Thank you NetGalley for the early copy!

STORY MAGIC is exactly what middle grade should be - fun, exciting, and full of heart. It was a delight to read and I would have obsessed over this book when I was a kid!

"I used story magic today. I sensed a listener the way you taught me to, and I told it a story about a hero who made the sun rise."

Let me start by saying that I know I'm not technically the age group for this book. It's a middle-grade. However, usually I tend to enjoy Middle Grades a ton. Some of my all time favourite books came from this genre and when I read the synopsis for the book I was immediately hooked. That said I had very different expectations going into this book and I was surprised, but not in the way that I hoped I would be. This book is a lot darker than I had espected it to be, there is a huge underlying gender issue which really shows and in general the story just doesn't seem light as I would have expected for a middle grade. I would also argue that for a middle grade audience I would put it on the higher scale, since I don't think it's suitable for a younger audience. In general I also would have loved to see a lot more magic in the story, since the title suggest that's what the book is about, yet I missed quite a bit of it. The bother of our main character really wasn't to my liking and Kaya herself was an okay protagonist, but not my favourite. I still enjoyed this book, but wasn't the biggest fan of it. hence why I gave it three stars.

This book was very imaginative and enjoyable. The actual writing was good but not exceptional, but was more than made up for by the creative story. I found the main character to be slightly naive, but her courage, daring, and selflessness made her an interesting enough character. The magic in this book was incredible, and I liked how it was introduced. The listeners were so cool! I would recommend this book to people who love fantasy, a strong heroine, and stories.

Story Magic by Laurel Gale, comes out on the 27th of October and is set in a world where telling stories brings magic. But girls are said to bring bad luck if they try to use story magic. The book follows Kaya, a girl who is learning story magic from her brother. But when he disappears, although she fears it was her use of the magic that caused his disappearance she is left with no choice but to use it to rescue him.
This book was absolutely enchanting. A quick read with likeable characters and full of surprises. The world was beautifully written and I loved the listeners. The story did feel a little unfinished, so I cant wait to read more of this world. 4 stars

I didn’t have very high expectations going into this book. But it totally surprised me. I thougth it was more a childish story about a girl telling magical stories. But it was so much more than that. It was a story about a 12 year old poor girl, with a brother who’s always working and isn’t really nice to her. To impress her brother she uses story magic, but that wouldn’t even help. Hob is the kind of brother that takes care of you, but not more than that, and he has a few big secrets. I didn’t really like Hob, but Kaya did everything she could to save him.

It was wonderful to see how Kaya developped herself from a shy little girl to a girl who was very certain what she wanted and who didn’t let anyone get in her way. She took a very long, dangerous journey to save her brother, and when she finally did, he didn’t seem very happy.

Overall, I thought it was a very nice quick read. It was not what I expected, but it positively surprised me.

As an adult I would give this 3 stars because I feel that it there are bits that just need tidying up.

However, this is a children’s book (despite the darker theme of murder and hidden blood stained clothes) and so I will rate it accordingly.

I felt that the idea behind the magic in this book was unique and the idea that girls were told not to perform magic but the main character does shows that girls can do what guys can do which is a great subliminal theme.

I liked the world building as I felt it was sufficient enough for this genre of story and the titles such as Listeners and The Silent were easy enough for a child of almost any age to grasp.

For me, I would have liked some bits in this book to be tidied up from an adult POV but for children I think this will go down well - especially with the name Story Magic - it might even inspire more children to become Authors and create their own magic.

This was an amazing read! Kaya is a 12 year old girl who lives with her older brother since her parents died 5 years before. In her world, magic is made by telling stories. The listeners make the magic happen based on the words of the stories. Unfortunately, girls are not allowed to do magic. It has been said that it is unlucky. One day, Kaya gets stuck in a situation which requires her to do magic in public. She finds out her brother is missing! She believes it’s all her fault for doing magic in public. She learns that he is being held at the capital and sets out to rescue him. On her journey there, she learns so much about the listeners and grows

I really enjoyed everything about this book. This take on magic is definitely unique and I am all for it! I would love to read more stories in this world some day. I really liked that her stories got better and she grew more confident in herself the more the book progressed. Very well done and I am so grateful for the opportunity to read this book and review it!

I not the age group this book is intended for but it the reason i choose as a 41 year old women to dive into middle grade novels. It not over the top in gushy romance, it does bring up a strong topic that girls at this age are starting to notice. The fact that your a girl means you can’t do whatever the topic is that boys can do. In this case its story magic or magic in general. Our main character succeeds at story magic but as a result fears she the reason her brother has been taken into custody. On her journey to rescue her brother she learns their is so much about her brother and story magic that she did not know. She also learns how to stand up for what she believes is right. This is the perfect book for those who are trying to break out of their shells and pursue their dreams.

Although I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for a review, all opinions remain my own.

Kaya A'Dor knows that she isn't supposed to practice story magic, but when she is forced into a situation, she uses it. After her brother, Hob is imprisoned, she thinks it is all her fault. But is it? With the belief that it is, Kaya goes on an incredible journey to find and rescue her brother.

I found this book to be the perfect balance of real and magical. The idea of the "story magic" was something unique to me and I simply loved it. You follow Kaya along her journey, learn with her as she has to decide if she is going to use the story magic, when she has to ask for help and the friends she meets along the way.

I love the girl power in this story. Don't want to spoil the end so I will leave it there. I would love to see another story like this one!

While this story was cute, I wanted more from it. I liked following Kaya on her journey and watching her grow and learn, but I can't help but feel a bit let down by this one. The ending of the story felt way too short; things happened very quickly with little time to actually have things play out. I know this is for a younger audience, but I think they could handle having the story be a little bit longer.

I really enjoyed the magical elements of this. The idea of having these spirits that will help you out if you tell them a story was intriguing, and I think it was really well done. I also like that you could tell that Kaya was getting better with her story telling as time went on and she told more. Having the book start and end on similar uses of this "magic" was a nice way to tie the story together.

I find myself left with too many questions, and I feel like this book really could benefit from a sequel instead of an ending that feels rushed.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NorthStar Editions and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.

Story magic is about Kaya, a 12 year old girl who is an orphan and living with her older brother Hob. They live in a world where females are not allowed to use magic because only bad things will happen when they do, or so everyone is told.
Hob, however, is teaching Kaya to perform magic because he believes that females have as much right to perform magic as men. One day Hob isn’t coming home, Kaya is finding out that he was being captured and send away to Prima for questioning.
Kaya decides to go on her way to Prima to free her brother from captivity. On her way she meets different people and a lot of adventure.

Kaya is sometimes a bit naive but also sweet and strong willed to rescue her brother, who she looks up to. I liked that Hob stands for his believe that females have as much rights to perform magic as man. What I didn’t like was his attitude to Kaya, even at the end he just didn’t get sympathetic and besides his believes, he didn’t act like a brother to Kaya.
The writing style I found abrupt which made it hard for me to get truly into the story, besides that is that the story is more dark and heavily then I thought it would be when I picked it up to read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Jolly Fish Press/NorthStar Editions for the earc copy to read and review of Story Magic written by Laurel Gale.

I had my 10-year-old daughter read this book and report back what she thought. She reads a lot and is typically very choosey about the books she reads, and Story Magic did not disappoint.

Transported on an adventure of fantasy, this story is told in a way that captures and holds the reader's imagination. It is a beautifully written story, my daughter insists she will come back to.

The hands down best thing about this book is it’s unique magic system. In order to perform “spells” or magic, people tell stories to “the listeners.” The listeners then decide to grant them magic to accomplish their purposes or not. It was such a unique idea that really worked well. I loved finding out more details about this magic system later on in the book and seeing how different groups of people reacted to this magic and tried to harness it. We all read books and feel their certain brand of magic as the reader. I couldn’t help but feel like I could be the listener to each story I read, helping to fuel its magical tale.

I enjoyed this story. What I liked most about it was that Kaya had a lot of doubts and believed the propaganda fed to her. It was very realistic that she had to overcome that conditioning before she could grow. She also had to learn to see the people she cared about for what they were, and not what she thought they were.

Story Magic is a fantastic middle grade read.
It has a cool magic system, magic is granted by the Listeners, unseen beings, in exchange for an interesting story.
Kaya is a 12 year old girl who is told that girls that can do story magic bring misfortune. But when her older brother gets into trouble, she decided she has to save him no matter the cost.
I really like how well the story is written, Kaya is clearly the hero, but can also accept help if needed.
It was a fun read, and it has a grand, but very fitting ending. And also - no cliffhangers, this is a great standalone novel.

Story Magic by Laurel Gale has one of the more unique magical systems I’ve read about in a long while. In this world, spells are cast by calling upon invisible creatures known as “listeners” and enticing them to use their powers in exchange for a story. The “words” to the spells are generally a single line, in the form of a request, pulled from the story itself. It’s a novel approach to magic that I really enjoyed, and I found the way this society views stories in general to be fascinating as well. People see stories as a means to work magic but few see them as sources of entertainment or bonding. With her fairly limited worldview at the start of the book, Kaya wonders why anyone would simply tell a story just to tell it. This was something else Story Magic pulls off well: Kaya comes off as a character who was believably raised in this world and holds to its norms and ideas–including the idea that women and girls shouldn’t practice magic–until she’s forced to confront conflicting world views.

The book opens with Kaya being encouraged by her brother to try magic against the ban. This introduces a slow but authentic journey as her confidence in her abilities grows, and her ideas about magic are challenged by the larger world. The quality of her stories improves with time as well, and even though there are quite a few mini stories told within the book, I loved seeing how they evolved, and I was often curious as to how Kaya was going to connect the story back to what she needed in the moment. The listeners quickly became fascinating characters in their own right, and their relationship with humans was developed well.

If I had to offer any criticism, I’d say there were times when Kaya felt a step behind the audience. Often when an event seemed off or strange, the reveal for Kaya would come after it had already been shown, or heavily implied, to the audience. I don’t doubt young readers enjoy those “a-ha!” moments and the chance to figure things out before the protagonist. Nevertheless, I also wanted to give Kaya a bit of a nudge sometimes and say, “No, X already mentioned what’s going on! Listen to them!”

Overall, the world of Story Magic was a lovely place to spend some time in, and I’d look forward to returning to it in the future.

Story Magic is set in a world where girls are forbidden from practicing story magic. Only bad things happen when they do it. But that doesn't stop 12 year old Kaya from trying to learn it from her older brother Hob. One day Kaya tries to impress Hob with her story magic. But soon after Hob ends up being taken prisoner. Kaya believes that it is her fault, and she is bent on doing whatever she can to save her brother, but on the journey she slowly realises that maybe she isn't the cause for Hobs imprisonment, maybe it's something much bigger.

So I normally don't read middle grade, I don't have anything against it, I just never seem to pick those sort of books up. But the description really interested me. Off the bat we learn about the gender discrimination against women, and I'm not really into those kind of stories.

And I know that I can't really fault Kaya for her thoughts and fears, and I can't blame her for her bad decisions and choices since she is only 12 years old. But it still kind of annoyed me a little. I guess I just find her too innocent and naive, which of course isn't strange she is 12. I mean everything that Kaya does is pretty reasonable, due to her young age and lack of knowledge, but it grinded my gears.
Honestly Kaya annoyed me a lot at times, even though I completely understand her reasons for acting that way.

The gist of the story is interesting, and I do like the thought of it but the execution was lack luster.
So I mean this book isn't bad, I think for a middle grade it might even be good. The book is short, and I'm sure that people in the target group will find this book enjoyable, it just wasn't for me.

This is a sweet and simple middle grade about a girl who can do magic by telling stories. It has strong themes of kindness and self-belief, and it’s really easy to read, with good world-building and an interesting, compassionate main character. I loved the concept of the listeners, magic beings who love stories, and the magic is well explained. It’s perhaps a little linear, but this should appeal to younger kids and reluctant readers. Very enjoyable!

**I received 'Story Magic' through NetGalley and Jolly Fish Press, in exchange for an honest review**

'Story Magic' by Laurel Gale tells the tale of what could happen when superstition takes the place of reason in daily life. The main character Kaya longs to practice Story Magic like her brother, yet is led to believe to do so would mean dire consequences. It isn't until she goes on a quest to recover her brother that Kaya learns the history of Story Magic through complicated challenges.

'Story Magic' is a middle grade tale, and Laurel Gale writes Kaya's perspective as a young child would view such dire circumstances. While Kaya is learning valuable life lessons on her quest, she is venturing the rough journey as a 12 year old child. Up until this point, the only lessons she's acquired in life about the 'Listeners' come from her elder brother, so she still absorbs her life experiences and magical episodes through a limited lens. Kaya confronts the cruelty and compassion of humanity in her journey to Prima, and discovers that there is more to the Listeners' power than she realized.

'Story Magic' is entertaining to read, and this story kept me interested until the very last page! I would recommend this book as a fun and adventurous fantasy read for both children and adults!

In a world where females are banned from telling stories and stories are never told for entertainment, we have the Listeners. If they are told a story and they like it they can help you with magic. 12 year old Kaya knows that she isn't to tell stories or something bad will happen, but after feeling the tingle on her neck telling her a Listener is nearby, she takes a breath and shares a story. The Listener repays her story with a little bit of magic. But when her brother is taken to a nearby city to be interrogated, she knows deep down that this is her fault and that she must do everything she can to save him.

Story Magic was a book full of wonder, beauty and magic. I sat down and read the whole thing in one sitting. Kaya is a fantastic character, she has spent so long believing she isn't capable, watching her blossom and see the outside world was wonderful. She is full of hope, intelligence and kindness. Her strength isn't that she can fight or pick up heavy things, it's that she keeps moving forward, she never lets her hope die. Even in the darkest of times it burns bright and pushes her forward.

I love that Story Magic doesn't shy away from the dark nature of people, it's all there for readers to see. While the book isn't particularly in-depth and the ending wraps up a little to nicely for my personal taste, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Story magic is an engaging, magical read, that made my heart smile.