Review: Addicted to Magic
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 1, 2013
I wanted more than anything to give this book a 5 star rating.  Story wise it was there.  It was gripping, compelling, and an altogether fun read.  There were just a few glitches that knocked it down a bit.The descriptions in this novel were impeccable.  Everything was laid out in minute detail.  Salazar managed to do this without breaking the flow of the story or introducing a lull.  It is always great to find an author that can integrate detailed, accurate descriptions into an upbeat novel.  The descriptions never once took away from the smooth flow of this well written story.The characters in this novel were great.  From the very first page I found myself thinking "I really like her" [the main character].  She was so completely herself at all times.  She was also a remarkably well developed character.  Most of the main characters are quite well developed.  You get to know enough about them that you can really relate to them.  I also love that you not only get to know their personalities, but their physical appearances and the way that they comport themselves.  You also get to know the characters gradually throughout the story, rather than one long narrative telling you about someone.  I must admit that one character does remain somewhat mysterious, but I have a feeling that he'll be making a bigger appearance in one of the future novels in the series.I thoroughly enjoyed the take on magic that Salazar developed.  Not only is magic itself unique within this novel but there are also consequences to using it.  These consequences are what make magic seem so appealing yet dangerous to characters and readers alike.My only issue with this book is that a couple of times the characters' names kept switching, either flipping 2 people around in a scene, or in one scene someone had 2 different names.  It was just enough that it made the sections confusing so that I had to re-read them to sort some details out.  Even with how much I enjoyed this story, this gave me enough pause to give it a 4 star, rather than a 5 star rating.Overall, this novella was very entertaining.  I couldn't put it down.  Salazar's work was as enthralling as usual.  I'm already counting down the days until I can get my hands on the sequel.