Honestly, I do not know why so many people disliked this book so much. I really enjoyed it. Yes, it wasn't polished, there were few grammar and style mistakes left behind. I just hope it was given for a final edit before being published!
So now lets talk about the story within the book. Guess I found another book that had a different view on magic. I really enjoyed the whole crystal thingy, which would eventually run out with power. And there she was, the princess, with unlimited power source! The beginning was hard to read, I must admit. One young girl saw her mother killed by soldiers on their horses and the second was behind winning the war and killing the royal family and their people.
There are four main stories in one book. The story of a princess who escaped her tower and sought freedom. Of a fallen knight who lost everything and hid for eight years. A young blacksmith, who did everything she could to help her father. And the final battle between two royalties.
I do agree that the writing was not the best. Over explanation and just chunks of text was hard for my eyes but I still managed to read it quite quickly because I really needed to ease my anticipation is the queen alive, did she survive the fall of her castle?
Gaiane, the princess? Omg.. There was so much crying it struck a nerve at one point. I do get it that she was hidden for eighteen years in her tower, safe from the reality but c'mon girl. You need to get your sh*t together! Her only answer for most of the book was to cry her eyes out. She did regain her balance at the end, when she stood against her family and killed them all.
But Leo! I loved her character! She was such a strong female in this book, giving up everything just to safe her father, her little village. I would get along with a person with the same personality as Leo's. Even though she was shorter as others, she never stood down her grown and was the first in line to defend and help those she loved.
And there is the love between the princess and her capture. I had a feeling from the beginning that it might happen and I guess I was right? But what happened after?! A quick spoiler, princess couldn't use her magic while being near Leo. So what happened after Gaiane became a queen? Did she not use her magic at all? Are Leo is still her girlfriend? I need answers!
I don't want to bore you with my thoughts on this piece much longer but all I can say don't be too harsh. The book is an easy read, despite the chunks of plain text. There is a story in there and it is a good one! Yes, it needs some polish but it is there.

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I received “The Other Side of Magic” by Ester Manzini from the publisher as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was really excited to read this book since I greatly enjoy YA Fantasy books and the book had a great premise and promised a brilliant magic system, but while I enjoyed some parts of it, others parts did not work as well for me.

Reading the first few pages, I was hooked and I was not disappointed by the magic. The introduction of Gaiane was really fun and enjoyable and it was able to paint this vivid picture in my mind of what her magic was able to do – the beauty on one hand, and, on the other, the destruction. Not only was I intrigued by this magic and the magic system which has a clear limit (the more magic you use, the less power you have), but I wanted to see more of that magic and the consequences. I think part of the reason why I was disappointed in the book was the fact that I loved the magic aspect so much that when it was gone and magic didn’t really show up again, I was left disappointed because I kept waiting for it to resurface, but it didn’t. I felt like this made the promise of the book fall flat and was ultimately unrealized.

However, it’s important to note that while the author does a pretty good job with the ability to create these vivid images with her writing without doing too much (you could easily see the world and the characters in your mind’s eye), there were a lot of things that made this hard for me to keep reading. The biggest problem was probably the fact that I found many characters to be frustrating and annoying, especially Gaiane who complained a lot and ultimately made me unsympathetic to her ordeal. This meant that I was not invested in the characters of this novel and didn't feel agency or a connection to them when things happened (good or bad). They also felt younger than they actually were. I imaged them to be more around their early teens – maybe thirteen or fifteen? – looking at their dialogue and interactions, but in fact they were eighteen. I think the bickering back and forth just felt ultimately unrealistic for girls of their given ages and didn't feel quite appropriate for them. Also with the characters, there wasn’t much character development or great relationship building, even between the two main females who were to fall in love – Leo and Gaiane. With this lacking, you unfortunately didn’t see character growth. This meant that from some scenes to others, it felt like changes were happening within a character for no reason and could also regress for no apparent reason which was confusing and really took me out of the story.

Ultimately, I didn’t hate the story and finished it, but it wasn’t at all what I expected going into it so I gave it 2/5 stars.

Okay, so I accidentally requested this book from NetGalley. It was a "Read Now" download.

Let me say, I don't hate it. However, I don't live it.

My copy had some spelling errors, but one could easily overlook that. The names were hard to pronounce, which I don't particularly like because it makes it harder to commit them to memory due to the frustration of thirty different pronunciations.

There are elements in the story that are enjoyable, the binding of magic, the freedom from that magic which was intended to be used as a weapon, the relationships and friendships formed. The details are somewhat gory at times, and while I don't mind that, someone else may. The pacing is kind of lacking for my taste.

