Blog Tour Review: Clash of the Totems and the Lost Magaecians by Yonnie Garber

Hey everyone!
Today is my stop on the blog tour for Clash of the Totems and the Lost Magaecians by Yonnie Garber, and I am excited to be sharing my review with you all.

A massive thank you to @Lovebookstours for allowing me to be a part of the tour.

Title: Clash of the Totems and the Lost Magaecians
Author: Yonnie Garber
Genre: Supernatural coming-of-age (with hints of environmentalism, global warming and climate change)
Age Group: Upper MG/YA
Page Count: 196
Buy It Here (affiliate links): Amazon UK

Book Blurb:

We know we are slowly destroying our planet…but what if we’re wrong? What if it’s the planet that is slowly destroying us?

The Earth’s fate may well hinge on just one girl.

Thirteen-year-old Ellery Brown has a mysterious past, brought up by her mother in a tiny remote village, knowing nothing of her father or of his family until she comes intertwined with her mother’s old friend, Hendrick Myerscough. In a shocking twist, she learns that the mysterious Mr Myerscough is a teacher at a Magaecian school…where her father was once a pupil. When Ellery discovers she possesses a rare gift, she finds herself in the centre of a dangerous power struggle destined to consume her if she ignores the advice of those she is closest to.

Caught between obedience and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover the secrets of her past to understand her destiny in protecting humanity’s future. It begins as a personal journey for Ellery, but develops into a united mission with her friends as they embark on an audacious adventure of spells, totems and nature’s darkest magaec in a courageous attempt to bring back balance to Mother Earth…before it’s too late.

My Review:

The first person we meet in Clash of the Totems and the Lost Magaecians is our protagonist, Ellery Brown. The story kicks off with a bang (literally!!) when there is an explosion at Ellery’s school, where her mum is currently attending a staff meeting. In an attempt to save her, Ellery and her friend, Thomas, race back to the school and enter the burning building. It soon comes to light that Ellery’s mum is safe and well, but their rescue mission has created all sorts of questions. Like who is this man who came to find her who knows who she is? and who is the boy she saved? Ellery wants answers, and she wants them now. With such an exciting, gripping start, I was desperate to read on, and excited to dive in to the world of the magaecians.

Due to the fact that Ellery’s school is reduced to rubble, she is then made to attend The Quinton Earth Science School along with a few of her friends. The Quinton Earth Science School is a school for magaecians, and many non-magaecian (or dwellers as they are known in the magaecian world) parents do not agree with the schools teachings, and refuse to send their children. Personally, I thought that the school seemed super interesting, and I’d quite like to experience it for myself.

I really enjoyed the mix of characters in this story, and all of the different personalities. I love when a group of friends are all completely different, but compliment each other perfectly, and that’s exactly what Ellery’s friendship group is like. Ellery herself is passionate and a little hot headed, but will always fight for what is right, and I think she’s a fantastic female lead. The reason for her hot headedness is revealed within the story, but I will not elaborate, because I don’t want to give any spoilers! All of the characters in this book are extremely well written, and I found each one individually interesting.

There are two key messages within the story, and both were written in to the book brilliantly. Firstly is the message that words have a huge impact. Within the story, words are known as “spells”, and magaecians use their spells to help them in every situation. They teach that words can change anything and everything, and to remember that once a “spell” is out there, there’s no taking them back. I think it’s very important for people to remember the effect that words can have, and to always be careful with what you say.

The second message, and the biggest one of the story, is about the way we are effecting our planet, and the changes we need to be making before it is too late. I really enjoyed that this was such a big part of the story, and I wish we saw it more in books, because IT MATTERS, and the more we talk about it the better. Nobody is saying that you need to stop doing/eating things you enjoy, but to think about how you are effecting the planet with your actions, and to maybe enjoy them in moderation. Change doesn’t happen over night, but over time even the smallest change can make a difference. This message is extremely important, and I just hope that more people will begin to listen and make a change.

From the very beginning of the story, tensions are high, and you can feel the suspense building throughout the book, coming together in an edge of the seat climax that will have you turning the pages so fast. There’s excitement, revelations, and an action packed showdown.

The only reason that I haven’t given this book a 5 star rating is because I felt that there were quite a few similarities to the Harry Potter storyline. The child who finds out the truth about their background and goes off to an unusual school, a magaecian who has very different views from the rest and has built up a following to rid the world of non-magaecians… it just felt too familiar for me, but they are still very different stories.

Despite this, I still really enjoyed this book. I think it helped that the topic was so completely different. I loved following the class’s adventures, and Ellery’s journey to find her true self, and I couldn’t wait to dive in to book two of the series straight away to see how that journey continued.

I give Clash of the Totems and the Lost Magaecians a 4 star rating!

*Thank you to Love Books Tours and Yonnie Garber for my copy of the book, in exchange for an honest review*

About The Author:

Yonnie Garber is a foot doctor (podiatrist) turned word charmer (author). After spending many years looking after feet, her attention has inevitably progressed to where those feet tread.

An ardent member of the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) she is passionate about increasing awareness of the impact humans are having on our environment.

As a mother of five and a grandmother of two, storytelling has become second nature, so Yonnie has combined both her passions to mix moral environmental principles with epic tales of adventure. She believes that a change is growing in people’s minds and hearts, spreading rapidly towards a greater respect for our planet, so that we may all create an optimistic future.

YOU CAN FIND YONNIE HERE:
Website, Twitter, Facebook, GoodReads

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