Ruthless Magic

This book completely surpassed all my expectations. I would enthusiastically recommend this for YA lovers. This book deals with issues of race, class, sexuality, government corruption, terrorism and so much more. This is such a good book. Please check it out and spread the word. This book deserves to be as high profile and as beloved as the Hunger Games. Read this book.

Ruthless Magic is Hunger Games meets Mortal Instruments meets Shadowshaper (by Daniel Jose Older. Read it if you haven’t already!) This action-packed urban fantasy will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end, all while exploring ideas of race and privilege. I really hope this one gets turned into a movie!

Ruthless Magic is told in dual first-person perspective. The main characters are Finn, a boy from an old and prominent magical family, but with little power of his own, and Rocio, a Latina Brooklyn native who is extremely powerful, but comes from a “new-magic” family that is looked down upon. This is a world where the privileged “old-magic” families rule the magical community.

When they become older teens, potential mages can apply to the magical university where they will go on to develop their powers and ultimately get a job working as a full-mage. Those who are denied entry are “dampened”, their powers diminished to only a small ability. Often POC who are dampened, are left with abilities that make them fit only for domestic labor. Despite claims of objectivity and merit-based standards, new-magic candidates are heavily discriminated against despite their talent. Candidates who have been rejected have only one chance to redeem themselves and keep their magic - declaring for the Mages Test, a secretive days-long test where a few are Champions while the rest die in the process or have every bit of their magic removed.

Finn is accepted into the university despite his poor qualifications, while his talented new-magic (and Indian) friend is rejected. Knowing that this is only due to his family connections, Finn declares for the Mages Test in protest, determined to earn his way into being a mage. Rocio is perhaps the most talented and powerful magic user her age, but because of her heritage, she is denied entry to the University. Thrust together in the brutal Test, Finn and Rocio must work together to survive and perhaps uncover a larger conspiracy.

The story is tense, brutal, and fast-paced. But it is ultimately about choosing humanity, choosing love, and recognizing the value in everyone. This is one that really blew me away with how much it hooked me into the story and how important the underlying message was. Definitely recommend it! I received an e-arc of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ruthless Magic was a fun, exciting dip into a new magical world filled with conspiracy and competition.

Finn Lockwood and Rocio Lopez are both part of the magical community, but they might as well have grown up worlds apart.

Finn is one of the privileged, a member from a historical mage family with the prestige of the North American Confederation of Mages behind his granduncle's every word. Unfortunately for Finn, his magical skills don't quite live up to the power of his family name and legacy.

Rocío Lopez is a beautifully gifted mage from a historically average family. Both of her parents have had their meager powers dampened, and her family is firmly below white collar. Rocio's future lies in impressing the Confederation to win a scholarship into the College that will prepare her for a future in their magical world.

Ruthless Magic follows Finn & Rocio as they find themselves in the deadly competition to become one of the Confederation's Champions. Without a formal invitation into the College of the North American Confederation of Mages, the teens must complete a series of high-risk, possibly even deadly, tasks to prove their worth.

Crewe's plot moves quickly, but it's equally packed with action and character-building. Since the novel is told through both Finn and Rocio's perspective, we get a pretty well-rounded look at the society they live in. All magic was not created equal, and there's brewing unrest on more than one front: between the Dulls (non-magical) and the old and new mages (family history vs. genetic anomalies). Throughout Ruthless Magic there are puzzles pieces dropped as the kids, more-so Finn than Rocio, start to understand what's rotten in their society. I think Crewe is setting us up for something big- the social unrest has Hunger Games potential- in order to change the way their world is run, these kids are going to have to do something daring, something to change their society from the inside out. The question is, how will they do it?

The society was interesting, as was the prejudice that divides them. In a world where lineage is gold, skills and authentic power really can't get you very far.

I liked both Finn and Rocio. Finn's smooth-talking, friendly nature balances out some of the rougher edges of Rocio, sharper social instincts that have been created by the challenges and prejudice she's faced in her life. Together, they provide what the other lacks, be it magic, ingenuity, technical theory, or just a simple sense of humor. Seeing the challenges through their dual perspectives lets us gain insight into how the brains of both the new and old mages work, and the teens work well to push each other's boundaries.

The supporting characters are also interesting- I particularly liked Desmond. I wish that there had been more time to develop him in this first installment, but Crewe leaves it at a point where I think we might be seeing more of him in the future.

I don't always agree with the blurbs that say, "If you like _______, then you'll love __________", but for once, I think there's some real merit. The Hunger Games, dystopian vibes are strong here, and I think there's a built-in audience who's just been waiting for something new to spark their interest.

I would definitely pick up the second book.