Magicalia was everything I was expecting and more, it was filled with magic, adventure, friendship and of course magical creatures.

Bitsy’s father is kidnapped by an evil lady who’s convince he has a book that can lead to an ancient artifact known as Arkwright Gyrowheel a long lost object that can help summon powerful magicores.

Magicores are creatures that are conjured from different emotions but Bitsy had no idea of their existence until her father was taken, now she and her best friend Kosh are throw into this brand new world and they need to figure it all out if they want to save Bitsy father.

I loved how Jennifer made Bitsy and Kosh search for the Gyrowheel take place in all different countries, it was amazing seeing the Taj Mahal and the Versailles Palace.

And of course the star of the book was the magicores, the illustrations were so well done and really helped me picture the creatures, my favorite by far was the Hix, so cute!

I truly enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read the next one.

Thanks Netgalley and Walker Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest reviewmiddle-grade13 s Steph1,166 84

My gosh, this was a total and utter adventure from the word go! Round the world, through magical quests and theft, with family and friends, a totally villainous bad guy, and some delightful drawings of the creatures, I have gobbled this up in no time at all. I genuinely can’t WAIT for more! This is everything I love about stories! 1 Sifa PoultonAuthor 2 books41

I received an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

RACE OF WONDERS is the start of a MG series about magical creatures conjured from emotions.

I loved the breadth of imagination on show in this book through the myriad of magical creatures introduced. Conjured from emotions, they can be helpful or scary - depending on who uses them. They bring s a bright dash of magic to the world (book set in ours) with lots to explore - and plenty of scope for later books to introduce new ones.

Each chapter begins with an illustration of a magicore, one who will probably play a role in that chapter. The illustrations were done by David Wyatt and were such a useful little touch. These creatures are ones imagined by Jennifer Bell and I found a visual interpretation more useful for imagining them than a drawn one, so I'm glad the option was there.

The book is a quest, which I love. Bitsy and Kosh dash around the world following clues to find out where exactly the mythical gyrowheel is in order to stop the villain getting it - and to heal those hurt by the villain. The clues take them to cultural landmarks the Taj Mahal and the Palace of Versailles. I enjoyed the tourism aspect of it.

The book also explores judging people without knowing them through the hunter's guild, who have all been banished for 300 years. New members don't get a chance to show they're not all the same as the villain. There are a few fun twists about who is a goodie and who is a baddie woven into it.

The book ends with the gyrowheel found, but in doing so, the world of magicores could be about to change - for the better, if everyone can let go of their prejudices. Agapanthus.books.10039 1 follower

Have you got Magicalia by Jennifer Bell on your wish list yet?

Well, if you haven't, you definitely need to pop it on there!

Bitzy is living a very normal life trying hard to find interesting events to cover in her quest to follow in her mother's footsteps as a journalist. Creating exciting podcasts with her best friend Kosh is proving difficult in her quiet home town of Oddington, when out of the blue, her world is turned upsidedown.

Their home is invaded by a conjuror with a magical beast in tow, and her beloved dad is kidnapped. Bitsy discovers she is descended from these magical conjurors who can create magicores - magical beasts - summoned by using their emotions.

A hidden notebook, magical stones and a set of intriguing coordinates, lead Bitsy and Kosh on adventure that takes them from Oxford to London, then India to France on a mission to rescue her dad and find out more about her mysterious past.
But with danger around every corner, will they make it without one, or both of them, getting hurt?

If you love a quest adventure, then you'll love this tale. Littered with a whole host of magical creatures who are linked to your emotions, each has different abilities and powers, making it such a clever and unique plot. The characters are a mix of 'goodies and baddies', the goodies are able and have you spurring them on in their mission, whilst the baddies are truly devious and wicked.

Jennifer's writing style is fast paced and easy to read, keeping you hooked with every page. I loved this story and am already looking forward to a sequel! Fantastic!

