The Magic Shop

By: Justin Swapp

Narrated by: Steve Barnes

Some family secrets can't be unseen.

Marcus and his twin sister, Ellie, live in the loft above their grandparents' magic shop - the one all the rumors are about. He's all too familiar with the hand buzzers, card tricks, and fake vomit kits. He thought he had seen it all until he stumbles upon his grandfather hiding something in a secret room behind the family tapestry.

Now Marcus and Ellie must unravel a dirty laundry list of family secrets, and are thrown into a sinister world that has been hidden from them their entire lives. Not only is the family business a front, but Marcus has to develop his powers before the Dun-Bahr find him and assimilate the magic he was born to protect.

How will Marcus evade his enemies, and save his family?

It all comes down to what's hidden at the Magic Shop.

©2016 Justin Swapp (P)2016 Justin Swapp

Captivating

Narrator was excellent! Storyline kept twisting and turning to keep the audience intrigued. Highly recommend!

So Much More Than I Was Expecting!

When I first started listening to this book I was thinking I would be listening to more of a middle grade or young adult type book. I think this book is much more adult then young adult. It took me a little while to get into it, but once you enter the world that Swapp has created you are adventuring ALL OVER the place. So many exciting characters, places, plot twists, creatures, and the list could go on and on. It truly is more than just a magic shop. I really cannot wait to see where this story goes to in the second book.

Steve Barnes does a fantastic job with the several voices he creates flawlessly, perfectly, and accurate every single time. His emotional inflection is well done as well. I was very emotional throughout this book a lot due to his performance.

I did receive a copy of this book at my request, and I have voluntarily left this review.

Coming of Age in the Magic World

A story containing magic, wizardry, betrayal and coming of age in the magic world. Marcus and Ellie are two children born into the magic world without knowing it. When things start to go awry in their world, they soon discover the truth piece by piece. They must go through several challenges including rescuing their beloved grandfather, Marcus discovering his true powers, saving their uncle and many others. Well written story easy for adults and young adults to enjoy. Note: there is music intertwined throughout the storytelling in the beginning of the chapters.

Steve Barnes gives a strong performance with clear, articulate characters. He easily captures the listeners' ear and engages the audience.

An interesting take on magic

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. That being said, it was a good book. The narrator did a pretty good job voicing all the characters and made it very entertaining. The story was engaging and was a very interesting take on the magic being real story. My only negative feedback was that at the beginning of each chapter, there was a musical intro. It was a little jarring and, to me, distracting. It actually startled me a couple of times. :)

A Wonderful Magical Adventure

I received this book for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review and all opinions expressed herein are mine.

Here, twins Marcus and Ellie live with their grandparents, who own a magic shop. After receiving a review from their school teacher, their grandparents decide that the twins could use a little responsibility by working in the magic shop. The twins are less than thrilled with the idea. One day Marcus sees his grandfather take a customer to a secret room. He is curious about it. Marcus also sees there is a magic shop across the street with lines around the block - so what are they doing to pull in all these customers? One day, the twins are left alone in the shop when a customer makes a request for some unique magical items. Marcus takes him to his grandfather's secret room and sells one of the artifacts from the room, believing this will help his struggling family. However, when he tells his grandparents, he realizes how wrong he was and his family is not quite what had believed.

This is a book for the entire family. It has a lot of twists and turns as Marcus and Ellie try to help their grandparents and get the magical artifact Marcus sold back. This story is completely engaging as you learn about magic, how it used and it is more than just slight of hand. This is a wonderful magical adventure - highly recommend! Be warned - the story ends with a set up for the next book in the series [a soft cliffhanger].

The narrator was superb. He has a magical voice with a variety of accents and knack for bringing each of the characters to life. He made a wonderful story even better.