What do you think?
Rate this book
Mystwick #2
The Midnight Orchestra
In this spellbinding and "well-orchestrated"* sequel to The Mystwick School of Musicraft , Amelia must master the magic of Composing to help her school win a magic competition—and save her friends from a mysterious evil. Things are finally looking up for Amelia she's officially a Mystwick student, and she even has a teacher to help her learn how to use her rare Composing magic. When Mystwick enters an international magic competition, it’s Amelia's chance to Compose something that will help them win the day. The only problem is that she still doesn’t understand how her powers work. But then she hears about a super exclusive Midnight Orchestra—half performance, half magical black market—and Amelia is sure that’s where she’ll find the answer to her Composing problem. But the Midnight Orchestra is far more sinister than it initially appears and if Amelia can’t unlock her Composing powers, not only will Mystwick lose the musicraft competition, she won’t be able to rescue her friends from the danger unleashed in this thrilling adventure. * Kirkus
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 13, 2022
70 people are currently reading
2639 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Khoury
27 books2,571 followersJessica Khoury wrote her first book at age 4, a fan fic sequel to Syd Hoff's Danny and the Dinosaur, which she scribbled on notebook paper, stapled together, and placed on the bookshelf of her preschool classroom. Since that day, she's dreamed of being an author.
When not writing, Jess enjoys spending time with family, playing video games, and oil and watercolor painting. She is also a professional mapmaker, and spends far too much time scribbling tiny trees and mountains for fictional worlds.
Jess currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina. She is the author of the Corpus trilogy, The Forbidden Wish, Last of Her Name, and The Mystwick School of Musicraft.
When not writing, Jess enjoys spending time with family, playing video games, and oil and watercolor painting. She is also a professional mapmaker, and spends far too much time scribbling tiny trees and mountains for fictional worlds.
Jess currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina. She is the author of the Corpus trilogy, The Forbidden Wish, Last of Her Name, and The Mystwick School of Musicraft.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
February 4, 2022
The Midnight Orchestra 4.6 stars
A magical read with some annoying flaws, namely the Amelias’
Mia (the real Amelia Jones) finally shows up wreaking havoc on Amelia ( the main character) also Jones’ life. Mia is just not likeable, and even after discovering why she returned and why she’s acting the way she has been, still, nope.
Amelia is still wrestling with feelings of insecurity, learning about her unique magical skills, and getting the shock of her life over her parentage. She’s still reckless, angry, impulsive, a bit selfish and some of that can be excused over her feelings of abandonment that she’s still processing.
The book is a great read and deals with issues around parental abandonment, insecurities, parental disapproval and it’s effects on their children, bullying, guilt, parental death, pain, etc.
Overalls satisfying sequel.
A magical read with some annoying flaws, namely the Amelias’
Mia (the real Amelia Jones) finally shows up wreaking havoc on Amelia ( the main character) also Jones’ life. Mia is just not likeable, and even after discovering why she returned and why she’s acting the way she has been, still, nope.
Amelia is still wrestling with feelings of insecurity, learning about her unique magical skills, and getting the shock of her life over her parentage. She’s still reckless, angry, impulsive, a bit selfish and some of that can be excused over her feelings of abandonment that she’s still processing.
The book is a great read and deals with issues around parental abandonment, insecurities, parental disapproval and it’s effects on their children, bullying, guilt, parental death, pain, etc.
Overalls satisfying sequel.
November 3, 2022
There isn't many books like this and reading with the audio book is the only way! I think if this just was a book without the audible original it wouldn't be anything special. However listening to the music the characters are playing is pretty magical.
I thought the plot was very convenient, the gran was on a cruise and lost her phone, Mia was introduced and causing mischief and we learn more about Amelia's past but it's surprising that certain things weren't mentioned in the first book.
It felt there wasn't supposed to be another book in this series and this was being made up as it went a long sometimes. It wasn't as good as the first book but it is definitely charming and unique.
I thought the plot was very convenient, the gran was on a cruise and lost her phone, Mia was introduced and causing mischief and we learn more about Amelia's past but it's surprising that certain things weren't mentioned in the first book.
It felt there wasn't supposed to be another book in this series and this was being made up as it went a long sometimes. It wasn't as good as the first book but it is definitely charming and unique.
July 10, 2022
Rating: 3.5 stars
It's been just a couple weeks since Amelia Jones saved the Mystwick School from ghosts and revealing herself to be a Composer. Now the students have entered the school into a musicraft competition and Amelia must Compose the winning song for Mystwick. But then Amelia finds herself invited to the Midnight Orchestra - a mysterious monthly event, held in a different location every time, and one that is half concert, half black market for magic. The Midnight Orchestra is even more sinister than its reputation implies and Amelia soon finds herself under pressure to unlock her Composing ability if she wants to save her friends.
The Midnight Orchestra is the second book in the Mystwick School series. It's another enjoyable magical music school romp with Amelia and Jai. I feel bad for Amelia for most of the book. Amelia has placed so much pressure on herself for this competition that only gets compounded when the "real" Amelia Jones (aka Mia) shows up miraculously rescued from being shipwrecked and is quite the "mean girl" for most of the story. It also makes me feel bad for Darby, who has finally made friends with Amelia only to have it disrupted by Mia. Jai continues to be the lovable, ever enthusiastic character as always. Everyone needs a Jai in their life.
As much as I enjoyed the story over all, the character Mia drove me nuts. Even after explaining her nasty behaviour, I still just didn't like her. While the story is fully resolved, there is definitely enough room to write more in this world.
I'm definitely going to keep listening to this series on audio. Suzy Jackson's narration combined with musical performances by the NJSO Youth Orchestra make for a magical experience.
It's been just a couple weeks since Amelia Jones saved the Mystwick School from ghosts and revealing herself to be a Composer. Now the students have entered the school into a musicraft competition and Amelia must Compose the winning song for Mystwick. But then Amelia finds herself invited to the Midnight Orchestra - a mysterious monthly event, held in a different location every time, and one that is half concert, half black market for magic. The Midnight Orchestra is even more sinister than its reputation implies and Amelia soon finds herself under pressure to unlock her Composing ability if she wants to save her friends.
The Midnight Orchestra is the second book in the Mystwick School series. It's another enjoyable magical music school romp with Amelia and Jai. I feel bad for Amelia for most of the book. Amelia has placed so much pressure on herself for this competition that only gets compounded when the "real" Amelia Jones (aka Mia) shows up miraculously rescued from being shipwrecked and is quite the "mean girl" for most of the story. It also makes me feel bad for Darby, who has finally made friends with Amelia only to have it disrupted by Mia. Jai continues to be the lovable, ever enthusiastic character as always. Everyone needs a Jai in their life.
As much as I enjoyed the story over all, the character Mia drove me nuts. Even after explaining her nasty behaviour, I still just didn't like her. While the story is fully resolved, there is definitely enough room to write more in this world.
I'm definitely going to keep listening to this series on audio. Suzy Jackson's narration combined with musical performances by the NJSO Youth Orchestra make for a magical experience.
May 20, 2022
*4.75
The Midnight Orchestra was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 after I read and adored the first book in the fall of 2020. I wasn't aware there was going to be a sequel after finishing it, though, so I was so thrilled when I learned of this one! The Mystwick world is beautifully developed with such a unique magic system, and there's so much that can be done with this series. I can't wait to see what's in store for Amelia and her friends after the closing of this amazing book!
Usually, I try to reread books if I'm reading sequels so I can have the first one fresh in my mind. I unfortunately didn't have enough time to reread at the moment, so I decided to try The Midnight Orchestra, and if I was completely lost, I'd set it aside. This is because I've found that having no recollection of previous novels in a series can really ruin the enjoyment of the sequels, and I did not want to do that with this one. Surprisingly though, I remembered a lot more than I thought I would, and what I couldn't quite recall, the book did a little rehash on, which was extremely helpful.
