The Stray Reader

Author:	Christine Schulz
Genre(s):	➡️ Fantasy ➡️ Contemporary Magic
Series? Series Order:	✅ Yes Book 1
Goodreads Rating:	⭐ 4.07 (30 ratings; 13 reviews)
Personal Rating:	⭐ 3 / 5 Overall

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🛑 Spoiler Warning 🛑

I might be recounting events, characters, and themes so THIS MIGHT BE FULL OF SPOILERS.

If you’d like to read a review with the spoilers hidden, kindly scroll to the bottom to read my spoiler-free summary in the ‘Final Thoughts’ section or head to my Goodreads post for a more detailed version with spoilers removed. You don’t need an account to read it.😊

🗒️ BLURB 🗒️

Magic is unpredictable, some would say even dangerous. So is Adrian Cotter, a loud-mouthed troublemaker in the city of Lorith with an ability to make magic do just about anything – except what it’s supposed to. Despite being teased mercilessly by everyone around him, he’s determined to make something of himself and prove them all wrong.

That is, until he’s framed for murder. Now, the entire city is after him.

Struggling to prove his innocence, Adrian is hunted by a menacing shadow obsessed with killing him and haunted by a mysterious voice playing games in his head. When a group of unlikely strangers takes him in, he learns the truth about his magic, things he never thought were possible. With their help, he sets out on a mission to make things right. But when he uncovers a secret from his past, the course of his future becomes uncertain. What sacrifices will he be forced to make? How far will he go to find a way to become the hero he’s always wanted to be?

Source: Goodreads

🌟Review (3/5) 🌟

‘How to Hunt a Menacing Magical Shadow’ gave me a teenage fantasy action movie vibe reminiscent of ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ (the movie) and ‘Sky High.’

Plot

The plot is easy enough to digest so it’s good for a light read. Adrian, the protagonist, has an underdog story picked up by an angsty group of (what feels like) young adults on a super-secret mission, and confronts the villain that’s connected to his personal tragedies. There are no deep conspiracies, no political maneuverings that determine the fate of a nation, no complicated heist planning, nothing of those sorts. It’s a good plot opener for a series as it just focuses on one person’s story but throws hints at a more complex world-building and potentially darker plot points to be explored.

Aside from the minimal love story aspect of it, the plot was well-paced. The rules of this modern world that uses magic as a utility in a small capacity was established quite well, and the initial action sequence kicked in pretty early on. I only have two minor criticisms:

• The misunderstanding conflict of the story felt a little weak.
• Adrian fainted way too often (3x in the first 131 pages) and it felt like an easy way out for our heroes when stuck in an action sequence.

Characters

I love that the story’s protagonist, Adrian, goes against the rising trend of having a broody and cynical main character in the YA genre. I liked his sense of humor and easygoing energy even when things are looking bleak.

“Death by cupcakes —my preferred way to die.”

— Adrian Cotter, Chapter 5

However, everyone else around him felt one-dimensional. The characters feel reactive to whatever is going on around Adrian rather than them acting on their own accord. The villains felt like caricatures straight out of cartoons with their shallow motivations and taunting language; Lizzie transformed from a badass rebel to a doe-eyed, lovestruck teenager; the nonchalant Eli invited Adrian for a heart-to-heart walk to a pizza place without Adrian earning this level of conversation with him. Because of that, even the character twists didn’t really feel as surprising as I hoped they would be.

Final Thoughts

A good book for anyone looking for a quick read in the modern magic genre that’s more plot-centered than romance. It has a spunky protagonist who spits good jokes with great timing, an interesting enough plot point moving in a steady pace, and a glimpse into a potentially deeper story and interesting characters. If interested, you can grab the first book of the Black Sheep series for FREE through Kindle unlimited.