This book wasn't for me. I am a big fan of John Barrowman and liked the Torchwood book he co-wrote but this one just didn't hold my attention. I wasn't even able to finish it. I do think that is just my own personal taste, though, and not necessarily an issue with the book itself.

Since I wasn't a fan and didn't finish the book, I opted not to post a public review on amazon.

Conjuror was such a pleasant surprise. I thought this book was a really fun ride.

Siblings John Barrowman and Carole E. Barrowman are the co-authors of a number of books. This was my first time reading one of their novels. Conjuror is about people who can create magic with art. Remy can do magic with music, and twins Matt and Em can create magic with their drawings.

I admit, the art was a major draw for me. Matt and Em can travel through paintings, and they can make drawings that come to life. There's a bit of a time travel element here too because several figures from the past travel through paintings to the present. Some of these travelers are famous artists.

Remy is on the run from some very dangerous (and disgusting) historical figures. Remy has some of the pieces of the puzzle, and Matt and Em have some of the pieces of the puzzle. They finally meet up and things get very interesting.

I did have a few quibbles. The book is kind of disjointed. That is partly intentional (the book is told in 5 parts), but there were also some moments where it felt like something had been skipped. I decided to just roll with it, and I still really enjoyed the story. Also, Matt and Em are the main characters in a middle-grade trilogy written by John and Carole Barrowman. I've never read that trilogy, and so part 2 of Conjuror was a little unclear to me. You won't have that problem if you've read their other books, but, as Conjuror is not intended to be a direct sequel, a little more backstory would have been helpful for newbies.

The moment after I finished the book, I began investigating how I could get my hands on the second book in the series. I want to follow the trail of the stolen musical instruments.

Conjuror is is the first book in the Orion Chronicles by John and Carole E. Barrowman. I did not know that this book, and subsequent series, is a spin off of a previous trilogy starring Em and Matt Calder called Hollow Earth. While I still understood the story and could enjoy the read regardless, I think that those that have already read the earlier series will get much more out of these read than those of us that are coming in cold.

Sixteen-year-old twins Matt and Em Calder are Animare: they can bring art to life, and travel in time through paintings. They work for Orion - the Animare MI5 - protecting the secrecy of their order and investigating crimes committed by their own kind. It's dangerous work. But when they are sent to Edinburgh to find a teenage boy who can alter reality with his music, they are drawn into something more dangerous still. For this boy, Remy, is the Conjurer's Son. And he carries something that could change humanity for ever.

Conjuror is a book with a wonderful idea, but I had trouble getting lost in the story and connecting to the characters, particularly in the beginning. There were many references to things that must have happened in the Hollow Earth series with Em and Matt which left me floundering a little. I did enjoy Remy's character, and the way they all came together. I also liked that once I figured out who everyone was, most characters are multidimensional, even some of the characters that did not really need to be fully fleshed out to play their part. The world building and how the Animare worked were very well done, and once the book hit its stride it was a nice fantasy read. There was a lot going on, which I expect will be expanded on in they rest of the series, but at times it just felt like a little too many characters and story arcs in play all at once.

Conjuror is a book that I had trouble getting into. I will admit to picking it up based solely on the author, because I love him. However, while it was a good book I was not as wowed as I had hoped to be, most likely because of high hopes and not having read the previous series.