The Midnight Orchestra picks up almost immediately after the events of the first book, so Amelia still hasn’t learned how to control her Composing power, which is a lot of what this story focuses on. Composing is directly correlated to the emotions the caster is feeling, so a big part of the story is Amelia working through her emotions and examining how past events have affected her. She has a lot of unexamined trauma surrounding her father’s abandonment, and watching her emotional journey as she channeled those feelings into her music, while also being scared of them, was really well done. It brought a more somber feel to the book, while still keeping plenty of light-hearted and exciting moments.
Just as in the first book, the friendships in this one were lovely! Jai is such a good and supportive friend, who’s also really hilarious. I just love his humor. Several times he had me laughing out loud! The relationship between Darby and Amelia was also further explored, and while rocky at times because of a certain surprise, it really showed the strong bond these two share.
Mia was an interesting addition. If there were any indications in the last book that she’d be making an appearance here, I either missed it or didn’t pick up on it. It added a fascinating twist the story and a little bit of drama, while never taking away from Amelia’s journey. Mia definitely got on my nerves from time to time, and while I understand her motives now because of the ending, I still think she took it too far. Still, I can sympathize with her and see where she was coming from, so I’m not too annoyed about it.
Throughout the Midnight Orchestra, there were several plot twists and reveals, and I was so excited when I figured almost all of them out. I know most people like being surprised and are unsatisfied when they guess the big reveal. However, I always feel so accomplished that I was able to follow the clues that lead me there, so I didn’t mind the predictability of it. Even with the more apparent parts, there were still a lot of complexities that were added and explored. I think the unfolding of the events was done excellently. Even though I’d figured out what was going on, the way it was uncovered was done so well that I was too focused on being excited I guessed it right and impressed with the way it all unfolded to worry about predictability.
The only thing about this story that really bothered me was Amelia’s aversion to adult help. It’s one thing to be worried about involving the adults because of repercussions, but Amelia would instead harp on the fact that adults would just take over the situation and would always insist on knowing more. I worry about this portrayal because younger people should never be afraid to go to the adults in their life for help, or reluctant to for that matter. Reading books like this and hearing the main character complain about how adults will warp any situation could impress upon children in the wrong way. I feel we should always encourage younger people to seek help when they need it, and the way it was depicted here didn’t bring that across at all.
All that aside though, I absolutely loved this sequel. The adventures and mishaps Amelia and her crew find themselves in were delightful to witness! I also cannot get over how amazing the magic system in this world is. It would have never occurred to me to create a magic system that relies on musical instruments to cast spells, but I adore this concept! It’s explored so well, and the entire school is skillfully developed. Mystwick is a world I would love to visit and explore.
Overall, The Midnight Orchestra did not disappoint! It had all the same characters and adventures from book one, while still being its own unique story. I’m always worried about sequels when I loved the first one as much as I loved the Mystwick School of Musicraft, but The Midnight Orchestra was just as strong and wonderful. If you haven’t tried out this magically delightful middle grade series, I highly recommend it!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
The Midnight Orchestra was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 after I read and adored the first book in the fall of 2020. I wasn't aware there was going to be a sequel after finishing it, though, so I was so thrilled when I learned of this one! The Mystwick world is beautifully developed with such a unique magic system, and there's so much that can be done with this series. I can't wait to see what's in store for Amelia and her friends after the closing of this amazing book!
Usually, I try to reread books if I'm reading sequels so I can have the first one fresh in my mind. I unfortunately didn't have enough time to reread at the moment, so I decided to try The Midnight Orchestra, and if I was completely lost, I'd set it aside. This is because I've found that having no recollection of previous novels in a series can really ruin the enjoyment of the sequels, and I did not want to do that with this one. Surprisingly though, I remembered a lot more than I thought I would, and what I couldn't quite recall, the book did a little rehash on, which was extremely helpful.
