Review: Titan Magic by Jodi Lamm

Title:  Titan Magic  

Author:  Jodi Lamm

Genre:  Young Adult

Format:  Kindle

Release Date:  September 2011

    *book was provided by author in exchange for an honest review*

Mute, heartless and tormented by auditory hallucinations, Madeleine Lavoie never questions why her family has hidden her from the world.  But the night her brother casts her out, she learns the mysterious voice she thought existed only in her mind is no delusion, and no matter how hard she tries, she can never disobey it.

Now Madeleine must find her own voice in a cacophony of powerful tyrants, monsters and gods. If she fails, she will forfeit her life and the lives of everyone who loves her. But if she succeeds, she may finally gain the ability to love someone in return. (Summary courtesy of Goodreads)

Titan Magic is an extremely well-written young adult novel that reads like an intriguing fairy tale. The story is perhaps one of the most original I have read in a while, especially from a self-published author. I was quite impressed with Lamm’s prowess at writing—hers is the first self-published novel I have read that has not been fraught with grammar, spelling and other writing errors. That in itself was refreshing.

I liked the premise of Titan Magic—Madeleine Lavoie, or Maddy as she is called, has lived three years mute, sequestered away in her family home and tortured by strange hallucinations only she can hear. After her brother Marcus sends her away, she begins to learn more about her past—a past that is strange and unbelievable. It is difficult to write more about the book without giving away too much of the story and Maddy’s adventure.

Well I liked Titan Magic, I did find it confusing. There was a LOT going on. Most of the characters had complicated background stories, interwoven with the other characters, as well as characters that were not even introduced. Frieden, where the story takes place, had an extensive history that was only touched on. Midway through the book, the story started to drag—a huge amount of time was spent in conversation. While much of it was vital to the story, it took a lot time. This was a difficult investment for me as a reader, because I felt that I was investing more time in being confused. While some of the confusion was cleared up as the story progressed, not all of it was, leaving me wondering if a sequel is in the works. I worry that Lamm’s target audience, young adults interested in a good fantasy, will lose interest or become so confused they stop reading. In this age of immediate gratification and instant answers, I have found that tweens and some teens won’t give a book a chance if they have to invest too much time or thought in a book.

I liked Titan Magic; it was a good story. I will be trying to get students I know are interested in fantasy to give it a try; I think if I can get them to invest some time, they will find a story they like.

My grade for Titan Magic by Jodi Lamm: