Book Cover
Title A Darker Magic
Series ---
Author Michael Bedard
Cover Art ---
Publisher Avon Books - 1987
First Printing ---
Category Young Adult
Warnings None


Main Characters


Scott, Emily, Craig

Main Elements Magicians, ghosts




The Magician

He gathered the children for a magic show in the old railroad depot and, with a wave of his wand, performed the most amazing, wonderful, and frightening tricks they had ever seen...

Fifty years later, teenagers Emily and Craig have heard the strange story from old Miss Potts. They've fallen under the spell of those haunting memories - of the night a stranger made magic, and children could disappear, and reappear, and fly...and die.

Now the magician is coming back....
And a new generation is in grave danger.




This book, for whatever reason, has been the scariest book I've ever read. I'm sure others won't find it that way, but it terrified me years ago, and now again, when I reread it for this review. One night having a strange dream I almost didn't want to finish reading it, but made it to the end anyways.

And it wasn't just the book that was scary. While writing up a book report for school, my lamp went out. That wouldn't have bothered me so much if the power had gone out, or if I had knocked the plug loose, or the bulb burnt out, but none of those happened. I almost got rid of the book, it disturbed me so much. Even while writing this I was half expecting my computer to shut down on its own.

As I mentioned, chances are you won't be affected to the extent I was, but it is a scary book. Perhaps its the author's way of writing, the description of Scott and the magician, the atmosphere. Whatever it is, don't read it while alone in the house at night!




Posted: August 2003

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