The Midnight Orchestra picks up almost immediately after the events of the first book, so Amelia still hasn’t learned how to control her Composing power, which is a lot of what this story focuses on. Composing is directly correlated to the emotions the caster is feeling, so a big part of the story is Amelia working through her emotions and examining how past events have affected her. She has a lot of unexamined trauma surrounding her father’s abandonment, and watching her emotional journey as she channeled those feelings into her music, while also being scared of them, was really well done. It brought a more somber feel to the book, while still keeping plenty of light-hearted and exciting moments.
Just as in the first book, the friendships in this one were lovely! Jai is such a good and supportive friend, who’s also really hilarious. I just love his humor. Several times he had me laughing out loud! The relationship between Darby and Amelia was also further explored, and while rocky at times because of a certain surprise, it really showed the strong bond these two share.
Mia was an interesting addition. If there were any indications in the last book that she’d be making an appearance here, I either missed it or didn’t pick up on it. It added a fascinating twist the story and a little bit of drama, while never taking away from Amelia’s journey. Mia definitely got on my nerves from time to time, and while I understand her motives now because of the ending, I still think she took it too far. Still, I can sympathize with her and see where she was coming from, so I’m not too annoyed about it.
Throughout the Midnight Orchestra, there were several plot twists and reveals, and I was so excited when I figured almost all of them out. I know most people like being surprised and are unsatisfied when they guess the big reveal. However, I always feel so accomplished that I was able to follow the clues that lead me there, so I didn’t mind the predictability of it. Even with the more apparent parts, there were still a lot of complexities that were added and explored. I think the unfolding of the events was done excellently. Even though I’d figured out what was going on, the way it was uncovered was done so well that I was too focused on being excited I guessed it right and impressed with the way it all unfolded to worry about predictability.
The only thing about this story that really bothered me was Amelia’s aversion to adult help. It’s one thing to be worried about involving the adults because of repercussions, but Amelia would instead harp on the fact that adults would just take over the situation and would always insist on knowing more. I worry about this portrayal because younger people should never be afraid to go to the adults in their life for help, or reluctant to for that matter. Reading books like this and hearing the main character complain about how adults will warp any situation could impress upon children in the wrong way. I feel we should always encourage younger people to seek help when they need it, and the way it was depicted here didn’t bring that across at all.
All that aside though, I absolutely loved this sequel. The adventures and mishaps Amelia and her crew find themselves in were delightful to witness! I also cannot get over how amazing the magic system in this world is. It would have never occurred to me to create a magic system that relies on musical instruments to cast spells, but I adore this concept! It’s explored so well, and the entire school is skillfully developed. Mystwick is a world I would love to visit and explore.
Overall, The Midnight Orchestra did not disappoint! It had all the same characters and adventures from book one, while still being its own unique story. I’m always worried about sequels when I loved the first one as much as I loved the Mystwick School of Musicraft, but The Midnight Orchestra was just as strong and wonderful. If you haven’t tried out this magically delightful middle grade series, I highly recommend it!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
December 25, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for this advance e copy in exchange for my honest review!
I absolutely adored the first Mystwick book, so when I saw the sequel on its way, I KNEW I had to read it. Sequels to darling stories can be hit or miss but Jessica Khoury absolutely smashed this continuation of Amelia Jones’ story!
We pick up just about where the first story left off, and that’s my one minor complaint- the pacing of the beginning feels clunky, as Amelia speaks about her relationship with Darby as if they are now longtime friends. But the story settles after that with twist after twist! I guessed the primary conflict/reveal pretty early, but the journey to that was absolutely worth it!
I once likened Mystwick to Harry Potter, and this story felt a lot like Goblet of Fire. Khoury managed to write a villain who serves Voldemort but more sympathetic. The story is much less good vs evil, but an incredible example of how love and grief impact our decisions.
Overall, an absolutely stellar sequel that I cannot wait to share with my students!
