I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book! It's very similar to the three Paper Magician books but different also. I had hoped that there might be more character overlap but there are just a few cameos here and there. I also would have liked to see more about the actual Polymaking but as explained in the book it is a relatively new thing so I guess there aren't as many spells to show. But overall I really liked this addition to the world already established in the Paper Magician books, and I would definitely love to read another book or two about Alvie!

I’m just in awe of this book. I really enjoyed the Paper Magician trilogy, so I was excited be able to dive back into that world. And the Plastic Magician lived up to all of my expectations, and then some.

Alvie was an awkward girl, one who was easily wrapped up in her work and carried away in a wave of her thoughts. She was incredibly smart, and believed her brains made up for what she felt she lacked in looks. She wasn’t a polished girl, and it made her very endearing.

What I loved most about this book was how wonderfully written the descriptions were. Alvie and Mg. Praff’s invention was very interesting, but the way the author described the mechanics of the invention as they were making it was so intriguing. I honestly felt my mouth dropping open in awe as I read it.

The end of the book had a bit of action that I hadn’t expected, and it left me on the edge of my seat as I tore through the pages to see what was going to happen. This was a great read and a wonderful addition/spin-off to the Paper Magician series.

I received this from Netgalley for an honest review



I'm so happy to have another glance into this beautiful world. This the me we follow Alvie an American that goes to London to spend her apprenticeship training in Polymaking. I loved Alvie! She's unapologetically nerdy and it was amazing to see a character like her to on the page. Her excitement for learning and math and building was infectious.

The relationships with in this book were so sweet. I honestly could have done with more interactions with Alvie and Ethel, the love interests sister. She's also the reason Alvie and her Magician are crafting a new arm prosthetic. It's for her but also for a convention that is coming up. Then there is Bennet, if you've read the trilogy then you have already met this fellow. Although we see more of him than in the last book in the trilogy. They are swoony together when they are together which isn't a lot of page time. This was a really short book or at least it felt like it. I didn't know until after reading it that this is a standalone. I was looking forward to developing their relationship.

The one downside I have is the villain. I thought he was very cartoony and one dimensional. I was hoping for a twist since it was so obvious from the get go. Overall this didn't hamper my enjoyment and love for this story.

I believe this can be read alone without having read the previous trilogy although I would highly recommend reading the trilogy first.

Soooooo good! I was provided with an eARC of this in exchange for a fair review, and I couldn’t wait to start reading! I love the world Charlie Holmberg started building in The Paper Magician and have revisited that trilogy several times! Getting to come back with a new character was amazing! Alvie may be one of my new favorites, with her utter lack of filter; I was literally laughing out loud at come of the things she said. The plot kept me interested from beginning to end, and I am now crossing my fingers for a sequel!

Absolutely charming characters, world, and writing style make up for the incredibly simple plot. Holmberg wins again in this alternate universe we first saw in the series that began with The Paper Magician. Entirely predictable, I nonetheless enjoyed myself while reading this fun and delightful book.

The Plastic Magician is the standalone followup to the Paper Magician trilogy and was just as much a delight as the first three. One reader has described this series as "cozy fantasy", which I find to be particularly apt! 

In this story, Alvie migrates from the United States to the UK in pursuit of her apprenticeship with a master Polymaker, Marion Praff. She finds adventure, love, and all of the polymaking her heart could desire as she at Mg. Praff explore new techniques and strive to find the next groundbreaking invention. Unfortunately for Alvie, a rival magician conspires against her to not only steal her designs, but also to deport her back to the US and out of her apprenticeship. 

Luckily for me, this novel totally lived up to the cozy fantasy genre, where the good guys are generally good and the bad guys generally stay bad, and there's not a whole lot of extraneous fuss about double crosses and such. I find that in recent literature, the "double cross" plot device has been so overplayed that I no longer find it interesting and instead, find the lovely interaction between Alvie and Bennett to be refreshing and delightful. 

