I can always rely on M.K. England to deliver fantastic worlds and themes of found family. Spellhacker is no different! A fantasy magic heist with a group of unlikely friends, Spellhacker is an action packed adventure.
Summary
In Kyrkarta, magic—known as maz—was once a freely available natural resource. Then an earthquake released a magical plague, killing thousands and opening the door for a greedy corporation to make maz a commodity that’s tightly controlled—and, of course, outrageously expensive.
Which is why Diz and her three best friends run a highly lucrative, highly illegal maz siphoning gig on the side. Their next job is supposed to be their last heist ever.
But when their plan turns up a powerful new strain of maz that (literally) blows up in their faces, they’re driven to unravel a conspiracy at the very center of the spellplague—and possibly save the world.
No pressure.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Edelweiss. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Found family, standing up when others would stay silent, and all the queer magic, Spellhacker is a story that celebrates resistance and love. Featuring a queer MC, nonbinary love interest, bi side character and some other smaller but adorable queer characters, Spellhacker is a story of choosing with whom we will take a stand. The world building in Spellhacker is magical, colorful, and detailed. Even though I would probably be an awful magic user, there’s something infectious about the power, the color, and the tension.
Diz is a fantastic main character. I related to her feelings of being left behind, of not knowing how to tell the people we love most to stay. That feeling of wanting to voice our deepest desires, but being so deeply afraid of rejection. Of the ones we love not choosing us. Diz feels, in some ways, powerlessness in the face of disaster and change. Throughout Spellhacker, Diz has to figure out how to face her fears.
Overall,
The world building in Spellhacker is rich. Talking about the wealth disparity of Maz and corporate control, Spellhacker transports us to a magical world. I need more people to read this book so I can just geek out about all the world building amazingness, the messages against corporate greed, and how we have to fight our instincts to run, and instead fight for our future. Spellhacker celebrates the family we choose. Who choose us against the odds and free of obligation. The ones who take care of us and let us take care of them.
Find Spellhacker on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound & The Book Depository. Don’t forget to pre-order or request at your library for some great stickers and swag!
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