I absolutely adored the first Mystwick book, so when I saw the sequel on its way, I KNEW I had to read it. Sequels to darling stories can be hit or miss but Jessica Khoury absolutely smashed this continuation of Amelia Jones’ story!
We pick up just about where the first story left off, and that’s my one minor complaint- the pacing of the beginning feels clunky, as Amelia speaks about her relationship with Darby as if they are now longtime friends. But the story settles after that with twist after twist! I guessed the primary conflict/reveal pretty early, but the journey to that was absolutely worth it!
I once likened Mystwick to Harry Potter, and this story felt a lot like Goblet of Fire. Khoury managed to write a villain who serves Voldemort but more sympathetic. The story is much less good vs evil, but an incredible example of how love and grief impact our decisions.
Overall, an absolutely stellar sequel that I cannot wait to share with my students!
releases-in-2022
August 13, 202108/08/2021. Tell me that I can find a free version of this book's audio on Libby because I'm too poor to afford Audible, lol
13/08/2021. Lol just find out that the there will (again) be a full orchestra for this novel. Love that but it also means that I will have to spend at least $8 just to listen to it. I just want to cry in poor, man.
13/08/2021. Lol just find out that the there will (again) be a full orchestra for this novel. Love that but it also means that I will have to spend at least $8 just to listen to it. I just want to cry in poor, man.
March 23, 2022
I enjoyed the audio book of the first book in this series and the second one is just as fun. I especially appreciate the addition of music when it's being played or talked about in the text. It really adds to the listening experience.
February 1, 2022
This series was so very well written. It was woven together amazingly, and Jessica did a great job with the visuals she painted through this story.
“Who wants to be normal when you can be magic?”
“Who wants to be normal when you can be magic?”
May 27, 2024
Love love love love this, can’t wait for book 3 !!! Ngl this whole book could’ve been a villain’s origin story but bless Amelia’s heart she is gold 🥲🤏🏻
February 16, 2025
SO GOOD. I needed to reread this book. 🤩 I would definitely recommend this series!
August 1, 2022
THIS SERIES BETTER HAVE MORE BOOKS COMING!!!
These Mystwick books are some of the best writing, not just for their age group, but out of all the books I've ever read. Jessica Khoury is my new favorite writer, and I will be anticipating any future books with baited breath!
This sequel was just as amazing as the first. Great setups and payoffs. Wonderful characters. Shocking plot twists. Heartbreaking moments.
I will say, this was quite a bit scarier than the first. There was a ghost scene in the first, but this one actually had my heartbeat quickening with anxiety and fear. I would read it before giving it to a young kid without knowing what they can handle. Or have them read it during the daylight hours! But still very, very good!
The easiest 5/5 I've ever given.
*I won this in a Goodreads giveaway*
These Mystwick books are some of the best writing, not just for their age group, but out of all the books I've ever read. Jessica Khoury is my new favorite writer, and I will be anticipating any future books with baited breath!
This sequel was just as amazing as the first. Great setups and payoffs. Wonderful characters. Shocking plot twists. Heartbreaking moments.
I will say, this was quite a bit scarier than the first. There was a ghost scene in the first, but this one actually had my heartbeat quickening with anxiety and fear. I would read it before giving it to a young kid without knowing what they can handle. Or have them read it during the daylight hours! But still very, very good!
The easiest 5/5 I've ever given.
*I won this in a Goodreads giveaway*
December 23, 2022
Magical composer-in-training Amelia Jones gets kicked out of her dorm room and loses her BF when the "real" Amelia, Mia for short, shows up at school, the Mystwick School of Musicraft, despite being shipwrecked, losing her mother and fighting to survive on an island all first term.
Mia is a whiz at piano, a genuine performing star, with magic fingers and paparazzi. No one can blame her for having a grudge against Amelia – who literally took Mia's spot at the school. Well, maybe Amelia can wonder why the other girl is so nasty toward her all the time and so intent on keeping their mutual friend, Darby, away from her.
