(ARC) Magic Harvest, by Mary Karlik | Book Review #405

**Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my review.**

Magic Harvest is the first Fairy Trafficking book by Mary Karlik.

Young fae girls are disappearing.

Layla has never belonged to the fairy realm – at least, half of her hasn’t. She’s never known anyone with human blood, not even her father. When she was three, the dragon Fauth attacked the fairy festival, murdering her fae mum & stepfather. Frankly, some fairies think she should’ve been eaten too.

As she grew, despite being called names like “fuman” for being a half-blood, she’s discovered that being half-human isn’t terrible. She may lack magic, but she is immune to iron sickness, and she can wield a sword with elven skill.

Magic in the human world is disastrous.

Sixteen years later, when Layla’s half-sister is kidnapped and taken through a portal to the forbidden human realm, Layla rushes to the rescue. She’s older and stronger, and she’s not about to let her last living family member be taken from her without a fight.

Only someone who belongs to both worlds can find the truth.

The portal spits her out in the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, but neither her sister or the kidnapper are anywhere to be found. Stuck in a world she only knows from school books, Layla forges unlikely alliances to find her sister. As she becomes tangled in the dark world of fairy trafficking, magic harvesting, and murder, Layla will have to find the strength within if she is to survive and save her sister.

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Publication Date: September 18, 2018.

Prior to actually sitting down and reading Magic Harvest, I thought that the premise was intriguing. I’m also always down for a YA Fantasy Mystery, so that’s another point of why I was interested in Magic Harvest.

And on that point of Magic Harvest being a YA Fantasy, Layla is a character who in this first book is 19 years of age. So while Magic Harvest could definitely be in the New Adult age category, the story as an innocent character who discovers not only more of herself, but…the outside world as well.

Layla goes through such a character growth. At the beginning of this story we see how Layla’s PTSD has changed her life and how she’s lived with it. And then by the end of the novel we see Layla conquer her fears.

As much as I wanted to predict anything, I couldn’t—-so that’s a plus! AT first I didn’t know what to predict–and then I couldn’t predict anything. The synopsis for Magic Harvest doesn’t really give anything away. Frankly, I hoped that the ending to Magic Harvest would be a happy one. And what I could predict didn’t happen at all, heh. While I was reading this story it was difficult for me to pinpoint where the story would go.

There were few things that I didn’t like. For the most part, I for sure thought that a certain someone was going to be Layla’s father, so when I read that that character started to have feelings for Layla I was grossed out. But then it turned out that said character is too young to be Layla’s father.

I actually for sure thought that we’d find out who Layla’s father is, but I guess we’re to find out in book two (2)!

What I liked about Magic Harvest was that the plot got underway pretty quickly! I actually really liked how the story was first in the magical world, and then turned into our world.

I’m being vague about this next part that I liked, but I’ve got to be vague if you don’t want spoilers! So, when the plot gets underway in the second chapter I know right, so quick!, there’s a scene that plays out which gives the reader a quick insight as to how the rest of the story could play out.

What surprised me the most about Magic Harvest was the second point of view we read from! Throughout Magic Harvest we still read from Layla’s point of view for the most part. So I enjoyed the brief moments we read from this second point of view. I genuinely thought that Magic Harvest would have been a book I marked as Did Not Finish, had this second POV not come into play.

Another thing that I liked about this story was the mad dash that the characters go on. Speaking of which, the action moments within Magic Harvest were a delight to read!

I could see why someone would think that parts of this story felt forced, but for me, the story was an enjoyable read. If you want to sit back and not predict anything while you’re reading a story, then I definitely recommend Magic Harvest to you!

Overall, I enjoyed my reading of Magic Harvest, and I’m looking forward to reading book 2.

I give Magic Harvest, 3 stars.

Happy Reading!
— Adele