with with a new main character and all her fun with plastic I couldn't ask for a better story.

Alvie is ready to take on the world of plastic under a famous magician. She travels far from home and finds that she has been paired with a magician who is as inventive as she wants to be. They throw themselves into a task that will change lives all over the world if they can make it work. But with new discoveries comes those who want the fame and power that goes with it.

Alvie does a lot of growing up, finding friendship, and learning about love. She finds things to fight for and does so beautifully.

Sure note is you do not have to read the first books to enjoy this story. It just adds to the adventure.

ARC was provided by NetGallery

I must confess something: I haven’t read The Paper Magician. I know. But I have seen it on occasion and thought: 'Hmm, maybe I should pick that up'. But somehow it never happened, and the series floated past me in the whirlwind world of books. What I can say now is that I’m adding all of them, and the rest of Holmberg’s books to my TBR as we speak, because I’m completely smitten with her writing and wonderful world of magic that she has created.

The Plastic Magician is a standalone spin-off of the original series and when it, with its gorgeous cover, popped up on NetGalley, I couldn’t resist requesting it, despite the fact that I was unfamiliar with the previous installments. And I am so happy that I did. Even though I had no idea what the previous books in the series were about, I still believe I followed the plot well. I might have missed some cameos of well-beloved characters, but other than that I got what I needed from the descriptions and the story itself.

I love Alvie as a protagonist, she feels so human throughout the story. She is brilliant, and quirky, and not very good with people. But she’s kind, and despite her faults she tries her very best in all situations. But what I like best about her is her enthusiasm. She loves the path she chose, and she has given her heart to it. That’s the biggest love story of this book: her love for knowledge and discovery in her chosen field of magic. But don’t worry, there is romance too, a really sweet, slow-building one that felt genuine and strong.

The only negative thing I have to say about this book is that it’s a little short – less than 300 pages – and a few other very minor “flaws”. For the most part, I actually think it was kind of perfect, and I will buy it so I can re-read it in the future.

I definitely recommend reading this, whether you’ve read The Paper Magician or not! It’s got beautiful language, well-written characters and a narrator that will steal your heart with her quirky ways.

I've been waiting to get a hold of The Plastic Magician and return to this fun world that Charlie Holmberg created.

The Plastic Magician does not continue Ceony's story from The Paper Magician series. In fact, you could read it as a stand alone. But why would you? Really?

I adored Alvie as a main character. She was awkward and endearing. I especially lived her determination to wear trousers in a skirt-infested society. :) And Bennet was charming and sweet as her potential love interest.

The new magic of Polymaking was interesting to read about. I didn't understand a lot of it, but it didn't stop me from enjoying it. Alvie's passion and excitement for it really shone through.

I kind of wish Holmberg would continue writing books in this world. I'd love to read at least one more about Alvie and Bennet!

I really liked the Paper Magician series and I really liked this book. It's a wonderful addition to a beloved fantasy world.
The book is a page turner well written and with great characters. I hope there will be further instalment in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to 47North and Netgalley for this ARC

What I Liked

This book was enthralling, I could not put it down. I remember very vividly that when I first picked this book up I read for a few hours without even trying. For some reason reading for hours on end is starting to become difficult, I am not sure why. Anyway, I was very much pulled into this world. Charlie N. Holmberg does a wonderful job of creating and sculpting this world and her characters. While the world is well established in her previous books, this spin off does not leave you in a spot where you don’t understand the world around the characters, another bonus. Her world and her magic are refreshing and different.

One things I really liked about the main character was that she was not impulsive or quick to action. I felt like the character thought about what she did. For me, I love that in books. I often find myself put off by characters who just mindlessly jump into action and only seem to pull off things due to luck. So this was a very refreshing thing to have thoughtfulness as a trait in a lead character.

What I Didn’t Like

The one thing that got me was that I want not really surprised by anything in this book. While I did very much enjoy the story and characters I never had the moment where I said to myself, “NO WAY!” It was predictable. But, this can also be a plus for some. Some people why don’t like surprises or enjoy when they are right when predicting an outcomes to a book or a plot twist. This is very much a readers preference and does not make the story itself less enjoyable. Even though I was able to predict a few things it did not in anyway make me not enjoy the ride. In fact, I really enjoyed it regardless.

Overall Thoughts

I would say that this book is unique, it has a great with a magic system that for me was very different from books I have previously read. It was a fun book filled with adventure, relationships, magic and bonus had a great main character that I felt like I could relate to on some level. I would say that if you find the description or any of the things I said interesting you should give this book a read.

* I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alvie Bechenmacher is headed to London to start her apprenticeship as a Polymaker—a magical trade learning how to bespell plastic. With Polymaking being a relatively newly discovered magic it’s a pretty competitive field. Alvie gets to study under world-renowned magician Marion Praff, and dives headfirst into her studies. With Alvie’s valuable insight, Praff’s creative juices start flowing again, and soon Alvie and Praff make a discovery that will not only change Polymaking but has the potential to change the world. They plan to present their new find at the Discovery Convention, but when their lab is broken into, it’s clear that someone wants to keep them from going to the Convention. It’ll be up to Alvie to find the culprit and make sure justice is served.