Add to that a new Maestro for composing, Miss Motte, who believes composing is all about emotions (the actual nuts and bolts of composing are never touched on in this tale, which is a shame) and has Amelia doing all kinds of non-musical things in "composing" class, instead of actually writing music, and you know Amelia's headed for a musical magical blunder of epic proportions.
When the opportunity to enter a musical composition / performance competition appears, everyone thinks Amelia – having raised the dead, namely her mother's ghost, with her music in the last book – is a shoe-in to win.
Uh, no. Amelia gets writer's block.
Then an invitation to the Midnight Orchestra appears in her room. She goes and it's an odd, eerie experience, involving stepping through a portal to watch musicians she suspects are zombies, because no orchestra plays with that much physical coordination.
The creepy conductor gives her a seed – a literal seed of a memory that packs an emotional wallop – with a caveat. If she uses it, she'll owe him a spell. What kind of spell, he gets to determine – at his leisure / need.
She swears to herself she won't use it, but the *whole school* is waiting for her to drop some bars of a melody they can practice and that'll do amazing magic. When she's still inspiration-less, and gets bullied by Mia for it, she caves.
I won't spoil the rest of the story, just know, it's another awesome musical fantasy!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog, The Fabric of Words, for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
Mia is a whiz at piano, a genuine performing star, with magic fingers and paparazzi. No one can blame her for having a grudge against Amelia – who literally took Mia's spot at the school. Well, maybe Amelia can wonder why the other girl is so nasty toward her all the time and so intent on keeping their mutual friend, Darby, away from her.
Add to that a new Maestro for composing, Miss Motte, who believes composing is all about emotions (the actual nuts and bolts of composing are never touched on in this tale, which is a shame) and has Amelia doing all kinds of non-musical things in "composing" class, instead of actually writing music, and you know Amelia's headed for a musical magical blunder of epic proportions.
When the opportunity to enter a musical composition / performance competition appears, everyone thinks Amelia – having raised the dead, namely her mother's ghost, with her music in the last book – is a shoe-in to win.
Uh, no. Amelia gets writer's block.
Then an invitation to the Midnight Orchestra appears in her room. She goes and it's an odd, eerie experience, involving stepping through a portal to watch musicians she suspects are zombies, because no orchestra plays with that much physical coordination.
The creepy conductor gives her a seed – a literal seed of a memory that packs an emotional wallop – with a caveat. If she uses it, she'll owe him a spell. What kind of spell, he gets to determine – at his leisure / need.
She swears to herself she won't use it, but the *whole school* is waiting for her to drop some bars of a melody they can practice and that'll do amazing magic. When she's still inspiration-less, and gets bullied by Mia for it, she caves.
I won't spoil the rest of the story, just know, it's another awesome musical fantasy!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog, The Fabric of Words, for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
May 26, 2022
Cute MG story about Amelia as she now has to compose a song for her school to compete to compete in a competition her mum had previously won. With the other Mia being back amelia deals with pressure, bullying and tough choices especially when she meets the elusive Midnight Orchestra
I love that this book isn’t afraid to go dark like the first one and tackles many issues and topics from bullying and isolation pressure familial expectations and grief. The characters come alive and I love Jai (not sure how it’s spelt since I listened to the audiobook)
I love that this book isn’t afraid to go dark like the first one and tackles many issues and topics from bullying and isolation pressure familial expectations and grief. The characters come alive and I love Jai (not sure how it’s spelt since I listened to the audiobook)
April 7, 2022
Happily surprised to discover that there was a sequel (and prequel) to the Mystwick School of Music. As with the first book, I loved the narration and the catchy chapter titles, all with appropriate musical words. This book's adventure was braver and full of action and totally Hogwarts-like. Plot twist in the end, I feel like a third book will follow suit.