I probably need to be a little more careful in my requests in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and The Parliament House for this digital copy. All thoughts are my own.

This was such a difficult book to get through. 2/5 stars.

Eight years ago, the ruling Asares family of Zafiria launched an all out attack on Epidalio, crushing their country and absorbing them into their own. They did this using 10 year old Gaiane, the all powerful princess with infinite magic who had no idea that she was being used for war. Currently, Epidalio is still in shambles. Leo is from Epidalio and she has no powers to speak of. One day, she discovers that Gaiane is missing and a reward is out for her. Leo decides to search for this princess in hopes that she can reap the rewards to save her impoverished family/sick father. At the same time, a fallen knight of Epidalio discovers Gaiane is missing as well, and searches for her to avenge his fallen prince.

I had such a hard time reading this book. It was just so boring and none of the characters were very well written. Things moved too quickly for any characterization to truly occur. It didn't help that the dialogue was wooden and flat either. When Gaiane and Leo meet for the first time, I was expecting a delicious enemies to lovers romance, but instead I have to read about two 18 year old girls acting like 10 year olds. They bicker for a day, share a single story each, and then suddenly they're incredibly loyal to one another and can only feel safe with each other???????? Apparently yes, because the characters in this world like to change their minds at the drop of a hat. I get that certain plot conveniences need to be made in order for the story to move along, but in this particular story, it happened more often than I'd like. And because it happened so often, it never felt like the characters ever truly had agency. They were just carried along from one moment to the next with no true purpose.

Another reason why this book was so boring is because I was never surprised by anything. The author laid out the story for me, and then all the pieces fell into place. The climax of the story was even explained to the reader in detail and the plan goes off without a hitch. There's no tension, no suspense. It just made for a very tedious reading experience.

I also never understood the motivations of Cibele, the queen of Zafiria. She's supposed to be this ruthless war hungry queen that locked her daughter in a tower for decades all to control Gaiane's powers for herself. But then at the very end the author decides to portray her as someone who's conflicted and motherly?? As if she were that way the entire book?? And maybe there was supposed to be some complexity with her character but considering how none of the other characters were well fleshed out it just felt so out of place?

This story was just. not great. No world building, flat characters with zero development, lack of tension or suspense, and too many conveniences for the sake of plot. I didn't outright hate it so that's the only reason why it's not a 1 star.

I wanted so badly to love this book!

The premise is right up my alley - a setting reminiscent of sixteenth century Italy, a princess born with too much power, and a commoner born with none at all. A lost knight. A fresh, interesting magic system. It actually reminded me a lot of Zoe Reed's Breaking Legacies, which I love, so I was ready to be obsessed again.

Unfortunately, for me, the book fell flat. It was weighed down by heavy, clunky dialogue and extensive explanations. We are privy to every thought the characters have, at length, the minutiae of their internal struggles displayed for all and sundry. The final climax of the book happens too fast. Even the enemies-to-lovers goodness that I would usually excuse a great deal for was rushed and unrealistic. Some of the characters, who could have been rich storytelling instruments, were instead almost cartoonish caricatures.

It's a real shame, because I absolutely believe that if some different editorial choices had been made, I would be devouring this book as a duology, or even a trilogy. The storyline is grand and has so much potential to be a fantasy epic, but unfortunately, there are too many elements against it. That said, I would be interested to see what Ester Manzini does in the future, because the plot of The Other Side of Magic is engaging and interesting, and I always welcome more LGBT+ rep in fantasy spaces!

I received "The Other Side of Magic" by Ester Manzini, published by Independent Publishers, as an ARC from NetGalley and this review is entirely my honest thoughts.
The idea behind Manzini's novel was a great premise and the book itself has a lot of potential. I like the idea of magic being a resource people are born with and it depleting as they use it. Many fantasy novels do not include the limits to magic and in this way, The Other Side of Magic, was unique and more realistic, so to speak. I like that Gaiane had limitless power and was a weapon and Leo was born without magic, showing a spectrum of people. Speaking of which, the book also gets points for diversity, as the book had LGBTQ themes. However, there were a lot of weak points for me. The book started in a rush and it was confusing jumping from one POV to the next. I think the author should have kept to the main three point of views--Gaiane, Leo, and Evandro. In my opinion, Evandro's chapters were the most well-written. I also believe these point of views should be separated by chapter instead of switching in the middle which was very confusing. Though Gaine was an important part, I found her character whiny and annoying--I suppose that was the point to show her character development but there are times I couldn't believe she would be so stupid. Also, the dialogue, especially with the girls, came across as cheesy and unrealistic. The kind of dialogue I would expect from a sitcom but doesn't translate well to the page. I do think the novel started to get more intense and gripping about halfway through, but then the ending just fell flat for me--everything was too 'neat.' To improve, I think there should at least have been limited pov's and more realistic dialogue. Again, great idea, just needed to flesh it out more!