Having read The Plastic Magician I can definitely say that you in no way need to read the previous book(s) in order to enjoy this one. I would just recommend it because they are a pretty good read, but not having read them in quite a while I found myself falling right back into this world of magic quite easily.

I think it helps that Alvie is studying polymaking. While I felt like the paper magic (Folding) felt a bit more artistic, polymaking felt very practical. I liked the distinction between the two, and I think it speaks to the nature of the characters.

Alvie can be considered, I think it’s safe to say, an awkward person. She quite frequently pauses in the middle of a conversation with someone to mentally count the number of steps she’s taken, or to ruminate on the history of a person or place for example, but once you move past these little quirks, you see Alvie as the kind and brilliant person she is. She’s also practical, just like polymaking.

Toward the end I got a big Nancy Drew vibe from Alvie, just because the story veers so much into mystery territory as you figure out who keeps sabotaging their work. It’s actually not too difficult to figure out, and Alvie has the person pretty much pegged from the start, but I liked the way things played out.

If you’ve read the first trilogy, you might notice some similarities between Ceony and Alvie’s story arcs. I’m wondering if this is intentional and if it means the previous characters will play a bigger part in any future books as Alvie continues her studies in Polymaking. Ceony and Emery Thane do make a brief cameo which I loved.

The Plastic Magician was a great, light read. I love the magics Charlie N. Holmberg created in the original trilogy and I’m equally excited that, through this spin-off, we get to broaden the world. No word yet on if there’s more books featuring Alvie, but with the way things end, I would be surprised if there weren’t.

The Plastic Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg is the latest story set in the world she created with The Paper Magician. If you’re familiar at all with The Paper Magician series, that helps a great deal with the background world-building going into this new book, although you don’t necessarily have to read those first. I do encourage it however, because they’re delightful books. The Plastic Magician does a great job continuing on with the world of the earlier books, but it works great as a stand alone story.

The plot on this one is a bit of a slow build but the story isn’t that long so it didn’t feel bogged down at all. This is very much a slice of life story and we spend a lot of time getting to know Alvie as a student, as a friend, and as an inventor.

Charlie N. Holmberg’s writing really comes to life with her characters. Alvie is such a lovely character and she feels incredibly realistic. She’s driven, smart and resourceful, but also can be prone to distraction and gets absorbed in her work. Her mind works in creative ways which allows her to think outside the box and this helps her more than once throughout the story. Alvie’s also loyal and a great friend. I wish I had a friend like Alvie! I am also glad we got to see Bennet again. He’s so unlike Alvie in some ways, where she’s exuberant and extroverted he’s more shy and reserved. The contrast between her personality and his made for a great dynamic. Even Magican Praff was a delight. Such a great teacher, always encouraging and giving as well. I loved seeing Alvie and Mg. Praff working together on projects–such a great team.

If I have one complaint about the book, and I can’t even really say it’s a complaint because I didn’t mind at all, is that the villain was more than a bit mustache-twirly. But honestly that worked perfectly with the tone of the story. The other characters are so lovely that you need a sort of dastardly foe to clash with them.

The Plastic Magician is a lovely slice of life fantasy novel about a girl learning what she can do with her magic and making friends along the way. 4/5 stars. The Plastic Magician is out today from 47North publishing, check it out if it sounds like something you might enjoy!

The Plastic Magician takes place in the same world as The Paper Magician Trilogy, but this installment focuses on Alvie, a new character to the series. You can certainly read this one without reading the earlier books, but realize there are some characters and world-building moments that aren't introduced the way they might be in a standalone book or the first in a series. We aren't guiding you through brain surgery, so you'll figure it all out just fine.

Alvie Brechenmacher is an American from Ohio who studied to be a Polymaker and is headed overseas to England for her first year of apprenticeship to study under Mg. Marion Praff, nephew of esteemed Magician Tagis Praff. While I found the initial three books enjoyable, they focused on Ceony, who was extremely smart, good at everything she tried, but very reckless in her decisions. It was a little exhausting, to be honest. This time around, we get to see things from Alvie's point of view. She is less proper with some more American tendencies but just as smart as her predecessor, with more mechanical inclinations and tends to think before she acts. Most of the time. This book delves into the magic around plastics, instead of the paper folding we experienced in previous books. The actions in this book also seem a bit more plausible than some of the hurdles faced in the previous books. It was nice to follow Alvie through her first year as an apprentice and see how magic can shape plastics and those contributions to the world. I can certainly see that there is much more opportunity within the realm of plastics than there was in paper folding. While some spells are certainly helpful, the reader is exposed to some groundbreaking ideas that resonate with things we see today.

This was my favorite of the four books in this magical world, so far. Alvie was an engaging new character and a great main focus. She was a quick learner, but also one who worked hard to improve. She was fond of pants in a time when women were still regularly wearing skirts. She sometimes got lost in her own thoughts, as many of us do. When she worked with her mentor, Mg. Marion Praff, they had a nice teacher/student chemistry and when Alvie had an idea, he treated her as an equal, not some clueless student. The secondary characters, especially Mg. Ezzell, Bennet, and Ethel get some great moments,too. There was a little predictability in the story, but not so much that it ruined the book in any way. This ends nicely should it be a one-off story, but should the author decide to write more about Alvie or someone else in this world, I will promptly hop on board to read that new story.

Also reviewed on Litsy.