My only small issue is Alvie's glasses. As someone with a very high prescription, I thought that I would find a great font of representation in Alvie, but instead I found yet another story that let her more or less toss her glasses aside when it was convenient. The most egregious moment was when (spoilers!) Alvie and Bennett kiss and Bennett lifts her glasses up prior to the kiss. Boo! Most of us who are that blind consider our glasses to be a part of our face, not something to be easily brushed aside in the heat of the moment. 

Aside from that irritation, which was admittedly minor, this novel was a delight! Charlie N. Holmberg did a fabulous job of writing an entertaining, standalone novel that lifted my spirits and entertained me for the afternoon! I recommend reading this and, of course, reading the original trilogy! 

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for the ARC; The Plastic Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg will be published on May 15th, 2018.

If you follow my blog at all, you’ll know that I’m a fan of Charlie Holmberg. I loved her books The Fifth Doll and Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet. So, when given the opportunity by Netgalley to review a free ARC of her most recent book, The Plastic Magician, to be released on May 15th, I jumped at it. While this book, the fourth in her Paper Magician series, was an imaginative, fun read, it wasn’t quite the caliber of the other books I’ve read of hers. But I still recommend it, if you’re looking for something light and easy.

What Plastic Magician Is About
Alvie Brechenmacher is an apprentice in the field of plastic magic; she can bespell the substance to do any number of things, as long as she studies hard under her mentor, the world-renowned magician Marion Praff. Alvie’s enthusiasm reinvigorates her mentor’s work, and together they create a device that could forever change Polymaking (the magic of materials). But Magician Praff has a bitter rival who learns of their plans and conspires to steal their invention and take the credit for it himself.

Alvie is a wonderful main character, a young woman who is smart, clueless in the ways of romance, attractive, mechanically inclined, eager, clumsy, and excited. As part of her apprenticeship, she’s required to do volunteer work at a local hospital, where she meets and befriends a young girl who has recently had her arm amputated. She happens to meet the girl’s brother, Bennet Cooper, and a cute romance develops between them.

Who Would Like This Book
Even though Alvie’s in her early twenties, I think the people that would most like this book would be young girls between the ages of 8 and 20. The plot, because it involves minimal conflict and a lot of magic, is more middle-grade than young adult. And, if you read and liked The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician, or The Master Magician, you’d probably like this book too, although I’m told that Alvie is quite different than the main character of those books, Ceony.

I LOVE the Magician series books! I LOVE this author! Everything she writes is gold... I read the trilogy before this and loved it so much so I knew I would probably love this book too. I did! It is such a good story of an American girl named Alvie who is doing her Magician’s apprenticeship in England. She’s brilliant, kind and perfectly “flawed” in the most wonderful ways. She’s a wonderful character, and i’m so happy to see the return of Bennet from the previous books. Mg. Praff’s character has so much integrity, kindness, and a passion to see Alvie succeed. He is honoring and humble. I am so in love with all of the Magician’s novels,

Another fantastic magical adventure by Charlie Holmberg. Its always a treat to enter the world of the magicians and learn as they learn. This was a short read that I read cover to cover in one day. If you enjoyed the previous books by Holmberg, or are looking for a new twist on magical fantasy, I would recommend this series.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

"While Alvie was rather excited to be receiving her diploma, she could not stop starring at M. Jefferson's mustache."

This is a perfect way to introduce the reader to a lovable and memorable main character. Alvie Brechenmacher is amazing with numbers and calculations, can magick plastic, and loves to wear pants (which isn't proper in her day). One of the cute things she said in the book when asked if she was all right: "My feet are a little sore, and I'm in a skirt, but other than that, I'm fine." She is also a bit of a klutz.
Alvie is lucky enough to become an apprentice to a well-known Polymaker named Marion Praff in London. She sets on an adventure where she meets new people, makes new friends (and a boyfriend!), and comes out with an exceptional invention that can change the world of medicine.
A fun read that any reader will enjoy!

The Paper Magician trilogy holds a very special place in my heart - and I'm only too pleased to add this next book into their illustrious company!

