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M. K. Wiseman

The Bookminder Paperback – January 7, 2016

by M. K. Wiseman (Author), Penny Freeman (Editor), Egle Zioma (Illustrator)

27 ratings

Book 1 of 3: The Bookminder

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Sired by magick and violence, sixteen-year-old Liara is found guilty of witchcraft and banished from her tiny village by the very priest who raised, then betrayed her. However, a mysterious mage steps forward to assume custody of her: Nagarath, the Wizard of Parentino, whose secret spellwork has long protected both Liara and Dvigrad from the ravages of war.Despite Liara’s best hopes, Nagarath refuses to apprentice her to his craft but tasks her instead with the restoration of his neglected library. Liara gleans what magickal knowledge she can on the sly, determined to learn, come what may. But the first test of her stolen knowledge goes awry and renews an evil wizard’s interest in the people of the Limska Draga valley.Only by tapping Liara’s inherent magick and joining it with his own can Nagarath protect Parentino from suffering a horrible fate. However, her discovery of his secrets destroys their fragile trust and ignites the darker tendencies of her gift. Now, he must rescue her from the influence of his mortal enemy before their powerful new alliance destroys them all.

Print length

444 pages
Language

English
Publication date

January 7, 2016
Dimensions

5.25 x 1 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

1940810507
ISBN-13

978-1940810508
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

M. K. Wiseman was born in Wisconsin but lived in New Mexico for a time, falling in love with the Southwest. She later returned to Milwaukee, immersing herself in her Croatian culture. With degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in animation/video and library science she lives for stories. Books are her life and she sincerely hopes that you enjoy this, her first.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Xchyler Publishing (January 7, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 444 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1940810507
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1940810508
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.01 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 1 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #467,698 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,386 in Magical Realism
- #4,532 in Historical Fantasy (Books)

Customer Reviews:
27 ratings

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M. K. Wiseman

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M. K. Wiseman has degrees in animation/video and library science – both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Today, her office is a clutter of storyboards and half-catalogued collections of too, too many books. (But, really, is there such a thing as too many books?) When she’s not mucking about with stories, she’s off playing brač or lying in a hammock in the backyard of her Wisconsin home that she shares with her endlessly patient husband.

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Rebekah Bryan

Slow Build with an Ending That Packs a Punch

Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2018

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This was an incredibly well written book about a teenage girl figuring out the world of magic(k) through the tutelage of a mage who doesn't actually want to teach her anything. The book begins with Liara being thrown out of her hometown for doing magic, which is forbidden, and Nagarath the mage takes her in.

The middle of this book mostly shows the sheltered life Nagarath tries to make for Liara and his reluctance to teach her any magic based on a promise he made to protect her. This made for a leisurely pace to the story, which is maybe unusual for a fantasy, where the two go through their days with little to excite or upset them. But leave it to Liara to still find some trouble to get into.

When the action rose to the conclusion, though, I flipped through the last quarter of the book in one night, wanting to know the fate of Liara and her mage. And the twist! I didn't see it coming.

There were some characters I wished I would've seen more of, such as Kresimir (sp?), Liara's friend from her hometown. Maybe in the next book although I'm not sure the story will allow for it. I got tripped up with some of the names, but bonus! There's a glossary at the end. I love when books do that.

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Timothy Waters

This Book is Magick

Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2016

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I first came across M.K. Wiseman's writing in her short story in Mechanized Masterpieces: A Steampunk Anthology . I was hooked, and was thrilled when I saw M.K.'s first novel appear on Amazon. I immediately gobbled it up.

The Bookminder explores a premise familiar to all of us who love to read--that there is magic (written as "magick") in books. I love to curl up in a comfortable chair with a book, feeling the weight of it in my hands, running my fingers over the cover, noting the bookish scent. I have often felt that there is magick in books; not just in their contents, but in their physical presence. In the vivid universe M.K. conjures up in The Bookminder, this is a literal truth--magick only works properly if the physical object it is rooted to, be it a book or an artifact, is physically sound and properly maintained. Working magick from a spellbook in ill repair invites chaos and disaster.

Enter Liara, a kleptomaniac teenage orphan who is shunned by her village because she was brought into existence by an act of magick (which is forbidden by official decree). Taken in by the church, Liara is eventually cast out when her unconscious use of her power manifests in ways the good-hearted priest who looks after her can no longer conceal or ignore. To her surprise, the mysterious Nagarath agrees to take responsibility for Liara, and leads her away to his isolated (and heavily magicked) tower. On the cusp of realizing her heart's desire to learn magick, Liara is frustrated and dismayed when the wizard Nagarath informs her that he has promised not to train her in the ways of sorcery.

Nagarath has a very different role in mind for Liara. The wizard has amassed a treasure trove of spellbooks, scrolls, and treatises in his tower. While valuable beyond measure, this motley collection is falling into disrepair. Nagarath tasks Liara with setting to rights the disorganized jumble he calls a library, and lovingly mending its rapidly deteriorating books. While Liara enjoys working with such items of power (except, at first, for the more "aggressive" spellbooks), she never stops pressing Nagarath to teach her his craft. His continuing refusal to do so leads Liara almost to despair, and sets in motion a series of events that threatens to tear the lonely pair apart, and puts them both in dire peril.

The magickal system M.K. has devised is fresh and intriguing. The characters that inhabit The Bookminder are rich and layered. M.K.'s writing is whimsical and breezy, yet the story told is painstakingly built with unerring historical accuracy (the book takes place in Istria, or modern-day Croatia) and full of atmospheric flavor. The plot turns in unexpected ways, and the climax of the book both satisfies and leaves the reader wanting more. I sincerely hope M.K. continues the story. The world the author creates, and its colorful characters, demand it.

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malinda

The world building is phenomenal, and the attention to detail is exquisite.

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2019

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This book, just wow.
The world building is phenomenal, and the attention to detail is exquisite.
The "twist" was predictable, but that comes along with the genre, and definitely didn't ruin my enjoyment of Liara going through it herself. I honestly fell in love with Nagarath and have already downloaded book two!
One of the best fantasy stories I have read in a long time. This author knows their stuff!

One person found this helpful

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Beth Wilson

Wonderful

Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2021

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I really enjoyed this book. I look forward to reading the next book in the series! I am very glad I found this author!

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KA

Beautifully written book for adults and young adults alike!

Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2016

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The Bookminder by M. K. Wiseman is beautifully written. The characters are complex and delightfully flawed, making them relatable, and the magick system is well-developed and quite believable. The author has a talent for writing vivid descriptions. The plot advanced at a good pace and left room for a sequel, without leaving loose ends within this book. I can't wait for book #2 of the Bookminder series!

One person found this helpful

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robert billings

Great new book! By M K Wiseman

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2016

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This is an extremely well written book! Half - way through and I can't put it down!
Hope this story captivates you like it has me. Rob Billings Magic Balloon Books

One person found this helpful

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Barb Costanzo

The Bookminder

Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2016

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This was a wonderful journey into sorcery and " majick". I loved the characters and the story was beautifully crafted. I'm going to buy a copy for my granddaughter !

One person found this helpful

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madison

Fine and fun fantasy!

Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2017

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I greatly enjoyed this fantasy! I enjoyed Liara and Nagarath from their first encounter and throughout their slowly growing relationship. Liara learns about history and deception as well as magic. The story flows well, and the characters are engaging.

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NickSC

Decent magic fantasy set in the real world

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2019

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed the story of this fantastic historical novel. Set in 17th century Croatia, we see a slightly unlikeable, precocious but genuinely clever and gifted girl, Liara, apprenticed to a powerful wizard.
At the outset, it may seem a YA novel but I think it crosses over the boundaries fluidly and could be for all ages, from well-read teens upwards.
Through the course of her belligerent, learning of the craft, I think Liara does learn, even if she ends up in the clutches of evil. In this, the story is well written and the characters are very full of personality and conscience.
There are some great set pieces of magical use and conversations between the various leads and seemed to flow quite nicely.
A thoughtful fantasy, about back to basics magic use, with an interesting setting.
I wasn't as enamoured about the narration. The narrator seemed to read everything off the page in front of him, including the "chapter XX continued" despite the audio breaks being full chapters. It took some getting used to it too but was reasonably good on intonation and characterisation. I have to say I tended to look through it's faults to the story though.
I will be reading the next volume as I am intrigued by the growing up of and learning curve of our main protagonist.

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The Bookminder Paperback – January 7, 2016

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