September 10, 2022
This is such a fun book. Magic by music. This is a book you are going to want to listen to. The music accompaniment is fabulous. A mad man wants to raise the dead. Amelia is tasked with the job or he will kill her friends. Amelia has to find out who this man is, avoid raising the dead and avoid getting dead. Easy-peasy!
April 30, 2022
A nice second book in the series. I am liking where the story is going and it looks like there may be more in the series. I have to say that the narration is part of the fun because music is played for the parts with music. I am liking the series so far.
February 22, 2022
This is a great story with intricate strategy woven throughout. It definitely builds on the previous book and speaks to doing what is right and the importance of loyalty.
February 26, 2022
these books are such a delight. and we love a complicated family dynamic
March 29, 2022
Fun little adventure, almost everyone in my family has enjoyed these stories.
October 28, 2022
I listened to this on an exclusive Audible edition. It was fantastic! I highly recommend it.
September 7, 2023
Wonderful narration. I figured out who the villain was pretty early on, but I still greatly enjoyed the story.
November 17, 2024
I really enjoyed listening to this with my kiddo. It has a bit more depth and a lot more humor than the first.
February 9, 2022
The Midnight Orchestra. I loved this first one and I definitely loved the second.
I enjoy the complexity of relationships/friendships, in this book. I enjoyed how you see Darby, Jia and Amelia become thick as thives in there friendship. And How Mia showing up made it difficult, but they still had a friendship it just changed a bit and at the end it shows you can have a friendship for years and a new one brings a different dynamic to your life.
With Amelia and Jia you get to see how you view yourself and how others view you. You get to see through others lenses and how that shapes you and who is a really friend and who is in it for themselves a but. I love there relationship.
I enjoy the complexity of relationships/friendships, in this book. I enjoyed how you see Darby, Jia and Amelia become thick as thives in there friendship. And How Mia showing up made it difficult, but they still had a friendship it just changed a bit and at the end it shows you can have a friendship for years and a new one brings a different dynamic to your life.
With Amelia and Jia you get to see how you view yourself and how others view you. You get to see through others lenses and how that shapes you and who is a really friend and who is in it for themselves a but. I love there relationship.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2022
If you liked the first one, then you’ll enjoy this one. It switches up the formula while keeping the elements that made the first book great.
March 27, 2023
Cute and adorable read, such a good time
January 14, 2022
This book book definitely was more predictable than the first, but I fully enjoyed the continuation of the storyline from book 1! I’m a 24 year old who loves music and a bit of fantasy. It was a perfect light read. Honestly, even as an adult, I really enjoy this series. Definitely listen on audible if you can, the addition of the orchestra pieces in the background really completes it for me!
July 25, 2022
This series has charmed me. Again, I'm glad I got the audiobook version. The narrator does a wonderful job and the snippets of music are a lovely addition that enhance the enjoyment of the story.
This installment sees further adventures with the trio of friends and introduces some new characters as well. This book tackles some heavier topics- guilt, anger, abandonment, etc- but remains very much a children's story.
Definitely recommend a listen.
(6/100 book challenge)
This installment sees further adventures with the trio of friends and introduces some new characters as well. This book tackles some heavier topics- guilt, anger, abandonment, etc- but remains very much a children's story.
Definitely recommend a listen.
(6/100 book challenge)
February 28, 2022
A nice second installment. Although ok as a standalone, it would be tougher to follow. This is an interesting world where magic is created by music. This one is much darker than the first with less focus on the magic and more on Amelia.
Full disclosure- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Full disclosure- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
May 29, 2023
Lightning strikes twice
Just like the first installment in this series (The Mystwick School of Musicraft) the audiobook format really brings this story to life in a way not matched by paper alone. The author's writing is just as good as the first novel. This book expanding on the universe established in the first in ways that explore what it means to be a composer in a world where music is truly magic.
I love nearly everything about this book: The punny titles of each chapter ("Going for Baroque"), the personalities of the main characters, and the plot. My only complaint here is really a concern. I'm not sure where the author can go from here. In this book she pulled out Time Magic, Teleportation Magic, and expanded on Resurrection Magic. This book also explored previously unexplored parts of the castle, an external branch of law enforcement, intercollegiate competitions, and magical laws. I feel each of these topics could have been expanded on in their own books (perhaps they will be). Alas, these are children books for Bach's sack. Can't expect them to hold their attentions long enough to provide all the dets.
Speaking of which, I have two major problems with this book which originally made me rate this as a 4. However, they're so minor its more of a ridiculously fixable nuisance than a conceptual flaw. First, . Second, . Oh, and the plot twist was cliché.
Now that that's out of the way, Khoury does one thing I wish more authors did: She doesn't interrupt (or rarely interrupts) action or character dialogues to remind the audience about previous events. Instead, the audience is reminded by a character briefly reminding themselves, or introducing the content to another character who previously had no knowledge of this information. I wish more people did this. In contrast, one of my pet peeves is using the same - and rare - sentence twice in a single book. In two separate, back-to-back chapters, two different characters are said to be "holding court" without a recognition of the other. The problem is that the déjà vu interrupts the entire scene, and for a moment, an astute reader goes "Wait. Didn't someone else just do that? [Flips to check page] Are these two events linked in some way? Why would the author phrase it like this twice? Are the character's foils of each other? Is this a psychology experiment like that gorilla on the basketball court? ..."
My pet peeves aside, this book still gets a rare 5-star rating from me for two reasons: the aforementioned world building meshed with format and character development. Though I'm not sure how many grade-seven students would have the emotional maturity to proclaim, . The proclamation and the journey the character takes to arrive at this conclusion is a lesson more young people need to hear. In this way, this book is more than entertainment, it is a message to those who resinate with the heroine.
Just like the first installment in this series (The Mystwick School of Musicraft) the audiobook format really brings this story to life in a way not matched by paper alone. The author's writing is just as good as the first novel. This book expanding on the universe established in the first in ways that explore what it means to be a composer in a world where music is truly magic.
I love nearly everything about this book: The punny titles of each chapter ("Going for Baroque"), the personalities of the main characters, and the plot. My only complaint here is really a concern. I'm not sure where the author can go from here. In this book she pulled out Time Magic, Teleportation Magic, and expanded on Resurrection Magic. This book also explored previously unexplored parts of the castle, an external branch of law enforcement, intercollegiate competitions, and magical laws. I feel each of these topics could have been expanded on in their own books (perhaps they will be). Alas, these are children books for Bach's sack. Can't expect them to hold their attentions long enough to provide all the dets.
Speaking of which, I have two major problems with this book which originally made me rate this as a 4. However, they're so minor its more of a ridiculously fixable nuisance than a conceptual flaw. First, . Second, . Oh, and the plot twist was cliché.
Now that that's out of the way, Khoury does one thing I wish more authors did: She doesn't interrupt (or rarely interrupts) action or character dialogues to remind the audience about previous events. Instead, the audience is reminded by a character briefly reminding themselves, or introducing the content to another character who previously had no knowledge of this information. I wish more people did this. In contrast, one of my pet peeves is using the same - and rare - sentence twice in a single book. In two separate, back-to-back chapters, two different characters are said to be "holding court" without a recognition of the other. The problem is that the déjà vu interrupts the entire scene, and for a moment, an astute reader goes "Wait. Didn't someone else just do that? [Flips to check page] Are these two events linked in some way? Why would the author phrase it like this twice? Are the character's foils of each other? Is this a psychology experiment like that gorilla on the basketball court? ..."
My pet peeves aside, this book still gets a rare 5-star rating from me for two reasons: the aforementioned world building meshed with format and character development. Though I'm not sure how many grade-seven students would have the emotional maturity to proclaim, . The proclamation and the journey the character takes to arrive at this conclusion is a lesson more young people need to hear. In this way, this book is more than entertainment, it is a message to those who resinate with the heroine.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews