The Scent of Magic

By Jay Seaborg

Book Overview

Rolf Hynasson was planning on becoming a magician and using his gifts to help the Empire. While in the capital of Ponticar, he finds himself suddenly an outcast, running for his life from the most... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595171915
• ISBN13: 9780595171910
• Release Date: February 2001
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

This Should Be A Movie

This is one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. It is a story that really develops the characters, and the action just sizzles. I could not put it down-it just grabbed me and wouldn't let go. You really get inside the character's heads, and Seaborg has put some really unique twists into his story. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, he changes directions, but so smoothly that you can only admire the work. This would make an awesome movie!! It's not your typical fantasy novel, but has a combination of fantasy, adventure, romance, even touches of what could be considered spiritual aspects. I don't even know how to categorize it. If you enjoy good storytelling, with a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat, this is the book for you. And the best news is that it's only the first book in the series. I've read the next two, The Price of Magic, and Journey's End, and they are even better. Hopefully, there are even more in the works. I can hardly wait to read them.

Great!!!

The title above describes it as best as I can.

A Magical Ride!

It's always a pleasure to discover a brand new writer who can entertain you and Seaborg definitely does that. His plot is wonderfully laid out, complex enough to be interesting without being so convoluted that it loses the reader in the process. There are a few surprises along the way and the characters are believable and engaging. Seaborg has a gift for dialog and his story moves along from scene to scene with a seamlessness that many more well-known authors would be advised to copy. I loved the way in which magic was treated in the book, not as something mystical and unreachable, but as a skill that could be developed for those with the talent for it. It was refreshing to see magicians who were real people instead of some eccentric hermit or power-mad fiend who wants to take over the world. Here they are rare enough to be respected without all the baggage so often thrown on for "effect". The story itself is a real page-turner. It's nice to read an adventure that actually has a plot to it rather than the standard "wizard wants to take over the world or save it". Here the magicians are intimately involved in the day-to-day life around them. I can hardly wait for more books by Seaborg.

Entertaining and Magical

I found tThe Scent of Magic to be filled with the kind of edge-of-your seat adventure so often missing from fantasy novels. The book grabs your attention from the first page and leaves you wanting more. Interesting characters and surprising plot twists make The Scent of Magic a thouroughly enjoyable ride. Seaborg created a land where magic is part and parcel of everyday life, from the highest levels of government to street magicians that really use magic. This is part one and I can hardly wait for the sequel later this year. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy novels. Anyone new to the genre could do no better than to start with The Scent of Magic.

The Scent of ... Success!

"Scent of Magic" -- A solidly well-written tale about a boy and his...magic. And his girlfriend. And his place in a government plot...and... In "The Scent of Magic", likeable characters and beliveable situations are masterfully placed into a plotline that starts out being deceptively simple and then twists and turns into something much larger, providing the reader with intrigue, entertainment, adventure,and of course, magic. Seaborg obviously thought the book out very carefully. Everything makes sense, from the government structures of the various cities to social customs, but especially good is the treatment of magic and the way it learned, taught and utilized. Without giving away the book, have *you* ever considered the *political* ramifications of magic? Another blessing for me...unlike most writers of fantasy, Seaborg wisely avoids the tortured "Tolkienese" that plagues so many others. The dialog is unobtrusive and natural -- they way it should be. Descriptions are vivid, without being overwhelming or sickeningly "Dungeon and Dragons-like". I felt that there could be some improvement in character development. Not too much is needed, because the characters were interesting enough that I wanted to know much more about them. However, I have a feeling that we will see this in future books ("Scent" is a part of a trilogy). It was a pleasure to read such well-crafted book, in fact, I enjoyed it so much that I read "The Scent of Magic" straight through in one afternoon, and now must await the sequel. I've read plenty of crappy, sloppy fantasy. It's a poor book when gaping plot holes, flat characters and lifeless dialog destroy the illusion of another world. In another life, Seaborg might have been a maker of fine cabinetry, so carefully and solidly is the work made. The devil is in the details, and Seaborg obviously has his ducks in a row. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fantasy fan who needs a break from the hackwork that seems to plague the genre.