I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Other Side of Magic is a delightful (and occasionally heart-wrenching) story of a young mage princess, Gaiane, on her quest to right the wrongs done by her family. She encounters a unique cast of characters (the shining stars of the book, IMO) and confronts her past along the way. I really enjoyed this book from start to finish!
The book begins very intensely, starting off with the brutal end of a war fought between two kingdoms. It's a great introductory chapter, pulling the reader in and showing them the lay of the land at the same time. The reader is introduced to the characters and gets a compelling glance into who they are. This first chapter did a good job of setting the stage for the rest of the novel and left me wanting more of the characters from the moment they're introduced. It's truly a fantastic set-up chapter.
From the first line, this book played like a movie in my mind. I felt as if I was watching it more than reading it, which I found refreshing and really special. I think it takes a special kind of talent to make me forget that I'm not actually able to see what's happening. The e-book I received was riddled with typos and probably needs one last pass through editing to fix those up before it's more widely distributed. That being said, I enjoyed the style of writing and natural storytelling more than I was bothered by the typos.
I've seen a lot of reviews mention the unique magic system, which is pretty neat, but to me, the highlights of The Other Side of Magic are its characters. Leo, Evandro, Ligeia, and Ampelio are all entirely unique characters in a well-loved and well-used genre. One of my only issues with The Other Side of Magic is the dialogue. It can feel very clunky at times, especially coming from Gaiane. This isn't to say it's all bad, and honestly dialogue isn't as big a part of the book as you may think. It certainly didn't ruin the experience for me, just pulled me out of the fantasy every so often.
A fantasy set in a kingdom that's home to a hidden away princess with magic powers may seem like nothing new, but The Other Side of Magic was a fresh and unique interpretation of that setting. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes magic, adorable queer romance, well-crafted character arcs, and doesn't mind a bit of gore.

Parts of the story were really enjoyable and sweet, but I didn't love others. I thought the romance was sweet, but their relationship confused me at times because it seemed like Leo was forgiving very quickly. Gaiane was infantilized throughout much of the book and as much as I wanted to like her, I found her annoying. I preferred the stories of the other side characters overall. The parental relationships were complex but sometimes bordered on just neglect. I thought the beginning was the best part of the story, and that the political plot of the last half or so was kind of frustrating to get through. I never quite understood the magic system in the story, which I had been hoping we would have explained a bit more. The story was sweet but seemed a bit unfinished overall and the plots seemed jumbled together a bit.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

YA fantasy books are my favorite genre, so I was so excited to get approved to review The Other Side of Magic ahead of its release date. The first line of the synopsis is: "In a world inspired by 16th century Italy, magic is a common occurrence." Once I read that, I was sold! I couldn't wait to read this historical fantasy novel.

The beginning of the book is everything I wanted. Here is an excerpt that shows Gaiane, one of the main characters, and a princess, using her powers to destroy a rival army:

"Magic flowed through her, beyond her. Down the tower and over the fields, through the trees and across the rivers. She pulled at the strings holding the world together, and her power reached the soldiers. It blended with theirs, and she felt their surprise as if it were her own...
In the time of a quickened beat of her heart, it all came back to her. She wasn't just lending her energy to the troops--she was living the battle with them. With every single soldier, and hundred, thousands of details cluttered her head. A gasp, and Gaiane staggered back."

This is the magic that I love reading about! I couldn't wait to continue reading and see what happens next. I was shocked when Gaiane loses her powers almost immediately. Even though the title of the book is The Other Side of Magic, somehow, the "magic" disappeared, and we were left with a mediocre, less-exciting story set in an alternative 16th-century Italy. After reading the synopsis and the introduction, I was so ready to love this book. Overall, The Other Side of Magic is a YA fantasy novel without the fantasy. I recommend it for fantasy readers who are sick of complicated magic systems and want something more "historical." If that sounds like you, you should check out this book, which came out last week.

There were parts of this book I adored, and parts I felt were weak. In particular, I loved the magic system - I felt like it was well-thought-out and creative. I also loved the diversity present throughout the book; I felt like the characters were interesting and all had great character arcs (especially the princess!).