Thank you to Toppsta for this proof copy of the book. Lori1 review

Not since Morrigan Crow have I been so enamoured with an introduction to a magical world. Magicalia grabs you from the moment a purple hamster with a horn appears unexpectedly to the thrilling creature battle with the villain at the end. Bitsy and Kosh are a able duo; thrown into an adventure filled with magic; navigating an extraordinary world where emotions are used to conjure magical creatures. Evoking Pokémon, Inside Out and His Dark Materials the creatures are complex, unique and incredibly charming. I could not wait to see which creature would be introduced next and how this connected to the emotion. The plot was quick paced and suspenseful, with a couple of twists and turns which didn’t seem forced and lent well to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the travel to locations around the world and the exploration of the conservatoire and its history. The world is fully realised and rich in possibilities for future books. I was left how I want a book to make me feel; a bit fuller but also completely bereft that the journey was over…for now. I am already wondering which guild I would join and I cannot wait to see more of the wonderful world of Magicalia! watermelonreads388 17


I'm really disappointed that this book didn't resonate with me as much as I expected. While I appreciate the detailed worldbuilding, it felt overwhelming at times, and I found myself skimming over it as the story progressed. However, I understand the author's focus on creating a foundation for a series.

My biggest frustration lies with the central mystery. For almost two-thirds of the book, both the characters and the reader are invested in a lead that ultimately turns out to be irrelevant. It feels the entire premise, built on what seems a major miscommunication, was essentially a waste of time. After 150 pages of following this lead, I couldn't help but wonder, "So what was the point?" This shift significantly impacted my interest, and I realized I wasn't the target audience for this particular story.

It's a shame, because the author is undeniably talented. I'm just sad this book wasn't the right fit for me. Farah G1,117 25

This is a whirlwind-paced and wonderfully creative adventure involving exotic imaginary creatures, meteorites and more magical madness than you can shake a stick at.

As Bitsy and Kosh ride to the rescue of her kidnapped father, they are in a race against time and travel across the globe from Europe to India.

In the process, not only are they introduced to beasts the hamstoceros and ozoz, they encounter an entire menagerie of magical creatures at the Magicalia bestiary.

A thrilling story with plenty of twists, this will have wide-ranging appeal for young (and not so young) readers. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Sinéad O'HartAuthor 10 books61

I know it's early in the year, but... I think this will be my book of 2024. I'm a huge fan of Jennifer Bell, and I've loved all her previous work, but Magicalia: Race of Wonders is a step up from her already high bar! A thrilling, fascinating, expertly plotted, brilliantly nuanced, endlessly imaginative story that had me gripped from the very first line, this book really is superb middle-grade wonder. I hope it finds ALLLL the readers! (My thanks to the author and her publisher for sending me an electronic proof of this book, without obligation to review.) HelenAuthor 25 books206

A fun adventure story for older children, with lots of cuddly (and not so cuddly!) magical creatures, and a whole new magical world to explore! The author takes us around the world on a race against time to find the gyrowheel, a magical instrument that mustn't fall into the wrong hands. On the way, there are plenty of twists and some fun creatures that help Bitsy and Kosh, the two protagonists.

Kids will be enthralled with this action-packed story, and the characters feel old friends right from the start. A great story that I hope will become a series. Highly recommend! John Moore157 15

A stellar 10/10 middle grade fantasy from the extraordinaire that is Jennifer Bell.

Magicalia is an explosive start to what I’m sure will be truly magical series. The imagination that is laced through every page, in every magicore description is unmatched in the kids world.

There are twists and turns, relatable creatures and loveable characters.

It is Pokémon meets Inside Out! Joanna211 1 follower

This is a fast-paced story about two children's attempts to rescue the kidnapped father of one of them. It is well-written with bits that could be a bit challenging for younger children. Sometimes I think it can be a bit too fast-paced and hard to follow. But on the whole, it is a great fun-read. Louise55 1 follower

This was fabulous. Magic, adventure, friendships, and family all happen in this book. It had an Indiana Jones feel as they were looking for an ancient artefact, and on their journey, they came across traps aimed to test them. There were so many magical creatures that I hope there's another book so we can see mor Mrs Walsh579 5

This was an interesting one. It was lovely entering in to such a magical world. Lots of twists and turns throughout. There were a few points I felt the book was padded out a bit, but overall a good read. Mary248 438

A delightfully imaginative story full of magical creatures that enthrall. Travel the world with this adventurous read.
Abbie Dennhardt111 13

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