Alvie is a complete departure from Ceony (who has a very satisfying cameo!) - she's logical, mathematical, quite the overthinker and very much in the scatterbrained genius mold when she's working. <spoiler> One of my favourite lines happened to be the last and it sums her up perfectly; <i>After all, ,it wasn't about the magic. It was about the discovery.</i></spoiler>. She's an American too, brought to the UK as part of a program to encourage foreign students to take their apprenticeships there.

Expanding the world like that allowed us further glimpses into how this world fits magic alongside technology - and though one character dismisses technology as "the uneducated man's magic", Alvie is quick to correct her. Her own father is a co-creator of the light bulb, a purely technological marvel even in this world. But things like long range travel and communication by mirror, left mostly unexplored in the last three books, were an absolute delight in this one.

An absolute delight is probably the best way I could ever describe this book. Alvie's sense of discovery and marvel at the possibilities afforded by the chance to study and learn were absolutely contagious to me as the reader. The wait for the next book is going to be a long one!

<i>I received a free digital copy in return for an honest review</i>

Alvie is a young German American woman who can't wait to learn magic. She's even chosen her field - The newly emerging study of plastics. She gets chosen for a very prestigious apprenticeship in England and sets off. Not a lot of plot going on here, but Alvie was so much fun as a character and the world was so engrossing that it didn't bother me that the villain was really obvious. I liked the sweet romance too. I would recommend it to lovers of light fantasy.

If you've already read The Paper Magician trilogy, then you know what to expect, if not - you can read The Plastic Magician as a standalone too. We are again thrown into the magical world where one can become a magician by bonding to a man-made material like paper, plastic, glass, etc. This time the heroine is Alvie Brechenmacher who comes from America to London to train as a Polymaker (plastic magician), which is not as boring as it sounds. The original trilogy was centered on paper/glass magicians which is far more magical, as you can animate origami birds/dogs to life, or travel/communicate through mirrors, but it seems that plastics have quite a few magical uses. This time we have a more refined plot, an interesting villain with a realistic mastermind plan, and a less whiny Mary Sue, who is quite determined not to blush in awkward situations, but can't help it really, because she's a woman. She is also quite determined to wear pants in early 1900s, because not-your-typical-Mary-Sue.

I actually enjoyed this book, and far more than the original trilogy, and I do hope there will be more. The magical system is fresh/interesting/fun, the novel is a quick/light read, and Charlie Holmberg is definitely getting better at writing.

I love pretty much everything that Charlie Holmberg writes and The Plastic Magician was no exception! It was a wonderful opportunity to return to the magical world that Holmberg created in The Paper Magician. The characters are easy to picture and relate to, and the story sweeps the reader along to a satisfying conclusion!

Is there such a thing as cozy fantasy? If so, The Plastic Magician would be a shining example of the genre. The book is so cozy, heartwarming and wonderfully written.

The Plastic Magician is a standalone spin-off from Holmberg’s Paper Magician series and is totally readable by itself. Even if you’ve never read the Paper Magician series (you should though, it’s great!) you’ll still be able to enjoy The Plastic Magician.

I love stories with interesting magic systems. I really love when they’re set in the time of the Industrial Revolution and the revolution is in part magical. The Plastic Magician is just such a book. The system of magic is based on materials. A magician bonds to glass, fire, plastic, rubber, metal or paper and from then on, their career is based on that material.

Alvie is a delightful character. She is often lost in her own thoughts, self-conscious, and dedicated to her craft. She’s genuine, positive and genuinely lovely to read. The Plastic Magician is a light, lovely story. It’s an easy read and a heartwarming adventure. I did knock a star off for predictability. The villain and some major parts of the plot were obvious. In this case, however, it wasn’t something that made me want to quit reading. Sometimes it’s really satisfying to read something that goes more or less exactly as you expect it to – that’s what makes it cozy.

The Plastic Magician comes out May 15, 2018. There’s plenty of time to read The Paper Magician series beforehand if you want. I really hope more books in this universe are forthcoming.

Charlie N. Holmberg's "The Plastic Magician" is such a fantastic and fun novel! This book, set months after the third book in the series ("The Master Magician") follows Alvie Brechenmacher, a young Polymaker through the first part of her apprenticeship and into a mystery that threatens to destroy the project she and her mentor are working on.

This book is lighter in theme than the previous three and it's great to see another mentor-apprentice relationship that's different from the one Ceony had with with her mentor (now husband) in that.

I love what Holmberg's done with this series by expanding it to focus on a completely new set of characters right down to the magic they use and the approaches they take. The story in The Plastic Magician is one that is super adorable with a budding romance, positive relationships between characters, and a mystery that I certainly didn't figure out until nearly the end of the novel.

Now I don't know if we're getting more books in Alvie's journey or if Holmberg will be writing other stories, but either way, I'm excited about the future of this universe.

Well this book was such a fun read. I loved the storyline and the characters. Alvie is such a smart, brave girl who is an inventor at heart and with the descriptions in the books you feel like you are there watching her work her magic on pieces of plastic. Alvie is smart but she still has normal worries about romance and losing friends and is quite clumsy which all make her lovable. There is some romance in this book but the main focus is on Alvie and her polymaking and the invention she works on with her mentor. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy and science. its a spinoff of the paper magician series but you don't have to read the series before this book.
The magic in this book is fascinating, the ability to control certain man made objects and its set in the 90's. The writing in this book is descriptive and easy to follow, the pacing is good as its not fast or slow but just takes you along until you get to the end and leaves you wanting more.

Alvie is an innovator. In a world where people can choose the medium for their magic, apprentice Alvie Brechenmacher has picked Plastic. It is the newest discipline which means she can be on the cutting edge of new developments. However, the new field of Polymaking can be cutthroat, which she is about to find out.

She is a brilliant young woman, with a decidedly technical turn of mind and I find her charming. Alvie is adorably geeky. Socially awkward, a little obsessive, intuitive and always sincere. If you’ve read any of the books in Ms. Holmberg’s Paper Magician series, then you are familiar with this world. This is a standalone book in that same world, which introduces us to new characters & magic, as well as treats us to glimpses of old favorites. I admit I liked this book better than the Paper Magician series. Primarily because of Alvie.

Ms. Holmberg’s books are always an easy choice for me. When I first start to hear rumors about a new book I immediately commence stalking Netgalley for an ARC. I’m always so happy to get one! Her books are pleasant and imaginative and I know that I am always sure to enjoy myself. I’m not sure if Ms. Holmberg intends to write more books in this world. I do know that her upcoming books are completely different, but it would be nice to see a return to Alvie in future. Regardless, I will be looking forward to her next publication.

Song for this book: Come on! Feel the Ilinoise! – Sufjan Stevens

I only have one complaint about this book....it's way too short!!! After a long dry spell (pun intended) after the release of the first three Paper Magician titles, I was so stoked to be able to immerse myself once again into the breathtaking world of magic crafted so vividly by author Charlie Holmberg…only to find myself frustrated to find the joyride end too soon (I finished the book in half a day in between the usual household routine!).

The book tells the story of a new heroine named Alvie Brechenmacher, as she embarks on the biggest adventure of her life in London to become an apprentice to renowned Polymaker Mg. Marion Praff. The book is well-paced and even features a (clean) romantic side story (huzzah!). I love how a scene towards the end of the book hints at a future sequel (squee!).

The book can be enjoyed even without reading the first 3 books of the series (but better understood and enjoyed after having read the first 3).

This book is a return to my favorite Holmberg books. I adored The Paper Magician and hoped the return to that world would live up to my expectations. It did!
I liked that it carried on in the world with a new character, Alvie. (But we get a cameo!) Alvie’s a great character and the story is entertaining and a fun read. It’s not intense action or deep romance; expect a light and enjoyable romp through a world we love.