That said, I'm not sure if it was a translation issue or what (was this translated?) but a lot of the dialogue and writing itself was kind of clunky and simplified. The pacing felt off as well - the first half of the book felt like explanation or set up, and the ending felt rushed in comparison.

Not bad, but not particularly compelling. However, thank you for the opportunity to read this! I really appreciate it.

Reading the premise of the book, I was immediately intrigued. The magic system seemed amazing and I couldn’t wait to read it.

However, I was left a bit disappointed. The world building was lacking, leaving this fantastic magic system nowhere to be developed.

The writing style made all the characters blend in, they all seemed the same and were all equally was annoying.

The plot in itself was majorly boring and predictable. Plot twists were seen pages away before they even occurred.

And the pacing, oh lord, please. The second half of the book was better, yes, but they killed it by changing the pacing and having everything resolved in literal seconds.

Overall, this was defitnely not my thing but im sure others might enjoy it.

Wasn’t able to connect with the reading style and had to give up on the book. The premise sounded really good but I just wasn’t in the space to try to read it at this time.

The other side of magic had a unique magic system which captured my attention. Each individual is born with a certain amount of magic which diminishes throughout their lifetime, and the amount remaining is externally visible through a symbol on the forehead, which - similar to a battery icon - fades with use. However, there were elements of this magic system which were not explored well, namely the child Gaiane whose magic never runs out, owing to some sort of magic eugenics. The explanation of this left me with more questions than answers, and was not given weight in a way that felt significant.

Queer themes were woven throughout, featuring an incredibly diverse cast of characters. However, I found that I didn't care much for the individual relationships. The rapid pacing made it difficult to form attachment to any one character, particularly towards the start of the book. There were no subtle introductions to the characters; from the beginning, you are thrust right into the heat of it, which made it very difficult to care about any of them - there was simply no connection.

There are multiple perspectives throughout each chapter of this book, and that, in itself, is an issue. The lack of signposting at each change in perspective resulted in confusion not only surrounding the whom. but also the when in relation to the previous POV. Perhaps, in part, because of this, each switch between characters was extremely jarring. It was difficult to get into the flow of each character, and just when you thought you might, the perspective changed again.

Once I was able to put my confusion aside and work out what was supposed to be going on, the plot was relatively predictable. It was not hard to see the 'plot twists' coming, and moments that should have been impactful fell flat.

Aside from that, the sentence structure often felt awkward, and the dialogue was frequently cringe-worthy. Whilst it featured an interesting magic system and featured nice queer representation, I found I couldn’t get over the pacing and perspective changes enough to really enjoy this.

This book is very unique, the magic system was different from what I'm used to, and the characters were good. It took me a while to connect with the main. characters but I loved them once I did. None of them were boring The writing is great. I would read more by this author and I plan on buying a physical copy of the book.

This historical inspired fantasy has a cast of loveable characters in a gripping and totally re-imagined Italy. If you're looking for a queer fantasy, this is for you. I really enjoyed this.

The Other Side of Magic was a fascinating delve into a unique world. I was slow to connect with the main characters, but once that finally did happen, I could not wait to see what came next. A rich colorful world surrounds a story about taking responsibility for your actions, even those actions you had no choice about making.

Overall a cute story, I really liked Leo as a character. But as far as enemies to lovers goes, it's fairly generic.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spoiler free review.
This book is very unique, the magic system is clever, and the characters never commit the cardinal sin of being boring. Even if you don’t like them all you can’t say they are boring. I didn’t find pacing to be a problem, maybe because I enjoyed the detail and existing in the world. The writing is lovely. I would read more by this author.

i thoroughly enjoyed this! I think that some part were paced in a strange way (the beginning and the end both are so fast paced and it’s much slower in the middle) but i enjoyed the world building and magic system.
I didn’t love all the characters — not all of them are really meant to be loved — but I still liked reading about them.

This book started off so strongly! The world was introduced with a bang and the plot was full of action that immediately drew me in. Who were these people? How did the magic system work? What were the politics like? I was instantly hooked and wanted to know more...

Then in the second chapter we're suddenly in the future. None of my questions were answered and the action slowed down considerably. Everything just became more confusing which wasn't helped by the multiple points of view. I never felt as if I knew enough about the magic, the environment, or the politics to really understand any of the character's motives or identities. Nothing made me care about any of the characters.

I really wish I could have liked this book but I just didn't. Maybe next time...